This is an exciting time of year, folks.
The sun’s peekin’ out.
Stuff’s turnin’ green.
We get to RIDE OUR BIKES AGAIN!
Ok, ok; I know a lot of people ride throughout the winter, too. And sure, Zwift is fine and fat bikes are cool, but WOW is it nice to see everybody out and having fun on the trails again. Roadies, Dirtbags, Commuters, Single Speeders, whatever-those-insanely-fast-MiSCA-kids-are, even Gravel Riders; we all have one really big thing in common: we love riding our bikes. Maybe you nerd out on tire pressures or have a notebook of single speed gear ratios. Maybe you stop and take pictures of flowers during your ride. Maybe you just send it. I promise none of these things are all that different. You can’t do this stuff from your couch or on your phone (ok, you can watch tire reviews on YouTube but that does not technically count as cycling).
Oh gosh. Speaking of YouTube. When was the last time someone told you “you’re doing it wrong”? Maybe nobody said it out loud but you felt it anyway.
You’re wearing the wrong clothes.
You’re wearing the wrong shoes.
You’ve got the wrong tires.
You’re riding the wrong bike.
You’re doing the wrong workouts.
Are you having a good time riding your bike?? Then you’ve basically nailed it already. The internet and the bike industry love overthinking bikes. There are also a lot of unspoken rules and riding etiquette from back in the day that could stand to be refreshed or just fade away completely. I’ll drop a couple of my own general pointers below but they’re just like, one guy’s opinion.
Bike: You really can’t do any of this without one.
- Fit is important. It’s cool to be comfortable. Don’t give in to pressure from your gravel friends who slam their stems just because they think it’s aero and will make them more attractive to members of the opposite sex. Mechanical condition is also important. Breaking down on the side of the trail is pretty much the opposite of fun. It’s only April now but do you remember mosquitos?? Terrible. The worst, even. As long as your bike is up for the kind of rides you need it for: you’re good. Spending more does not necessarily make it faster (might be fun though).
Helmet: You only get one brain…don’t screw it up.
- Ok despite what I just said this one’s actually pretty important and you can get it wrong. Safety is one place where spending more money might be in your best interest. Get one that’s comfortable. One you actually like. Wear it.
Apparel: Being naked in public is frowned upon so you’ll have to pick something.
- Yeah, don’t overthink this one either. Stay comfortable. Regular ol’ tee shirts are super sweaty so maybe avoid those but pretty much anything else is fine. Padded bike shorts are not for dorks, seriously. Wear whatever shoes you’re comfortable in. Only clip in if you want to. Aero socks are silly and are for dorks. If you like the grip or protection of gloves, great! If you don’t care about gloves; skip ‘em. Unless it’s cold.
Training: Hey, sometimes it’s fun to go fast, too.
or
Training: Ugh, do we have to? Turns out no, actually, but it may increase your overall capacity for fun.
- Very few people are naturally gifted, the rest of us have to work for it. Sorry. But again: don’t feel like you have to spend a bunch of money. Coaches, fitness apps, nutrition plans…most of us don’t need ‘em. Ride more! Sadly there are no secret hacks. Sometimes lifting, high intensity intervals, and even running (gasp) are time well spent.
There’s going to be like a million things that will try and stress you out between now and race day in November; don’t let riding your bike be one of them. Keep it simple and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We all want to be confident. We all want to get stronger. And from elite athletes to experienced amateurs to raw beginners, we all ultimately hit the trail for precisely the same reason: fun. Don’t ever forget it.
Let’s have a great time, everybody.
Thank you Aaron Schutter @aaron_two_tired on being our 2026 Iceman Cometh Challenge Trailblazer.