Project OneBike Set To Take Shape in 2019

When I was starting to think about my goals for 2019, I knew I wanted to change things up a bit this year. In the past, I’d start with time on Zwift, then trudge my way through some 10k’s in early spring, do a few local crits, and then go full blast into the local cyclocross scene. I already planned on adding some additional running events, maybe a duathlon, a charity century, and some gravel, but I wanted to do something else to change things up.

So as I was flipping through events on BikeReg.com and Facebook, I looked at the bikes hanging on the wall. For the road races, I have my trusty Bianchi Sempre Pro. For cross races, I have my Focus Mares. For gravel, I could make do with the Mares, or possibly use a gravel specific bike like a 3T Exploro if I could get one in for review. For duathlons, the Bianchi will work in a pinch, or maybe a review TT bike. The more I’m thinking about it, that’s going to be a lot of bikes, and some of which, I’ll maybe ride only a handful of times.

How Many Bikes Do You Need?

The answer to the question, “How many bikes do you need?” has always been N+1, or one more than you currently own. And the bike industry has done a lot to help with making more and more specific products for the growing niche categories. But in all reality, how many bikes do you actually need? If you are keeping things on the relatively smooth path (road/cross/gravel), you probably only really need one. Heck, I even did a mountain bike event rolling an adventure bike (Van Dessel A.D.D.) with a Lauf Grit fork, 650b wheels, and some 2.4″ tires. That same bike also saw some cross racing and road riding, but it probably wouldn’t have been my go-to race rig due to weight. But, if I could build up something lighter, with clearances to stuff some fatter tires, but still aggressive enough to go fast, why not?

This is where the industry comes back in. Even for the road, we have three main race bikes, aero, lightweight/all-around, and endurance. All were born from the pro peloton’s needs. Sprinters want to go fast, GC guys want light for the mountains, and everyone wants a little more comfort for the cobblestones. Then you have time trail bikes, triathlon bikes (there is a difference because of the UCI), gravel bikes, cyclocross bikes, touring bikes,… And the mountain side of things isn’t any better.

Some brands have gone the opposite direction though. I already mentioned the A.D.D. from Van Dessel and the 3T Exploro. Both of these brands have taken an approach of making a bike that can do a bit of everything. 3T has taken things a step further of adding aerodynamics into the equation, something that I hope other brands will consider in the future.

How Many Bikes Do You Really Need?

Back to staring at the wall of bikes, I began to think to myself, how many bikes to I REALLY need? That’s where Project OneBike began to take shape.

A road bike has the limitation of tire clearance. A cross bike, which I do ride often on the road, has the clearance for larger tires and mud, and has disc brakes. That’s a good start, so let’s keep going down that path.

Many cross bikes these days are set up 1x, which honestly, I can and do make do with on the road. A few I have in mind, like the Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, are pretty aggressive in their geometry, so I think a hack like me could make do with it on the road as well. I’d want a bike that is light enough for the road, but durable enough for cross, gravel, and maybe even a rather tame cross-country mountain bike race, like The International Intergalactic Global Open Mountain Bike Relay. It needs to have clearance for bigger tires, but still be stiff enough to react to sprints on the road.

Gearing will be an issue with a 1x set up. Running cyclocross gearing (38, 40 or 42) will have me spinning out on the road, and road gearing (50) will be too high for cross. With an 11-36 cassette, I have plenty of range to handle speed and climbing, so it would be a matter of swapping out chainrings and chains. Chances are, I’ll end up on a SRAM drivetrain, and their 1x cranks are easy enough to swap chainrings, and swapping a chain is easy enough.

Wheels and tires will also be another area that I’ll be looking to swap out depending on the event. Going tubeless is already a very high consideration for reliability, especially in self-supported gravel events. In some cases, a 650b wheelset could also be an advantage over a 700c, allowing me to run wider gravel and monstercross tires, but keeping the 700×25 overall size. There will be times I’ll want to stick with a 700c wheel though and will swap between road and cross tires. Having multiple wheelsets in each size  with various tires already mounted up would be great, but from the minimalist approach I’m taking with the bike, having one of each size is all I need.

There there are other things like pedals/shoes, bags, bottle cages, lights, etc. Most high-end off-road race shoes these days are just as stiff as their road brethren, just a little heavier due to tread and more protection in the boot. A high-end shoe with some walkability built in would be a great choice, though I wouldn’t be opposed to swapping pedals and shoes depending on the event. We’ll see how that plays out. Bags will definitely be needed in the longer, self-supported gravel events, so having side load bottle cages will also be helpful. Even thinking about computers, having something easy to read, solid mapping functionality, and connectivity with my phone are all important. I could keep diving deeper into it all, talking about helmets, kits, etc, but for now, let’s just focus on the bike.

Current State

Currently, we’re still working out the details on the build for the season, and will post more news as it begins to take shape even further. For now though, here is what we have in the works.

absoluteBLACK Chainrings

It’s not a secret that I’m a fan of absoluteBLACK oval rings. I run them on all of my bikes, and particularly like the cyclocross 1x rings for their added traction in loose conditions. I also feel that they allow me to spin a little bit faster, and help me get up climbs a little more efficiently. The tooth profile keeps the chain locked in and I have yet to drop a chain.

The great part is, their rings come in sizes from 38 through 50 for Sram’s direct mount set up. They move up in 2 tooth increments, with the 50 being a solid, aero chain ring. They are available in a few different colors to match up with your bike, and available for many different mounting configurations (Sram, Cannondale, Easton, 4×110, etc).

Apidura Bags

Hauling gear will be important, and Apidura comes through here. Their Backcountry bags will provide a mix of durability and lightweight, along with the cargo capacity to carry just about anything I need. We have their top tube, frame, and saddle packs.

Vie13 Kustom Apparel Kits

So maybe we will talk about non-bike related things a little. Gary and Theresa are the dynamic duo behind Vie13 Kustom Apparel. They are a global cycling brand based in the US and Australia, and have riders from enthusiasts to national and world champions wearing their kits. They make some seriously badass kits, including their Warnny Suit. It’s not a skin suit, and it’s not a two piece kit, it’s the best of both worlds. I’ve ridden this kit in crits, centuries, cyclocross, and all kinds of training rides, and it is by far my favorite.

Vie13 will be supplying kits for #TeamKICKASS this season for our cycling and running events.

Handup Gloves

Don’t take yourself too seriously. These guys sure don’t, but they do make one heck of a glove. The guys at Handup Gloves are about having fun and spreading some gnar. We’ve featured their gloves on here before, and they are my goto gloves for Spring, Summer, and Fall, and with their new cold weather gloves, I’ll be rocking them all year long. They also make some fun clothing.

Handlebar Mustache Apparel Socks

You can’t forget socks, and Handlebar Mustache Apparel, or HBStache, makes some stylish and functional ones. I’m and HBStache Crew OG, and have been rocking their kits, socks, and shirts from back in the FUCancer days. Brett is an old school sneaker head, and his wife Ashley has a great eye for graphic design, and between to two, have created some incredible socks and iconic t-shirts over the years. Plus, for every two pairs they sell, they donate one pair to homeless shelters.

We’ll have a lot more news coming soon as we get more companies involved and events lined up. Keep an eye out for that news, along with reviews of the products I’ll be using, coverage of events I’m attending, and more on training and the experience of riding one bike for a varied season.