Its all about the bike

I had been in a stalemate over buying a new bike for a ridiculously long time. This really should not be so difficult - most of the cyclists I know spend countless hours researching and discussing their next bicycle purchase - one cycling friend lovingly studies at least 2 different bike magazines cover-to-cover each and every month in anticipation of a bike acquisition that might be several years away. But I could not even be bothered to even remember even the most basic information about my own old bike.

And I really dislike the triathlon "arms race" where vendors fuel a spiraling sense among triathletes that they need to keep up with competitors buying ever more expensive equipment, such that the average Ironman-level bike cost (including wheels) is approaching $10,000. I would be happier if races just supplied everyone with the same standard bike and the race would be totally about the cyclist ability, not his/her budget.

Five years ago I bought a $1,000 Antares as a stop-gap bike to use until I could afford a real, grown-up triathlete bike. The Antares was an object of much scorn and derision, especially since I took terrible care of it. Late last year the Antares" brakes reached a point where cycling was getting extremely perilous, and so I took the Antares to the local shop for desperately needed repairs. The bike repair guys told me it would cost 40,000 yen just to do the minimum work to achieve a moderate level of safety, and he urged me to immediately throw my bike into the trash bin, noting I could instead buy a better, brand-new bike for 60,000 yen. But I resisted buying another stop-gap bike. I would just prefer not to buy a lot of junk (the whole Ikea disposable furniture mindset is dispiriting to me, versus the traditional concept of buying a few, well-crafted items and keeping them for years and years and fixing these things).

Teammate Keren suggested I get in touch with "Titanium Tim" who was building custom made bikes, sourcing frames from close contacts in China. Tim was amazingly great - he spent considerable time carefully taking my measurements and consulting with me over frame, wheels and components. Tim initially suggested a titanium time trial frame with top end racing wheels, but I pushed back given my current level of poverty and the reality that I would spend far more time riding this bike around town than in races. Tim was able to put together a no-brand full carbon frame, no-brand full carbon racing wheels and the mid-range Shimano components for a cost that was maybe less than half what I would pay for a similar performance branded bicycle.


So anyway after the above anti-materialist rant how do I feel about my new bike?

It is totally great!

It is just a joy to ride (and I have only ridden around town so far). It is light and responsive and comfortable.

And I am surprised by the strong reaction to the bike. I figured I would not need to worry about theft because the bike is so non-descript - it is just an all-black stealth object - not at all bright and flashy like many high-end branded bikes. But in fact I have had several complete strangers ask me about the bike. And when it was parked in front of a cafe last week I observed two different sets of people point at it and make some comment to one another.

Even though the bike is great value it is still worth more than all my other worldly possessions put together.