18T: Papa's got a brand new bike...

I got a new bike for Christmas.

That, in and of itself, is not unusual. Lots of grown men get bikes for Christmas. Technically, I got it before Christmas, but make no mistake it was a Christmas present. It’s shiny, black and has lots of pivots and gears. The bike is very different from the one I’ve ridden for the last 4 years. My old bike has no pivots. It isn’t shiny. It has one gear.

You see, I’m a recovering single speeder.

I bought the single speed bike to get over a severe case of burn-out. I had ridden so much in 2009 I actually dreaded going for a ride. I would get stressed over the thought of doing my usual lunch-time loop. My riding buddy rode a single speed, and he was fast. Faster than anyone I had ridden with. He descended like a demon, and climbed like a goat. It got to the point I would start twenty minute before him, and he would still be back at the office showered, dressed and sitting at his computer by the time I got back.

So I bought a single speed bike.

At first, it was hard. But it was fun. The only shifting I had to do was getting my butt off the seat on descents. I learned how to truly ride a bike, and not just sit on it. I sold my twenty-sixer for a song. After several years, my friends would ask “when are you going to get a bike with gears? Suspension?” It was more than a little satisfying to watch the reactions when I rolled up on my trusty steed. I may not have been the fastest guy to the top of the hill, but I got there. On a rolling couch, I would tell myself, I was just another middle-aged guy struggling to keep up.

I realized a lot of things riding a single speed. For one, a bike won’t make you faster. I rode a buddy’s full squish and he rode my single speed. The parts of the trail I had problems with on a single speed still caused me difficulty on a geared bike. I still suck at climbing. Maybe it’s a mental thing. There are points on my home trail where I stop. No real reason other than that’s where I always stop. You learn to pick better lines on a single speed. I’m better at picking out even the smallest path to a smooth line. Not having rear suspension to bail you out helps. Walking is an option. I’ve done the Kokopelli Trail three times on a single speed. I’ve also walked Entrada Bluffs road 3 times. ‘Single speed’ is a misnomer. In reality, single speeders have three gears; sitting, standing and walking. There are some parts of the trail I would never clean on a single speed. Or any bike, for that matter. Maintenance is a breeze. A quick brush, and occasional chain lube and I’m ready to go.

I’m not a retro-grouch. I had fully intended to return to a geared bike. In fact, I attended every demo day I could. Niner, Specialized, Trek, Salsa – I rode very nice bikes at them all. The full suspension thing was intriguing, but a little scary. One bike nearly bucked me off after I hit a water bar the wrong way (what’s this ‘rebound’ you speak of?). Geometry on bikes had drastically changed. Instead of the cross country racing, stretched out over your bike geometry, bikes had gone slack. And it was much better for my back.

When the time came, I did a lot of research. I went back and forth between a Trek Rumblefish and a Specialized Camber. After a visit to several local shops, I decided on the Camber. As a year-end model, I got a great price, and that allowed me to upgrade to a 1X10 set up. But most importantly, Ascent Cycles have great customer service. They didn’t push me into a 2014 model, but instead gave me the information to make a great decision.

I’ve got a little over 90 December miles on my Camber, and it rocks. I cruise past those parts of the trail I used to stop at. My lines are still clean, but I’m learning to cruise over the rocks. My goal is to ride the Kokopelli Trail this year, and pedal the majority (if not all) of Entrada Bluffs AND the LaSal mountains. I’m in good shape, I have a great new bike and I’m raring to go for 2014.

And my single speed? It’s hanging in the garage, patiently waiting for me to get over this full-suspension fad.