Bicycling Issue 3 2021

ARGON 18 SUBITO E-ROAD, P.39 A good chamois is only half the battle! Finding the right saddle, making sure your sit bones are where they should be and in the right position, changes so many aspects for riding longer and more comfortably. ALSO: I remember one downhill race in Crested Butte when I crashed in a rock garden, got back up, and rode one of the fastest speeds on a section of the course and won a prize. That was memorable because sometimes even when a ride can be defeating or challenging, good things can come from it when you keep going.…

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE CARBON 70, P.62 My mom used to take my brother and me through the arroyo by our house. We’d ride our BMX bikes and complain the entire 10-minute “climb,” but then bomb down ahead of her once we got to the top. I still remember the rush I got the first time I passed some guy on a mountain bike—and also how much it hurt when I got those two front pegs stuck between rocks and was sent over the bars. ALSO: I’ve had a lot of good days, but I feel my best performance has yet to come. It’s definitely something I’m working toward.…

PHOTOGRAPHER “WORLD’S WORST MOUNTAIN BIKER” PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / L1 Spin Indoor Bike $449 Paired with Peloton’s Tabata and HIIT workouts, this has kicked my ass and kept me in shape during badweather season. 2 / Flying Embers Kombucha $30/12-pack Raw, probiotic, and a healthy(-ish) alternative to postride beers. 3 / Chrome Niko Camera Backpack $200 Not just for the photographer, but for the everyday commuter or explorer who cares about keeping their stuff secure. My Go-To Recovery Routine: SAUNA, FUZZY ALOE SOCKS, THERAGUN, THE SIMPSONS. BIKING FOR BIT TERBALLEN When visiting my friend in Amsterdam, she introduced me to bitterballen, a traditional Dutch snack made with meat and gravy. On my last day, we set off on a “bitterballen ride,” riding from shop to shop to find the best—I ate 36 that day. MY FAVORITE…

VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER PRINT YOUR PICTURES PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW 1 / Anza Bag Company Tool Roll $40 I’m a prepper, and this handmade tool roll can fit everything I need. 2 / Portland Design Works Full Fenders $120 I like a road bike set up with full fenders for when the ground is wet. If someone is riding behind me, they’ll appreciate it, too. 3 / All-City Cycles Zig Zag 105 $2,599 My favorite details: the frame pump peg, hidden fender mounts, and ample tire clearance. BEST ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED If you unclip left, lean left. RIDER WHO INSPIRES ME My 10-year-old son, Jimmy. He’s not concerned with average speed, frame materials, or how much your bike weighs. He reminds me that bikes are about fun, adventure, and play. MY KIND OF RIDING I like all disciplines of cycling,…

LITTLETON, COLORADO JUST KEEP MOVING My Style in Three Words: PEDAL MASHING MOTHERF*****! HARDEST RIDE OF MY LIFE The MS 150 back in the ’90s. We rode 107 miles and hit the mountains of Brown County at the 60-mile mark. I stopped having fun at that point! The crazy thing is I drove back to Indy, then drove back to the starting line and rode 53 miles the next day. I did this with very little training. It hurt me. GREATEST RIDE OF MY LIFE… A random Saturday morning ride in Indianapolis. My friends and I rode up the White Water Trail to Broad Ripple for beer and tortilla chips, then back down the Monon Trail, hammering as hard as we could to get to 10th Street and back to Victory Field. As I rode through…

There are 50 bikes in this issue. That’s a lot of bikes, but not nearly enough. Even in normal times, our Best Bikes issue can’t cover every great bike. And these are not normal times. So, I want to start off with an apology. COVIDrelated supply issues meant that a lot of bikes we tried to test for this issue were not available. The 50 bikes in here are awesome, but we couldn’t get as many mid- to low-priced bikes in as we wanted. I believe it is our duty to offer reviews of bikes anyone can afford. We’re committed to testing cheap to mid-priced bikes just as seriously and honestly as high-end bikes. And we will when we can get our hands on them. But even if it were a normal year…