When you have been around long enough, you watch how hot new ideas are, really just old ideas cloaked as fads. I have now seen this loop or cycle repeatedly in fashion and music. I am learning to believe that there is nothing new, as most of what we see are fusions and adaptations. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE fusions and these adaptations.
No, I don’t want to go back to how my parents dressed me in the 70s. Nor do I long for the days of my very weak high school mullet. I’m far from a “get off my lawn” personality. I think it is funny and ironic that what is labeled as “hot and new” is rooted in trends and designs of yesteryear. Last week I saw a meme that featured supposed bike company owners saying something like, “You mean if we add drops bars to a 90s mountain bike, we can sell it for $9,000?” It was laugh-out-loud-funny because it was true.
Like many, I listen to a variety of mountain bike podcasts. These are especially fun on long rides in the city or at the gym. I enjoy hearing about the latest ideas and innovations, whether related to bike frames or nutrition in training. One of the topics I want to hear more about is thinking through more sustainable ways to access trail systems than simply driving. No, I am not anti-car or anything like that. I sometimes think about the absurdity of endless shuttled runs and all of the gas wasted, time wasted, and of course, CO2 emissions emitted. Maybe that is why I have been thinking of gravel riding a lot more of late.
Take today, for example; I didn’t think much about hopping on my gravel bike and taking off on a 31-mile ride—no trailhead destination. Also, I added off-road portions to my ride as well. I’m not against driving to a trailhead to ride my mountain bike or to a spot to go for a gravel ride. This article and conversation are not about the “right way” and the “wrong way” to access riding. The point? There are more ways to explore the backcountry. That brings me back to my opening thoughts on fads and recycling ideas.
Are gravel bikes 90s mountain bikes with drop bars? No, not quite. Engineering-wise? Not even close. However, what is similar is the terrain. When I got into mountain biking in the early 90s, looking back, I now realize that much riding took place on gravel and dirt roads. I think of some of the races I participated in. Same thing. What this whole time loop is reminding me of is we have a lot of options to explore.
Let me be clear. I LOVE riding my Banshee Spitfire. My bike also LOVES it when pointed downhill. Gravity-fed flow trails are a blast. However, sometimes on the descent, I dream about simply taking off on all-day rides that are not about flow and gravity. That’s why I love my gravel bike and even my XC bike. Each bike allows me to explore the various routes in the backcountry, from gravel roads to singletrack. If I want to bomb hills, I can. If I want to climb thousands of feet, I can as well. The point? We need all. We need variety. Whenever I’m getting bored with riding the same local trail systems, I can hop on my gravel bike and ride backcountry logging roads. At the point I’m missing my Spitfire, I can switch back over. I love and need this variety.
I used to think I needed to find the “right” bike, that lone bike, to be the only bike I need in my quiver. Moreover, I did look and try all kinds of bikes. However, I’ve realized that I love all kinds of riding, which means it’s fun to have an assortment of bikes for these various riding disciplines. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune either, but that’s for another article for another day. There are a lot more ways to explore the backcountry. To do so may push us out of our comfort zones and try new things. Who knows? Maybe we’ll fall in love with other ways to explore.