In right this moment’s fast-paced world, what with its touch-tone telephones and remote-controlled televisions, we’ve turn out to be accustomed to immediate gratification and an nearly perverse degree of comfort. That is significantly true in the course of the holidays, after we full all our vacation buying 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 wish to do it the old school approach, 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 additionally as a result of New York is beguilingly crowded but desolate by turns; right now of 12 months numerous folks have already fucked off for the vacations, but there are additionally giant clusters of vacationers her stuff. It’s a time of 12 months that’s all about winding down, and a metropolis this large winds down palpably, and there’s one thing satisfying concerning the ineffable method during which that may be palped as you make your approach by way of it by bike:
All of his is to say I had a selected present 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 dwelling, 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 street bars I lately fitted it with are slim by Rivendell requirements, however that’s good 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 approach dwelling, the mighty Hudson shimmered within the sundown:
And my trusty headlight lit the way in which:
Glad Holidays, assholes:
And sure, that image with that message can also be our household Christmas card.
Anyway, as a lot as I really like a very good city journey, right this moment I used to be pining for the other, and so I headed due north. I’d have ridden the Homer once more, but it surely was supposed to begin raining, so I figured it will be clever to journey a motorcycle with fenders. Fortuitously 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 Basic Cycle in November 2020, and now that it’s been a bit of over two years with the factor it looks like a very good time to check out the way it has modified and the way it hasn’t. Right here’s what it seemed 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 fully inventory. Even the tires have been authentic. I didn’t actually know something concerning the RockCombo earlier than Paul despatched me one, and actually 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 gained 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 unit modified some stuff and that he was very disillusioned with it, however I believe it feels nice and that it does every little thing its presupposed to do slightly adeptly–and you’ll see what it’s presupposed to do right here:
Possibly I’m not subtle sufficient to grasp what’s unsuitable with it, or perhaps the manufacturing unit made the undesirable adjustments 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 bit of 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 adjustments by means of refining it, thanks largely to Paul. These embody the flamboyant RapidRise XTR derailleur and the Hyperglide-compatible wheels, which improved the shifting dramatically:
You might or might not be focused on friction shifting, however I don’t assume you’ll discover a smoother-feeling transmission than this.
The hubs are XT, with an up to date freehub within the rear that may settle for 8/9/10 pace cassettes whereas nonetheless becoming the bike’s 130mm spacing:
And the edges are anodized, which I at all times used to assume was tremendous cool, despite the fact that I didn’t know what goal it served, and I’m pretty certain now that it served no goal in any way 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 normally one to fuss over tire stress, however on such a skinny tire there’s a positive line between it feeling good and easy and feeling imprecise and marshmallowy so you should actually get it proper. I do assume I’ll in all probability return to the firmer and knobbier WTB All-Terrains ultimately although, since these give up their traction instantly and alarmingly on the slightest suggestion of mud, and right now 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.) Aside from that although the tires complement the bike fantastically and are particularly enjoyable to journey on a flat, hardpacked path similar to this.
Whereas I’m presently 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’ll be able to’t actually shift a triple below load), however extra for all-around driving, the place a single entrance shift is commonly 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 assume they have been ungainly they’re significantly extra elegant than what the trendy all-terrain drivetrain has turn out to be:
And sure, chainsuck generally is a drawback on these ’80s mountain bike drivetrains…BUT NOT WITH THIS BABY:
I additionally haven’t modified the controls, except changing the rear Suntour shifter with a Silver2 for the reason that 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 outdated 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 through the years the XTRs have at all times been my favourite in that for no matter motive they appear to really feel probably the most like street brakes, they usually’ve by no means exhibited any cantilever quirkiness (chatter, and so on.) on any bike on which I’ve put in them. I’m certain some Brake Fred will come alongside and critique the straddle cable peak 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 wish to inhibit its means to wander off-road (having damaged my thumb some years again after a mud path stick-and-fender incident I grew to become cautious of fendersfor something however pure street biking), however in all probability as a result of 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 your best option for a motorcycle that’s going to see numerous moist climate, but it surely’s too cozy to not use it plus it provides a bit of 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 very best Specialised I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned a number of…
…although admittedly they have been all street bikes, together with this one, which acquired the boot to make approach for the Combo:
I haven’t seemed again.
