Bikes Of 2023: Karate Monkey

 It's another December here on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2023. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  

As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up. 

The Karate Monkey, a bike I have owned now for twenty years! That's crazy to write that! But.....it is true, and it was my first 29"er. Big changes to this rig for 2023 included going back to a flat bar, the first time the ol' KM has seen that since 2005! 

I used the Velo Orange Utility Bar and I affixed their Utility Rack to it. Then I found a used Velo Orange handle bar bag and kind of rigged that on there. A seat pack and a Revelate Designs "Jerry Can" went on it as well. That rounded out the set up and I've ridden this all over the town during 2023. 

I did do one gravel ride with the set-up to fetch a pint jar of gravel which the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame requested from me. That trip revealed that the gearing chosen for this bike is too steep! So, that may be a change for 2024, as I wouldn't mind this becoming my flat bar gravel bike, but I really have to change the gearing. 

Another change may be getting a basket instead of that randonnuering bag. Baskets. All the rage now! I'll be sooooo trendy! Ha! 

But otherwise the only thing I ever think about swapping here is the cantilever brakes for disc. And that's just because the wheel choices are so much better than rim brake rims offer. I also want better tires, and I want to run tubeless. 

I have some rad cantilever brakes and levers from Velo Orange that were going to go on this bike, but then I realized that the Karate Monkey was set up for linear pull brakes out back, so that sort of ixnayed that idea! Oh well.... 

From the gravel fetching trip back in May

 The Karate Monkey has seen some adventures and some long down times since I've owned it. My hope is that 2024 will be the year that the KM makes a big return to gravel travel. It was my first "gravel bike" as well as being my first 29"er, and this bike has been one of my sentimental favorites for many years now. I hope to write several more chapters in its story with me going forward.