A funny thing happened......
I seem to have had a shift in my thinking. I written about this a couple of times in the last couple of months, but I'm still trying to sort it all out.
Here's the question: if you could have one bike that did most everything really, really well would that interest you? Of course it would. Here's the catch. It's not going to look like all the bikes that the magazines are telling you you must have. Still the same answer?
I've gotten older....and slower...and less inclined to put in the kind of effort it takes to hang on to the snap that I once had. I've spent enough time trying to hang on what once was. At some point over the late fall I stopped caring. Caring about what people thought about the bike I was riding. Caring about how high the handlebars were. What I did care about was the enjoyment I got from the bicycle. It was a terribly liberating experience.
It's funny because moving forward has made it necessary for me to look back. Look back to the bikes we rode 20 years ago. Tall head tubes, or (gasp) quill stems to get the bars where I want them. Wide tires to make the ride smoother. When I say wide, I mean WIDE. A 32c tire will allow you to ride roads that would shake your filings loose on a current "racing" bike. It will allow you to check out that gravel road that you've seen 100 times on your normal training loop. In my mind, it's makes the bike more useful and a lot more fun.
The $64,000 question is will consumers respond? As a retailer, that always has to be considered. My hope is that they will. My intent is not to talk anyone out of the flashy new bike they have their heart set on. I only want to offer up the option for consideration. I'm betting that, if given the chance, some will be willing to take the leap with me.
I feel like I've beaten this subject to death, but the parking lot is covered with ice. Nothing like winter to get your mind churning.
Ride on!
Here's the question: if you could have one bike that did most everything really, really well would that interest you? Of course it would. Here's the catch. It's not going to look like all the bikes that the magazines are telling you you must have. Still the same answer?
I've gotten older....and slower...and less inclined to put in the kind of effort it takes to hang on to the snap that I once had. I've spent enough time trying to hang on what once was. At some point over the late fall I stopped caring. Caring about what people thought about the bike I was riding. Caring about how high the handlebars were. What I did care about was the enjoyment I got from the bicycle. It was a terribly liberating experience.
It's funny because moving forward has made it necessary for me to look back. Look back to the bikes we rode 20 years ago. Tall head tubes, or (gasp) quill stems to get the bars where I want them. Wide tires to make the ride smoother. When I say wide, I mean WIDE. A 32c tire will allow you to ride roads that would shake your filings loose on a current "racing" bike. It will allow you to check out that gravel road that you've seen 100 times on your normal training loop. In my mind, it's makes the bike more useful and a lot more fun.
The $64,000 question is will consumers respond? As a retailer, that always has to be considered. My hope is that they will. My intent is not to talk anyone out of the flashy new bike they have their heart set on. I only want to offer up the option for consideration. I'm betting that, if given the chance, some will be willing to take the leap with me.
I feel like I've beaten this subject to death, but the parking lot is covered with ice. Nothing like winter to get your mind churning.
Ride on!
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