There is that feeling at the end of a long day. You’re tired, bit heavy, maybe you just finished work. But all you have to do is get on a bike and fly… woosh!  It all vanishes away so quickly replaced by something else.

In the cycling world, we talk about ultralight bikes and gear; the weight, how heavy, how big?! How many grams, pounds, kilos do I have in these here panniers, fully loaded and packed onto this kickass Kona bike? Just enough (with maybe a few extras). But the weight goes away once we’re cruisin’ forward, up and down, back and around. The Sutra can carry me to innumerable places and with what weight?? It’s something I can lift over a shoulder, a fence, a boundary if needed.

Touring around the world, I want dependable, sturdy, reliable, comfortable, robust, steel(!!). A bike who (it does become like a good mate doesn’t it?) can handle a day flying down windy, bumpy, torn up roads in the back country of China, slick snowy streets of Switzerland, or rocky gravel trails in the wilds of Tasmania. 15% grade going up? Let’s race*! I’m in the spotlight now!

I never have a shred of doubt when I’m shredding on this Sutra “beast”. The sutra is strong, it’s sexy, it protects, it carries me the way, and I can carry it. It can handle that extra 2 liters of water, 6 packets of biscuits, 3 jars of peanut butter (ok, maybe just two). Of course, the essentials of a year on a bicycle are in there too. Are we getting heavier yet? Nah. It makes me so mobile, so agile, so ready to jump at any adventure handed my way.

The way I feel when I think about riding? Freaking happy. The way I feel when I’m on my bike, free to go wherever the pedals will take me? Light.

*“race” being a loose term here

______________________________________________________________________________

Find your Sutra at Konaworld.com.