It is now about 6 weeks since I bought my secondhand Dutch-styled NCM Venice to use as a shopping bike. I have put just shy of 300 miles on it in that time without really going anywhere special so I guess that these two things together prove that it is doing its job. It is used almost every day but rarely leaves Whitehaven.
So what have I done? I have taken the basic bike and
Given it a thorough service
Added secondhand waterproof panniers
Added a lock that fixes to the frame
Added a secondhand 'klickfix' basket, cool as it can be removed and carried into the supermarket
Added a small frame bag to house a basic puncture repair kit
Changed the handlebar grips for some cheap eBay ones which are not slippery in the rain like the originals
Fitted some hi-vis tape which I had in my spares box
Changed the rear light for something more reliable (I hope).
I will fit one of my spare saddles at some point as I really don't find the standard one comfortable but there is no rush as I only use it for short trips, I also have a small saddle bag to fit at the same time if I can remember where I put it.
When I have to replace the tyres I will fit Schwabe Marathon Plus to improve the puncture protection but I'll get as much wear as possible out of the standard Marathon's first and they have a few thousand miles left in them yet.
What does it 'owe me'? to date the figure is £1,019.67, this excludes the 'luggage' which I can also easily transfer to my other bike if needed. It sounds like a lot and has broken my budget by twenty quid but I have tried to minimise it by using things I already had or buying secondhand. It equates to about 4 months of car ownership and, by that token, it is almost half paid for already. Over time I expect this to be only a 1,500 miles a year bike which is why I've tried to keep it as cheap as possible.
I see this bike as a functional workhorse and it is now time to 'sweat the asset'. I have no intention of investing further in it other than to keep it going. I'd hope and expect that it should be good for several years until the battery dies and, at that point, I can have a rethink.
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