Commuting Plans (a.k.a. The Story of My Bike)

We hope to have one car in California. I know it's heresy to not own at least one car per driver there, but I can live with being a heretic. My trip to the train station in Riverside is about 5 or 6 miles on bike. I thought that it would be nice to treat myself to some super-clearanced clipless pedals (they are called clipless, but they clip you into the bike, so I don't completely understand the name).

They were to be a welcome addition to my trusty old mission bike. The other day I figured that it had at least 10 k miles on it. Besides having to replace parts from theft and decay, it has served me very well.

Then, I remembered that I used to ride with slick road tires on the back to make the ride more efficient. So I bought some of those. They look funky, but they work great. Plus who cares, because I wear bowties.
I remembered that my front fork was held together with zip-ties. Really, my fork is broken and could shoot off at any moment if it were not for these plastic wonders. This is my second fork on the bike. I think that my weight and riding style significantly influence the life of a fork. Anyway, I called around for a cheap replacement and found used rigid and suspension forks at a store in Durango. We had gone to spend the weekend at my in-laws cabin, so it wouldn't be a hassle to just look, right?

I went in looking for a fork, and came out with a used Bianchi. It was cheap, and it is fast. I couldn't withstand the temptation to have a smooth styling, super fast ride to the train station. Just the other day I hit 40+ mph on the straight away (compared to a measly 28mhp maximum on the mountain bike).
And guess what? They had some matching (used) road shoes for my new clipless pedals.
I still love my mountain bike. I hope to enjoy many miles on my roadie.
Isn't it great when the winds of shopping blow you a great setup?