Today was a good day – I bought a new (to me) bike! I had not intended to buy another bike, but sometimes that is the way things go… The Mongoose Maurice I bought as a cheap commuter bike eighteen months ago aced the “cheap” aspect, at £60, I would not have had any second thoughts about leaving it at the station all day. But that was not how I ended up using it – by the time I locked up the bike/removed the lights etc, it would have taken longer than if I had just walked to the station. So I only really used the bike for running the odd errand, but it was so rubbish to ride that I stopped doing that too. Because it was such a cheap bike I resented spending any money on, even a new chain would have been a significant portion of the initial purchase cost. So it ended up taking up space in the garage – a plan was needed…

I decided that the obvious answer was to get a better “urban” bike, keeping the thin tyres of the Maurice, but adding gears, working brakes and better geometry. There are a few options on the market, but being an unashamed Orange Bikes fan, it had to be the Speedwork, their “perfect all-rounder”. It is a flat bar gravel bike, with a mountain bike drivetrain and brakes. Because this is meant to be a commuter bike, that I can use for running errands, and as such will be locked up away from home occasionally, I could not justify a new version, so this is the 2020 model – bought secondhand on eBay for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

I gave it a quick once over when I got it home, removed the mud guards, fitted my preferred saddle and grips, unceremoniously removed from the Maurice, pumped up the tyres and took it for a quick local shakedown ride. There were still a few more adjustments to make – mainly to handlebar and brake lever positions, but otherwise I was please with how it rode. The best way to sum it up is, “like a mountain bike, but faster”, which was exactly what I was aiming for! I even manage to get a PR on a Strava segment, despite not really trying, and still not feeling 100% with a lingering cold.

I do not have any plans lined up for the Speedwork, I do not want to spend a lot of money upgrading it, because then I will not be able to leave it anywhere. It could probably do with a deep clean, and a service, but it will have to get in the queue, behind my other bikes. So, for now, I will just ride it on the roads, whilst all the local trails are too wet to ride. If we get the chance Jen and I might do a few rides together – as she much prefers road/gravel type riding to mountain biking, and she now has a similar flat bar bike which she could do with riding a bit more.