Recently, I've been thinking about adding some bikes to the fleet even though I have no money or space to do so. Specifically, a hardtail, geared, 29er and a Yuba for commuting have been at the top of the list. Since neither of those bikes are in my bike shop bum budget, I've gone with a cheaper alternative. The Voodoo has gears again and my commuter has a borrowed B.O.B Trailer to haul behind it. This is where my revelation began.
My commuter's drivetrain is shot. How I didn't notice this before, I don't know. It shifts like ___________ (you fill in the blank). Easy fix, but it adds to my unfair contempt for gears. The drivetrain on the Voodoo is golden. It shifts great although the XTR rear derailleur was finicky initially. Despite perfect functionality, I've come to realized that I do not trust gears. Specifically in technical climbs or negotiating technical features, I expect them to let me down. Dare I say, I even fear gears.
My thought process on my ride yesterday went something like this:
On approach to a rock ledge climb, "Don't slip-don't slip-don't slip-phew".
On approach to a steeper rock ledge climb with a steep drop at the end, "If it slips I'm going to back-don't think about it-don't think about-if it slips I'm going to-back flop."
It went on like this for some time. I kept thinking. I don't think very much on my single speed. As Dukes puts it, "If its there, I take it." Its this lack of thinking that makes riding a single speed so much fun. I am going to stick with gears because they have benefits like being able to cover more ground in the flats faster on long rides. Learning to ride tech on gears is going to be a bit of a mental challenge though. I'll keep trying, but when my confidence starts to wane, I'll look to my oner for reaffirmation.
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