Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2023 i Bicycling

Moriah Wilson’s family marked the anniversary of her death with a celebration of her life. Starting at Heaven’s Gate, a ridgetop overlook in Vermont’s Kingdom Trails, the May 13, 2023 event stitched together key places in and around the town of Burke that were important to Mo. The overlook is where she started mountain biking, says her mother, Karen. An aid station was set up by the cemetery where Moriah is buried; her headstone had been in place for just a few days. An image of a cyclist is etched on the front, a skier on the back. The loop circled Burke mountain and passed Victory Bog, where Moriah loved to train. “Out in the middle of nowhere,” Karen says. “It’s probably one of the last rides she did in…

What does the gravel superstar pack in her saddle bag? When racing long distances at off-road events with little to no support, she leaves nothing to chance, “especially at an event like Unbound 200, where you only get support twice,” she says. “You’re out there on your own and need to be prepared to make your bike work. I even keep zip ties in my hydration pack.” Here’s what else she carries to every start line: → Two spare tubes. “Tubolito Tubes are latex and pretty lightweight.” → Pedro’s tire levers. “They are bombproof and lightweight. At home I also use Specialized tire levers that have metal inside to give me a bit more stability when changing my e-bike tires.” → A dart tool and lots of tire plugs. “I…

TEMPO POWER BUILDER* → 30 min warmup easy spin → 3 x 15 min Zone 3 with 10 min rest in between → 20 min cooldown easy spin MAKE IT HARDER → Build up to 3 x 20 min intervals, with 10 min rest in between. → Build up to 6 x 20 min with 10 min rest after each of the first three efforts, and 20 min rest after each of the second three. → Build up to 4 x 40 min with 10 min recovery after the first effort, and 20 min recovery after each of the next three. *This workout is best done on flat or rolling terrain. CLIMBING POWER → 40 min warmup easy spin, including a 10 min effort at a low Zone 3 →…

SOFIA GOMEZ VILLAFAÑE IS NOT A DREAMER Hydration Pack (1) Water Bottles Unpaved Roads Singletrack (2) 1x 2x Postride Beer Postride Tacos (3) Cycling Cap (4) Trucker Hat DNF DFL (5) Carbon (6) Steel Dropper Post (7) Rigid Post Porta Potty Roadside Tubes Tubeless (8) (1) You get easy access not only to your water, but also to snacks and tools. (2) Something about trees and foliage hiding what’s around the corner keeps me in the moment. (3) Beer may be what my brain wants, but tacos, with a side of rice and beans, are what my body needs! (4) You can’t wear a trucker hat under your helmet. (5) Finishing last means you spent the most time braving the elements. That alone is a triumph. (6) Steel is real,…

Gravel riding not is new. I posit that the first bicycles were gravel bikes. But as the roads near the places where most people cluster became paved, bicycles adapted to the proliferating ribbons of tarmac. What sparked this recent return to cycling’s unpaved roots? Many things, I suppose. Some riders never stopped riding off the paved roads, and some riders even turned off those gravel roads and onto skinny trails—which birthed the mountain bike. “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child,” is a quote attributed to Pablo Picasso. I like to think that we’re remembering how freeing it is to let go and get dirty. I think gravel showed up at a good time: the solitude, the exploration, the challenge.…

IN EARLY JUNE, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A TRIO OF AFRICAN PROS LINED UP FOR GRAVEL’S most prestigious, most intensely fought race. Unbound Gravel takes riders through the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, along winding prairie roads littered with sharp rocks and steep climbs. Kenya-based Team Amani sent John Kariuki, a 26-year-old Kenyan, along with two Ugandan teammates, Charles Kagimu, 24, and Jordan Schleck, 20, to face off against the world’s top gravel racers on the 200-mile course. There was a gaping hole in the Amani lineup, though. The team’s founder and captain, Sule Kangangi, was not in Kansas. Sule was a visionary and a leader in African cycling. He’d had an inauspicious early childhood; neither of his parents were a meaningful presence in his life after age 11. He…

Sofia Gomez Villafañe’s recipe for off-road success has been defined by regular adjustments to her training plan. Having focused her early career on mountain bike racing and cyclocross, she was used to the 20-to 90-minute efforts of the short track and cross-country events where she developed her solid off-road skills and explosive speed. During her college years, she dabbled in road and off-road disciplines, taking what she needed out of each. With the guidance of coach Carmen Small, she developed her endurance to succeed in stage races like Cape Epic and ultradistance one-day events like Unbound Gravel 200 by building volume during the base season, as most road professionals would. Then she fine-tuned the engine with training races and lower-priority events in the late winter and early spring. “We had…

WHILE THE APPEAL OF LIGHT AND STIFF CARBON gravel bikes is undeniable, these bikes are expensive. Recently, though, a tiny brand out of Iceland lowered its prices and now offers some of the best deals available for gravel bikes. Lauf’s Seigla Rigid gravel bike (with a traditional carbon fork) starts at $2,240 and tops out at $5,640 for the SRAM Red–equipped model. Those are killer prices for a carbon gravel bike with good build kits and impressive specifications—massive tire clearance (57mm front and rear), mountain-bike-influenced geometry (longer front center and slacker head angle), 10mm of engineered flex (“travel”) in the rear triangle, and a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger (for direct-mount rear-derailleur compatibility). Plus, it is reasonably light: Lauf claims 1,163 grams for a painted medium frame. Lauf’s prices are so great…

GRAVEL EQUIPMENT OFTEN combines elements of parts or accessories originally intended for mountain bike or road use—so you can often repurpose what you already use on the road or trail, with excellent results. But to improve your experience on gravel rides, look for brands that design and sell dedicated gravel products. Since no two riders—or gravel rides—are the same, choose what meets your personal needs and riding conditions. On the following pages, you’ll find some of the most important factors to consider in various categories when choosing provisions for your next gravel adventure—plus the products we recommend. CARRY YOUR STUFF Whether you ride a full-suspension gravel bike with a flat bar or a rigid one with a drop bar, having something that properly fits your bike and safely holds your…

Did you know that cycling while under the influence is legal in more than half of the country? While your state might not charge you for cycling while intoxicated, riding under the influence isn’t safe for any cyclist. Also, depending on the state, and the situation, riding under the influence can result in other criminal charges, like reckless endangerment or public drunkenness. Just like driving, riding under the influence impairs your judgment and slows your reaction times, therefore putting you at risk to harm yourself and others.…

I’m a photographer and filmmaker based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I frequently combine my creative pursuits with my passion for the outdoors—cycling, climbing, backpacking, and snowboarding—to craft authentic stories. When it comes to photo gear for bike rides, I usually reach for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras paired with a 24-105 f/4 lens. With the unknowns of any adventure, I need versatility. I love a powerful 33 mega-pixel sensor and zoom lens with range; plus, it fits in my hip pack. I often leave the lens cap at home so I have one less thing in my way when I’m trying to get the shot quickly. Other essentials include spare batteries, camera cleaning supplies (dust blower and microfiber cloth), and durable, high-capacity memory cards.…

Electric bikes enhance life in so many ways: They make pedaling easier, can replace a bulk of your driving, and provide an opportunity for people to get on a bike who might not be able to otherwise. If we were to describe e-bikes in one word, it would be “fun.” Just how much fun? Bicycling editors listed all the various ways e-bikes make riding even more enjoyable. DO YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING ON TWO WHEELS I’m all in on e-cargo bikes. My weekly grocery trip, which used to include a 12-mile drive, is now a gorgeous 13-mile bike ride that I look forward to every week. Because an e-cargo bike makes riding with an entire week’s worth of groceries for a family of three fun, I’ve already replaced nearly 800 miles…

Not a member? Head to bicycling.com/joinnow. In the member newsletter, Test Editor Dan Chabanov argued that disc brakes suck—but rim brakes suck more. Lost in the debate, however, is something he thinks is important: “If you’re satisfied with your bike and its performance, then keep riding it! No one is forcing you to switch,” he writes. “My job as a tech writer isn’t to convince you to buy new stuff—it’s to tell you about the new stuff, analyze if it works well or not, and explain what kind of rider may or may not enjoy it.” To find out why Chabanov will personally never go back to rim brakes, go to bicycling.com/disc-brakes-suck. A STRETCH FOR POSTRIDE You crushed today’s ride and hop off the saddle feeling strong. You know…