Rich Rothwell

A.T.V.

January 7th, 2010

The weather has been a bit ‘inclement’ lately… So much so that travel has actually been VERY challenging. So challenging in fact that a very large proportion of the UK’s work force has, (and often with good reason) been unable to get to work.

Despite living twenty ish miles from my work place (and slightly in the sticks) I’ve been able to get there everyday this week. Yes, it has been ‘challenging’ at times… And I mean REALLY challenging…. The return home yesterday was physically and mentally demoralising as I struggled into driving snow in zero visibility and took nearly two hours to get home…. I felt pretty broken by the time I dragged myself through the door. (One of my work colleagues lives in the same town as me and it also took them almost  two hours to get home by car!).

Now to the point. My choice of vehicle. I bought the frame of this bike years ago. Perhaps the best bike purchase I have ever made. It has been dressed up in all sorts of kit and ridden across all sorts of terrain for a great many reasons:

Big forks + big tyres = steep rocky mountains.

Project 2s + panniers = bikepacking.

Slick tyres + narrow bars + BIG big ring = superfast road commuter.

And this season…. 100ml forks + short stem + mud tyres = superbly stable and fun snow commuter.

A.T.V.

The bike has a superb ride quality, no matter how I build it up. It’s a cliche to say it feels like an old pair of slippers… and it would also be slightly misleading because, whilst familiar, every build has had a fresh and contemporary feel to it. An All Terrain Vehicle if ever there was one. And I’d prefer to take my chances in the rough weather on this bike than in the car….

So what is the frame I hear you say? Well, if you don’t recognise the destickered classic, here is a cryptic clue;

‘In a small sheltered Canadian inlet, tending to oneself’

OK then…… Shuffling swiftly on….

Speaking of design classics, something I’ve meant to post for some time now is a picure of my personalised special 7DS edition Exposure lights; a Maxx D and a Joystick.   

My name in lights

These lights are absolutely superb. Like the steel hardtail they just quietly get on and do the job they were made for. No fuss. No unneccesary features. Purely functional. They have seen me well through the Coast to Coast (in horrendous conditions) and the Worlds. In both instances the last thing I wanted to deal with was light failure.  And they have served me well in the terrible commuting conditions of the past week. I just don’t see how any other light format can be better. Thanks Exposure.

Sometimes the simple designs are the best.

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