Bicycling March 2015

Bottega Gran Fondo Yountville, California; April 26 Join cycling icons Cadel Evans, George Hincapie, and Davis Phinney (who also work the event as sous chefs) on this 75-mile tour of swoopy Napa Valley roads. Each rest stop is loaded with mouthwatering provisions, including panini stations and house-made cola. Last year, riders polished off 300 tofu spring rolls in 10 minutes flat. Edible Pedal North Washoe Valley, Nevada; September 20 With 6,000-plus feet of climbing on the 100-mile route, you’ll burn more than enough calories to indulge in the gargantuan spreads of sweet and savory fare. The region’s local producers are the stars here: Hole-In-One Ranch grass-fed Black Angus beef, Common Cider, Lattin Farms Hearts of Gold cantaloupe, and Wood-Fire Roasted Coffee. Bike the Barns Madison, Wisconsin; September 20 Cruise through…

START PICKING There are lots of vintage bikes on eBay, but they command top dollar. Look for diamonds in the rough at yard sales, thrift shops, and on local bike forums. KEEP ’EM RETRO If you have to replace components, use period-appropriate parts. Don’t put all-black tires on a 1982 Ritchey. Those bikes don’t look right without naturalskin sidewall tires. TAKE IT FOR A SP IN I’ve ridden almost every bike in our collection. It’s fun to see how far technology has come. Just don’t take the same line on your steel hardtail that you hit with your 6-inch-travel bike with disc brakes. REDEFINE VALUE Collect bikes you enjoy riding. I have a 1985 Raleigh Seneca that is identical to my first mountain bike. It has little value to collectors,…

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