A Celebration of Junk Miles

No longer dreading my next bunch sprint, I felt like I belonged on my bike again.

THE 92-MILE FAREWELL

THE SEA BREEZE OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND FELT DELIGHTFUL, AND I WISHED I COULD RIDE WITH MY EYES CLOSED AND TRUST THE REST OF MY SENSES TO STEER ME BACK HOME.

CHECKING IN ON MY CYCLING SELF

BUT, TODAY, PEOPLE OF ALL SORTS OF WONDERFUL, COLORFUL CULTURES WHO LOVE THE WIND IN THEIR HAIR HEAR THE SOUND OF A MILLION ANGRY HORNETS ON THEIR TAIL.

EVERYONE KNOWS 52x11 IS BIGGER THAN 48x10. EVEN THOUGH IT ISN'T.

THE HUMAN THRESHOLD FOR 'LEAST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE' IS GENERALLY ON THE ORDER OF 10 PERCENT CHANGE OF A VALUE.

I RODE THROUGH PAIN. YOU SHOULDN'T. HERE'S WHY.

AND WHILE \"PAIN\" AND \"SUFFERING\" ARE OFTEN THROWN AROUND IN THE SAME BREATH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BODY THEY'RE NOT, IN FACT, THE SAME.

THE RACES ARE FASTER. ARE THEY CLEANER? AND DOES IT MATTER?

THE LAST TWO EDITIONS OF THE MEN'S Tour de France were among the three fastest.

BRAYDON BRINGHURST VERSUS THE BEAST

THIS FORMER POLE VAULTER IS THE RARE ATHLETE WHO CAN BLEND EXPLOSIVE POWER WITH PRECISION AND CONTROL. BUT HE'D NEED A LOT MORE THAN THAT TO RIDE HIS BIKE UP THIS INSANELY TECHNICAL DOWNHILL TRAIL.

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FRICTION-FREE

CONSIDER THE HUMBLE LIKE CHAIN. IT'S AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED BICYCLE PART COMPARED TO FLASHIER COMPONENTS WHEELS, CRANKS, AND DERAILLEURS. BUT THE CHAIN IS THE CRITICAL LINK IN THE DRIVETRAIN BETWEEN THE RIDER'S POWER AND THE BIKE'S REAR WHEEL.

MOLLY'S LAST RIDE

Twelve-year-old Molly Steinsapir crashed onto the pavement from a Rad Power e-bike and never woke up. With a poorly regulated electric-bike industry, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE WHEN A CHILD DIES?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COMBINE AETHOS WEIGHT, VENGE AERODYNAMICS, AND BUTTERY SMOOTHNESS?

Building a great bike is hard. Making a great bike better is even more challenging. Yet every three to four years, brands that make race bikes for their professional road racers take on this challenge.

THE ABUNDANT JOY OF AYESHA MCGOWAN

In 2021, she made history by becoming the first African-American woman to make the pro-road-racing ranks. The astonishing, heroic story of achieving a wildly ambitious dream-and all that comes after.

The Truth and Tragedy of MORIAH WILSON

For a few short, electric years, she took gravel racing by storm. Then she was gone forever

DO YOU NEED GRAVEL SUSPENSION?

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE RUIVING YOUR NEXT BIKE

THE ULTIMATE GRAVEL TIRE GUIDE

IF THERE'S ONE UNASSAILABLE TRUTH ABOUT GRAVEL TIRES, it is that no tire is ever perfect for the entirety of a ride.

SOFIA GOMEZ VILLAFAÑE Is Not a Dreamer

THE GRAVEL SUPERSTAR IS OUTSPOKEN, FEARLESSAND LASER FOCUSED ON SUCCESS

TEAM AMAN SEES THE FUTURE

BEFORE HIS DEATH LAST YEAR, SULE KANGANGI HAD AN AMBITIOUS PLAN FOR TURNING EAST AFRICA INTO A CYCLING POWERHOUSE. HIS KENYABASED TEAM IS COMMITTED TO DELIVERING ON HIS LEGACY

RIVERSIDE GRVL 900

BEST ADVENTURE BIKE PRICE $4,000 WEIGHT 21.8 LBS (56CM)

YETI SB120

BEST TRAIL BIKE PRICE $9,600 (AS TESTED) WEIGHT 29.4 LBS (MEDIUM, T3)

THE BEST BIKE IS ONE THAT BRINGS YOU JOY

PICKING MY LINE DOWN THE STEEP, RUTTED double-track took more concentration than I expected, as the quickly setting pale November sun created a magical scene on a day that kept getting better.

ENVE MELEE

BEST ROAD BIKE PRICE $5,500 (FRAMESET) WEIGHT 16.2 LBS (52CM, AS TESTED)

THE BEST BIKE IS A STEP-THROUGH

AS A CHILD, I GOT INTRODUCED TO GENDER AND BICYCLES AT ABOUT the same time. My parents had matching pearlescent green Diamondbacks, but my dad had a large front triangle while my mom had a step-through.

SPECIALIZED GLOBE HAUL ST

BIKE OF THE YEAR/ BEST E-BIKE PRICE $2,700 ($3,390 AS TESTED) WEIGHT 77 LBS

THE BEST BIKE IS ONE THAT GETS YOU OUT OF YOUR CAR

UGH. I'M IN THE CAR AGAIN.

CERVÉLO R5-CX

BEST GRAVEL/ CYCLOCROSS BIKE PRICE $9,000 (COMPLETE) $5,500 (FRAMESET) WEIGHT 18 LBS (58CM)

THE BEST BIKE IS A TIME MACHINE

FROM THE 16-INCH WHITEWALL TIRES OF MY FIRST pink, banana-seat Schwinn to the high-end two-wheeled beauty I currently race, and every pieced-together commuter bike and fixie and beach cruiser in between, bicycles have been not only vehicles for transportation but portals to another time and place and version of my life.

TREK FUEL EXe

BEST E-MOUNTAIN BIKE PRICE $14,000 (9.9 XX1 AXS) WEIGHT 40.9 LBS (MEDIUM)

THE BEST BIKE IS AN OLD TRACK BIKE

AFTER YEARS OF OFFICE-PARK CRITERIUMS AND FAST-PACED TWILIGHT races, where the streets are lined with barricades and partying spectators, I finally accomplished my long-term goal of reaching Cat 1 status as a road racer. And yet I found myself further from cycling glory than at any point in my nearly decade of competing.

CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO HI-MOD

BEST ROAD-RACING BIKE PRICE $8,300 (HI-MOD 2) WEIGHT 17 LBS (52CM)

THE BEST BIKE FOR YOU IS...

THROUGHOUT MY CAREER AS A TEST EDITOR, \"WHAT IS THE BEST bike?\" is the question I've probably been asked more than any other.

GEAR

NOTES, OPINIONS, USEFUL TIPS, AND THE COOLEST GEAR FROM INSIDE THE WORLD'S MOST RIGOROUS BIKE AND GEAR TEST CENTER