I swing my leg over the top tube as I push off. The forward momentum gets me rolling and I stand to stomp on the cranks as I look both ways for giant rolling death traps. I’ve got way more clothes on than I normally would; big winter riding gloves, puffy jacket, beany (that’s right no helmet, suck it), and even shoes with socks. The point of the ride is simply to get from the Lounge to the Shop.
My speed is building as I take the corner cutting the angle over the sidewalk and spitting myself right into the bike lane. A few more standing stomps and I have to sit down to keep building speed. I could shift but that requires a bit too much effort and I settle into the cadence this particular gear allows as I roll up to the stop light. I stop pedaling and enjoy what feels like effortless travel. As I come to stop, it’s cold. I’m on pavement in the middle of town and I’m only going four blocks.
I drop down and sit on the top tube watching the lights. There’s nothing special about this ride, I do it a couple of times a day at least five days a week, but a smile spreads across my face. There is a cold breeze blowing and it stings my face. It takes a second to register why I’m grinning, but it’s simple.
I just like to ride bikes.
Punk is Dead. Long Live Folk Punk.
Somebody somewhere said variety is the spice of life. I first heard the phrase from a friend in high school referring to musical tastes. I was fully enamored with the punk scene and that was somewhat insular and surprisingly not too open to outside ideas or cultures. Even bands that “made it” were soon to be cast aside by those “hardcore” individuals who despised labels but would slap “sell out” on any band that was actually making a living doing what they all loved doing.
The quick quip from said friend didn’t drastically alter my musical tastes although the idea sunk in and I opened myself up to different choices. Granted this was the 90s so everything was just distorted guitars and heavy drums anyway, but I secretly started to explore my love of folk music listening to Peter, Paul and Mary on repeat much to the joy of my mother.
N+1
If you’re reading this, me explaining N+1 is probably pointless, but the idea is the perfect number of bikes is the number you have plus one.
Anyone that the outside world would call a “serious” cyclist will have more than one bike. It’s kind of an ailment we all suffer. As soon as you hace a cool bike, you immediately start looking for another. Sure, you could blame this on consumerism, and you’d be right, but there is also the search for that slightly different experience aboard a two-wheeled love machine or the desire to use a bike for a slightly different purpose. Say you fell in love with bikes via mountain biking. You might soon be curious about gravel riding. Or you watched the Tour de France and thought that going fast on a skinny-wheeled bike would make you cool only to then wonder if riding to the grocery store instead of driving would be as enjoyable as it seems. The possible combinations are endless.
The desire for a different experience is almost universal. There are few people I talk to in the bike world that aren’t on some sort of quest to improve their current ride or find a way to incorporate bikes into a different aspect of their lives. They are seeking that little bit of spice, that variety that keeps us from burning out and keeps the flame growing as we walk through a life that has been engineered to not change.
N-1?
While the argument for one more is obvious, what about removing one? The bike industry’s superpower is being able to niche bicycles to death. We are sold the idea that to go to the grocery store to grab a bag of Dorito’s you need a special, commuter bike. Riding offroad, definitely need some bigger tires. Wait, you’re riding offroad long distances, well that requires an even different bike. Hitting pavement for a long stretch, different bike. You want to ride trails, ok mountain bike. You want to ride trails with jumps and big rocks, different mountain bike. Cruise a bike path, there’s at least seven different types of bikes that would work for that situation and you won’t be completely happy with just one.
Or will you?
The singletrack flows out from my front wheel. There is a stiff head wind, but I don’t care. My brain is in a complete flow state and all I want to do is keep pedaling. I keep expecting the bike I’m on to not be fun where I’m riding it, too many bumps, not enough suspension, flat bars lacking, but each pedal stroke feels like a dream and I don’t want any of it to stop. The fun I’m having makes me mash on the pedals standing to climb into the wind. I’m soon thinking of all the people that need to try this, who needs this message, I’m becoming an evangelist.
And then the fun really starts. I point the curly-barred bike downhill expecting the flow state to end, to get beat to death from the speed and jarring downhills. Nope, my grin gets bigger and I find myself boosting out of the turns, launching off the top of the rollers and hooting to myself about how much goddamned fun I am having. As I screech into the trailhead, I’m sold. This is the best bike and everyone should have one for shredding the Claw. The bike? A Diverge. Skinnyish tires, drop bars and minimal suspension. Not the bike the industry would have sold you. Absolutely, hands down the best bike for shredding the Claw.
Underbiking has become a term. The idea of taking a bike that is by definition not capable of what you are riding, and riding it anyway. I’ve been a fan of this idea from the first time I ripped Propector on my rigid singlespeed. A trail that I had found boring and unworthy of my time became the funnest thing I could do on two wheels. Soon the rigid singlespeed became the bike. I rode it on everything and loved every second of it.
Sometimes increasing the variety and hence spice of your life is as simple as simplifying.
I just like to ride bikes
N+1 or N-1, I don’t know and I’m not sure it matters. I have way too many bikes in my shed, some that never get ridden or almost never. I’m immersed in the biking world and there is always something new coming out that holds the possibility of a new experience. At the same time, I’m a huge fan of underbiking, singlespeeding and even retrogrouchery (riding old shit). When it comes down to it, I just fucking love to ride bikes. It’s simple, enjoyable and probably one of the best things you can do. So to quote Nike, Just do it.
Let’s ride.
Embrace chaos. Seek discomfort.
