My Other Bike's a...Have you got a retro or other chip on your shoulder?
I have.
There's one thing I seem to have not yet got passed entirely in the whole p*ssing contest side of biking and that's riding the 'wrong' machine.
Let me explain...
I know it's wrong, and you shouldn't care, and it points to all manner of insecurities, but I can't help it - when I come up on a group of riders (especially 'new school' - all discs and whistles) and I'm not on the 'right' bike, I feel like I should be.
For me, that's the extralight ti hardtail. For others it could be the perfect '90 Attitude or the last of the Fat's - or the first of the Fat's - or any of the Fat's...
The statement is unmistakable. And I know you shouldn't care and it's all about the ride, blah, blah, blah. But I'm sorry, if that were true all bikes would be plain grey with the same graphics and Deore components.
And they aren't are they?
So is the answer a "My other bike's a..." sticker - *John, how about some of those?
Or could it be getting over it and just riding and when you're on the non discript one, telling yourself - it doesn't matter that no one you meet today knows you usually ride the best steel framed beauty ever made.
Or is it to only have equally cool steeds so any choice is the right one and you can hold your head up high and have no regrets.
I have chosen the latter. So If I am on the cross bike, I know 'most' people won't understand it and it makes me feel good being the guy that is 'appearing out of the woods on a racer' as I was described the other week.
I did even have two Merlins at one point, which would have made a "My Other Bike's a Merlin" sticker even more rude.
Apologies for the length of this ramble, but do others have this struggle? Or are you comfortable enough with yourselves to not need to shout about your bike choice to anyone that sees you in the middle of nowhere and probably doesn't even care/ understand anyway?
Or do you have one 'perfect' bike and not have this problem. Maybe that's the answer.
No - I've done that - it doesn't last.
Hmmm....
I have.
There's one thing I seem to have not yet got passed entirely in the whole p*ssing contest side of biking and that's riding the 'wrong' machine.
Let me explain...
I know it's wrong, and you shouldn't care, and it points to all manner of insecurities, but I can't help it - when I come up on a group of riders (especially 'new school' - all discs and whistles) and I'm not on the 'right' bike, I feel like I should be.
For me, that's the extralight ti hardtail. For others it could be the perfect '90 Attitude or the last of the Fat's - or the first of the Fat's - or any of the Fat's...
The statement is unmistakable. And I know you shouldn't care and it's all about the ride, blah, blah, blah. But I'm sorry, if that were true all bikes would be plain grey with the same graphics and Deore components.
And they aren't are they?
So is the answer a "My other bike's a..." sticker - *John, how about some of those?
Or could it be getting over it and just riding and when you're on the non discript one, telling yourself - it doesn't matter that no one you meet today knows you usually ride the best steel framed beauty ever made.
Or is it to only have equally cool steeds so any choice is the right one and you can hold your head up high and have no regrets.
I have chosen the latter. So If I am on the cross bike, I know 'most' people won't understand it and it makes me feel good being the guy that is 'appearing out of the woods on a racer' as I was described the other week.
I did even have two Merlins at one point, which would have made a "My Other Bike's a Merlin" sticker even more rude.
Apologies for the length of this ramble, but do others have this struggle? Or are you comfortable enough with yourselves to not need to shout about your bike choice to anyone that sees you in the middle of nowhere and probably doesn't even care/ understand anyway?
Or do you have one 'perfect' bike and not have this problem. Maybe that's the answer.
No - I've done that - it doesn't last.
Hmmm....
) and the road bike has rack mounts and masses of spacers under the riser stem so the bars are the same height as the saddle (as it lets me use the drops more without hurting my back)
