There is one certainty when riding a Moots, be it in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the mud in outback Australia, the Rockies in Colorado, a random destination of unparalleled tedium that work has sent me to, or down to the pub to fill up the growler. Regardless of state of bike or rider, that certainty is someone always comments “nice bike”.
The only possible response is “yeah, they make a stunningly beautiful bike”.
There can be no claim to have had any input into this bike what-so-ever. I welded nothing, I cut nothing, I blasted nothing, I designed even less, I did sweet f all in making this bike. This means I cannot claim the adulation this bikes gets when I ride it. If the truth be told, when you are as ugly as a bucket of mud fish the adulation is confirmation of the bikes favourable qualities.
Here is what I can boast about, I’ve two Moots, a CR and a Mooto X. Both stunningly beautiful and both ride spectacularly well. Both were purchased at the expense of friendships, relationships, and family. Unlike the afore mentioned, your Moots will not give you grief, complain or seem indifferent about the toilet seat, make you go to brunch with a bunch of muppets for over priced eggs, or explain things you did not ask to be explained.
The boys at Orange Peel in Steamboat Springs did a fantastic job of putting my bike together. While there I made an obligatory trip to the Moots factory to get more kit. My first ride was a blissful snowy 3 hours around Steamboat one January a few years back. An occasion etched quite firmly in the long term memory.
I rode a Rohloff set up into the ground for just under two years and thousands of kilometres were put in for a couple of Tour Divide attempts. It carried me through blizzards, mud, starry nights riding over mountain passes, sleeping in toilets, descending long gravel roads with speed/happy tears washing dirt off my face. It carried my lardy arse without complaint through the Rockies without issue.
The Rohloff setup can be easily turned to single speed. I rode 729 miles of the Arizona Trail Race single speed and the Mooto-x rode me for 21 miles traversing the Grand Canyon.
This bike has been packed and unpacked 37 times for flights. It has travelled round the planet in bike boxes carefully constructed and packed with more love and attention than I spend on the phone to family for birthdays and Christmas for the last 10 years.
It has travelled the roughly two and a half times across Australia on the back of the work ute/truck. Amongst other things it’s had more bikepacking bags strapped to it than a hooker strapping on a plastic willies for the punters. Its raced geared, single speed, and that horrid Rohloff option (just opinion). I’ve sweated on it, bled on it, I’ve even thrown up over it. It’s had to put up with a pair of bibs that should have been disposed of as medical waste. I’ve ridden through sheep poo, cow poo, dog poo, kangaroo poo, even human poo once though I promised this person I would not discuss that. (Too bad Doug you idiot, who poos on a trail?). A saddle sore popped while riding and I’m assuming since bibs are not waterproof it was probably for the best I got a new saddle after that race. It’s even suffered through my stupidity and I nearly drowned it in deceptively deep creek crossing.
Now for this years huge test. In March I’m back to the U.S. for a yo yo attempt on the Arizona Trail Race. I’ll be out walking the dog for a couple of weeks. The extended wear and tear of a double Arizona Trail run will destroy almost every component and many will be replaced before the race is over. The frame will be almost rubbed raw from the friction of the bags. Surely this bike needs the love of a free refurb as I’ve spend all my money on riding it.
(Photo used with the permission of Eddie Clark Media)