NEW BIKE DAY
Let me give you an idea of how my mind works:
For the past 7 months there have only been two things on my mind: All-City and Surly. Literally, I have not thought of anything else. I have window-shopped these companies' bikes to the point where the bikes now cower into the corner when I enter a shop. Choosing the right bike (or choosing one now and the other next summer) was my ultimate goal. What it came down to is which would be the best winter commuter as I'm planning on keeping my car parked for a good chunk of the snowy months ahead.
Follow along on my mind's ever-progressing/changing decision making process in determining which bike to go with. Each change in direction came from online research, friendly recommendations and what I was able to afford.
First, a little backstory:
I noticed the local pride there was in riding a Minneapolis-made bicycle not long after moving here in 2013. I also, within the last year, have become very conscious of where I am spending my money and who it is supporting. It really developed after working for a giant corporate company that cared very little about their employees and were all about the Benjamins baby, uh-huh, yeah. Since then, I try to go out of my way to support companies that are local, genuine or have positive moral values. Call it hipster, liberal or whatever you'd like but it makes sense to me. So I knew my first bike had to be locally made.
The Progression:
1. I've read a lot about how hard winter riding is in on the components of your bike. Salt, sand and everything else you pick up from the road slowly eats away at anything it can seep into. Therefore, a lot of people recommend riding either a single speed or fixed gear bike. I originally had my mind set on buying a Surly Straggler, which is a can-do-just-about-everything bike that got me excited for bikepacking and RAGBRAI. When you don't have a ton of money, an all-around bike is a no-brainer but I also thought it would be silly to invest the money into components that could potentially be junk by the end of winter. The Straggler being a geared bike, I finally decided a single speed would make more sense.
2. The Nature Boy is a single speed ripper from All-City that I have coveted since test riding during a demo at Angry Catfish this past summer. It handles like it's an extension of your body and is faster off the line that Antron Brown. I've been riding a single speed all summer and have grown to appreciate it's feel, but I need something with a little more muscle than the track bike I have now. During the All-City Bandit Cross, I saw guys and gals ride up, over and through everything you could imagine on their Nature Boys and I quickly became a believer. This bike reminds me of Stuntman Mike's 1970 Chevy Nova from the movie Deathproof. It's sexy and scary at the same time. Mysterious and intimidating. It screams "Mess with me, I dare ya".
3. After a friend of mine who is an experienced Minneapolis winter rider told me how silly it would be to sludge a brand new bike through the salty, sandy streets I had to sit back and re-approach my approach. I was pretty butt hurt initially. I was finally getting to the point of being able to afford a new bike and had gotten myself so excited after spending countless hours gawking at shiny steel frames and wheel sets. I'm not the most patient person in the world and the idea of waiting for the snow (which has not even fallen yet) to melt away before mounting a new, beautiful steed was a punch to the heart. What to do???
Well... I have been wanting to learn the ins and outs of bike maintenance. To be able to troubleshoot and fix any roadside problems I may have on future rides. The ability to strip my bike to the frame and completely rebuild it. That's what I'll do!! I'll take the single speed track bike I have now and beef it up into a winter capable mule! It won't be the prettiest thing in the world but it will allow me to get my hands dirty while learning a few things.
Below is how it is currently set up. Check back in the upcoming months for a progress report.
4. But what about that burning desire for something new? The 206 impatient bones in my body are screaming for it. What to do? What to do?
Well, Minneapolis is surrounded by trails and Minnesota is littered with state parks... let's get a winter rad bike! A trail shredder, ride through the creek not around it, nut-up-or-shut-up type of rig!
I've had a crush on the Surly Krampus since reading an article about it on Bikepacking.com's website a few months back. The impression I got was it carries itself like a warhorse. Charging into battle with not an ounce of fear in it's body (I don't know where all these equestrian references are coming from). I've also had a deep desire to get into bikepacking since our latest trip to Cascade River State Park in Northern Minnesota this past summer. The terrain there is very rocky, with snarled tree roots and taunting brooks. Everything that begs to be ridden over and through. A task the Krampus could face head on.
After looking around for about a month I came across a custom build that was within my budget. When I test rode the bike it immediately took me back to being a kid bombing down the gravel lane and in and out of the ditches. It felt indestructible. I had to have it.
It's not built up exactly how I'd like, but I see that as an opportunity to tinker with it and make it my own. It's currently set up as single speed, but I plan to convert it to geared for bikepacking reasons. I will also need to build up a set of 3" tubeless wheelsets. It is currently riding 2.4" tires with rims that are not tubeless capable. I have already gotten two flats while riding the trails in Fort Snelling State Park so switching to tubeless makes sense. It also currently has a Manitou Tower Pro suspension fork which is a lot of fun. Bunny hopping over downed branches feels like landing on a bag of marshmallows, but I'll switch that out to the Krampus rigid fork when I change over to 3" tires. Experimenting with different handlebar styles and other et ceteras will also be in the works.
The journey to decide which bike to pull the trigger on first was a tough one (first world problems). Living in one of, if not thee, greatest cycling cities in the country can definitely be teasing, but is also very motivating. Spending the time researching, asking questions and window shopping helped me take a closer look at what it was I really wanted/needed in this first bike.
What I really learned throughout this experience is you can read manufacturer's websites, forums and Youtube comments until you're blue in the face but nothing compares to direct conversation with experienced riders. Huge shoutout to the crews at Angry Catfish and The Hub Bike Co-Op, as well as Sarah Everson and Kurt Stafki for always answering my overwhelmingly amount of questions. I can't (don't) promise I won't come with more but I really appreciate your help so far.
I hope I can Haley Joel Osment Pay It Forward someday.