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…
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