NEW BIKE DAY PART I
Photo Credit: Andrew Nepsund
Holy cow, friends, have I been lacking.
Like all summers seem to do, this one turned busy and got away from me. I've had a couple fun bike-happenings that deserved attention but never got it. Hopefully I can now fill that void.
Let’s start where we last left off…
It was early 2017 and the smell of Spring was beginning to linger in the air. Trees were budding, snow was melting and green grass was clawing it's way to the surface. I was currently riding a Surly Krampus Ops 29er, converted to single speed and rolling on 2.2” tires. It was the most fun I had ever experienced on a bike; truly a wrecking machine. The type of bike that could withstand whatever you threw at it and would carry you up, over and through whatever lie in your way. However, with warm weather on the horizon, it wasn't going to be the all-rounder I needed it to be.
As fair weather approached, a new goal of mine was to begin biking to work. Sitting stagnant in traffic each morning and then again in the afternoon was beginning to wear on me. Not even The Joe Rogan Experience can provide enough entertainment to ward off that much bummer. An hour and half every day of breathing in exhaust as I flick boogers out my window needed to come to an end.
My route to work by bike would be 20 miles each way, not something I wanted to tackle on a single-speed 29er. I needed something lighter, faster and with gears. My route would begin in South Minneapolis and end in Chanhassen. The Greenway would offer me a super comfortable paved surface but mid-trip the trail switches over to crushed limestone on the LRT so I would need a little versatility. I also wanted to be able to thrash around the city as well as keep up while riding sketchier terrain like the river bottoms. I needed a bike that would allow me to dabble in all types of situations and look sexy as hell while doing so.
What did I end up going with? Which bike took me by the hand and led me into Narnia via gravel roads and single track?
Well I'm glad you asked! Let me introduce you to Suzie Q. (baby I love you)
(If you're not picking up on the reference, please click here so we are all on the same page)
Suzie is a beautiful steel framed bike suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. By that I mean she has the frame and fork of an All-City Macho King but all of her components are those of an All-City Space Horse Disc. I have not yet made any drastic changes besides swapping in Clement PDX tires and converting to tubeless but have plans to upgrade the mechanical disc brakes and someday invest in a stellar aluminum or carbon wheelset. Tucked neatly into the center of said wheelset will be the angriest sounding rear hub I can find. One resembling the sounds of a weed-wacker waging war on a nest of angry wasps.
Suzie Q and I have trekked across many unfamiliar soils since becoming partners in May. We traveled 125 miles over the rolling(ish) plains of Iowa during this year's RAGBRAI ride, maneuvered around downed trees and the overgrowth of the River Bottoms and even crashed together at this year's All-City Championships' Bandit Cross. She has been nothing but reliable as I haven't run into any mechanical problems while out on the trails and she does a damn fine job of keeping me upright.
She has also been a great friend-maker and chariot for fun with others. Group rides, CX classes, RAGBRAI and bopping around town have treated me with creating new friendships as well as spending quality time with friends and family. 'Road trips' take on a whole new meaning when you're clipped into your pedals and viewing the surroundings at 18 mph. Ordinary trips such as riding to the farmers market turns your commute into an adventure when you do in on your two-wheeler. Would you have noticed that record store tucked quietly behind the sidewalk had you been behind the wheel of your car? Perhaps. You'd be amazed at how much more you notice though when you slow your roll and get off your goddamn cell phone. Mounted atop Suzie Q, I have been able to truly experience Minneapolis for what it is. I recommend you do the same.
I couldn't have asked for a more genuine companion. For that, Suzie Q, I adore you.
Tune in later this week for Part 2 of this gripping series.