FLAT!!!!!
Amid the whine of brakes I hear a small voice mutter, “Thank God.” The pace was high, and she was on her limit, but now she can catch her breath while someone changes a flat. Not that she wishes flats on others, she is just embracing the moment she needs.
We all roll to a stop. He pulls over just as the dirt road turns to pavement. It is shady there. We are 30 miles into our mostly gravel (dirt) ride and have about 10 more to go. Weather is beautiful and slightly warm.
We help. Someone holds his bike as he removes the rear wheel. Someone checks the inside of the tire for sharp objects and he pulls stuff out of his back pocket. No seatpack for him, must save weight and bundle it in the pocket. I am opposite and am thankful for my handlebar bag because riding without anything in my pockets feels like freedom. Let the bike hold the weight, not me. I Digress.
He hands me the tube. It says – Ultralight. I look at my buddy and say, “What the heck?” Who rides an ultralight tube on rough dirt roads.” Well, we all know the answer to that question. He does. Everything must be light. Durability will be sacrificed for weight. He is lean and fit but everything is about weight with him. Me? I am farther down the spectrum. In my own weight and in the weight of my equipment. I do not want heavy, but I would rather carry more weight and ride all the way home than walk a bike that is superlight. More weight and no stop to replace a tube – yes please. We are on opposite ends of the continuum. To me, Ultralight tubes and rough dirt roads are a bad combination. To him? It is just the way he thinks. I am also running 38’s and he is running 33’s. I would be running wider but my old cyclocross bike will not take wider (lucky it takes that wide). Yes, I own another bike, but enjoy that old bike also. She rides great.
Compromises. We all make them.
Yes Mr. Bontrager – I agree. Light, Cheap, Durable. Choose 2. If that statement is new to you – check it out. It is classic and true.
I am not wealthy nor am I trying to impress anyone, so I choose to venture a limited distance down the price path. I believe there is a point of diminishing returns. I am a bit heavier than when I was racing. I admit (from looking a pictures of the past) that I looked quite malnourished in my upper body with tree trunks for thighs during those racing days. I am more proportioned now? Well, at least different proportions. But again – I digress. With the ‘need’ to lose a few pounds of excess material off my body; saving a few ounces (and losing some durability) seems silly. To be fair though; I thought this same way even in my lean racing days. My leaning is and always has been toward durability.
In the past, racing gear was synonymous with durability. It could handle the rigors of racing. As the decades progressed things started to change and have led us to where we are now. Racing gear is made to win. Sometimes A SINGLE race. It is not made to last decades; it is made to win today. I understand. That is why my 80’s bottom bracket still spins smooth with no maintenance (and poor treatment in the 80’s) and my new high tech one whines and demands new bearings at 6 months. I continue to digress.
I want to ride, not fix my bike. I want to ride, not worry about damaging my tube/tire/wheelset etc. I want to ride my bike the entire time and smile. I definitely do not want to walk home.
The continuum. I want it to be reasonable weight. I also want durability. I am thankful that as rough as I ride, I am easy on equipment. I am thankful for the progress made in our industry. Yes – good changes … mostly … more on that in the future.
Where are you on the continuum? How far are you willing to go to be light? To be durable? To save money? Sure, we might splurge on one component and spend little on another. What is required for you and what will you compromise on?
I’m a middle of the road rider. I like my frames to be metal, I choose tires that are rated midway on the durability scale and my drivetrain is always upper middle level. One place I like to splurge is brakes. While I’m not counting grams, I love the feel of top tier brakes!
I can relate, brake feel is important – very.
I carry a frame pump on a tandem running 650b x 43’s. So, yeah, I want to ride home. However, often the most important tool is the mobile phone.
I agree – the mobile phone can be quite helpful. I do make sure it is with me and have definitely used it in the past…
Durability is number one for me. I broken enough frames and components to restock a LBS. This comes from two factors. First I’ve been a clydesdale (a smidge over two bucks) since high school. Second I ride aggressively looking for rad-getting opportunities constantly. Only recently have I learned to ride with more panache and not having every landing be an anvil dropped from a skyscraper in style.
I believe that if you weigh more than 150 lbs and/or ride aggressively, weight savings are not important. Geometry is notably more important to a bike’s handling than its weight. Additionally, I will take a bike with new school geometry that is heavier over something with old school geometry that is light weight any day of the week.
My main bike is around 31 lbs and this is with a carbon frame and wheels. I would not characterize either as being carbon for weight-saving as both are very heavy-duty if not down right overbuilt (my rims are rated for 450 lbs!). Lastly, I run big tires Mostly 2.6 and 2.5. Not with DH gravity-casings, but reinforced, set up tubeless and with inserts.
As you may have guessed, I’d rather ride than repair. However, I swear by having OneUp EDC steerer tools and pumps on my bikes. I can fix pretty much anything with those, some gaffing tape and zip ties.
I have looked at the OneUp EDC steerer tools and other similar items but have not tried them. Might have to give that a try…