Choices

One of the great things about this velocipeding we so enjoy is that it provides so many options. You can crash through the woods on your mountain bike, crash through a carefully controlled, woods-like environment on a road bike in a mountain bike costume (Brendan calls this "cyclocross"), ride on pavement wearing a superhero costume (road biking), or just tool around on a highly jury-rigged three-speed with your jeans rolled up to your calves. This multiplicity of possible bike uses can be downright vexing when we come to the task of building or acquiring a new bike. Last night, in fact, Joel came over to pick up an old road frame I have, which he will use in building a new bike. Joel told me he wants a singlespeed, but the build is motivated by the acquisition of an eight-speed wheelset (Joel is blessed with a curmudgeonly coworker who doesn't like to say hello but does like to build wheels in his spare time and give them away; none of my coworkers are wheelbuilders (as far as I know), but if anyone out there wants to build me a wheel, I would like a seven-speed coaster brake hub laced to a 20" rim, please). Examining the cogs, I determined it was a cassette, so to make it a singlespeed, Joel would have to get one of those singleator thingies (or maybe there's another way, but I don't know about it because I live in a pre-1990 world when it comes to bike technology knowledge, fancy folder notwithstanding). But then we had to wonder whether maybe he should just take advantage of the wheelset, frame, and awesome cranks (from my parts bin) and rock some 1x8 action, leaving the construction of a singlespeed for another day.

See? That's how it goes: Eight speed or singlespeed? Fixed or free? Folding or non-folding? Honestly, if I had enough money to do anything other than happily settle for the bikes that fall in my lap, I'd be crippled by indecision. Or I'd just own a whole lot of bikes.

And then, even when I owned all those bikes (in my make-believe world where I can afford many bikes), I'd stumble upon a one-of-a-kind piece of awesomeness like this unique and magical craigslist find (pictured below), and if I failed to acquire it, I'd live a life of sorrowful bike regret.