In at the moment’s fast-paced world, what with its touch-tone telephones and remote-controlled televisions, we’ve grow to be accustomed to prompt gratification and an virtually perverse stage of comfort. That is significantly true throughout the holidays, after we full all our vacation procuring in like 9 seconds on that retail web site named after a big river. (I’m speaking about MississippiBargains.com, in fact.)
Occasionally although you need to do it the old style means, by going into city and dealing with stuff earlier than shopping for it. I particularly get pleasure from doing this by bicycle–not solely as a result of I like driving bicycles, but in addition as a result of New York is beguilingly crowded but desolate by turns; at the moment of 12 months numerous individuals have already fucked off for the vacations, but there are additionally massive clusters of vacationers her taking a look at stuff. It’s a time of 12 months that’s all about winding down, and a metropolis this huge winds down palpably, and there’s one thing satisfying concerning the ineffable method during which that may be palped as you make your means by way of it by bike:
All of his is to say I had a selected reward in thoughts from a selected place for a selected somebody, and so yesterday I rode downtown to fetch it. Whereas the Pink Faggin is now my designated city runabout, I knew the solar would begin to set as I used to be heading residence, and I additionally knew I wouldn’t be leaving the bike unattended for very lengthy, so I rode my Homer with its fancy headlight and generator hub. The late-’80s highway bars I not too long ago fitted it with are slender by Rivendell requirements, however that’s excellent for driving in visitors, and palming the bar-end shifters whereas within the drops allowed me to vary gears effortlessly and slide swiftly by way of Occasions Sq. like a strand of oily spaghetti:
On my means residence, the mighty Hudson shimmered within the sundown:
And my trusty headlight lit the way in which:
Comfortable Holidays, assholes:
And sure, that image with that message can be our household Christmas card.
Anyway, as a lot as I like a great city journey, at the moment I used to be pining for the alternative, and so I headed due north. I’d have ridden the Homer once more, however it was supposed to begin raining, so I figured it could be sensible to journey a motorcycle with fenders. Happily I’ve a wheelbrowed bike that marries the consolation and flexibility of a Rivendell with the eagerness to scamper that you just discover in racier velocipedes:
I acquired the RockCombo from Traditional Cycle in November 2020, and now that it’s been a little bit over two years with the factor it looks like a great time to try the way it has modified and the way it hasn’t. Right here’s what it regarded like as quickly as I put it collectively:
So far as I can inform, aside from perhaps the saddle and the pedals, the bike was utterly inventory. Even the tires have been unique. I didn’t actually know something concerning the RockCombo earlier than Paul despatched me one, and in reality he faked me out by telling me he was sending me Specialised’s newest and biggest gravel bike. Type of just like the Kestrel, at first I used to be principally tickled by its wildly dated look and its excessive irony issue, however the journey received me over in brief order. (I nonetheless get pleasure from the truth that it’s a novelty, however in the end it’s only a actually good bike.) There’s a remark floating across the varied bike boards during which the man who designed the RockCombo says the manufacturing facility modified some stuff and that he was very disenchanted with it, however I believe it feels nice and that it does every part its purported to do quite adeptly–and you may see what it’s purported to do right here:
Perhaps I’m not subtle sufficient to grasp what’s unsuitable with it, or perhaps the manufacturing facility made the undesirable modifications as a result of they know precisely what they’re doing and figured they knew higher. Regardless, regardless of its heft it feels nimble each on-road and off, and it’s simple to fender it and rack it up if you wish to imbue it with a little bit practicality and/or four-season functionality, which is the place I’m at with it now:
Basically the bike isn’t all that totally different than it was when it first arrived, however I’ve made some notable modifications by the use of refining it, thanks largely to Paul. These embody the flowery RapidRise XTR derailleur and the Hyperglide-compatible wheels, which improved the shifting dramatically:
Chances are you’ll or might not be enthusiastic about friction shifting, however I don’t suppose you’ll discover a smoother-feeling transmission than this.
The hubs are XT, with an up to date freehub within the rear that can settle for 8/9/10 velocity cassettes whereas nonetheless becoming the bike’s 130mm spacing:
And the edges are anodized, which I at all times used to suppose was tremendous cool, though I didn’t know what objective it served, and I’m pretty positive now that it served no objective in anyway aside from trying tremendous cool:
I’m additionally nonetheless utilizing the Rene Herse ninja slippers, which I actually get pleasure from now that I’ve gotten the tire stress found out:
I’m not often one to fuss over tire stress, however on such a skinny tire there’s a tremendous line between it feeling good and easy and feeling imprecise and marshmallowy so you could actually get it proper. I do suppose I’ll in all probability return to the firmer and knobbier WTB All-Terrains finally although, since these give up their traction instantly and alarmingly on the slightest suggestion of mud, and at the moment of 12 months there’s at all times a slick patch right here and there the place the solar has melted the frozen path floor. Additionally, this bike is totally succesful as a mountain bike and the WTBs can take you a lot additional into the woods than these can. (I’m additionally not satisfied these are strong sufficient for debris-strewn winter roads, however we’ll see.) Apart from that although the tires complement the bike superbly and are particularly enjoyable to journey on a flat, hardpacked path identical to this.
Whereas I’m at the moment utilizing clipless pedals (I’ll return to flats come sandal season), the remainder of the frontal portion of the drivetrain stays unchanged:
I wrote an Outdoors column about this fairly awhile in the past that they’ve but to publish, however I’ve very a lot come round to the triple–not a lot for technical mountain biking, the place having to downshift upfront of a climb isn’t at all times doable or practicable (you may’t actually shift a triple below load), however extra for all-around driving, the place a single entrance shift is usually preferable to a number of shifts within the rear. Plus, a triple is admittedly only a double with a bailout gear, and whereas I used to suppose they have been ungainly they’re significantly extra elegant than what the fashionable all-terrain drivetrain has grow to be:
And sure, chainsuck generally is a downside on these ’80s mountain bike drivetrains…BUT NOT WITH THIS BABY:
I additionally haven’t modified the controls, excluding changing the rear Suntour shifter with a Silver2 because the Suntour had barely sufficient throw for the broader eight-speed cassette (plus it simply feels higher):
Whereas I didn’t change the bars or the stem or the brake levers, I did change the brakes, for previous XTR cantilevers:
I’ve by no means tried any of the super-fancy cantis like Paul or no matter, however of those I’ve used over time the XTRs have at all times been my favourite in that for no matter purpose they appear to really feel essentially the most like highway brakes, and so they’ve by no means exhibited any cantilever quirkiness (chatter, and so on.) on any bike on which I’ve put in them. I’m positive some Brake Fred will come alongside and critique the straddle cable top or one thing, however they really feel simply the way in which I would like them to so I actually don’t care.
I used to be hesitant to place fenders on this bike as a result of I didn’t need to inhibit its potential to wander off-road (having damaged my thumb some years again after a mud path stick-and-fender incident I turned cautious of fendersfor something however pure highway biking), however in all probability because of the beneficiant width and clearance these don’t appear to get in the way in which in any respect:
A leather-based saddle isn’t at all times the only option for a motorcycle that’s going to see numerous moist climate, however it’s too cozy to not use it plus it offers a little bit natural class to a motorcycle that’s in any other case exhubarntly hued to the purpose of being saccharine:
All in all it’s by far the perfect Specialised I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned a couple of…
…although admittedly they have been all highway bikes, together with this one, which received the boot to make means for the Combo:
I haven’t regarded again.
