Indholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2024 i Bicycling

EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages. I objectively test and review the gear that comes my way, but when I find certain things I especially love—like gloves, socks, drink mix, saddles, or grips—I am known to buy several of the same item so I have spares on hand if one gets destroyed or to wear when the others are dirty. It’s like the cycling gear equivalent of stocking up on your favorite Trader Joe’s items in case they get discontinued, I guess. Full-finger gloves are on my hands almost every time I kit up to ride on the trail or road. And when…

CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare. Most often the transition to a new phase is joyful: riding with clipless pedals for the first time, riding off-road or on the road for the first time, doing a first group ride, a first race. The milestones of becoming a new, more experienced version of the rider you were before can be plentiful. But what about when the trajectory flips and you have to part with the rider you once were? The most common way this is portrayed in the world of cycling is with famous pro cyclists who decide to retire and move on from the sport.…

I’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities. I grew up surrounded by fervent mountain bikers in central Pennsylvania, I toed the line with gaggles of aspiring pros in junior races near Lancaster, and I watched Penn State’s cycling club expand from a dozen members to hundreds in less than a year. Now, I split my time between the avid roadies who live near Bicycling’s office and the quirky, resilient city riders of Philadelphia, where I live. At a glance, these communities don’t have much in common beyond a love for bikes, yet I’ve loved being part of all these communities just the same. So, what gives? How do scenes like these form on their own without some sort of blueprint for success?…

UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICE-a-month cyclist. Not because I didn’t want to bike more often, but because every ride would be followed by inevitable days-long soreness from an hour or two spent in the saddle. Ever since I was little, riding my blue Giant mountain bike with my family on forest trails in the Czech Republic, I’d complain, if not outright cry, that it hurt and burned to sit or squat after a ride. I was told bike saddles just aren’t all that comfortable. My stepmom and I were experiencing the same issues, sore for days, which only added to the impression that pain is an inherent part of cycling. TOO MANY WOMEN ACCEPT PAIN AS AN INEVITABLE PART OF LIFE, AND THAT NEEDS TO STOP,…

Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There’s this idea that they’re wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders. That’s simply false. Custom is an expansive term that can mean different things to people. The fact is, almost every rider customizes their bicycle to some degree when choosing saddles, bar tape, accessories, or component sizing. And the definition also varies from one brand or frame builder to another. We’ve spent years testing nearly every production bike on the planet, and we’re here to tell you that a custom bike might be the smartest choice for you—no matter what kind of rider you are. With production road, gravel, and mountain bikes now regularly carrying…

A custom bike should not be rushed into. You should research the frame builder. Then, carefully consider your geometry needs and the bike’s details and finish before spending money on something that, for most cyclists, is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. However, perhaps don’t take as long as I did to get a bicycle custom-made for you. In my 30 years of riding and designing bikes, I had never ridden a bicycle made exactly for me. Until recently. As a product manager, I tweaked a frame drawing here or there to ensure that a sample in my size had a top-tube length or head angle closer to my preferences, but I never had something tailor-made to my body’s measurements or riding requirements. Each year, I ride and evaluate many different bikes across…

LIFE’S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes. The same can be said about cycling and people who enjoy riding all sorts of unique bikes. The act can be healing and connecting, bonding you to a view, a community, or even a way of life. It’s my firm belief that bike accessibility is an opportunity to explore creativity and strength and to create impacts in the lives of not only the riders but also those around them. Everyone belongs, is worthy, and has a purpose. EVERYONE BELONGS, IS WORTHY, AND HAS PURPOSE. While a ride has a beginning and end, life’s day-to-day roller coaster is nonstop. The unique challenges we all face, whether it’s balancing a job, family, a medical condition, or just the monotony…

I’VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way. It wasn’t always about going from point A to point B; sometimes it was simply meeting up with friends and going nowhere, seeing who could skid the farthest or jump off a higher pile of dirt. Bikes offered me something organized sports never could. The same could be said when I found skateboarding by watching my neighbor and cousin messing around in our driveways. I wanted to do what they were…

This titanium Stinner Refugio gravel frame is a great example of how I use a good fit to guide my custom bike choices. As a preface, I’m not millimeter-persnickety about bar reach and stack. I care more about having my saddle in the right place (height and offset) and my handlebar width dialed in—things Cyclologic recommended—than I do about other geometry details. But I’ve been jumping on test bikes for nearly 30 years, and I adapt to subtle differences without even thinking. I’m not wedded to a specific steering or handling. I know some riders are very particular and want the same feel from every bike; I’m not that picky. Besides, rather than trying to reproduce the same bicycle from different builders, I prefer that each bike has the unique…

THIS OR THAT Waxed Chain Chain Lube White Shoes Black Shoes Skinsuit Jersey and Shorts1 Slicks2 Knobbies Classics Grand Tours Aero Lightweight Water Drink Mix Mountains3 Crosswinds Tubes Tubeless Do It Yourself Take It to a Shop4 Cats Dogs Mechanical5 Electric Short, Hard Efforts Long, Steady Efforts6 Uphill Downhill Saddle Bag7 Stuff Your Pockets Metal Carbon GPS Wing It Gels Bars Training8 Racing Snickers Haribo9 Let me explain: (1) Jersey and shorts all the way! They’re a bit more versatile. (2) Slicks just because they’re faster and it seems like I’m finishing my ride earlier. (3) Once I’ve gotten to the top, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Plus, you get good views throughout! (4) I try and do my own work, but then I end up taking it to a shop…