Pre-Rules
[rule number=12/]
That is a very reasonable opening salvo for the Rule about bike ownership. Three is good and certainly a minimum, and we are talking road bikes here, if there was any doubt. They naturally become ordered: the #1 is ichi-ban, top dog, go-to bike for every and all rides. #2 was the old #1, it sits on the bench, always ready. By the time you get to bike #3, there is a good chance old #3 doesn’t get ridden too often, except commuting, but is that any reason not to keep #3 updated, upgraded and ready for action…just in case?
My #3 is my thirty year old steel bike. It was my #1 for many great years and great kilometers. It stayed behind on the mainland, stabled in an unheated space at my parents, waiting for me to visit them and her. And you better have a bike when visiting your parents. Sometimes the #3 has to do this kind of work. But now the Bella is back with the rest of the crew and needs to be reborn hard.
I already upgraded the steel bike whenever I could. It would not be acceptable to show up for the strade bianche granfondo on this machine despite its age. The carbone ergo levers and the 8 speed Jan Ullrich vento wheels would most likely be met with moustache twisting disapproval. I don’t want a classic steel bike with six speeds and downtube shifters, FFS. I want mine with lots of modern gears, fast wheels, better handlebars and a nice new paint job.
Besides Rule #12’s unwritten clause stating your partner needs to be on a slightly more awesome bike than your own, the upgrade-downward cascade effect cannot be left unmentioned. Upgrading your or your partner’s #1 bike’s components can mean a shower of quality components now cascade down the line. When I upgrade my wife’s Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed to Record 11, one, she will be a full gruppo above me, flying overhead in the clouds. That frees up the slightly beaten up Chorus 11 gruppo for my slightly beaten up #3. My wife is happy, I am happy, bikes are happy, the equation balances out.
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@Ron
This - I can't believe people I work with don't cycle in. There are a few of us who do but I'm the only one who does it every day. Traffic into and out of the city is awful and getting worse - cycling is just so quick and easy.
I happily commute to my other office in the next city (20-25ks away), and when I tell people this they look at me like I've just fallen from a spaceship. "You cycle all the way? What about when it rains? You cycle in the rain??!".
I want to tell them that's not the hard part - the hard part is going home the long way and doing threshold training efforts all the way, with rucksack. In the rain.
Great article, very engagingly written. My favorite line:"And you better have a bike when visiting your parents." Too true, all too true. Nice insight, @gianni .
#1: Parlee Z5 SLi (2014) with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
#1b: Parlee Z5 SLi (2012 NOS frame purchased 2015) with Ultegra Di2.
#3: Pinarello Prince (2008) with Campy Records 11s, BoB paint
#4: Santa Cruz Bronson (2014) with SRAM XX1, 150mm travel trail bike
#5: YT Capra (2016) with SRAM XO1, 180/170mm enduro bike
#6: Trek Session 88 (2015) DH bike
#7: YT Tues (2016) DH bike
#8: Borealis Yampa (2014) fat tire bike
Next bike up: a gravel bike. I had a Merlin Extralight (1998) was my #1 till the Pinarello. It was made my commuter / rain bike, but sold this year. Likely to be replaced by a gravel bike that I can use for commuting too.
I have to disagree with the above held theorm of n+1 or any other number!
Cycling through the ages has been an activity led by those in our society, who whilst might aspire to affluence, sadly led a life living around effluent.
Therefore my hypothesis is that Rule 12 should be N=N.
if you own a said device that, by the judgement of the comman man, is a device that is propelled by human power with two wheels (clause i and ii allowing for stabilisers for the future generation) that you therefore are compliant with the rule.
@RobSandy
Yup, I don't mind commuting in rain or bad weather. At this point, I'm so unused to driving that parking, dealing with aggressive/lawless motorists, waiting in traffic, etc. is much, much worse than cycling in cold rain. My body & brain are now attuned to the fact that we're constantly moving closer to our destination; sitting in traffic drives me bonkers.
And my city is booming, to my displeasure. (I don't like big cities, showy folks, etc.) The only upside is that traffic density is going to force more cyclists and hopefully better cycling infrastructure.
@Ron
Same round here - loads of the green space on the outskirts of the city is going to be filled in with new houses but there is absolutely no space for new roads, or even improving the existing ones. The result is going to be gridlock. Me and the wife both work within 7kms of our workplace in the City Centre though and walking distance to my little boy's school so we wont mind!
I found out that although I am the CFO of the household, the CEO is often very interested in the budget and tries to enthusiastically scan the bank statement when it lands on the mat for any statistical anomalies.
Thankfully, she isn't that adept at separating dozens of 2 digit values from almost endless direct debits, and gets distracted by her groceries credit-card, registering nearly a monkey every month. For this reason any paypal transaction less than 3 figures is almost invisible. I have been known to split wiggle orders based on value alone to "make the boxes smaller" as far as she knows. It also helps if I sell things to fill up the buffer on paypal from time to time.
Resultingly;
I would like to raise a point of order, and theorise that the equation should be N=N which correctly describes the origin of the activity of cycling.
Often a pastime of the playthings, in early days, a form of transport, much as it is today, for those in society less fortunate. Whilst we covet N+1 in reality N=N is the statement that best describes what is important to cycling and it's bearers of the rules. That is, you own a bike, welcome with all our hearts.
@RobSandy
It's only my adopted city (my wife is local) and I'm angry about it. My friends who grew up here are beyond outrage. No, I don't want to live in a depressed city, but it was perfectly fine how it was. We're only around 35 kms from the state capital, which is a big city. Now our modest city is just getting ruined at a wild pace. Two new upscale hotels are going in, three new condos have been built, two more just announced. I have no idea where the people and jobs are going to come from! I kind of live in a bubble because I walk and bike everywhere and pretty much do the same thing week in and week out (work M-F, play soccer twice a week, ride my bike to work, ride on Sundays). Every time I go somewhere in the city I don't frequent, there is a new condo or building going up. It's nuts. Never, ever did I imagine I'd see insane gentrification before my eyes. Our property taxes just jumped like mad. Home prices are sky rocketing. It's bonkers. We used to have a quiet little farmers market on Saturdays. Now a huge, gaudy condo looms on either side and transplants drive the walking distance so they can park their Audis out front.
There is no way this is sustainable. But, like you, my own silver lining is that my walking/biking can't be influenced that much. Getting out of the city for training rides is another story.
#1 2009 Bianch 928 C2C (the swoopy one) with 10 s ultegra rolling on ksyrims in the winter and american classic 420 aero3s when i want to go fast(er)
#1.1 1988 Miyata 512 rebuilt with 9-speed dura ace dt shifters and sante everything else (to match the pearl white frame). wheels are hand built by a friend OpenPros laced to 5800 hubs.
I put most of my miles on the miyata
#3 1988 Panasonic dx-5000 with tricolore groupsan, wolbers
#4 1992 schwinn circuit with mostly suntour superbe components. Wolber rims
#5 early 80s Cilo made with vitus bonded aluminum tubes and groupsan 600 (presently for sale... i want a touring/cross bike)
#6 1992 Burley duet tandem with suntour parts. This is the most fun bike I own
#7 2011 K2 Base 1.0 rebuilt with mostly XT parts and actual shocks
cascade effects human lungs when one work over his threshold limits