Does cycling teach you better than schools do?
Who doesn't remember their 1st bike? Mine was a labor of love.
Or rather a labor of strenuous mental activity.
I asked my parents for my 1st cycle when I was in school. I was in turn asked to learn (byheart rather) the multiplication tables from 1 to 12 - the successful completion of which was the pre-requisite for getting the bike. I couldn't wrap my head around why anyone would need to remember this stuff. And that too, all the way up to 12! (Remember this part... it'll come up later.)
Anyway, a bike was the biggest motivation for a 9 year old back then and so study I did - within a few days - that too! Parents put me to the test and upon reasonable satisfaction (surprise even) that tables up to 12 were thorough, it was off to the bike shop.
There it was, a grey Hero Ranger - a fat tire-d, single speed, 27.5 MTB glittering under the sun. My knees went a bit weak right there! By todays standards, this was a very basic bike - no gears, no disc brakes, and all the 3 contact points were refined instruments of torture. I still remember the handlebar grips had tiny ridges all over them and my palms would end up paining (and bright red) after each ride. But the kicker - pun intended - were the pedals. Squirming and rotating in multiple planes, all different from the one traced by the crank arms!
But all that never matter one bit as I went up the South Bridge, down Broadway, on the footpath and off to the local bike shop to "fill air". This bike thought me the geography of my town. And that, to ride a bike was the definition of freedom. In hindsight, I wish I could feel this free again in my life.
The next bike was a super heavy, double suspension, single speed bike. It thought me physics and biology. More weight = more exhaustion. The bike was sold soon.
Then came a single speed, road bike, (Hero Hawk). This bike thought me how to pedal off the saddle and that gearing is a thing! It had tougher gearing than the MTB's. This was offloaded to the security guard without much ado.
I bought my 1st geared hard tail (MTB) because I loved it's color. I was so much in love that it didn't matter to me that the bike was 2 sizes larger. This bike thought me a great deal about bike fit. I had to give it away as soon as I got it.
The next bike was the greatest teacher I had. It was supposed to be a 650b or a 26 inch wheeled bike, but the company decided to equip it with 700c wheels. The bottom bracket was super high, pushing up the saddle along with it. To give you an idea how it felt, imagine Eiffel tower to be the seat post. Then, the handlebars was at the ground level. The resultant neck pain enlightened me the topic of "bike geometry." It also made me into a true bike nerd. I spoke the word "derailleur" for the 1st time because of this bike. I had to rehears the phrase "this bike's derailleur doesn't shift" a few times before entering the LBS.
Then came my 1st real road bike. A Decathlon Triban 540. This one had good wheels and was my 1st bike with 2x transmission. Ironically I've covered 2x times mileage on this bike than all the other bikes mentioned above and below put together. This is the only possession that's made me feel that inanimate objects assume a character of their own over time. This bike's never given up on me during crucial rides. Yet I've used her parts on other bikes and now ride a steel road bike. The poor thing is still in a toxic relationship with me.
There were a few more bikes that came and went in quick succession like a Cannondale Quick hybrid (great bike!) and my 1st gravel bike, a Bergamont Grandurance (meh!) before my current steel road-y.
And as they say in the stock market, when you gamble with these many bikes, you either succeed or learn something valuable. (Most were learnings for me and each learning had a cost attached to it!) Anyways, These are the lessons that my bike(s) thought me:
1) Once you find a good bike, don't sell it. The next bike may be a downgrade.
2) For gods sake, don't buy a bike because you like the color!
3) Disc brakes and rim brakes both work great. I like discs in the city and rim for my long rides. Don't let the industry divide and rule us.
4) If you are not into racing, a 9 x 2 transmission works great in 99 percent of situations
and 10 x 2 transmission works great in 99.9 percent of the situations. (Trust me, I've learned the tables till 12 ;)
5) Don't judge a bike by its features. Bike fit is everything!
6) Steel is real. But so is Aluminum, Titanium. And maybe Scandium. So long as the frame and fork are designed and built well. (Sorry if you were expecting carbon!)
7) Sorry to both Lance Armstrong and Robert Penn; Its a bit about the bike and a bit about the rider. (check out their respective books!)
8) The ride is the destination. Keep Riding!
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