"UNCUS"- the single speed beast of my life!!

Well- after running the ‘single train’ for quite some time- a very special someone has entered into my life. This someone is also very much so “single” in the truest sense, but it will never talk back, climbs hills likes a goat, and will provide a place to ‘rest’ my pale white bottom for hours on end. His name is UNCUS- a rather crude title, but rather fitting. Uncus is a medium-sized, bright red, Raleigh 29er single speed bicycle. It's every boy's dream to have a dump truck in his life- and now I am proud to say that I have acquired a verifiable Tonka dump truck in the form of a bicycle. Uncus is the sixth addition to my growing bike addiction and seems to be fitting into the family just fine. No real fights have broken out yet- although he had a tissy with Betsy (my ’93 neon yellow fading to orange Serotta Colorado II double speed commuter) about occupying a prime position on my homemade bike rack. Uncus also stole the saddle off of Sphingo (the puke green ’07 Bianchi Pista fixed gear)- Sphingo is PISSED to say the least, but is handling it like a champ because he knows he’s the man. So I guess Uncus has caused quite the uproar in my emerging Brady family of bikes, but such is the life.

I guess the point I’m trying to convey is that I have finally decided on a bike for the summer. Uncus will be my single speed machine that will hopefully propel my skinny, pale body from Mexico to Canada this summer. He is the true bicicleta comunista y fundamentalista- a rigid, single speed with an attitude of minimalism that rivals that of most authentic vagabonders. I can only hope that Uncus will rub off on me as we develop a very intimate relationship this summer on the Great Divide.

Uncus is ‘well endowed’ to say the least. He boasts the following:
1. Steel frame- hard body, but supple for those long days in the saddle.
2. 32 / 20 gearing- a rather stout gearing
-This will only ensure that I will definitely be in the market for a new set of knees by the end of the ride. I guess it’s a good thing I am a medical student and I can call some buds up to do this procedure in bonus room of my house (perhaps).
3. Rigid steel- helps me to really feel the road / EVERY single bump along the way. The hands shall be a bit sore in the beginning, but will develop into the beefy/callous working man’s hands I always wished I could have.
4. Avid BB5 disc brakes- great to keep me from propelling over the edge of a cliff and entering into a blissful freefall to my death in the high mountains of Colorado (a bit dramatic, but asi es la vida).
5. 29er wheels- these are the gem of this bike. It allows the Uncus to roll over just about anything. Just takes a bit of the ‘ol ‘strength & finesse’.

So one might be wondering, why the name Uncus?
-Uncus is actually a designated part of the brain (the little mushy thing inside of the skull of yours). It located at the anterior portion of parahippocampal gyrus and is the primary olfactory cortex. I’m not going to say that my Uncus has an extraordinary sense of smell (he is a bicycle), but I really do think that the name truly embodies the power and supple nature of my new 29er single speed beast. Additionally- anytime I am able to clear a big log, make a sick jump, launch a set of stairs…..I love to proudly yell at the top of my little lungs – “UNCUS SMASH”. Somewhat primitive, I know- but it allows to release a bit of the underlying Neanderthal-like tendencies in my life.

Disclaimer: In picking this name, I recognize that I am a medical student, nerd, dork, and any other terms you would like to call me are probably also aptly placed. I have no problem with that, I just try to constantly remind myself that “cool is the mouse that digs his cheese.”