Innehållsförteckning för Issue 3 2020 från Bicycling

I love riding/racing gravel. Less cars, good bike handling skills, and an incredible cycling community. Reminds me of when I first started group riding. People have the openness to share their skills and help with mechanicals, and the camaraderie of helping each other get to the finish line. I’d tell someone to find a mountain or ’cross bike they’re really comfortable on and sign up for a supported ride. This would be a very low budget way to see how they like it, before they invest in all kinds of gear. ALSO: My favorite piece of cycling gear is a good-fitting pair of black shorts because they go with everything—probably my equivalent of the little black dress.…

TAYLOR ROJEK ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR YES, I WOULD LIKE TO GET FOOD AFTER THE RIDE PRODUCT SI’M USING RIGHT NOW 1/Ex Officio BugsAway Woven Bandana $12 This bandana is infused with insect repellent to keep all those damn bugs out of my face. 2/Newkirk Wildflower Honey $17 for 24oz Coffee is overrated. What you need is tea with lemon and this amazing honey. 3/SportDOG Fieldtrainer 425x $165 This e-collar helps me remind my Norwegian Elkhound mix, Rosie, to come back after she runs off to chase deer. THE GREATEST RIDE OF MY LIFE Transylvania Epic. I didn’t think I could do a five-day race. I didn’t really WANT to do a five-day race, but a friend convinced me. It taught me that I can do superhard things—and that I don’t…

S#IT HAPPENS. ONE minute it’s November, and you have all the time in the world to get ready for those summertime rides and races. The next minute, you’re pedaling past daffodils wondering where the off-season went. Don’t panic. Unless you’re prepping for Le Tour this summer, you’ve still got plenty of time to ramp up your training and build speed and endurance, even on a tight time budget. Here’s exactly what to do to get into shape fast. STRESS THE SYSTEMS // Stress gets a bad rap, but in the right doses, it’s actually good for you. That’s what training is, after all: stress. It’s the practice of pushing your body past its current state and forcing it to adapt so those higher intensities become your new normal. Once you…

It used to be we could clearly divide the year into four seasons, each having three months to call its own. Spring has always been the proud owner of March winds, April showers, and May flowers. And while that old proverb still holds (somewhat) true, a shift in seasons has made spring weather even harder to predict. Even budding trees sometimes get confused. While it’s true that a dedicated cycling rain jacket will help you survive this cool and rainy time of year, it’s not enough to keep you riding consistently. To do that, you need a few other lightweight and versatile pieces that offer layering options. Thankfully, we’ve tested tons of gear in rainy, misty, chilly, and wet conditions. Here’s a sampling of some of our favorite spring apparel.…

My Dynaplug Racer has saved me on more than one occasion recently, but if I had to pick a favorite item, I’d go with a burrito-style handlebar bag. Perfect for an extra pair of gloves, wind jacket, and some snacks. There’s a ton of options out there, but they all do that same thing. I never leave home without it nowadays. ALSO: I went to Scotland on a “Vision Quest” last year with one of my best friends (mates) and got absolutely broken down by the late-autumn Scottish weather. It was everything I was looking for—and then some.…

THE ENGLISH AND German and Spanish and maybe Korean conversations around me hushed as the heavily tattooed Spanish man with the physique of a climber jovially shouted, “Vamos!” and the clackity chorus of 50 riders clipping in ensued as we followed him. We rolled out of the hotel parking lot and onto the streets of Palma. This compact, large-calved rider led us through the rows of colored houses, past a café baking fragrant bread, through smooth calles lined with palm trees, and up a winding alleyway crowded with bright purple bougainvillea bushes and tiny balconies laced with laundry. Eventually, we were out beyond the buildings and among the hills of olive trees and vineyards. The landscape became rocky, and then rolling, and we were whipping, rushing, swooping, flying in the…

Bicycling’s Test Team is as enthusiastic about bikes as you are. Our crew includes Olympians, pro gravel racers, mountain bikers, city riders, and one editor who, over his 20-year career, has tested more bikes than anyone else on the planet. We don’t always agree, but our evaluations are always honest. HOW WE SELECTED THESE BIKES Over the past year, our test team has ridden and evaluated hundreds of bikes, in every variety. We hammer them on our mountain bike test loop, power up our steepest road and gravel climbs, bomb our favorite Strava segments, and use them just the way you would—racing, on weeknight group rides, and running to the grocery store to pick up lunch. Every model here has outperformed the others in its category. Some have won our…

Look where you’re going and where you want to end up. It seems so simple but is very hard in practice. I know that 90 percent of my mistakes are because I looked at my tire or off some cliff (and ended up there—don’t worry, I’m fine!), rather than where I really wanted to go, not something I was terrified of. This practice honestly makes and breaks being successful on the majority of my rides. ALSO: When available, loud, dancey music and Disney keep the pedals turning.…

HOME WAS NOT a place I wanted to be. My dad had an unpredictable rage that often exploded at my older brother. Anytime he got hit, I felt it, too. I was terrified, never knowing when the grenade might blow. I escaped by exploring the woods and creating imaginary worlds down by the local creek. Inside, I felt treated differently as the only girl, made to clear dishes while my brothers played video games. Outside, I could be anything. Nature is a level playing field At 8 years old, I sported a shaggy, uneven bowl-cut, courtesy of my mom. I wore clear, pink-rimmed eyeglasses with little blue Smurfs on the sides, hand-medown tropical-print board shorts, and a turquoise T-shirt. Always curious to explore, I grabbed my little brother’s hand and…