The Devolution of Alex Boone.

While riding slowly (enough to have too much time to think) I realized a few facts about Boone and put them together. Correct me if I'm wrong Boone but:

1. Alex is staunchly anti-roadie. By that I don't mean that if you are a roadie he won't like you, just that if I switched to the road and Alex was a violent man he would let the air out of my tires when I wasn't looking.

2. Alex used to primarily race and ride a full suspension bike with 27 gears and 100mm travel on the fork(?).

3. Alex customized his cassete to change it from 9 speed to 8.

4. Alex customized his cranks to change it from 3 to 2, resulting in a 16 speed.

5. Alex got a single-speed, resulting in 1 (one) speed. Like a track bike, except not fixed...yet. It has only 80mm of travel.

6. It is a hard tail. Like a road bike... or a track bike.

7. It is a 29er, or a 700c wheel. Like a track bike.



8. Alex's tire choice went from a Karma (wide-ish deep-ish knobs) to a Nevegal (bigger smoother knobs congregating in the center) to a Small Block 8, (I admit that it is a very good, very functional tire, but...) it is made of so many short smooth tiny knobs, so close together that it looks like it could be a hybrid tire or dare a I say a knobby road tire?

9. Alex's tires went from tubed to tubeless.

10. Alex didn't race, Alex started racing, Alex started training, Alex got faster, and faster, etc.

In short:

Alex's bike went from full suspension to hard-tail: I see stiffer and stiffer hard tails in his future.

Alex's wheels went from 26 (650c) to 700c (29): the same as road wheels. I sense this change is permanent.

Alex's fork went from 100 to 80 to... I see fully rigid in his future.

Alex's tires went from wide-ish, deep-ish, biggish knobs to small-short-close: I see the knobs getting smaller and closer until only an even smooth surface remains.

His tires also went from a wider 26 inch to a narrower 29 inch. This trend towards narrowness will continue, slowing at 25mm wide and topping out at around 22mm wide.

Alex has been training and racing more and getting steadily faster. I see a continuation of this trend towards faster-ness in his future.

He switched from inner tubes to tubeless: I see sew-ups (tubular) in his future.

Alex's gears went from 27 to 24 to 16 to 1: I see fixed gear in his future.



Conclusion: ALEX IS SLOWLY BECOMING A TRACKIE! I PREDICT OLYMPIC TRACK GOLD IN HIS FUTURE.