Label Whore

A friend of mine, and fellow mechanic, always comments on those customers who are always hearing a creaking this or knocking that. His point is simply, "How much enjoyment can they have while riding, if they are always so concerned with these things?"

I was pondering this question, as I rode into work last Thursday, (aka Bike To Work Day...), and ironically as I hear my bike start creaking.

My thought process was more on those things that we take for granted. There are lots of good parts out there, and lots of bad ones. But there are certain no-doubt workhorses. Thomson seatposts, Chris King headsets, Brooks saddles, Look pedals and Phil Wood hubs are a few that come to mind. Expensive, yes. But you know you can pop any of those on your bike and not worry about it, and that's why they are everywhere and have been for decades. But it's not about the name, it's about the product doing what it is supposed to without any issue. And those names can be counted on for that.

The idea behind my bike is utilitarian. It needs to get me where I need to go. Steel frame, fork and stem for strength and ride quality. King, Thomson and Looks all for reliability. Brooks for comfort. Disc brakes to always stop when I need to. SRAM chain for quietness... Sadly, the only things I haven't upgraded are likely the root of my creak; the Bontrager wheels and cranks. More sadly, I don't have the several hundred dollars required to build Phil Wood/Mavic wheels and forget about that whole area of the bike.

So, basically that was all a tangent-ridden way of saying that I took the opportunity on this year's Bike To Work Day to appreciate those parts we often forget are so important to our end goal of getting where we're heading and enjoying the ride.