A short bio…

As the title states I would like to tell you a little about myself; or at least my cycling self.

I’ve been in the bike industry for about 20 years. I got turned onto cross about 15 of those years. And it’s become a drug to me. I enjoy cycling, but I really love and have a passion for cross. Going through these years, I have even grown a certain snobbish appreciation for cross bikes. I’ve developed my own philosophy, that I keep tweaking (not twerking). I use my cross bike for everything. So it has to be as versatile as it can possibly be. Geared. Single speed. Knobby tires. Smooth tires. ‘What’s your pleasure?’

As an example…I build every cross bike that I own around a set of handlebars that they don’t make anymore. So I have at least three sets hanging out just in case.

I LOVE CROSS. I love racing cross. I love the people that put the races on. The time and energy it takes to do it. I have been racing for just as long as I’ve been riding cross bikes. 15 years. I gladly pay my race fees to race. To hang with friends. To make new friends.

On the flip side…I have a critical mind, and I do see things in a different way. In a different light. And there are times that I am seen as being negative, and my apologies for this. My wife tells me that I do come off as a dick sometimes, and there is more to what she said; but that’s for another post. However; I do not mean to. So in some sense this is also an apology.

An apology to anyone that I offend. Piss off. Upset. In my years of racing; I’ve never been so close to the sport for various reason. I used to show up 30 min before my race. Race. Go home. Now I don’t.

Just as the blog title is; I see myself as a bit of a Renegade. And I do want to put my two cents in, but maybe mid stream is not the time to do it, and that’s what the off season is for. (wait…did I just type ‘off season’? no such thing)

In short…don’t take my ramblings as a ‘hater’, but simply as a critical eye on things that do not mean harm. I am a philosopher after all, and I do have a beard.

Amitabha... 

More bike categories please…

So in 2013 the bike industry got hit with another bike category (as if 27.5” mtn bike wheels weren’t enough). This category became know as the gravel bike. What the hell is that?

Well, the industry wants you to believe that you need another bike. You have your road bike; but you don’t ride that too much, or only ride it on those group rides to look the part.  You have a cross bike, but that is only for cross season.

And now the ‘next big thing’ in-group ride/organized/unsanctioned rides are what’s called gravel rides. Where people go out and find the shittist roads that they can (brick, gravel, stone, pea gravel) make a course and go ride them. And this is able to range in length, to an afternoon to an all day epic ride.

For this kind of riding, a very few people started to want to put fatter and fatter tires on their bikes.  On some bikes the BB has been lowered for a more stable ride. Fender mounts, rack mounts. At least this is what the industry is telling us.

I took some time and did some number crunching with some brands that do cross bikes and gravel bikes (Kona, Giant, & Salsa to start). The biggest thing I found was what they were allowing for tire clearance.  One bike allowed a 50 tire, and the rest were pretty much the same 40ish and on down. The geometry was pretty close as well between angles and length of wheelbase, chain stay, & top tube. Also, I’ve noticed that a lot of cross bikes nowadays, except for the high-end carbon ones, have mounts for racks anyway.

Bike Snob posted about gravel bikes back in July, found here:

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2013/07/bikes-less-things-change-more-they-stay.html

And speaks to the ‘smoke and mirrors’ that the industry is trying to attempt.

Sure…in some way a cross bike is the one bike that you really do need. Throw some skinny tires on it, and it’s your road bike. Some aggressive knobs and go ride a trail. Some wide tires, and it’s your gravel bike.

There comes times in the industry (and this kind of speaks to my last post) that they don’t know what to do, and they notice that sales really haven’t been moving much. So what they do is create something ‘new’. Paint it up. Pretty marketing. & there you go n+1 creeps into your mind once again. And there you go….the lust and wanting of something new and ‘better’ than before.

Enjoy….

Amitabha…

There’s no school like the old school…

Long story short; I’ve recently re-acquired this Kona Kilauea, which I think is a ’97. A quick break down of the bike is: steel frame, fork (which might be 80mm of travel at best), xt & xtr components, flat pedals, v-brakes; that being said, 3x8 drivetrain. I’ve been taking her out a few times now, and a few things have hit me.

For some of you ‘serious’ cyclist, do you remember the last time you got home, didn’t change clothes and just got on your bike and rode? No cycling specific shoes. No cycling specific clothes. Just rode your bike. For what it is. Hell, I’ve taken this out a few times, and I’ve forgotten any kind of flat repair. I’ve been pretty anal about that as of late.

But I just went out on a ride. No other thought than not wanting mud up my ass and a light to be seen.

And as I’m out on these rides I’ve been thinking about the bike, and what is on it. Thoughts of ‘well, when this bit goes what am I going to do?’ ‘can I even get decent brakes for this anymore?’ ‘a new shock…is that going to mess with the geometry of the bike? Can’t find a decent fork for 80mm.’

And I take notice of all the ‘advancements’ in cycling and notice that if they really are advancements. I’ve ridden the trail many times on many different styles of bikes, and I felt as though I was hammering away. I brushed it off as a figment of my imagination. Really riding the bike for the first time kind of thing. That nostalgic kind of feeling we all get on a bike we’ve never really rode before. (I’ve never really rode this bike off-road like this before when it was in my possession)

Clicking through all 8 gears. Hammering away in the big ring. Wondering if the rear derailleur would be able to take my cross shifting. I really didn’t mind not being ‘clipped in’.  I wondered to myself; what would this ride be like on a $3000 bike. Are these advancements the way to go? 1x11, 2x10, hydraulic disc brakes, suspension out the wa-zoo, both front and rear, 4-inch wide tires; the list goes on. Do we want these things because the industry says its so? Because of the marketing? In some sense the industry is forcing you to ‘upgrade’. When the rear derailleur wears out; what will I find in the 8 speed category? Xtr? Xt? Keep going much lower. So then what? New drivetrain. New wheel. New shifter. New cassette. Thanks industry. A mandatory upgrade. And in some way I can’t fault the industry. They have to stay in business as well. And if you think that the new SRAM 1x11 is the way to go…then go for it. However…it’s not for all.

Got home from my ride and checked my Strava, and what did I find? That I hit some of my personal bests out on the trail. Wow. On a steel hard tail 8 speed. YUP!

So a few things to take away from this:

One: ride what you like

Two: ride what feels good

Three: don’t get sucked down the rabbit hole

Don’t worry about what you ride. Just ride. Don’t feel intimidated if the person next to you has a $5000 bike. It only means they have deep pockets. Nothing else.  And another thing…bar ends are not bad, I kind of enjoy them.

amitabha…