Cycotherapy News Roundup: Wrecked but not finished, women of the Tour Divide, a taste of Rochester, and Stephen King
Greetings on this fine Friday, cycopaths.
We’re back.
I rode my bike through the woods recently and I’m feeling refreshed. More on that at a later time, but just know that Cycotherapy is back. We’ll keep the Friday newsletter headlines/stuff roundup and at least one essay-type post per week. I might even throw in some poetry every once in a while.
Look for a post soon for a more thorough outline of those thoughts.
But for now, some fodder for your weekend cycling jaunts.
headlines
Only one way to go
Shimano’s revenue in the first half of the year is down by 13%, SRAM is laying people off (so is Bell), All City Cycles is closing and Van Moof declared bankruptcy. Given all this doom and gloom, experts are still optimistic the bike industry is set for a rebound, or at least a stabilization period, in 2024. I’m not sure how, but maybe it’s because there’s only one way to go — and that’s up.
Could the TDF roll out of the UK in 2026?
Maybe. A successful UCI Cycling World Championship in Scotland could inspire Christian Prudhomme, the Tour’s director, to give the United Kingdom a shot, Steph Brawn reports for The National.
A review of ‘Joy Ride’
Came across this review from Anchorage Daily News about Kristen Jokinen’s Joy Ride, the tale of her and her husband’s adventure from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina. Wow. What a ride, especially for a couple who had just bought bikes and didn’t train. Just goes to show you … just ride, man. Just ride.
Wrecked but not finished
This little column by Andrew Vontz contributed to getting my drive back. This is more motivational than newsy, though it does reference something that happened in real life: Mathieu van der Poel’s effort (and crash) (and win) during the pro men’s World Championship road race. Gotta get back up. Thanks JEK for sharing it.
feature of the week
“If I can’t do it brave, then I’ll do it scared.”
There were 18 women out of 201 riders who participated in this year’s 2023 Tour Divide — a 2,745-mile MTB race from Banff to New Mexico. Danielle Vilaplana interviewed 14 of the women who rode the epic.
I love the quote included, uttered by April Drage. So honest and raw.
If you wanna get a feel for the ride, watch this video by Alexandrea Houchin. It is also honest and raw.
book excerpt of the week
You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair — the sense that you can never completely put on the page what’s in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick ass and take down names. You can come to it because you want a girl to marry you or because you want to change the world. Come to it any way by lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.
I’m not asking you to come reverently or unquestioningly; I’m not asking you to be politically correct or cast aside your sense of humor (please God you have one). This isn’t a popularity contest, it’s not the moral Olympics, and it’s not church. But it’s writing, damn it, not washing the car or putting on eyeliner. If you can take it seriously, we can do business. If you can’t or won’t, it’s time for you to close the book and do something else.
Wash the car, maybe.
Stephen King — On Writing
dish of the week
The Rochester Garbage Plate
We visited our friends in Rochester, New York back in July. I insisted we make garbage plates for dinner one night, because, well … they’re just delicious. I like that it originates from Rochester — a little cultural dish, if you will. They are not meant to be gourmet or healthy. They are meant to feed a large group of people who are having a good time together. It’s meant to be messy. It’s meant to be a spicy, to make you sweat a bit. To me, it represents togetherness. Community. The sweetness of the macaroni salad, the savory-ness of the cheeseburger. The marrying of wild flavors all melded into one beautiful mass of calories and goodness and wonder.
There are lots of ways to enjoy the Rochester Garbage Plate. But here’s how what things our friends use to make the dish.
-Momma K’s Meat Hot Sauce
-Grilled cheeseburgers
-Macaroni salad
-Home fries
-Chopped onions
-Italian bread
-Ketchup + mustard
This is one of those things you just have to try. Looks gross on paper, but it tastes miraculous.
out-of-context quote of the week
“… either these vitamins work or we have the world’s most expensive urine.”
in an interview with .
Yeah! get out and ride more! Outside of a bike is good for your insides!
Great to have you back!!!