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How to Dodge Bullets

The bullets come flying, but at this point in the film, you know they're not going to kill the chosen one, Neo, Keanu Reeves in a leather trench coat. Instead, the bullets slow seeming to hang in

Revolting 148

The Three Body Problems. Never mind the sci-fi novel or the mini-series they made from it. Today we’re talking about the design problems with the human body, which are as obvious as the nose on your

The New Road Culture

We had a comment not too many months back from a longtime reader who said, in effect, he was going to stop reading the site, because he thought it had become too gravel and mountain bike centric.

Don’t look!!!

She was very supportive. She came to the mountain bike races and held my muddy shoes as I washed my bike. She handed up food. She stood in beautiful but desolate places shouting encouragement. You

Paceline Podcast 387

This week John considers evolution and extinction as viewed through the lens of bikes and e-bikes. And he asks, "Will bikes survive?" Patrick discusses his experience at a retreat for NICA coaches.

Riding to School

Growing up in suburban Memphis, I lived too far from my schools to ride my bike to and from except in seventh and eighth grades. My sense of freedom in those years was as boundless as a newly minted

Featured Posts

Part of Me

In my dream, I am riding up a steep climb on a narrow road winding through redwoods, barely able to turn the pedals. But I am happy. Ecstatic, really. I am one with my bike, an extension of my body,

To Love and To Be In Love

I met my wife on a college camping trip in 1992. At the time I was trying not to spend the week drunk beyond imagining. A friend convinced me to sign up for this trip through the community service

The Perfect Sport

I've been a cyclist most of my life. My life has had little permanence, but cycling has been as close to permanent as anything short of my parents. Cycling didn't care whether I rode or not. My bike

The Corrections

A thing I wrote years ago for Red Kite Prayer. On this Monday, when the words are all stuck in between my ears, refusing to find my fingertips, a good reminder that sometimes it helps not to try so

Crash Therapy

The conversation in my head while riding Bull Run last weekend in Moab was dawdling along something like this:  “I’m riding really well. I’m gonna try to keep it mellow, keep from redlining cause

Letter from the Editors

The year draws to a close, whether you're done with it or not, and 2022 was a banger here at TCI. Readership grew throughout the year. More people listened to our podcasts. Subscribers subscribed,

Lost and Unlost

Crater Lake. The Pacific Coast. Ghost towns in the high desert. That's cool, but how can you do so much riding alone? This question is usually followed by a comment like "you're so courageous." I

The Shirt Off Our Backs

A call to commerce! An unsubtle, attention-grabbing shout out! A gentle plea. Please witness the arrival of the brand-new, classic Cycling Independent Black t-shirt. Excuse the smirking

Letter from the Editors

Hello Friends, Just us, checking in from the end of summer (unless you're one of our Southern Hemisphere readers...we're not trying to be hemispherist). It's been a busy time for us, Padraig

Just To Be Alive

I know just enough about bikes to know that I don’t know s#*$ about bikes. And I don’t want the mountain of what I don’t know to ruin the truth of what I do know … which is I f*@%ing love riding my

The Crash Samaritan

You open your eyes. Disoriented. Dirty. Details are sharp but nonsensical. Rising dust motes. The tick of a spinning freewheel. A dog with five white whiskers licking your arm. The smell of Christmas

Non-Zero Sum Gains

I have been thinking an awful lot about cycling advocacy and inclusivity. Why? Because I dream of a self-powered world, one in which all citizens glide around on a bicycle of one flavor or another. I

A Year of Shelter

Life changed for us 365 days ago. I doubt you or anyone you know would have been willing to guess that the life you're living today was even possible. It was certainly beyond my imagination, and I

What We Would Say

I chose cycling because it's the only time I don't feel like a klutz.I chose cycling because I can't stick the ball. I chose cycling because I didn't play team sports.I chose cycling because I'm

We Need You On This Ride

I'll be brief. Our primary goal at The Cycling Independent is to make our community as large as we possibly can. Part of that is selfish. We can't continue without your financial support. This is

Editor’s Letter

Right now you might be thinking, "How can this be an editor’s letter on a website? This isn't print!" You very well should be thinking that because we’re not just another website with a bunch of

New York to Provincetown

A single day can feel like a month. Processing a massive ride afterwards is like staring at a Salvador Dali painting. Fifty miles dissolves into a blurry moment. Turns out it took a village

Page One

How to Dodge Bullets

The bullets come flying, but at this point in the film, you know they're not going to kill the chosen one, Neo, Keanu Reeves in a leather trench coat. Instead, the bullets slow seeming to hang in

The New Road Culture

We had a comment not too many months back from a longtime reader who said, in effect, he was going to stop reading the site, because he thought it had become too gravel and mountain bike centric.

Op-Ed

Car-Free Week 2024

I'm not one to go in for social media challenges. I need to say that before I endorse this social media challenge. Back when people were pouring buckets of ice water over their heads I opted to stick

Classified

Talk

Revolting 148

The Three Body Problems. Never mind the sci-fi novel or the mini-series they made from it. Today we’re talking about the design problems with the human body, which are as obvious as the nose on your

Revolting 147

Anthony Bourdain’s Nightmares. In the night, when the hungers come, the mind capers at the culinary possibilities lurking in pantries and refrigerators. Weekend mornings, when we’re maybe not our

Paceline Podcast 386

This week John examines Tadej Pogacar's win at the World Championship Road Race last weekend and tries not to ask the question any knowledgeable cyclist ends up asking. Patrick considers bike lights

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