The story behind my bike
Almost 10 years ago, I was expecting to meet my dad early on a Saturday morning. We were going to visit a bike store so he could buy me a new bike. That never happened. Instead, that day I found him dead at home.
It took me 9 years to finally buy a new bike. I recently came to the realization that this bike is the essence of what my dad embodied when it came to bikes.
He has always been a bike enthusiast but never selfish about it. We had probably 15 bikes for the 5 of us. He insisted that every family member had a proper bike. In fact, our bikes were often rather unique; my first proper bike was a custom build he bought for me. He argued that just in case a war broke out and we needed to flee, it would be good to have a reliable bike. He was serious about this, being born in a war zone and escaping his home at an early age.
He always made sure that our bikes were safe and durable. Everything had to work perfectly including lighting and roughly 25 reflectors all over the bike (I am not even exaggerating). A rear rack and mudguards were basically a must too although I found it kind of uncool. But our bikes were supposed to be used all year in all weather conditions and never just for display. He did not really care so much about the looks anyways. Fixing and repairing almost everything himself, he had quite unorthodox methods to do so. For example using duct tape for every third repair use case (that looked terrible).
Us kids were supposed to take care of our bikes. Rule number one: always lock your bike to a solid object with a heavy steel lock. It was only after his death that my siblings and I found out he had actually “stolen” an old BMX bike from us many years ago when my brother left it unlocked during sports practice. We did not believe our eyes when we found it hidden deep in a corner of his garage after his death. I am sure he did this to teach us a lesson to take care of our things - bikes in particular.
We cycled on off road trails. We cycled to school, to sports, and to the grocery store. We cycled to our allotment garden, to bike fairs and we cycled on family vacations and bikepacking tours (I will never forget our trip in the Swiss Alps). We also just cycled to cruise around.
After I finally got my new bike many years after his death, I realized that my blueprint for it already existed. I had inherited his beautiful old trekking bike equipped with a Rohloff hub. It served me well for the past years and I kept it running. However, I had to accept that this bike has its limits after dealing with a broken frame, snapped seat post, and other failing parts. Sooner or later, I needed a new bike.
My dad always taught me: “We are not rich enough to buy low quality” - buy cheap, buy twice. So for this new bike, there would be no financial compromises. No cutting corners on safety, no half assed measures, and no rushing the creation process.
I subconsciously honored his strict security rules. The new bike features two heavy-duty locks, secure locks, GPS tracking, high end disc brakes, and one of the best integrated lighting systems on the market. Only regarding the 25 reflectors, I slipped because I just cannot see them anymore (Sorry dad!). In fact, I even removed them from my pedals. I got the frame painted in a bright color to stay visible instead :)
By the way having a priority on a clean looking bike without any duct tape also differentiates me from him. At the same time, the look of my new bike definitely encapsulates some of his quirkiness. And on the quality aspect, I made zero compromises. Every component of my bike was handpicked to be indestructible and the bike has a total allowed weight capacity of 160 kg (350 lbs). I do not need to fear snapping components anymore. I can finally ride fast, feel safe, and just have fun.
I am sure he would be happy to see this. Fingers crossed I will never need it to flee from a war. But if the day ever comes, I will be prepared.
My dad showed me that having high quality bikes and taking care of them is a great investment that serves you for years. But on a deeper level, he showed me that bikes do not just exist to get us from A to B. They give us the freedom to go anywhere. They are companions in life that allow us to do cool stuff with cool people, while creating memories that outlive us.
Ride on
• Frame: Surly Disc Trucker (64 cm), finished in RAL 1016 (Sulfur Yellow) + Metallic
• Cockpit & Seating: Surly Moloko bars wrapped in Lizard Skins DSP neon yellow tape, Ergon GA2 grips, Ergotec Pike 2 stem, Ergotec Ray seatpost, Chris King seat clamp, and a Brooks C17 Special Cambium All Weather saddle (Natural).
• Headset & BB: Chris King NoThreadSet (Stainless Steel bearings/Silver) & Enduro Bearings MAXhit bottom bracket.
• Drivetrain: Rohloff Speedhub 14-speed (Silver) paired with a White Industries A30 Crankset (Polished Silver) and a Rohloff chain tensioner.
• Brakes: Shimano XT hydraulic levers (BL-M8100) and flat-mount calipers (BR-M8110) with Rohloff/Tektro 160mm rotors.
• Lighting (Full SON Setup): SON 28 12 disc dynamo front hub, SON Edelux II headlight (Polished Silver), and a rack-mounted SON rear light.
• Wheels & Tires: Custom-built SunRinglé Duroc 30 rims laced with Sapim Race spokes, wrapped in Teravail Cannonball 47-622 gravel tires.
• Racks & Fenders: Pelago Commuter front (Medium/Silver) and rear racks (Polished Silver ), paired with black Pelago Aluminium Fenders (55mm).