For this week’s Readers’ Rides, Nathan submitted his wonderful On-One Inbred, which he built up as a bomber jammer commuter. Let’s check it out!
Originally purchased as a single speed, this bike quickly became my go-to for quick after-work laps in Pisgah and DuPont. The thinking was simple: if I only had time for a short ride, it might as well hurt. There’s a certain purity in the absence of a derailleur.
Over time, practicality crept in. The bike evolved. Gears became a necessity. But the spirit of it—the stripped-down, no-frills honesty—never changed.
Part of its appeal was its modest value—$300 on Marketplace. I could leave it hanging off the back of my car without losing sleep over theft. It was never precious, and that freedom made it indispensable. I’ve never treated it like any of my carbon trail bikes. It doesn’t get wiped down after every ride or fussed over in the stand. And that’s exactly what makes it special.
Plenty of bikes have cycled through the shed over the years, but this one has never been put up for sale. It’s the constant—the reliable understudy between trail bikes and the one that has lived more versions of itself than any other in the lineup. It has been a single speed, an after-work ripper, a would-be bikepacking rig, a brewpub crawler, and now, in its current form, a daily commuter. This bike has gotten me through some tough times rehabilitating from a herniated disc, an emergency gallbladder surgery and a torn achilles.
These days it carries me seven to eight miles each day—back and forth to work, through errands, across the same familiar grid of streets and bike paths. There’s nothing flashy about the build. In fact, there’s nothing “nice” about it at all. But everything works, day in and day out. The drivetrain is more than eight years old, sustained by little more than a shot of chain lube every other week. The bags are a functional hodgepodge, added piece by piece as needs arose rather than as part of any cohesive vision. They do their jobs without drama, just like the bike itself.
It’s not a showpiece.
It’s not an investment.
It’s not even particularly impressive leaning against a rack.
It’s simply a bike that does exactly what it’s asked to do—reliably, quietly, and without complaint. And in a world of carbon technology, wireless shifting, and meticulously curated builds, that kind of unpretentious durability might be the most impressive thing of all.
Build Spec:
- NX Drivetrain
- Thomson Seatpost
- PNW Bars
- Chromag Trailmaster Saddle
- Chromag Ranger Stem
- Surly Rear Rack
- Oveja Negra Super Wedgie Frame Bag
- Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag
- Rockgeist Honeypot Feedbag
- Rockgeist Cache Small Top Tube Bag
- Restrap Bar Pack Handlebar Bag
- Ortlieb Gravel Pack Panniers
- Lezyne Mega Drive 2400+ Light
- Coca-Cola Crate
- Ergon Evo Grips
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here at The Radavist. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!