It always seemed like a very comfortable answer because, well, I have not had to choose just one bike. The last 19,000 or so of my road miles have been on a Trek Madone 6 Series and my single-track and gravel grinding have been on Trek Superfly - so I have not really tested my answer by sticking to one bike which seems a little disingenuous so I have done a little soul-searching.
During this exercise in introspection it occurred to me that when I ride on the road I am always watching the clock and average speed as if they somehow determine the quality of the ride. In reality, they are only data points and do not reflect how much I enjoy my time on a bike. Being outdoors, on two wheels, getting aerobic exercise and community with other riders are what I enjoy about riding so I have decided it is time for a change. The Superfly is in the hands of a more deserving owner and the Madone will be relegated elsewhere.
Starting next month, I will use a Cyclocross Bike for 99% of my riding for the next year. I will still track mileage but pay no attention to the speed of my rides - my attention will be on the things I enjoy about cycling. Tire choices will be predominately based on the type of riding for the season, but I won't be obsessing about riding a CX tire on a fall or early spring road ride. The setup will tubeless with the exception of my studded Winter Marathon tires since they are not tubeless.
I can already hear the cacophony of readers pointing to the BS meter when a shop owner states they will ride only one bike. This does not mean that I won't occasionally show-up to a group ride on a new demo bike whether it be road or mountain. It means that I will be riding the CX bike almost exclusively for a year and blogging here about the experience.
More technical details about the bike will follow, but I will be riding a MOOTS PsychloX as the bike for this experience. I expect the build to be somewhere in the 17 pound range and allow me to spend a lot of time on the bike during the next 12 months. It arrived yesterday with a customer's frame configured similarly so it will be a week or so (customer projects come first) until this one gets built-up.
Until then here are the requisite glamour shots. Some sharp-eyed readers will note some configuration options and limitations which will be covered in the discussion of the specifications.
