By blackmountaincycles,
Filed under: Uncategorized
Sometimes I feel unworthy of riding a nicer bike. I’ve read “The Rules” and while there is some elitist, fun, playfulness to them, there is good info there. I am particular in how my bike is set up. Luckily, I still still have good flexibility so I can comfortably run my bars well below my seat. I run my seats level, bars just so, road pedals on the road bike, double sided SPD on the cross bike. I’m fairly fit, but don’t have as much time to really put in long miles to be comfortable on fast paced rides. Today, a long ride for me is 40 miles and 3 hours. Okay, maybe 60, but not very fast (it seems posting ride mileage in kilometers is the hip thing to do in the states, but I’ll stick with miles). All the right gear.
Then a bike like this comes in and the story behind it makes me think I’m a not worthy. The owner of this bike – a 1970s Schwinn Varsity that weighs north of 41 pounds – brought it in for a new shift cable and says he’s training on it to get ready for a tour back east. And I realize I am simply a cupcake. The rides he’s doing on this bike are hard. To the Pt. Reyes lighthouse and back (40 miles with 3,800′ of climbing). To Valley Ford and back is 50 miles. This time of year, it’s 50% headwind and it’s a continuous roller coaster. Not an easy ride on a nice road bike.
Even though this rider doesn’t know about the rules and his bike pretty much breaks every single one. There is one rule that is not broken when he heads out on a ride and for that, I am throwing up a big virtual high five to this bike’s rider.
(What’s playing: Don Letts Culture Clash Radio on BBC6)
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Chapeau to the rider who does 50 milers on this Schwinn "lightweight" and Chapeau to the wrench who sees the worth and worthiness in the ride and the rider "rules" be dammed.
My "rule" is if it puts a smile on your face when you ride it then its a good bike. One of the first old 10 speeds I rebuilt was a Varsity. When the lady who bought it came back from her test ride she had a big grin on her face and told me "that was like being 13 again!"
That was a wonderful post. Headwinds and gear snobs be damned! Enjoy the ride. Thanks.
WORD.
Looks root beer brown to me. You may be biased.
Schwinn Power, Baby.
tj
That bike makes me smile. It is so cool. Mostly for what it says about the owner. I can just see the look of shame on the rider's face who had plunked down $11,000 on his machinery only to be dropped by a rider on a bike such as this.