BetterBike

The first time I unrolled my sleeping bag on a patch of dirt behind a state park campground, the sky was the deepest black I had ever seen. I lay there for what felt like an hour, listening to an owl, the soft pop and hiss of distant highway tires on warm asphalt, and the … Read more

Running out of water 40 miles from the nearest town is the kind of mistake that ends bikepacking trips early. I learned this the hard way on a Utah desert loop when a “seasonal” spring turned out to be a dusty wash and I pedaled the last 90 minutes in the dark with a half-empty … Read more

Every cyclist has been there. You feel fantastic at mile 20, strong at mile 40, then somewhere around mile 70 your legs turn to cement, your heart rate spikes for no reason, and you are coasting at 12 mph wondering what went wrong. That sudden collapse is called blowing up, and it is almost always … Read more

Planning a bike trip in and stuck on the panniers vs bikepacking bags question? You are not alone. This is one of the most debated topics in the bike touring and bikepacking world, and the answer genuinely depends on where you ride, how much you carry, and what bike you own. I have spent years … Read more

You’re cruising down your usual route when a pothole the size of a dinner plate appears 10 feet ahead. A car is right behind you, and a parked truck is on your left. Swerving isn’t an option. This is exactly the moment when knowing how to bunny hop a pothole or obstacle keeps you safe. … Read more

When I first started researching bike theft, I assumed most bikes disappeared from public racks and train stations. The data told a completely different story. The single most common place a bike gets stolen is the owner’s own home, and the gap between home thefts and public thefts is wider than most cyclists realize. We’ve … Read more

If your hands clench the handlebars every time your tires hit loose gravel, you are in good company. Most cyclists I have coached through their first gravel season describe the exact same feeling: a skittish front wheel, a heart rate spike, and a sudden urge to walk the next section. The good news is that … Read more

Every cyclist faces the same moment: you arrive at your destination, lean your bike against a rack, and wonder whether your lock is good enough. If you have ever stood on a sidewalk turning your U-lock over in your hands while a chain lock rattles in your bag, you already know that the choice between … Read more

If you have ever watched a pro peloton glide past at 28 mph and wondered how those riders sustain that pace for hours, the answer is not superhuman fitness. The answer is drafting. Learning how to draft safely in a group to save energy is the single biggest technique upgrade available to a recreational cyclist, … Read more

If you have ever pedaled away an hour and wondered whether it actually moved the needle on the scale, you are not alone. Most riders I have worked with over the years ask the same thing: how much you need to ride to actually lose weight, in real numbers, not vague advice. The short answer … Read more