Pedal Power: 22 Cycling Blogs to Inspire You
May is a big month for those who want to see more people biking. It’s National Bike Month, with May 11-15 being Bike to Work Week and May 15 being Bike to Work Day.
Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month was established nearly 60 years ago and is now celebrated in communities across the nation. You can participate by using your bike on your daily commute or even hosting your own bike month event to encourage more people to use pedal power.
To get things rolling, we’ve compiled a list of 22 cycling blogs from all over the world that are full of great biking information, tips and sheer inspiration.
Tenspeed Hero, Twitter: @TenspeedHero
This cycling journal includes interviews with racers and professional cyclists as well as insightful articles on events such as the recent CX Nationals in Texas and its cancelled races. The site also sells biker shorts, skinsuits and other gear — and some of their blog posts promote their admittedly impressive looking inventory.
Rapha, Twitter @rapha
Founded in 2004, UK-based Rapha is more than a company that sells cycling clothing and accessories. It also celebrates road riding by organizing rides, races and events. Rapha also sponsors three professional teams.
Blog posts run the gamut from in-depth analyses of races to stories on racing clubs to portraits of bikers from all over the world; examples of the latter include Lee Basford’s chat with Oki Tatsuya, “a man who’s been at the heart of Tokyo’s urban bike scene since the end of the nineties.”
Bikerumor, Twitter: @bikerumor
Based in North Carolina, this blog brings you cycling news, industry rumors and product reviews. An example of a great interview is one with Julie Ann Pedalino, a bike builder who was at the 2015 North American Handmade Bicycle Show — you can see photos of some of her killer bikes in the piece.
Copenhagenize, Twitter: @copenhagenize
Copenhagen isn’t merely a bike-friendly city. More than half of the city’s residents commute on the 620-plus miles (1,000 km by their measurements) of bike lanes every day, and this blog captures the cycling lifestyle both there and around the world.
ThePathLessPedaled, Twitter: @pathlesspedaled
Russ and Laura are true bicycle tourism advocates, having sold everything they owned in 2009 in order to spend the next three years pedaling 18,000 miles across the US and New Zealand. They found that bicycle travel was good for the economy in the places they visited, now they and hope to inspire others to travel by bike, ultimately bridging the gap between bicycles and tourism.
Bike Snob NYC, Twitter: @bikesnobnyc
Former bike messenger Eben Weiss uses his blog to critique the cycling culture, writing: “While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I’m also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment.”
Nothing’s off limits: Weiss says he’s of two minds regarding Lance Armstrong’s plans to ride this year’s Tour de France route for charity. Why not, he asks, when “the other dopers are not only welcome at the race, but they also get to hand out the prizes.” On the other hand, he muses that “it’s pretty pathetic that Armstrong still wants to hang around the Tour de France at this point. How hard does this bike race have to break up with him before he gets the message?”
Cycling360, Twitter: @Cycling360
Cycling360 is a podcast that intends to help listeners become better riders and get more out of their riding. Each podcast, whether a full-length show or a quick tip, has a written synopsis (with time duration), so you know exactly what to expect. Scroll down the archive page to get an overview of the last 50 or so posts.
Loving the Bike, Twitter: @lovingthebike
Darryl Kotyk, who happens to be a Cyling360 podcaster (see above), is also a blogger who posts about all things bicycle. His goal as a road cyclist is to at one point make the bike his only means of transportation.
BikeCommuters.com, Twitter: @bikecommuters
Created by avid commuters themselves, this blog delves into everything related to bike commuting, from news and articles to helpful how-to posts and product reviews. There’s one post that talks about how that author’s commuting habits changed over time, and one timely piece that explores what gets people pedaling in the first place.
Travelling Two, Twitter: @travellingtwo
These two Canadians, Friedel and Andrew, have cycled more than 37,000 miles through some 30 countries (much of that covered in a three-year world tour). Now living in the Netherlands, they started their website to encourage others to see the world by bicycle touring.
Total Womens Cycling, Twitter: @TtlWomenCycling
For women who love to ride, this UK-based blog covers news, guides and reviews for all levels of cycling. From nutrition planning for your first 100 to spotlights on some of the most inspirational women in cycling, it’s got something for everyone.
Cyclelicious, Twitter: @cyclelicious
Richard Masoner of Santa Cruz, California, likes bikes. His blog includes anything pertaining to biking, from how local transit fare hikes might impact highway traffic to supporting college-level design students’ efforts to encourage cycling.
Vital MTB, Twitter: @VitalMTB
This is a website with a blog-like feel in that there is a steady stream of new articles, videos, and event coverage. The mountain bike community is active, posting reviews and ratings on bikes and gear. There are buyer’s guides for the different types of mountain bikes (cross-country and dirt jumping, for example) and detailed tutorials such as how to wash your bike, complete with video and photos.
Riding Pretty, Twitter: @RidingPretty
Shelly started this blog back in 2008, dedicating it to “all those girls in the world who want to look pretty while riding a bicycle.” Since then, it has grown to include DIY tips, all things vintage, bicycle community advocacy. Riding Pretty is also home to The Tweed Ride Report, reporting on Tweed rides and runs, where mobs of cyclists in traditional attire ride vintage bikes through whichever city is hosting the ride.
The Radavist, Twitter: @TheRadavist
The Radavist is a collective, formerly a blog with one person’s opinion called “Prolly is Not Probably.” The rad community shares a love of cycling and stores, and explains its name as a combination of “radical” and “atavism” (a primal drive), which is the force behind why they and other avid bikers ride as they do.
INRNG – The Inner Ring, Twitter: @inrng
A blog about everything cycling, but especially pro cycling, its name was chosen for a number of reasons, including “insider” connotations and because “inner ring” means the smaller chainring on a bike, as well as being a nod to climbing in the mountains.
The blog owner, who started INRNG five years ago, says that while there’s no overriding aim, he hopes to “give a different take on the sport and sometimes have a look at things that might get overlooked by the mainstream cycle sport media.”
London Cyclist, Twitter: @londoncyclist
London Cyclist is written by Andreas who two passions are cycling and blogging. You’ll find articles, tips, reviews and cycling news, including a post on how to be safer while biking in the city and ways to identify fellow cycle commuters.
Fat Cyclist, Twitter: @fatcyclist
You know humor is going to be a big part of this cycling blog just by its title and its About page introduction, where blog owner Elden Nelson writes: “Hi. My name’s Elden, but please feel free to call me ‘Fatty.'”
Fatty, who calls FatCyclist a “goofy cycling humor blog,” started it as a way to monitor his weight loss. He’s a humorist, posting side-splittingly funny posts like the one about his imaginary disorder SLAD, but he’s also shared personal tragedy (his wife’s years-long battle with cancer, which she lost in 2009). He also writes about biking-related news and stories.
Average Joe Cyclist, Twitter: @AvrgeJoeCyclist
Joe Goodwill, a bike blogger and cycling advocate in Vancouver, Canada, is also the author of How to Buy the Best Electric Bike. He says he writes the blog for people who are like him — they love cycling, but they’ll “never win races, and don’t necessarily look good in Lycra.”
Red Kite Prayer, Twitter: @RedKitePrayer
Padraig launched Red Kite Prayer (named after his favorite moment in a race, when the final kilometer banner — a red kite — is passed, and every rider who passes it looks straight down) to cover the soul of cycling, from doping analysis to the frustration that comes with burnout.
The blog is meant to be universal in experience and location, as well as positive — because “there are plenty of haters, and cycling has more than enough to comment on that is worthwhile and upbeat.”
BikeRadar, Twitter: @bikeradar
If you’re in need of bike reviews, cycling news or helpful articles on how to rejuvenate your waterproof cycling gear and which cycling-specific tools you should always have on hand, bookmark BikeRadar USA.
Cycling Challenge, Twitter: @cyclingalps
The blog’s author, Will, is happiest when cycling uphill, which is good, seeing that he’s in the Alps. He says his “favorite thing to do during the summer do is to bike up roads in ski resorts, and take the cable car or chair lift down.” Posts include secrets for biking the Alps in winter, a slideshow of hairpin turns he’s navigated, and roundups of the yearly challenges he sets for himself.
Images:
Nevada Tourism Media Relations / Flickr
Alexander Shustov / Unsplash
Nietnagel / Flickr