Bike racing – not the kind of weekend jaunts we do around here, but the real deal European racing scene – is fucking crazy. I mean, we as fans should feel this deep and abiding guilt about what we demand of “our” athletes. The doping is only part of it. Think of the most exciting …
The bike racing web’s crackling with the Floyd news: American Tour de France favorite Floyd Landis (Phonak) will hold a press conference on Monday to respond to press reports that he is suffering from a degenerative condition that could threaten his career and may undergo hip surgery following this year’s race. Landis, sitting second in …
We rode one of my absolute favorite stretches of Albuquerque-area road this morning. It’s in the Manzano Mountains, the road leading east from Oak Flat Picnic Area, a twisting gentle descent through the woods that lets a slowpoke like me feel really fast without being so steep that you end up going scary fast. The …
There’s an interesting article in the August Bicycling magazine that explains how Floyd Landis has done it. When he was a young cyclist, Landis sat down with cycling doctor Arnie Baker and plotted out an eight year plan. In the early years, he rode as much as 24,000 miles per year – 40 hours a …
With Ullrich and Basso out of the tour, and apparently half the people in Europe who have ever worn spandex being connected to doping in the Spanish press, David Millar suddenly looks mighty attractive, having just finished his two-year suspension for doping. Or, as a friend suggested yesterday, Pee Wee Herman’s starting to look good …
One last word: Attacking in a bicycle race— riding off the front of a pack of cyclists, heading into the wind— is either a fool’s errand or the sign of a champion, or both. Tony Geller said he’ll always remember his riding buddy, Bill McLain, as “the guy who attacks all the time, any time.” …
When I was first thinking about getting a road bike for cross-training (I was a runner at the time), I was quizzing my neighbor Bill McLain about what to get. Bill looked me over and asked, “How tall are you?” When I told him – six feet – he said, “I think I have a …
I did a couple of water-themed bike rides this weekend, one intentional and one accidental. I didn’t have the camera with me today, so you’ll have to take my word for it, but my chums and I rode up to the snow on the east side of the Sandias. By the cheap altimeter on my …
We know where we stand.
From the Sept. 25, 1939, Life magazine: Ride the New Light-Weight Bike Bicycling is winning new thousands of devotees because it’s one of the most exhilarating sports in the world. It brings a tingle to the blood, a glow to the cheeks, a sparkle to the eyes. Beyond all that – it’s fun! And now …