Nature Boy

As a reward for lasting a year at work, and riding my bike 4 days of 5, I got a new ride! Something that'll handle fatter tires and fenders, winter is coming. A single-speed cyclocross bike, All City Nature Boy.

Why?

• I like the 'cross bike format. Tall, fast, tuff enuf. Everything you need, nothing you don't.

• From Minneapolis All City bikes. Took this picture from where Barb and I got married.
• Named not for communing with pristine single track. No, yet another Minnesota wrestler, Rick "Nature Boy" Flair.

Impressions.

• Components: brakes adequate, otherwise fair to good.
• Nice frame, good fit and finish for a Taiwanese build. Nice details, trick dropouts. Well designed with just the right attachment points for rack, fenders, lights. Or not.
• Geometry is cyclocross-messenger hybrid. Steeper angles, faster turning, aggro.
• Heavier than my Bianchi Axis 'cross bike, despite of having 19 fewer gears. I even spent a few more bucks for it than the used Axis. Still a great deal and happy to have it for mudding through the winter.
• Angry Catfish cycles. Outstanding. Josh and crew do great work. Got me fitted, upgraded and kitted out for no additional charge. Stop in.

Sister Karen has been placed on a low-header diet. Doctor's orders. So my first trail ride I took one for the team. Shot over a five-foot berm I've been over 50 times. This time they've scooped out the far side with a backhoe. I carry enough speed to easily crest it, and I'm committed to riding the 80-degree downslope. Back brake all the way and don't even think about touching the front. The front wheel makes it down and starts rolling away. Before it occurs to me that I may have cleared it the front digs into a little hump, just enough to stop us dead and I eject over the bars. A few scrapes, a little blood and we're rolling again.

Candy

Replaced my old SPD pedal setup with some sweet new Crank Bros. Candy 1 pedals. Even these cheapies shaved over four ounces off my rotating weight. Good clip in, nice support, secure. I'm no early adopter, to be sure, but I should'na waited this long!

Then spooned some new Ritchey Speedmax tires onto the 'cross bike with enough time to squeeze in a quick run on the green circle. They roll smooth, grab well, seem lighter than the old Kenda Kommados. I got a little wild and a corner, started sliding out the front tire until I leaned it up on the knobbies. Wham, it bit in and took off the way it was pointed. May have something to do with the two inches of rain we got in the last 24 hours - but nice tires, eh?

Blasted well through civil twilight. Fog filling in. Whip-poor-wills start singing. A few miles to go, the light so low now that eyes lose their grasp on anything solid. We have to have to start riding by feel. Ride toward the light.