cycling ⁽⁴¹⁾

When I first got into cycling in the mid-80s, entry-, mid-level, and high-end bikes were not tremendously far apart. Mountain bikes had no suspension, and frames were made from steel or aluminum. Groupsets were the primary difference between bikes. An entry-level bike had Shimano LX, a mid-level bike was equipped with DX, and a top-of-the-line bike came with XT. I started on an entry-level bike, moved to a mid-level Specialized Stumpjumper, and soon rode a World-Cup-level Muddy Fox with a full Shimano XT groupset. Even seat posts were part of such groupsets back then. XT came with a nice black steel seat post. You read that right: a seat post made out of steel. A few years later, I spent a small fortune owning a Merlin Titanium with XTR derailleurs and many boutique components. For much of my cycling career, I bought or built nice bikes that cost a lot. They were never outrageously expensive, but more than I needed.

On the weekend of January 13th and 14th, snow covered the trails almost to my house. I did a 3-hour ride across the Bözingenberg on Saturday, the 13th, and a 4-hour loop across Plagne and the Stierenberg on Sunday, the 14th. Warm weather and rain during the week pushed the snowline up several hundred meters. Luckily, the mercury dropped below zero on Friday and remained there for the weekend.

When it comes to cycling clothing, it should be stylish, comfortable, and practical, all while being reasonably priced. The brand is not important as long as it meets these standards. I don't have a loyal attachment to any particular brand, but if they consistently deliver, they may earn my repeat business. For years, I relied on DHB, which is sold by Wiggle, for my cycling apparel after returning to Switzerland from Northern California.

The last time my wife and I traveled was in October 2017. We drove to Nice to meet an American friend who happened to spend a few days there. We used the trip to Nice to visit a bunch of wineries in the Rhône Valley. On the way back, we crossed the border into Italy for a winery tour through the Piedmont region. A drive across the Great St Bernard pass brought us back to Switzerland. We have not spent any vacations abroad or within Switzerland since. Seeing how one natural disaster is following the next on our ever-hotter planet, who can still travel with a good conscience today? Travel by air or by car is a luxury only a few on this planet can even afford. It’s a First World luxury and not a necessity. For a healthier planet and the future of generations to come, we should honestly do without.

I started mountain biking in 1986 and road cycling in 1992. I don’t remember what saddles were on my first three mountain bikes. I sat on what the manufacturers specced for those bikes. In the early 90ies that changed with Selle Italia’s iconic Flite saddle. It was a minimalist, long, slim saddle with a rounded top and a flexible hull. Equipped with titanium rails it made for a comfortable perch. It was a revolutionary saddle for the time, and I liked it a lot. Over the next decade, I stayed faithful to the brand and moved on to the even more minimalist, narrow-sided SLR. The SLR’s profile ensured minimal pedaling interference, but to be honest, while it felt good with padded shorts or bibs, it was a horrible saddle to sit on without any padding.