That's the real thing (I still haven't gotten to more close-up shots of its finer features).

It is a sweet commuting bike and I love it in the rain. Everything really is enclosed, and I could even go through a deep puddle with impunity (knowing that it didn't have a pile of wet leaves on the bottom because I know that drainage area). I'd have been soaked on any other bike, but the fenders have mud flaps so only my toes got wet, and my toes were prepared.

I have to leave a little more time (which I would when it was raining, anyway) because it is not the speediest thing. When I'd googled I found a picture of it (that blue one) that called it a "bicycle on tranquilizers," and after Wednesday night I understand. It ain't fast on the open road! Those were *tough* trying-to-stay-ahead-of-Howard miles! (I'm still 355 miles ahead of him on bikejournal as of this morning, though.)

The light is really cool. It's dynamo-powered, so no batteries (but I understand light bulbs can burn out - I read that going to fast can burn 'em out, too). It's designed to fan out and light up the road - and it's aimed just a tad to the left, so it gives the illusion to passing cars that I'm out further, so they give me more room. It has a little connection problem and sometimes I have to bop it if I go over a bump and it goes off... I'm definitely going to have a back-up, especially 'cause it doesn't have the "standlight" feature you can now get, where it will keep going when you stop.

It is very smooth, and I also like the built-in lock. It immobilizes the wheel and also has a thick cable, and the LBS guys helped me figure out the easy way to attach and unattach it. They had fun figuring out what size tubes go into it, too; it's a funny sized wheel and the original tubes are "woods" valves... turns otu that it will take 700 tires and either Schrader *or* Presta tubes, so I don't have worries about being so exotic I can't have a flat tire.

I still haven't figured out just where I should be cleaning it after it rains - maybe checking under the fenders for clutter - and I think the drill is to take it into the fearless LBS dudes (okay, Larry, who wasn't there when we were trying to figure out the tube size) to take it all apart once a year and make sure it's lubricated in the right places. They're all enclosed from the weather, so they don't need as much attention, but it's harder to give it to 'em. (Miss JOnes prefers to give the LBS dudes something to do in the dead of winter than to frustrate everything by trying to do such things herself.)

Hmmm.... maybe this should be my *snow* bike? There's a topic for the next visit...