50,000 Miles on my Kirk!

[67-59]

Today I hit a milestone with the best bike I've ever owned. Just over 46 miles into a beautiful 64-mile ride on my Kirk...my odometer hit 50,000 miles.

I bought this bike in 2005, after switching from running in 2002 (disc problems) and a couple of years with a Douglas from Colorado Cyclist. My Kirk with the Terraplane stays was my first - and still only - custom bike. In fact, other than the occasional vacation rental, it's the only bike I've ridden since 2005.

As you've heard here before, Dave is a master at his craft...and he hit it out of the park with this one. From the beginning, this bike fit me perfectly. The ride has always been comfortable and responsive, and I feel confident enough to go all out even on steep, twisting descents.

Today's ride was an idyllic way to hit my milestone. Upper 50s at the start and low 70s by the end, sunny all the way, little wind or traffic. Just perfect.

I'm still trying to figure out if I can make it out to the Kirk/Strong anniversary celebration next month. Dave was a joy to work with, and I'd love to thank him in person.

Anyhow, enough blathering. Tomorrow starts the quest for the next 50,000. :banana:

1697865178

[eddief]

If you got that one in 2005 and you love it, think how much better his current work is and what current customers get to ride. Just kidding. Enjoy the ride.

[Fishbike]

Congratulations on a very significant milestone on a very special bike. Those are serious miles, certainly to me, and your loyalty to the one, obviously perfect bike for you, is admirable. I am polygamous (no, not in a bad reality-show way) but really admire cyclists who squeeze every bit of joy out of one two-wheeled machine.

[mike p]

Congratulations! Great story and a great bike! Hopefully the next 50k will be just as sweet as the first.

Mike

[Climb01742]

congratulations! your faithful monogamy is impressive. but not surprising, given it's a kirk. hope you hit 100,000.

[JAGI410]

Beautiful bike, and 50k miles is impressive!

[TopQuark]

Congratulations in biking around the world twice!

:beer:

[moose8]

That's amazing and great. Does it work out to like a nickel a mile? Seems like a good deal to me.

[avalonracing]

Buying that bike was quite a value.
Congrats on the mileage!

[KidWok]

Huge congrats! Jealous of your mileage and your bike!

Tai

[Keith A]

Way to go...and what a beautiful machine to do it on.

[oliver1850]

Good for you. That's a lot of miles, and few could claim that many on just one frame. I envy you for being able to pick a single bike and enjoy it. I'd like to give up my bike-of-the-week dalliances and put some real miles on my Terraplane. Even on the short hills around here, the thing I notice most when riding it is how it handles when going fast downhill.

+1 on the Anniversary gathering. That is tops on my list of things I'd like to do this summer, as the odds are against another opportunity for something similar. I think I have 8 steel bikes from Dave's tenure at Serotta, plus an Hors and the Terraplane. I'd love to load them up in a trailer, drag them out to Bozeman, put them in a chronological line with all the other bikes in attendance, and have Dave walk through and comment on whatever comes to mind. Is there room in the schedule for that, DK?

[rwsaunders]

Impressive story and a commendable journey for sure. Cheers to your next 50K!:banana:

[bironi]

Nice post. Thanks much. I would trust Mr. Kirk to build me a bike as well.

[VTCaraco]

That's a terrific accomplishment. Gives new meaning to the "lifetime frame" sentiment (and adds more fuel to my belief that Kirk is crafting the ultimate machine).

[soulspinner]

Big props.

[MattTuck]

Awesome! I'll have 1,000 on my Kirk in the next week or so... my goal is to hit 5,000 miles with the frame in 2 years. We'll see how that goes.

Congrats on the big accomplishment.

Seems you could become a gear tester, testing the durability of parts/components. I know pro's probably ride more miles per year, but I'd think VERY few people, pro or not, ride that many miles per year on a single bike.

[Pete Mckeon]

Of your love of cycling and love of your bike. Wish you the very best in next 50


Pete. And if we meet wine/beer will flow:)


Congratulations on a very significant milestone on a very special bike. Those are serious miles, certainly to me, and your loyalty to the one, obviously perfect bike for you, is admirable. I am polygamous (no, not in a bad reality-show way) but really admire cyclists who squeeze every bit of joy out of one two-wheeled machine.

[David Kirk]

Thanks so much - you made my day.

Here's to the next 50!


dave

[David Kirk]

Good for you. That's a lot of miles, and few could claim that many on just one frame. I envy you for being able to pick a single bike and enjoy it. I'd like to give up my bike-of-the-week dalliances and put some real miles on my Terraplane. Even on the short hills around here, the thing I notice most when riding it is how it handles when going fast downhill.

+1 on the Anniversary gathering. That is tops on my list of things I'd like to do this summer, as the odds are against another opportunity for something similar. I think I have 8 steel bikes from Dave's tenure at Serotta, plus an Hors and the Terraplane. I'd love to load them up in a trailer, drag them out to Bozeman, put them in a chronological line with all the other bikes in attendance, and have Dave walk through and comment on whatever comes to mind. Is there room in the schedule for that, DK?

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I can get pretty damn chatty when it comes time to talk bikes to telling stories so be careful what you ask for.

I'd love to see all that work in my front yard.


dave

[choke]

That's seriously impressive....congrats.

[thirdgenbird]

I think I have 8 steel bikes from Dave's tenure at Serotta, plus an Hors and the Terraplane.

What is your height and inseam again?

[bambam]

Nice Accomplishment. Hope you get to that 100 k as well.

[tv_vt]

Wow. That is impressive, as much for just the total miles ridden since '05 as much as for doing it all on one frame.

I just calculated that I rode 35,500 miles since Jan 2005, on 9 different (used Forum-eBay accumulated) frames. Can't imagine doing another 15K miles on top of that. Are you retired?

Cheers, in any case!

[dyerwolf]

Kudos! Congrats on such an impressive milestone. 10k plus a year on one bike is incredible. Keep on keepin on....

[MattTuck]

Wow. That is impressive, as much for just the total miles ridden since '05 as much as for doing it all on one frame.

I just calculated that I rode 35,500 miles since Jan 2005, on 9 different (used Forum-eBay accumulated) frames. Can't imagine doing another 15K miles on top of that. Are you retired?

Cheers, in any case!


yeah, what bikes are you riding these days? I'll keep an eye out when I am getting passed.

[SpokeValley]

Speaking of fuel...50,000 mpg! ;)

Big congrats!

[zap]

cool........and many more happy and safe miles.

:banana::hello:

[bloody sunday]

you should really submit your photo and story to his site
http://www.kirkframeworks.com/PhotoGalleryowners.htm

[Highpowernut]

Wow, congrats

[67-59]

Wow. That is impressive, as much for just the total miles ridden since '05 as much as for doing it all on one frame.

I just calculated that I rode 35,500 miles since Jan 2005, on 9 different (used Forum-eBay accumulated) frames. Can't imagine doing another 15K miles on top of that. Are you retired?

Cheers, in any case!

Not retired, but a unique situation in 2012 led to a perfect storm that put my mileage off my charts.

The early years were in the 3,000-4,000 range, increasing through 2011 to the 5,000-6,000 range. Then I had a health scare in late 2011 that led to significant anxiety, then depression, including a period of several months where work was very limited. My employer was gracious enough to allow flexibility after many years of good service...so I worked from home quite a lot. This allowed me to ride much more than usual. At the same time, 2012 was one of the mildest years we've ever had in my part of Minnesota.

Through my struggles and treatment, riding was often the only part of the day where I felt good. The rest of it - for many months - was just surviving. Long story short, after averaging about 5,000 miles/year for quite a while, I put on well over 15,000 in 2012.

Fortunately, my story is moving toward a happier place. Some great docs have me back in the office, working productively and moving toward a more positive future. Work is as busy as ever and I'm again getting great reviews from co-workers, and I have mended fences with my family. As a result, my guess is that my 2013 total will be somewhere back in the 6,000 mile range...which is just fine with me.

Now I feel lucky every time I come into the office, every time I go home to my wife and daughters...and every time I ride, even if the weather is crappy.

Cheers!

[merlinmurph]

First, congrats on your successful treatment, seems like it's working. Keep it up.

Next, congrats on getting all the miles.

Getting those kind of miles in Minnesota is damn good.

Enjoy your ride,
Murph

[hainy]

Dear 67-59,

That is a good warm up now you need to get serious:banana:

A very wise man once said to me "A good bike is one you enjoy riding".

To many of us including me are constantly thinking of the next bike when what we are riding is a good bike.

It is human nature that we think something else is going to be better.

Keep enjoying for many years to come.

Cheers

Hainy

[waypastfast]

That is amazing! Congrats! To put that in perspective up in here in Canada eh?

50,000 MILES = 80,467.2 kilometers!!

Thats alot of KM! :)