When Mike told me about a new local race set for early April—the Louisville Classic—I had two thoughts. I checked the family calendar and signed my classic fanny up for the 100k. Gosh, I looked forward to this race all winter. Imagining the hills down there helped me through those cinderblock months of winter training … More Instant Classic: Meet the Louisville Classic Gravel Grinder
In 10 years of racing gravel, I’ve never known where to fit Oklahoma. The Mid South tempted me toward Stillwater each March, but I knew the horror stories. Red mud deep enough for every letter of murder. Chains chewed. Derailleurs gargled and spat. Some springs: hypothermia. Couldn’t I just believe Oklahoma’s brutal history without sticking … More Mid South 2024: The Durability of Joy
Go for a ride or two on city streets, and gravel cycling’s appeal as a safer alternative becomes obvious pretty quickly. Much of gravel’s pull hinges on what we’re riding away from: The traffic. The noise. The rancor and danger and bullshit that come with being a human being on a bicycle in a car-centric … More A Country Welcome
You’ve been good all year. And I hope your haul for Christmas 2023 included some really cool bike stuff. That thing you’ve been wanting forever—or maybe that thing you had no idea you’d love. (If not—there are always those gifts you give yourself…) As we get older, our collections of bikes, gear and tools tend … More A New Year for Old Racers
On day five, when the road turned easy, Marty coasted up alongside me with a question. “What’ll you say when people ask about this?” “This” was our eight-day trip bikepacking and hiking in Iceland. The ruggedness and the weather. Also, the awe and the impossible beauty. “Like, someone you care about. Do you tell them … More Bikepacking Iceland: Things Pull Apart
The rain reached the roof of Pete’s camper just after midnight on race day, and I was glad for it. That’s the sound of a heatwave dying, I told the ceiling. Foul is fair. Lincoln had been murderously hot all week, with heat indexes nosing toward 120. I worried I’d have to tell my brother … More Gravel Worlds 2023: Fair Is Foul
Ride your bike long enough across any rural stretch of the Great Plains, and just about everything will grow personified. I’m convinced by now that my bike has strong opinions about mud. That farm dogs and cattle are capable of casual conversation. And that the dead racoon up ahead is just somebody having a slightly … More Riding with Abandon
This year’s Solstice 100 had no business hurting like it did. Still, I spent the last third of my seventh Solstice 100 in a bonked bewilderment. And I couldn’t tell you why. Was I falling sick? Did the squishy roads zap more energy than I realized? Did I foul up my food? My pacing? My … More Solstice 100: Your Lucky Bad Day
I never liked the title, All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. I can’t swallow the implication that the rest of our schooling was somehow a waste. (Trust me: It’s good you read beyond a kindergarten level; it’s good your doctor went to medical school.) But I love the notion that fundamental … More All I Really Needed to Know I Learned Racing Gravel
There’s something to be said for finding cycling in your 40s, when your athletic debut and your physical decline come conjoined. It’s so common there’s a name for us—both masculine and emasculating. We’re Middle-aged Men in Lycra (MAMIL). And compared to the faster folks, we’re a different animal. An elite athlete’s arc might look something … More What If You’ve Already Peaked?
Dirt Tan Bike Club 