Road bikes are cool

In digging through my archive of bicycling memorabilia (in a former career I actually was an archivist) I found this great cover.  It's easy to see why I would keep this issue of Mountain Bike Magazine.  This issue was during the heyday of mountain biking in the 1990s when road bikes seemed passe and a war of worlds was happening between what was then considered the two main disciplines of the cycling industry.  Basically, Pre-Lance Armstrong taking over the world and reigniting so much interest in road cycling.

Who knew that there would now be niche within subniche of styles of riding to navigate.  How else do you explain the handwringing so many cyclists do over whether to buy the SOMA Wolverine or the Black Mountain Cross or the VO...whatever.  I obsess and lust over those bikes as well.

That said, there is a point to be taken from this cover besides seeing Bob Roll get muddy during Paris-Roubaix.   Road bikes can do an awful lot of amazing things beyond just smooth as glass pavement rides.