MTB: Saddled with one too many bikes?

Kiwibikes' Jeff Anderson is designing a new bike for Graeme Simpson.

Number 12 of The Rules of Cycling says the correct number of bikes to own is n + 1.

According to bike website www.velominati.com, Keepers of the Cog, "while the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned. This equation may also be rewritten as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner."

There was a time, a couple of years, ago when the garage and shed were very full with a baker's dozen, 13 bikes. There was also a 1950s tandem that weighs more than a boat anchor floating around somewhere.

After strict rationalisation that is down to 4 - a long-travel trail bike, a shorter travel cross-country rig, a hardtail singlespeed and a classic grocer's bike. Five if that tandem ever turns up.

There is now room for n+1. This time it's going to be more hands-on than wandering into a bike shop with my credit card. This time it's personal. It'll take a bit longer than an off-the-shelf bike purchase. However, the result will be tailor-made to fit me.

Jeff Anderson, from Kiwibikes, builds his custom Jeffson frames in his workshop in Lynmore. His elegant bikes are built in steel "steel is real") and they aren't just one-offs sized perfectly for each individual customer. They really are pieces of art, as well.

Jeff's been building bespoke frames for 30 years. He also repairs broken ones that often seem well past the point of salvation.

I've always admired his bikes, the simplicity, the clean lines and the clever, subtle design flourishes that define them as genuine Jeffsons.

Now it's my turn to not just admire them. I'm going to own one.

It'll be a Cyclocross bike. These look like road bikes with classic, triangle frames and drop handlebars. But they are built tougher, have disc brakes, can be ridden on dirt and make great commuter bikes.

The UCI Cyclocross World Cup series is a very big deal in Europe and is rapidly growing in popularity in the USA.

Races are run in spectator-friendly locations on short courses with a mix of obstacles, mud and water. Rotorua will host a cyclocross race on Sunday, August 24, the Cyclezone Nduro X: ndurowinter.com/cyclocross/.

It is early days with the bike build. Jeff will tweak and fine-tune as he fits the draft design more accurately to my own unique frame. I'm also going to be more than a casual observer.

I will be Jeff's apprentice, learning some of the key aspects (and secrets) of frame building from the maestro. That might be more exciting than the finished bike.

I'll keep you posted.

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There was an excellent turn-out for race one of the Galaxy Travel Nduro Winter MTB Series last Sunday, with around 500 riders enjoying a very good day in the forest.

You can still enter the 2nd and 3rd races in August and September of the series at www.n-duro.co.nz. There are 15km, 30km and 50km options to suit riders from the novice to elite.

Coming up on Saturday, July 19, there's one for the downhill community - Descend Rotorua's Dawn2Dusk 10-hour gravity endurance race.