Bicycling Issue 1 2020

BRYAN BANDUCCI, JAPAN, P.58 My most memorable rides are always long, single-day epics with friends and teammates—dawn to dusk, as far and as difficult of a route as we can dream up. Any hard ride over 100 miles with a group of friends achieves a feeling of camaraderie that is unmatchable. ALSO: Carbs and eggs are good for before, during, and after, ATMO. AARON GULLEY, WILD WEST, P.66 When I was doing a lot of the endurance mountain races—which can be pretty tough, with days on end in the saddle and your body and mind falling apart slowly—someone told me, “If you’re suffering, you’re never going to make it anywhere. But the suffering is a state of mind.” Basically, we get to choose the experience we have out there. Even if it’s tough,…

I don’t know where I’m riding this year. I mean, I know that for the first time I’ll be able to devote myself to exploring the roads and paths and bike lanes and towpaths and trails around my new home in Easton, Pennsylvania (and by summer the home to Bicycling, as well, along with Runner’s World and Popular Mechanics, in a cool old building that used to be a bowling alley). I’ll be riding the bridge across the Delaware a lot, partly because pedaling over a big river into a different state gives me a thrill that I know to be both silly and powerful, and partly because the rural patches of New Jersey up and down the Delaware are home to short, steep climbs, gravel and dirt byways, strange and…

LEAH FLICKINGER DIRECTOR OF CONTENT CREATION LESS FAST, MORE FUN. PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / Kamawanu Wafu Handkerchiefs $12 These are perfect around the neck on most rides. 2 / Gore Shakedry Viz Jacket $280 Hands down the best lightweight rain jacket. Bright orange panels offer better visibility in low-light conditions. 3 / Maple Untapped $32/box of 20 My favorite pure maple syrup ride fuel gets new easier-to-manage packaging. BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT The first road bike I bought for myself (a dark green steel LeMond Alpe d’Huez) got me hooked on riding and led to adventures—and a career—I never expected. On the Bucket List Ride from my home in PA to my childhood home in NY. Never did it, and the NY house is now sold, but it’s still on my list. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO Lizzo, all day. MEET TEDDY My 13-year-old…

AMY WOLFF PHOTO DIRECTOR THE OLDER YOU GET, THE BETTER YOU GET, UNLESS YOU’RE A BANANA. PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1 Force $5,600 The nicest bike I’ve ever ridden but unintimidating. It’s super light, small, and very comfortable. 2 / Thule Raceway Pro $350 An easy-to-use and indestructible hitch rack for my Mazda sedan. 3 / Oakley Evzero Blades in Prism Sapphire $176 These fit my small face perfectly and provide any needed sunshine blocking. BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT I recently splurged on a Rapha kit—full disclosure, most of it was on sale. But now I fully understand why so many cyclists exclusively wear their gear. The fit is nice, the materials are durable, and the design is sleek. THE WORST RIDE OF MY LIFE… The first (and last) Five Boro Bike Tour I did…

Tested: Waterproof Jackets Most rain jackets are made of waterproof materials, but whether they keep us dry is another matter. Loose-fitting collars, porous seams, and leaky pockets are all places water can seep through, leaving us soggy despite the fact that the high-tech fabrics did their jobs. So we put three waterproof cycling jackets to a real-world test. We picked the shells by price: the high-value $75 Aero Tech Designs Waterproof Jacket, the mid-tier $225 Pearl Izumi PRO AmFIB Shell, and the pricey $349 Assos Equipe RS rain jacket. To simulate a sudden downpour, I wore each jacket for five minutes of hard trainer pedaling while Bicycling mechanic Joël Nankman showered me with a garden hose. I wore a fresh gray T-shirt beneath each jacket; the wet spots on each shirt show…

FROM: DURANGO, COLORADO (ORIGINALLY CONNECTICUT) CREDENTIALS: I’VE BEEN DOING THIS ALONG TIME GO-TO BIKE: MOSAIC RS-1 (ROAD), EVIL OFFERING (MOUNTAIN), CERVÉLO ÁSPERO (GRAVEL) FAVORITE PIECE OF GEAR: PERFECTLY TUNED SUSPENSION HARDEST RIDE EVER: GETTING LOST IN ITALY ON THE WAY BACK TOMY HOTEL AFTER FINISHING A 110-MILE GRAN FONDO BEST RIDE EVER: MY FIRST OUTDOOR RIDE AFTER RECOVERING FROM A BROKEN TIBIA SOUL ROUTE: ENGINEER MOUNTAIN TRAIL CYCLING PHILOSOPHY: BICYCLES ARE AMAZING I’VE HAD THIS ITCH LATELY TO HOP onto a bike loaded with camping gear and ride way out there. Every time I see bikepacking images, I envision being on a ridgeline, far from everything and everyone, watching the sunrise as I pack up my campsite before setting out for another amazing day on the bike. I know I’m not alone in this desire. Most cyclists I…