organic a natural home
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bicycle STORY
the upgradeMay 23, 2001 I overheard a curious conversation the other day at a bike shop. There was a customer that looked to be in his mid-30s scanning the high-end component showcase and he was dressed like he could probably afford things in that case, when a young salesclerk probably in his late teens, early 20s approached him. The clerk asked if he could help but the customer declined saying he was just looking. Then this conversation ensued... CLERK: "What kind of bike do you ride?" CUSTOMER: (sounding almost embarrassed) "A 1998 Cannondale F-700." [Ironically, I ride the same exact make and model but mine is three years older] CLERK: (with a very sour look on his face) "Ooooh man, you need to upgrade that." CUSTOMER: "Oh, I KNOW I do." CLERK: "We've got some new frames that'll blow that away and some titanium ones that'll blow your mind. Come with me, I'll show you..." And with that they walked off toward the frame display. As I watched them walk away I thought to myself, if someone had asked ME what kind of bike I ride I probably would have said, "I ride a mountainbike mostly." It never would have dawned on me to give the make and model, let alone year, of my bike. And then if they said I needed to upgrade it, after I got over being offended, I might have thought, well perhaps a component or two, but not the WHOLE BIKE. I mean my F-700 is twice as old as the guy's in the store and as far as I'm concerned it's like new. Now I'll admit I love my bikes. I love to ride them. I love to work on them and I love to put new stuff on them. And some of the things I've replaced, probably... no, definitely, didn't NEED replacing. I just wanted them and so I got them. I would never fault anyone for just wanting to have a cool bike. But something about this conversation made me feel just a little sad. As I watched the now enthusiastic young clerk and his customer looking at the frames and new bikes I feared that if that guy got a new bike, his old bike would never see another mile unless he sold it. And if he did get a new bike I don't think he would hesitate to get rid of his old one. Clearly he had not properly bonded with his bike. He hadn't learned to love it. You could hear it in his voice. It was sad. I've lost contact with several bikes over the years. I've sold two, two were stolen, one died, and one wasn't really mine, it was my sister's. When I did voluntarily get rid of a bike, that is, it wasn't stolen, either I needed the space or I needed the money or both. If I'd been able to, I'd have kept all my bikes. They are sort of a tangible history of me. My very first bike was a strange old brown single speed with 20" wheels that I got used from I don't know where. I don't recall the brand, it might have been a Sears, and I rode that bike right into the ground, but not before I'd painted it about 6 different colors. I didn't know how to keep it running but it sure was pretty. I liked it best when it was orange. In fact I loved that bike. That's the one that died, I think it had to be buried. My next two bikes were girls bikes. The first was a used, little red 20" Schwinn girls bike that my dad bolted a "boy's bar" on so it would kind of look like a boys bike. I eventually took the bar off because I couldn't keep it tight and it would rattle. I used that bike to deliver papers on. That was a great bike. I put about a zillion miles on that bike. I loved it. Then I just sort of started using my sisters big blue Schwinn. It was also a one-speed and it was really hard to pedal (which I think is why she hardly ever rode it) but I loved it bacause it made me feel kind of big because it was big. I rode that for awhile and then when I got to high school Mom and Dad bought me my first BRAND NEW bike. It was a silver Centurion LeMans 10-speed that cost over $100 in 1974. It was love at first sight. It was the most beautiful thing you ever saw, and I was convinced it was the most beautiful thing that ever existed. I rode that bike everywhere including on dirt, off jumps... ...it was remarkably versatile. I turned the handlebars upside down and could do a wheelie for half a block. I cringe now when I think how I abused that poor bike. Then it was stolen. They cut my lock and took it. That was a black, black day. I ended up inheriting my brother's bronze Centurion LeMans which he got at the same time I got my silver one. He didn't ride it that much so it was in great shape. I managed to change that over the next three or four years however. I really punished that bike and I still didn't know how to fix one but it survived through high school and went with me to college. Then it was stolen. The thieves cut the bike rack this time and made off with my bike but I may have gotten the last laugh on that one because the brakes worked so poorly on it by that time, that if they rushed off with it they probably crashed when they found they couldn't stop. I hope they crashed hard... maybe into a bus or something. That bike had soul. I got my first race bike in 1980. It was a Team White, Peugeot PKN-10 and it cost the astronomical amount of $400. To this day it is one of the best handling bikes I've ever ridden. It wasn't the lightest bike, the brazing on it was not great, the french Simplex components were just OK but I felt like Eddy Merckx on that bike. That's the one bike I regret selling. I'm glad I was able to though, because at the time I really needed the money but that was one fine ride. I started working at a bike shop in 1982 so I finally learned how to fix a bike and I also got some serious racing iron. Over the next two years I bought a Benotto 3000 road racer and a Guerciotti track bike. I cracked my Benotto frame racing it in 1984 and replaced it with another 3000. I still have both my new Benotto and my Guerciotti. The Benotto is no longer rideable because of a crash and there's no velodrome around here to ride my Guerciotti on but they both still hang on my wall and probably always will. I take 'em down and work on them once in awhile just because. My current ride is my Cannondale F-700 mountainbike. It's my newest bike at 6 years old and according to my log books, has well over 15,000 miles on it. I go through four tires, two sets of chainrings, two gear cassettes and four chains every year with it. Does it need an upgrade? No... it doesn't NEED anything. I would love to upgrade it, but it doesn't need it and even if I got a brand new bike I would still ride it. It's already an old friend. I guess what saddened me about the conversation I overheard in the bike shop was that I think I felt for the old bike. All my bikes past and present have been special. I hope that guy sells his old bike to someone who'll ride the heck out of it. To someone who'll love it and not just trade it in at the first opportunity. – dave © Copyright iriguchi 2001 |
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