Gimme One For The Road

The Velominati’s Frank Strack bemoans the degradation of the modern road bike

- Frank Strack

Dear Frank,

These days road bikes come with disc brakes, wide tyres, even suspension units. At what point does it cease to be a road bike? Alan, via e-mail

Dear Alan,

My brother sent me a photo of him proudly riding his new gravel bike. It has a Lefty suspension fork, big tyre clearance, a tall riding position and a 1x drivetrain. In other words, it’s idiotic.

Don’t get me wrong, I love riding gravel. I’ve been doing it for something like forever. I love riding on the road too. It’s my daily redemption – how I feed the good wolf, so to speak. The rhythm in my legs and breathing of my lungs coax me into a restorative meditation as I hover just above the ground like a bird in flight.

But unless you’re lucky enough to live in the country and can ride on deserted roads, traffic and intersections are a constant interruption stirring you from the harmony of the ride. Mountain biking takes you away from the roads and into the seclusion of the wilderness, but the off-road nature of riding over rocks and roots robs the sport of the rhythm we find on the road.