Publisher's Statement

Today I had lunch with a couple of friends who I ride mountain bikes with. While we all have an affinity for nice bikes, none of us have the kind of disposable income that would let us act on any superfluous desires. A few of our acquaintances, however, do.

One of these guys became the butt of all jokes at the lunch table, “If you ride behind him you’ll wear out your brake pads.” But he will never admit he’s just kind of a chicken. While he can’t deny that he’s always the last one down the mountain, he maintains that his inadequacies are a result of equipment deficiencies.

This is all the more laughable because everything on his bike is literally worth its weight in gold. Team issue, special-edition, carbon fiber—you name it, he’s got it. But it’s never quite enough.

In a way I can’t blame the guy. Especially being that I just returned from the annual bicycle trade show, which becomes rather comical after a dozen visits. If mountain biking is your hobby, and you pay attention to the related media, you can’t avoid the industry’s incessant bombardment of advertising and advertorial. They constantly promise huge performance gains through the introduction of yet another new standard. Another gadget that will change your life. A third, fourth or fifth lever on your already overly complicated bicycle. A revolutionary way to save 15 grams.

We all know that you can save more than 15 grams by taking a piss before you ride, but c’est la vie. And frankly, there are far worse things to spend money on, ridiculous as it may be sometimes. I am rather glad the urban cycling market doesn’t follow in the off-road sector’s footsteps. Not that I eschew high end bikes, but I know full well that a 30 pound bike with rim brakes will get me to work and back, just the same as a 17 pound wünderbike. And that a 46 year old John Tomac could still leave me and my friends in the dust, even on a 1986 Mongoose hard tail.

Pedro's