Readers’ Rides #17

My Transition. This is the steed that managed to get me back biking the way I enjoy it – dirty and hard. Forgive the euphemism.

The best of both world’s or the bike that didn’t fit?

She was a present from an ex, the only good thing about that misguided relationship. Up until that point I had been using lesser hard tails; two cove Stiffees, two OnOne Inbreds, a Spooky Darkside, a GT Zaskar LE, and a GT Tequesta. In the space of 5 years they all succumbed to my riding style, and I wasn’t far from giving up, fed up of spending money on broken frames. It’s a well worn joke between my friends; watch out for Mike crashing. He’ll snap trees, crack boulders, flare headtubes, but all that will happen to Mike is a ripped jersey.

She was pretty comfortable getting her stunt on.

And so the beast was born. 8 lbs. of that real steel feel… urgh. My first winter on this bike resulted in me winning the winter wet and wild series in Innnerleithen, Scotland in the HT category with times that would put me in top 15 of the seniors on their £4K Dh rigs. For the bike- a legend was born. After those results I was convinced a Full susser would get me on the podium. I did do better but not that much better, and pretty soon I was using the transition for test riding big stunts at our local trail. Soon the ‘big bike’ moniker was given to my little baby. “Hey mike you using the big bike today for that new drop” was a common phrase heard. Ironic considering my full susser is a Demo 8 (on my 4th one in 3 years).

And her skinny too.

When times got tough and I ruined a rear mech I decided to go single speed. Man it was tough going. But I kept with the local XC guys, and ripped the downhills. I even entered a 24hr winter race with a few friends as a team of 4. Single speed was a godsend; no gears to get jammed up with mud. I even got fastest lap time out of my group and most laps completed… not surprising considering big bike only weighed 41lbs!!…. There’s a lot to be said for momentum. It was enlightening to be going through some tight financial times and matching that with the effort to keep the big bike rolling. I just bit down and kept pushing through, always hoping to come out the other side with a grin on my face – saying I did it my way.

Downhill racing? No worries.

Going single speed completely changed my riding style, I have always been good on tight technical terrain, but I was never smooth, just bursting my way through the undergrowth. But when in single speed mode the weight of the bike and lack of gearing meant I got severely punished for hitting corners too hard or riding roots too slow into climbs. Pretty soon I reached nirvana with the bike, flowing like water through the trails, lightly lifting the front and rear like one with nature. At my local XC trail I soon became untouchable amongst my friends on their ‘lightweight’ 32 lb. hardcore XC steeds.

A 24 hour race on a 41 lb hardtail? You must be mad!

For 2 years I stuck with the one gear. Then the unthinkable happened… I broke. Not on a crash or a jump but on a steep straight-up non-technical climb. My back gave up trying to wrestle the bike up this damned hill.

Mad indeed.

It was decision time. I had proved my worth as had the bike, but I was getting old. Climbing on this bike was a nightmare, with the stupidly slack head angle I flick flacked my way up hills. My arms would grow tired after 5 mins. My knees would scream as if being drilled by a cheap blunt second hand eBay drill bit. And bizarrely my Five Tens were only lasting a season with the grinding I was making them do into the pedals. The back wheel was now pulling out of the frame under pedal load, no matter how hard I tightened the nuts. It was time, time to put this ‘P-ugly’ bike to sleep. I have new frame now, a Dialled Bikes Alpine with lighter cranks, wheels, bars, seat and seat post. Same old forks, because until they die I cant justify spending money to replace the best fork ever made. I don’t drop as big or gap as long, but despite that I love my Dialed. I have dropped 10 lbs off of my ride, I am a lot faster up those hills, and I can go a lot longer getting in more ride time. And those skills learned in the tight dark technical forests of Scotland will never be lost.

How about some Whistler single track. Now we’re talking.

I miss you Transition, hanging there in my garage holding the wall up. Those days where you caused me so much pain teaching me to bite down and utter some mantra; ‘pain is good it lets you know you are alive.’ I miss the rust slowly forming on your 100mm thick tubing, the nightmare of finding a seat clamp that fitted your odd 31mm seattube. And the fact that the highest ever bunny hop I did was on you – 27inches. I’m older wiser and richer now. Like a hard father you have taught me a lot.

Respect, perseverance, satisfaction, brutality, and big bikes rule.

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Mike’s idea of a big bike doesn’t exactly mesh with mine – but you couldn’t call it small either. Hardtails may make great sense in the UK but here in Canada? If you’d like to submit your ride for this column please send it here. If you have anything to say about Mike, 24 hour races on 41 lb steel hardtails or anything else send it here…