Cycotherapy News Roundup: Unchained, undressed and a rattle snake bite
IT'S THE WEEKEND AGAIN
Well.
We made it. The trek from Pittsburgh to D.C. was … intense. There was a collision, a shady mechanic, spectacular views, saddle sores, stomach issues, quaint towns, fatigue, elation, a porcupine, barking dogs, the dialing of 911, dust, mud, beer, cursing, singing and laughing.
One of us named Mikey once said “adventure begins when things start to go wrong.”
It was quite the adventure.
I have started to write about the trip but it’s going to take a while to compile it all into something worth reading. I might break it into three parts. We’ll see. Stay tuned!
In other news, it’s Father’s Day weekend. And, around here, that means we’re gearing up for the Peckerhead Invitational. Read all about that here. And make sure you register for the ride here!
To all those fathers and father figures out there, happy father’s day.
headlines
A look into Unchained
If you ride a bike, you probably are aware of this Netflix series about the Tour de France. I haven’t started watching it yet. I will though. But this article, written by fellow cycopath Jonathan Kaplan, is a good review on the 8-episode series. Full disclosure: I have only watched one TDF, the one in 2022. I’ve only partially watched and paid attention in previous years. Not because I don’t enjoy watching, it’s just tough to catch each stage when they’re aired at 6 in the AM. I’m looking forward to watching the series and seeing behind the curtain.
A controversial win
Austin Killips, 27, identifies as a woman. She won a race in North Carolina recently by five minutes. The win prompted the second-place finisher, Paige Onweller, was diplomatic about the outcome immediately following the race — but then shared some more poignant thoughts in a blog post.
“A transgender athlete won the women’s overall, which has caused some controversy. For those following women’s road cycling, you are aware of the UCI rule that this is currently allowed,” she wrote. “Rather than sharing my personal opinions about the UCI rule, I think it’s most important to recognize that all athletes, no matter how they identify, should have a space to compete and race. Additionally, underneath all helmets is a face and a person who deserves respect, dignity and a safe space to ride bikes,” she continued. (Well said.)
“In the future, I feel a separate category may be appropriate but event promoters are also learning what is best to preserve both female cycling while also creating an inclusive space for all to ride.”
A bunch of nude cyclists
I mean … there would be A LOT of chaffing. Anyway, some people rode their bikes in Montpelier, VT on Monday as part of the annual World Naked Bike Ride. “We’re out here to show that just being nude does not mean that you are sexual. There’s nothing wrong with a nude body, no body should be shamed — it doesn’t matter how it looks. We’re all the same out here. We are more honest with each other when we are nude,” says Rich Keyes, a member of the Naturist Society Foundation. Hm. OK. I have nothing against being nude. I love being nude. But, like, dude … no one is saying there is anything wrong with a nude body. And I don’t think anyone actively shames nude bodies. It’s just … I don’t know. Keep your clothes on. They provide cleanliness and protection from the elements. ESPECIALLY while riding a bike. But I don’t know. Maybe it’s one of those things I have to do myself to really understand it.
feature of the week
This one hits all the feels, especially on Father’s Day weekend. It’s not a long read, unlike, most stories that make it into this feature, but a good read nonetheless. I can imagine the fear that coursed through this dad’s veins as his son lay helpless on the trail waiting for help.
book excerpt of the week
What gives this girl the right to raise her voice?
In the two of us she sees the twin exponents of the Coke-It’s-Real-Thing equation. She’s the generation that no longer cheers for the riders, but for the journalistic cliché she recognizes in them. Now that I’m five centimeters closer, I can see how pretty she really is. I hate her.
For her, road racing no longer exists. Road racing has gone into the cement mixer of journalism and come out again as the courage of the lone rider, as Poupou, doping doping, today the domestique must shine, Simpson on Mont Ventoux.
She belongs to the generation of emblems. She thinks I got my bicycle out of that cement mixer, that it’s an emblem I use to identify myself as a proponent of the ‘fitness’ rage, like her, with her sweatshirt with the TRAINING decal on it. OK, she’s not wearing it right now, but I’m sure it’s hanging in her closet. If she has a bicycle, it’s definitely a ‘ten-speed’; if she ever rides it, then it’s in the lowest gear possible, hand down on the bottom of the bars. And if she has a milkman, then he wear a sweater saying UNIVERSITY OF OHIO. I hate her.
Never will I be able to make clear to her that I don’t race because I wanted to lose weight, because turning thirty horrified me, because I was dissatisfied with café life, because I wanted to write this book, or because of anything else at all, but purely because it’s road racing. And even if she believed that, how much less could I make her see that I’ve got a smidgen of what it takes, without her thinking that I’d been lying in that ravine beside Hinault.
‘Hey, pretty girl, I came in seventeenth in the Milan-San Remo.’
‘Seventeenth? How many came in after you?’
Really, if I want that pretty girl to understand me, there’s only one thing I can do: become champion of the world.
Tim Krabbé — The Rider
beer of the week
I’ve been liking Kona Brewing Co.’s Big Wave Golden Ale lately. It’s not too heavy, but also not too Bud Light-y, which is a brand of beer I really can’t handle. It has a pleasant taste and it goes down smooth. It’s a great post-ride drink, especially if you can find it on draft like I did during our ride to D.C. from Pittsburgh on our second day. Surely it wasn’t the beer that caused the fatigue to set in after cycling 60 miles, with another 60 to go … :)
Hey! Have a great weekend!
And hey! Share this with your cycling buddies! And then buy a sticker or two! It’s what the cool kids are doing!