The mountain biking tribe is made up of many smaller tribes. Some are a bit eccentric and others are… Well, to be honest, everyone is a bit eccentric in some way or another. But perhaps the most eccentric are those that purposefully choose to ride a mountain bike with just one gear.
Where the norm is anything from 12–30 gears, singlespeeders are the salmon of the mountain biking species. The upstream swimmers. The against-the-grainers…
It’s pure madness! Think most. But when you get into the mind of a singlespeeder, you discover that what’s perceived as madness, is really just two things: low tolerance for clutter and a constant yearning for purity.
What’s wrong with that? Nothing right? We all can relate to that on some level.
But here’s where things get a little, well, hard to relate to: Some singlespeeders tackle the Old Mutual joBerg2c knowing full well that they’ve issued themselves with a challenge to ride over 900km in nine days. As if that’s not enough, some of them are actually competitive and try their best to compete against their multi-geared rivals and of course each other.
Understandably, the singlespeed tribe is not in danger of overpopulation. But it is in search of recognition.
Miele, the world’s largest family-owned appliance company, identifies well with the concepts of low tolerance for clutter and a constant yearning for purity. The German company, which was established in 1899, has won numerous awards for design and technical innovation. Miele even made bicycles and motorcycles for a number of decades before shifting its focus to its specialist category, home appliances, from the 1960s.
At the 2017 Old Mutual joBerg2c, there will be a Miele Singlespeed category, which will recognise and reward the efforts of the one-gear brigade on a daily basis and in the race overall. Truth be told, even though many of us might think they’re a bit odd, we can’t help but have respect for anyone that takes on 900km of mountain biking with just one gear. It’s about time there was some proper recognition.
To find out more about the Miele Singlespeed Category, or to enter the 2017 Old Mutual joBerg2c, head here: Miele Appliances puts new spin on Old Mutual joBerg2c
