Why You Need Only One Bike

After building himself (and eventually selling) 16 bicycles over five years, this bike shop manager decided to commit to one. A year later, here are the three biggest revelations he's had.

Robert Grunau | 25 April 2016

Photograph by Andy Bokanev

After building himself (and eventually selling) 16 bicycles over five years, this bike shop manager decided to commit to one. A year later, here are the three biggest revelations he’s had. – By Robert Grunau

1. Your bike is more capable than you think.

Your road bike can handle dirt trails—put wider tires on it—and your cyclocross bike is fine for road rides. Find a gravelly country lane or some urban singletrack? Take it—even if you’re on a brand-new carbon road machine.

2. Always say “yes” to the ride.

I once skipped a big fall road ride with friends because I didn’t think my ’cross bike was the right tool for the job. I regretted my decision as soon as I saw the photos from that day in my social media feeds.

3. Not everyone’s upgrading.

A lot of my customers are astounded that I own only one bike. But others have been riding the same thing for more than 10 years. They used to baffle me, but now I want to be more like them.