BACK THEN, I HAD TAKEN TO SOLO ROAD RIDES in the easterly direction, from Astoria out to Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York, exploring the North Shore roads that brushed up against the Long Island Sound and the fictional stories that lingered between the West and East Eggs. I was searching for a light across the water, some kind of lifeline, and motive to get out under the sun and pedal my bike. As I entered the pages of old-money family histories, I felt cocooned inside the coolness of luscious shadows, the charcoals, browns, and deep greens of tree-lined roads built for much smaller cars once upon a time. Where, today, rich men take out their convertibles for leisurely Sunday roller-coaster rides as if nothing has changed. The mansions and lavish states remain, in states of restoration or decay, with climbing ivy curlicuing up their gates, providing a softer layer of shelter. Downhearted and distraught, I rode. I was trying to avoid the sight of other tragedies-ongoing ones. Meanwhile, in this part of the woods, the grass was greener, and golf courses and country clubs remained lavish and lively despite recommendations of the CDC.
Like many, I was escaping. Riding away from lockdown and the impossibility of keeping a six-foot distance from the millions of people crammed into the city. On those rides, I would stop at a farm-to-table bakery for its tasty pastries and friendly chickens digging holes under the shade of a tree. It was the beginning of summer, after all, and nothing felt cooler than a fistful of dirt. I, too, wanted to dig a hole and rub my face against the cool and soft soil. And what if I moved to the country and bought a disheveled bed and breakfast? I could realize my dream of caring for chickens and goats. I could wear an apron and bake. Spend hours on my knees, thinning sprouting crops and munching the day away. I could rent out cottages to tourists and couples also looking to be somewhere else.
This story is from the Fall 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Fall 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
