Carbon Addiction

Look, I’m not poor. But nor am I rich. In a sport where holding on to the bunch is a key survival strategy this is proving something of a problem right now.

You see, my current carbon steed is approaching 5 years old. It’s a great bike, versatile, comfortable to ride, fast(ish). We’ve travelled 30,000km+ together and enjoyed some pretty epic days in the saddle. But truth be told it just feels a bit old and slow nowadays. Or, to put it another way, I’m getting bored.

It’s a situation certainly not helped by the seemingly constant procession of space age new bike bling my mates have been parading about on lately. Green with envy? You better believe it. Guilty as charged your honour. I’ve tried tinkering around the edges, of course. New tyres. Bar tape. Minor components. But who am I kidding? It’s not the same and I know it. The frame and wheels are where it’s at. The design technology has catapulted so far ahead in recent years. I look around some mornings and lament that while my mates are seemingly driving Teslas, I’m left riding a donkey.

So what to do? Well clearly if any bike manufacturer and/or shop out there wants to set me up with a two-wheeled sponsorship, I’m all ears. In the absence of that I just have to suck it up. Be content with what I have, grateful to have a bike that allows me to ride at all, appreciate it isn’t all about technology and speed and bling, nor keeping up with the bunch at all costs.

Except, of course, it is 😉