Find a Bike That Brings You True Joy

Picking my line down the steep, rutted doubletrack took more concentration than I expected, as the quickly setting pale November sun created a magical scene on a day that kept getting better. I had just finished the Women’s Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship in Durango, Colorado. The race found me launching my bike (and my body) down a giant airbag slide, riding through a steel ring of fire, and struggling to breathe for a solid hour. I hadn’t planned on riding the whole race, let alone leading a group ride back down this rowdy jeep road back to town. Barely two months post–knee surgery, I planned to do a lap to check out the fun and call it good. But as I completed lap after lap, I couldn’t stop. It was just too much fun. While I was sore afterward, I left Durango with no lasting injuries. More importantly, I came away with a stronger conviction that joy is the revolution we need. And bicycles have the power to bring that joy. I discovered bicycles when I desperately needed positivity in my life. A recent soul-destroying divorce and a daily, 45-minute, three-mile bus commute to and from work was a recipe for disaster. Watching out the bus window, I saw people of all shapes and sizes zipping past on two wheels, seemingly free to go wherever their legs could carry them. I wanted to be one of them. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Find a Bike That Brings You True Joy]( [Find a Bike That Brings You True Joy]( [Find a Bike That Brings You True Joy]( Picking my line down the steep, rutted doubletrack took more concentration than I expected, as the quickly setting pale November sun created a magical scene on a day that kept getting better. I had just finished the Women’s Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship in Durango, Colorado. The race found me launching my bike (and my body) down a giant airbag slide, riding through a steel ring of fire, and struggling to breathe for a solid hour. I hadn’t planned on riding the whole race, let alone leading a group ride back down this rowdy jeep road back to town. Barely two months post–knee surgery, I planned to do a lap to check out the fun and call it good. But as I completed lap after lap, I couldn’t stop. It was just too much fun. While I was sore afterward, I left Durango with no lasting injuries. More importantly, I came away with a stronger conviction that joy is the revolution we need. And bicycles have the power to bring that joy. I discovered bicycles when I desperately needed positivity in my life. A recent soul-destroying divorce and a daily, 45-minute, three-mile bus commute to and from work was a recipe for disaster. Watching out the bus window, I saw people of all shapes and sizes zipping past on two wheels, seemingly free to go wherever their legs could carry them. I wanted to be one of them. Picking my line down the steep, rutted doubletrack took more concentration than I expected, as the quickly setting pale November sun created a magical scene on a day that kept getting better. I had just finished the Women’s Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship in Durango, Colorado. The race found me launching my bike (and my body) down a giant airbag slide, riding through a steel ring of fire, and struggling to breathe for a solid hour. I hadn’t planned on riding the whole race, let alone leading a group ride back down this rowdy jeep road back to town. Barely two months post–knee surgery, I planned to do a lap to check out the fun and call it good. But as I completed lap after lap, I couldn’t stop. It was just too much fun. While I was sore afterward, I left Durango with no lasting injuries. More importantly, I came away with a stronger conviction that joy is the revolution we need. And bicycles have the power to bring that joy. I discovered bicycles when I desperately needed positivity in my life. A recent soul-destroying divorce and a daily, 45-minute, three-mile bus commute to and from work was a recipe for disaster. Watching out the bus window, I saw people of all shapes and sizes zipping past on two wheels, seemingly free to go wherever their legs could carry them. I wanted to be one of them. [Read More]( [Read More](   [New Report Shows Just How Big the Pandemic Bike Boom Actually Was]( [New Report Shows Just How Big the Pandemic Bike Boom Actually Was]( The demand for bikes and bike parts rose sharply, as did bikeshare ridership in some cities. Here are the actual numbers. [Read More](     [A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Bike Cleats]( [A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Bike Cleats]( Correct cleat position can improve your ride. [Read More](   [Brompton Folding Bike Company Opens World’s Smallest Bike Shop in Brooklyn]( [Brompton Folding Bike Company Opens World’s Smallest Bike Shop in Brooklyn]( Leave it to the brand whose bikes take up very little space to open a 70 square foot micro store. [Read More](     [The 20 Best Electric Bikes You Can Buy Right Now]( [The 20 Best Electric Bikes You Can Buy Right Now]( Commuter, cargo, cruiser, folding, mountain, and road e-bikes for every type of rider (and budget). [Read More](   [New Federal Regulations for Bikes Will Come Soon. But What Should They Be?]( [New Federal Regulations for Bikes Will Come Soon. But What Should They Be?]( The Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently soliciting public comment on e-bikes and coaster brakes. [Read More](   [Weight Loss After 44]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( Bicycling.com ©2023 Hearst Magazines, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019