Explore the Great Outdoors with Wheelzup Adventures: May 2022 Newsletter

Mandela’s Muses

I contend that there are few things more satisfying than using the right tool for the right job. The perfect fit of the torque bit as it mates with the perfect bolt head, no wiggle, no loss of energy. The “Quiver-killer” is the accolade most trail bikes and skis aim for, a jack-of-all-trades and master of most. A bike or ski which eliminates the need for another, many a cyclist have attempted to shoehorn the gravel bike into this role.

Gravel bikes are lighter than most mountain bikes, capable of accommodating significantly larger tires and made all the more attractive by their availability in disc brake option, improving power and modulation. As great as the hype is around the versatility of a gravel bike, there is something to be said about purpose-built tools. Using a shovel to sweep the floor generates a similar sensation. The job will get done, albeit slowly, painstakingly and inefficiently. God created us for a purpose, but very often, we compromise our gifts and callings to be a gravel bike. We attempt to be amphibious in our philosophy of life, appease society’s expectation of us, and follow our dreams…at some point.
Cruising behind Brian on his gravel bike, as we rode the single track of Rocky Gap, he was going to get around the 5-mile loop that was for sure, he just was not having fun doing it. He wasn’t using the right tool.