Bicycling June 2014

Going Good I FOUND MYSELF IN FLANDERS. ALONG with editor at large Bill Strickland, I recently wrapped up a week in Belgium that was jampacked with beautiful experiences. Riding there can change you, though it’s hard to pinpoint how or why. I doubt the transformation happened while riding the last 70 kilometers of the famed Tour of Flanders route. I rattled my way up cobbled climbs like the Paterberg and the Kwaremont, down serpentine pathways I’ve seen pro legends descend on TV. I suffered and panted and struggled to keep up with Bill and the others. The riding was as unforgiving as anything I’ve ever done—on certain segments my full focus was on survival. The Flandrian landscape that we rode through seemed at once lush and bleak, like something out…

Before Jim Fryer and Iri Greco, cofounders of video production and photography company BrakeThrough Media, headed to Europe to shoot the 2014 spring Classics, we brought them to Greenville, South Carolina, to document our Editors’ Choice test trip (p. 69). “This shoot was all about showing off the bikes,” Greco says, “and capturing all of their intricate details—like an asymmetric frameset.” As a cofounder of FIT To Be Determined, a program that allows members to take classes at multiple gyms, Allison Young is often asked for weight-loss tips and secrets. In “Diets Demystified” (p. 52), she evaluates five food trends, from vegan to raw. “Reexamining what you eat is always a good thing,” Young says. “Bad habits can sneak up on you.” Young blogs for Arizona Foothills Magazine and has…

I was sitting in the US Bicycling Hall of Fame while reading the Buyer’s Guide (April). I thought the issue was excellent, starting with Peter Flax’s “Shop Talk” and peaking with the review of the Pashley Guv’nor. The Tribe Grows I am shopping for my first road bike. I opened my Buyer’s Guide and—bam!—there were two articles that answered many of my questions. “Peeling Back the Layers” shed some light on the subject of carbon fiber without overcomplicating it. “Shop Savvy” gave me ideas I’ll use when I make the big trip to the bike shop this summer. WILLIAM HALL ORLANDO, FL Bargain Shopper I’ve been riding for 60-plus years. My first century was in 1960 when I was 15, on a three-speed Raleigh fitted with drops. My scariest solo…

ADVOCACY Imagine if women across the globe made a commitment to ride a bicycle this Mother’s Day. Now imagine each of these women inviting a friend, a spouse, even a group—male or female, young or old. The results would be inspiring and contagious. That’s the idea behind CycloFemme. Now in its third year, the grassroots initiative is a reminder that riding a bike is a powerful way to gain independence and personal strength. Getting involved is easy. Go to cyclofemme.com and take the pledge to participate, then register your own ride or sign up for an existing one. Show your support through social media and by wearing the temporary winged-cyclist tattoo (shown at right).—JENNIFER SHERR…

ALL YOUR RIDE QUANDARIES, SOLVED Q What’s the difference between a singlespeed and a fixie? Why would you want only one gear? A SINGLESPEED IS EXACTLY what it sounds like—a bike with one gear. A fixie (or fixed gear) is a singlespeed without brakes and without the mechanism that allows the bike to coast when you’re not pedaling. In other words, if the wheels on a fixie are moving, so are the cranks—and your legs. Why would you want a single gear? It can make you stronger, especially on hills, which require more power to climb when you don’t have the ability to downshift. And because there’s no need for components such as a cassette, shifters, and derailleurs, bikes with one gear are lighter and require less maintenance. For one…

ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH 1 EXPLORE This August, Tour d’Afrique debuts its Trans-Oceania Tour: Four months of tropical island-hopping through Indonesia and pedaling across the Australian outback. Sign up for anything from a single two-week segment to the entire 6,700-mile adventure. $2,000–$17,900 2 CELEBRATE Each year since 2002, cancer survivor Jeff Warren has ridden 667 miles from Reno, Nevada, to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. Raise money for the hospital by joining him on the last leg of his journey (1, 25, 50, 75, or 140 miles) at the Huntsman 140 ride on June 21. 3 DRINK Add some buzz to your fizz: the brand-new Nuun Energy electrolyte tablets contain 40mg of energy-boosting caffeine. The sorbitol-sweetened lemon-lime, wild berry, and cherry limeade flavors each have fewer…