***It’s the week between Christmas and New Yr’s Day. I’m not formally running a blog and this isn’t a publish. That is simply us hanging round and speaking.***
The Nice Lob On Excessive has richly blessed me. Along with being lucky in all the same old methods (loving household, free nation, streaming TV, all that stuff) I’ve obtained a number of bikes–greater than I ever may have dreamed of proudly owning within the days earlier than I turned a semi-professional bike blogger. I trip all of them, too, although after all some get extra use than others.
However worldly possessions is usually a burden, too; simply ask your native Buddhist monk. Extra bikes means extra selections, but it surely additionally means extra over which to fuss. Then there’s the matter of house. I’ve obtained extra of that than numerous metropolis dwellers, however housing all these bikes is usually a problem, and generally I really feel like an alcoholic hiding booze in the bathroom tank. A big everlasting assortment additionally means when Basic Cycle sends me a new (or not-so-new) bike to play with I’ve obtained to determine a strategy to get a thirteenth egg into the carton.
So with the yr winding down I discover myself considering the thought of proudly owning fewer bicycles. To make sure, I may by no means get it right down to only one; that’s one thing I discovered the laborious approach. There’s a distinction between working lean and depriving your self, and I’m within the former, not the latter. At first I requested myself, “Which bikes would I be keen do away with?,” however I spotted this was the flawed strategy to ask the query, since if there was a compelling motive to do away with any of them I might have achieved it by now.
So then I requested myself, “Which bikes would I completely need to preserve?,” which is nearly the identical factor, however completely different sufficient that I may really start to reply it. So listed here are absolutely the keepers:
Milwaukee
I may by no means do with out no less than one correct street bike. For all of the gravel bikes and “alt” bikes and no matter else the children are into nowadays, I say probably the most versatile bike remains to be a street bike. Unpaved trails could be far-off, or in the event that they’re shut they are often too muddy or snowy to trip relying on the climate and the time of yr. However there’s all the time a street, and normally it’s proper out your entrance door, which implies whether or not you’re trying to trip for an hour or 10 hours all it’s important to do is step exterior and go. And naturally a street bike with clearance for fattish tires will even take you onto trails and do most of what at the moment’s “gravel” bikes do. I’ll all the time have a standard street bike, and it stands to motive that if I’m going to have one conventional street bike it ought to be one with medium- or long-reach brakes.
The Milwaukee rides like a race bike however is flexible sufficient to deal with assorted terrain, it’s traditional but trendy, and it appears nice since its makeover–although I preferred the way in which it seemed earlier than too:
It’s obtained form of a “classic” really feel in the meanwhile with the downtube shifters, but when I wished it to really feel extra trendy once more that’s only a easy matter of placing on some built-in shifters. I don’t suppose any trendy street or gravel bike has something on it. It’s a keeper, no query.
Homer
Lately I most likely break up my biking time 50/50 between clipless pedals and flat pedals, and the Homer might be probably the most versatile and satisfying of all my flat pedal bikes. With the drop bars it’s principally a street bike, however with the fenders and racks and different accoutrements it’s all the time prepared for commuting responsibility and errand-running, and naturally it’s obtained the clearance and tire quantity to deal with gentle off-roading. Additionally, its extraordinarily snug, it may be configured in innumerable methods, it’s appropriate with a lot of the contents of my spare components bin, and whereas these items are clearly subjective I feel it’s an attractive body. It’s not going wherever ever.
Platypus
The Platypus is the perfect counterpart to the Homer. In a approach the Homer doesn’t want a counterpart because it’s so versatile, although the Platypus is equally versatile. No, it’s not as suited to the sporty street finish of the spectrum, but it surely’ll do filth trails extra readily than the Homer, and with the basket and baggage and swept bars it’s prepared for 50-mile rides or household journeys to the park or each with no modifications. Arguably everybody ought to have no less than one bike with a basket and a step-through body, and if you happen to’re going to have one it’d as effectively even be a high-performance mannequin that’s up for all however probably the most “aggressive” using on any floor. No matter else occurs, the Platypus stays.
Jones
Rivendell versatility however rather more succesful on the off-road finish of the spectrum, it’s up for any form of mountain biking I’m liable to do at this level in my life, but it’s additionally pleasurable to trip on clean trails and even pavement. Additionally, whereas I could also be keen on traditional components and requirements, I additionally take pleasure in my forays into the world of disc brakes and tubeless tires and clutch derailleurs once in a while, and it’s comforting to know I’ve obtained no less than one bike whose limitations I’ll by no means discover. I’ve a number of respect for Jeff Jones, and it’s an honor to have one among his bikes.
