Concentrating on equipment not the experience might seem like the perfect way to ruin a ride for most people. After all, some folks have a wonderful time on their bike still running the suspension settings and tire pressures it had when it was pulled out of a box in the shop. Many don’t even notice if the suspension has stiffened up from a lack of servicing or tires have lost air over time. I know successful racers and people who ride hundreds of miles a week who don’t really know or care what might happen if they clicked the blue or red dial one way or the other.
I’ve always been a gear geek though, fussing, fettling and researching the finer details of whatever I’m working on just out of curiosity. For as long as I can remember riding I was tweaking anything possible to improve performance. Saving up pocket money for fabled ‘Red S’ grease to feed my habit of stripping down and rebuilding bearings and shifters. Being blown away at how much better Aztec brake pads were than my Raleigh Raincheck originals. Gutted when my ‘Puncture Guard’ Panaracer tires repeatedly flatted on the bridleway down from Tan Hill pub on a touring trip long before anyone talked about pinch punctures.
