Mid season group ride etiquette, an update
The riding season has been upon us for a few months now and that means the distances covered on group rides is increasing. I still have not ventured out to the legendary Donut ride in Toronto but I will certainly find a weekend to throw down with the dozens and...
A Thousand Roads Will Lead Me Forever To Milano
"It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were." -Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi There's something so special about riding in Italy. Even though my stay in Lucca was met with more rain than...
Summer Base Layers
With the summer season finally here, we can look forward to those long and humid Sunday rides. With temperatures reaching up too and beyond 30 degree weather, why would anymore want to layer up under their jersey? Base layers are no longer just an article worn during the colder temperatures,...
Canadian Summer Racing Preview
June is finally here, and given what has been a pretty awful spring season, for most of us that means our riding season is just starting to get going. However it is also the time of year when the Canadian racing scene reaches its peak. These early summer weeks provide...
Hang up the bike, hit the links… Then get back on the bike.
It’s June and by this time almost every cycling season I am burnt out. It has been nearly two weeks that I’ve spent mostly off the bike and I am just starting to feel like I would like to look at my bike again. For some reading this I am...
RAAM – Race Across America – World's Toughest Bicycle Race
Unlike the Grand Tour races in Europe such as the Giro D’Italia, Vuelta Espana, and the Tour de France. The Race Across America is not a stage race, but rather a single stage race where the clock doesn’t stop until you reach the finish line. It can basically be described...
CHPT3: Origin 1.11 Bib Shorts
With endless options of cycling shorts on offer, it can be difficult to choose your next go to shorts, be it for a quick spin on lunch, or preparing for the 100km+ club ride Sunday morning. Many cyclists don’t view a pair of bib shorts as just plain cycling gear,...
Fight For Pink
We are now in the thick of the 2019 professional racing calendar and the battle for the top step of one of my favourite races is currently being waged on the roads of Italy. With the first rest day behind the racers and Tom Dumoulin forced to withdraw after a...
Self Supported Touring
Freedom in its purest form. I did my first multi-day tour last year when I rode from Girona to Milan. Since then I've done a few 2 and 3 day rides but nothing over that. Something is in the works, however. It was weird thinking that this is all I have...
Shimano Groupset Overview
The process of buying a bike is by no means a simple one, many of us spend loads of time analysing a given build and the features that each brings with it. Outside of the frame, the groupset is the most significant differentiating feature of any road bike, a difference...
The Last 5 to 10
For some of us staying lean is just a way of life. Would you like a donut? Sure! Pizza for lunch anyone? Sign me up! For those that don’t have to use the word “NO” when answering those questions. Fantastic! I hope that catches up to you. Just kidding. For...
Castelli Free Aero Race 4 Bib Shorts and new jerseys for 2019
After many years of wearing various iterations of Castelli’s high-end bibs I think it is safe to say that the new Castelli Free Aero Race 4 Bib Shorts might be one of my new favourite pairs of shorts. Castelli has had the Free Aero Race short line since 2007 and...
MIPS vs. Non-MIPS
With fashion and cycling going hand and hand more than ever, it’s no surprise that helmets are seen as “cool” and the perfect way to complete your favorite summer kit. Not only does a helmet make the rider more aero, these days they are more protective than ever. Over the...
Ultra Cycling: More is never enough
"What is it with this masochistic obsession with endurance? End-to-end, Paris-Brest-Paris, the Race Across America – there is a mania for outlasting and overriding all the senses. My feeling is that when a malign fate ordains you to endure, then endure you must. But why do it out of choice?...
Gravel vs. Cross
There seems to be a growing interest in taking things off the street and onto the beaten path, and in some cases, trail blazing altogether. For Many consumers, the initial thought is that a mountain bike, or a cyclo-cross bike are the two logical choices when it comes to obtaining...
Join the century club this cycling season
There is nothing better than long rides in great weather. As we approach the outdoor riding season here in Ontario many cyclists are beginning to get the itch to leave the trainer behind and begin the 2019 season outdoors. With each new road season comes new goals, which often include...
Demystifying Gender Specific Frames
There simply is no concrete characterization of what makes a great gender specific bike frame – at least this is what I’ve gather based on research both online and through speaking with industry experts. What I’ve discovered is just as each bike manufacture has there own specifications for designing a...
Cycle Touring
As an enthusiastic but amateur cyclist I look forward to weather that allows me to cycle outdoors in preparation for upcoming cycle tours. I’ve done many European cycle tours and find it a great way to see cities and countryside, meet local people and eat and drink without worrying about...
Tour De Lean: Girona Edition
Ah, Girona - good weather, amazing roads, and drivers that give you all the room in the world when overtaking you. It's all very beautiful and makes riding even that much more enjoyable. I had taken a few days off between my transfer from Antibes to Girona. Not by choice,...
Disc vs. Rim Brakes
With technology progressing faster and faster within road cycling, it’s no surprise seeing hydraulic disc brakes not only making an appearance with the industry but is it taking over? We are going to look at the performance of hydraulic disc brakes, the benefits, the downsides, and how the outdoor elements...