I have had quite a few bicycles over the years. As the Spring of 2025 came in, I saw that I simply had too many of them. I thought I could let go of 3 of them, and to help me do that, I decided to get ANOTHER bike. My current road bike, a Wilier Superleggera, is a custom build that I absolutely love, and I must keep it. Two older road bikes and a very old hybrid bike could go. I would get a gravel bike to replace them. That way I exchanged 3 bikes for 1, while reducing clutter and helping me let go of the old bikes at the same time. I wanted a change, and riding off road would be perfect. There are plenty of places nearby to ride on gravel, and that would motivate me.

Since I had a general idea of what I wanted, I spoke to my friend Travis at Just Riding Along Bicycles in Laytonsville MD. He had put together the specification for my Wilier road bike, and I’ve been very happy with that custom build. I’ve received a lot of compliments on it. I decided to ask for another custom build, rather than buying a gravel bike off the floor of a random shop with a parts specification determined by the company whose brand name is printed on the down tube.

I wanted a gravel bike with a steel frame and Shimano GRX gearing, which was designed for gravel riding. Travis put together a parts specification for me, and I trusted his experience. I asked him to be creative. I ended up with a bike that feels great and rides like a dream. It’s a Cinelli Nemo Tig steel frame, Shimano GRX gearing and pedals, Thomson Seat Post, Bars and Stem, and Rolf Prima Hyalite wheels, and Vittoria T-50 40mm gravel tires. For a steel off road bike, it’s quite lightweight, built with Columbus Spirit tubing, and I think it’s beautiful to look at too. Once the frame and parts were ordered, it was just a matter of time until they all came in and Travis could assemble the bike. When the time came, I felt like a child on Christmas morning.

After a full check-out, bike fitting and bedding in the brakes, I got together with friends the following day and rode 26 miles on the C&O Canal towpath. It was a lot of fun! I felt I’d made the right decision.

Every time I ride my Cinelli, the bike feels better. I’m still a road biker, but now I have the option to ride on dirt and gravel trails, and I am starting to feel comfortable riding on new surfaces, as long as they’re not too technical.

My bikes are unique. They’re not mass produced corporate machines you can find in a catalog or the floor of your standard shop. For example, one TREK Checkpoint ALR 4 is just like any other, and they’re common. My bikes are not like anyone else’s. Both frames are made by Italian companies that aren’t common in the US, and they stand out in a crowd of generic bikes.

Now I’m looking at more off-road adventures. It’s exciting to go new places and ride new terrain.