A Big Hairy Audacious Goal: 3 weeks, 1,000 miles on a bike – across France from St. Malo (north) to Nice (south). It is the trip of a lifetime and scary as heck! Even for a fit cyclist, it’s an unforgettably big deal. Looking back – I’m incredibly glad I signed up, plunked down a fair chunk of savings and saddled up.
Continue reading What 3 Weeks and 1,000 Miles Taught Me About Letting Go
As 2017 passes like a speeding train and 2018 looms ahead with the bright light of hope: I reflect upon a seriously transformational year as a cyclist. At some point in the Spring of 2017 I realized that there was this event called Rebecca’s Private Idaho. RPI is 100 miles of gravel grinding goodness with 5,299 feet of climbing starting from Ketchum Idaho (elevation 5,853’ above sea level). Having missed the sign up for the Dirty Kanza (Thank God) with its demanding 200 miles of gravel grinding, I was determined to set my sights on something challenging.
I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into.
Continue reading An Unlikely Transformation: Sprinter to Endurance Gravel Cyclist
The allure of gritty adventurous fun awaits those intrepid enough to eschew asphalt and pedal down roads less traveled. Less traveled by motor vehicles (to be specific) and, until recently, self-powered 2-wheeled steeds of freedom. Being relatively new to the fine art of gravel grinding I am learning something from every expedition and I would like to share some notes to gravel grinding newbies!
Oh my 2016, you’ve been a stinker haven’t you?? Well, to be honest – lately it seems as if every year has it’s share of woes and accomplishments. We’ve seen more economic issues, social polarization sprung forth from politics (biking and politics don’t mix), good vs. greed in the Dakota’s … and crazier traffic than ever before. I’m even afraid to get on the busy streets in my car – much less on a bike!
Do I think that there is elitism in road cycling? Sure, you’ve got all types of personalities in my favorite two-wheeled sport. However, I don’t believe that just because you are a Cat 1 or 2 you are a snob. Some of the nicest people I know will also just as kindly rip my legs off in a training ride. However, now that summer is coming to a close, road season is done, and the cycling vacations have been posted on Facebook – I’ve noticed that there IS a distinct difference between a Cat 3 or 4 vacation and one featuring our local Pros. Here’s a bit about why that difference is necessary for a Pro or semi-pro cyclist…
You get to experience the freedom of the road and the scenery like never before. There’s nothing quite like it really. Bike vacations are amazing and I highly recommend them, even though there is a bit more logistics involved. Hauling a bike around, shipping your two-wheeled baby (or handing it over to the dubious care of airline cargo handlers), and possibly renting your steed can be a stress source. There’s the practical side of a bike vacation to consider … After all, you don’t want something to happen to your bike!
After almost 3 weeks of being either in a campsite with limited (or absent) services or being on the road in the middle of proverbial nowhere and experiencing almost no connectivity to the world at large; I’ve had a few self-discoveries, revelations, and words of wisdom to those that are considering road-trip/camping to the far reaches of this Great Country.
Normally I write articles from a competitive cycling point of view (more or less), but this article is applicable regardless if you race or not. As a matter of fact – maybe it’s especially applicable for those who are competitive cyclists. I have found that, even though one might be brave enough to pin a number on and rub elbows in a sprint … it doesn’t mean that one is completely aware of a few foundational rules of the road, so to speak.
