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Left in the Dust: Obed's 2020 Year in Review
Well, that was awkward.
As we look over our shoulder, that’s the overarching sentiment that 2020 brought. Spring brought excitement about new events around the country. And then…. Spring became springsummerfallwinter and the year melted by without many group rides, or races to mark the passage of the year. We were there for the race season kickoff at the Mid South gravel race, and apart from the Belgian Waffle Ride and a few other fits and starts through the year, that was it; the 2020 gravel race season was an abbreviated affair.
If there’s one thing gravelleurs love, it’s undistilled, unfiltered everything…. with a bit of dust in the eyes and in the corner of our mouths. What we got with 2020 was the distilled version.
Still, we managed.
As a company, we were proud to be there for you. When the world shut down and our physical (and mental) fitness became paramount to getting through it, there was one respite that we all found to be cathartic: getting out for a ride. For any of us, that meant finding a path, a trail, a road, and just… riding. We didn’t need a race plate, or a start line. We just needed fresh air and an empty ribbon of road or trail laid out in front of us. For those that joined the Obed family in 2020, we are inspired by the decision to make your own experience through the year paramount, and happy to know an Obed helped you roll through it.
In 2020, we took the opportunity to round out the Obed range. While the Boundary has become a darling among gravel riders from racers to bikepackers, we added a new model to the range with the Obed Borough. Why should the dirt road set have all the fun? With the borough, we created a bike that, with an upright position and flat bars, was ready to take on the city. The commute, fitness ride, or café run became a thing to look forward too. No need to start the car and try to find a parking spot; it’s just ride and go with the Borough.
With that, we look toward 2021 with wide-eyed optimism. And as we look forward to thing returning to normal, let’s remember the good that came of the year. And for many of us, that maybe be the return to riding not to reach peak fitness for a race, or to earn a Strava KOM, but simply for riding for the sake of riding.
And hopefully, the biggest change is we can do so with our friends again. Here’s to a fantastic 2021… and with optimism, we look forward to seeing you out and about on two wheels later this year!
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