At a sure level in life you simply quit. For instance, I’ve lengthy given up on making an attempt to remain present with street bicycle expertise, which is why this relic is at present my most “innovative” bike:
As soon as-futuristic supplies, proprietary wheels with too-few spokes, built-in shifters…that’s about as “superior” as I should be.
However let’s say you haven’t given up but, and also you desire a street bike that embodies all the newest tech while nonetheless evoking the spirit the classics. What do you have to get? Nicely, how about a hand-painted Specialised Aethos?
It’s a plastic bike with electrical shifters however…I dunno, one thing about Mike Sinyard and his groovy van?
Imagine it or not, I’m not even making an attempt to be vital–I’m certain it weighs like 9lbs, rides fantastically, and by no means misses a shift. (Except you neglect to cost it, during which case it would miss all of the shifts.) Nonetheless, inform me it’s potential to have a look at the next with out seeing the phrase “handjob:”
Additionally, what the hell is “marmoreal?”
With out trying it up, I’m going to say it’s a pearlescent end that evokes the milky discharge of a mammary.
Now I’m going to look it up:
Yikes, I used to be means off.
However sure, if you happen to’re trying to find the proper street bike, look no additional than Specialised’s new mammarial handjob bike.
In the meantime, in additional pedestrian information, as famous in yesterday’s quiz, Surly is discontinuing the venerable Cross-Examine:
Whereas it’s tempting to muse over what this implies to the way forward for easy inexpensive metal rim-brake bikes, such pontification is completely pointless, since the way forward for such bikes is that there isn’t a future–it’s all about discs and electrical shifting and that’s that. No, the necessary query is whether or not the Cross-Examine will enhance in worth as the results of this information. Consulting a preferred web site that hosts a number of categorized adverts, to this point the reply seems to be “no,” although availability as of now’s restricted–so restricted {that a} search in New York solely turns up two, one in all which is in New York’s annoying little cousin, Philadelphia:
There are significantly extra to be discovered on a preferred Web public sale web site, together with the fabled Vacationers Examine, which was only a Cross-Examine with S&S couplers:
I used to be the proprietor of simply such a bicycle, with which I actually traveled the world:
Again in these days I used to be nonetheless related, and as such I needed to go locations to do e book signings and stuff, so I traded Surly a banner advert for the body–it was a bit too small, but it surely was the closest factor to my measurement that they had on the time, and I figured I’d make it work. I additionally commuted on it often, and it was as soon as molested by a whole stranger as I watched helplessly via a window:
I had fully forgotten about that till now, however I’m upset about it another time.
So will the common-or-garden Cross-Examine ever change into a collectible? In any case, there’s a wealthy historical past of unremarkable bikes which have gone on to command extraordinarily excessive costs, such because the GT GTB, which was simply an off-the-rack monitor bike that went on to change into a cult merchandise due to just like the triple triangle or one thing:
[Pic via here.]
So might the Cross-Examine get there too? Arguably rim brake bikes that may clear “gravel” tires are the brand new fixie, but it surely could possibly be that over nearly 1 / 4 of a century there have been just too a lot of them produced for perceived shortage to be an element.
In the meanwhile anyway, I’d charge this bike a “maintain.”
However I’ll let you understand if there’s any important value motion.
