Take this morning for example. I was already in the car half way to work when I got the text from the co-workers about a lunch MTB ride. Because it's cross season and because there is a cross race in my backyard on Sat (Draper), I decided to throw in the cross bike as I left the house. This, of course, meant I didn't have the right bike for the proposed ride.
I replied to the text confirming that I had "a" bike and would met up with them at lunch for the ride. I showed up with my skinny tires, 36x16 gearing, and fully rigid bike and did my best to hang with the group. I won't lie. I had to hike a bike in a few spots but managed to keep the group in sight.
The rides in Orem are steep. Designed for gears not so much for SS. And especially not for SS cross bikes. I'm not sure what was harder. The climbs or the descents. At the end of ride, I had a much greater appreciation for my disc brakes on my MTB.
I don't think anyone in the group noticed my bike looked a little different than theirs. Or at least, they pretended not to acknowledge it.
5 comments:
totally agree--you choose the bike, the bike doesn't choose you.
i hate race categories based on bike type--ss, rigid, whatever--ride what you brought.
just ride.
I totally agree. Dance with the girl that brung ya. I don't understand why y'all keep asking out these girls that are missing nine fingers and nine toes, but whatever floats your boat.
dug- I admit, I DO like the race div. I almost always register for the SS class. There is a cool factor to racing against the geared bikes but the SS group usually does one less lap. Sometimes that's a good thing.
Mark- I've seen the SS in your garage. Less fingers and toes means less maintenance and sometimes, that's a good thing.
I took notice of the bike as we descended some gnarly loose trails and you flew down them considering you were on a skinny-tire rigid road bike....much respect
I love the Breed - nice bike - but you have to take the bottle cages off a cross bike. They leave nasty bruises after the run ups.
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