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Some Bikes Do Have Souls


dinneR

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http://www.outsideonline.com/2408347/bikes-have-souls

Spend enough time riding and talking about bikes and you’ll come across the idea that certain bikes have souls.

I’ve always dismissed this notion as hopelessly pretentious and transparently materialistic. People have souls. Bicycles have wheels, tires, and very occasionally, genitals. The whole idea of a “soulful” bike as I saw it was to market the ineffable joy and beauty of cycling to people who think they can simply fork over a few bucks and buy soul like it’s a 35-ounce container of Utz Cheese Balls, or to help people feel special because they spent way too much for a Colnago.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to come around. That’s because last year, I acquired a bike I love so much that I’ve been forced to contemplate the possibility that it is indeed more than the sum of its parts. I’ve also found myself reflecting on why I feel as though this bike has a soul, and whether this rarefied state is something quantifiable that anyone can achieve with the right components, or if it’s something that just happens, like organisms in the primordial soup.

Merriam-Webster defines the word “soul” thusly: the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life

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I'd like to think my Casseroll has a soul. I've logged tons of miles on it including a triple century on gravel. It's components are pretty run of the mill. It's a mix of Shimano 105, FSA, Microshift, Velocity, and Kore. I thought about getting rid of it, but it's so darn comfortable and has a great geometry. I love riding this bike. I think I paid $800 or $900 for it.

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I imagine most builders would like to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Beyond that is a confluence of aspects less easily identified that result in adoration.

I lusted after the Casserole when it first came out. Also the Clubman from Raleigh, a Speciale Randonneur from Masi,  .... :)

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4 hours ago, donkpow said:

I imagine most builders would like to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Beyond that is a confluence of aspects less easily identified that result in adoration.

I lusted after the Casserole when it first came out. Also the Clubman from Raleigh, a Speciale Randonneur from Masi,  .... :)

I thought about those bikes too. I like all day rides. This Twin Six keeps calling me.

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