a rose by any...

other name, would still smell the same.  i've been thinking about this topic of a few weeks now, and in this months issue of bike mike ferrentino writes in the column 'grimy handshake' about all the different types of bikes that have come out.  and that it used to be 'easy' to buy a bike.  all you really needed to know was what type of riding you were going to do; which was typically road or mountain.  now if you're going to buy a bike, you really need to know more information to pick up the right bike for what you intend to do.

for road there are now different road bikes depending on their geometry, or bar type.  for mountain, the start is hard tail or full suspension.  then after that there are you have to look at how much travel you want, and geometry.  and this gets too complex that i want to get into here.

my quick point is that we have become too categorized, and in the 'specialty' realm of bikes too snobish.  there are fringe aspects of cycling, and if you don't 'fit' into their (these are just uber snobs who consider themselves experts) then you don't belong. 

let me give you my example.  a few years ago i came across a bike called a monster cross (mx).  the definition of this bike is essentially a cross bike with really fat tires.  so keeping the idea of a cross bike; drop bars, rigid fork, but with fatter tires than 38c has become the definition that i have found.  well...my friend and i have since built one up for ourselves, but we have had to use a 29er mountain frame, 29er tires, still with drop bars, and rigid fork.

but i am about to go outside this definition and put a front shock on my mx.  and this is going against the prevailing definitions out there.  so then my mx will cease being a mx, and just be a mtn bike with drop bars; according to 'them' (conspiracy theory, or king diamond album).

part of my point becomes...do you remember when a bike was a bike?  you either had a ten speed, mtn bike, or bmx; and that was it.

the industry has become too complex, and the fringe aspect of the 'culture' (hate this word, but it works) is too snobish.

just ride a bike.  have fun.  enjoy the ride.  don't get caught up in all the crap.  remember why you got on a bike in the first place.

[amitabha...]