I realize I started the week off on something of a negative note, what with the bum fights and the malaise and all, but I didnt mean to give you the impression that Im planning to pull a Jonathan Maus anytime soon. Sure, in my weaker moments its a tempting thought, but the simple fact is I dont have that luxury, because the work I do here is far too important. And what is that work?Why, Im the Classic Cycle Old Crap Test Pilot, goddamn it!In an age when all you read about is the latest plastic very-small-rocks bike, or maybe some boutique bicycle show full of boutique very-small-rocks bikes with overwrought paint jobs, it is more important than ever that I keep riding and writing about the velocipedes of yesteryear, and were I to abandon my post now Paul would surely have me court-martialed and shot for cowardice and dereliction of duty.In fact, I returned home yesterday only to find a bike box from Bainbridge Island waiting for me. After standing at attention, saluting, and singing our national anthem, I opened it and found this bag containing an item wrapped in newspaper:What could it be? A Sicilian message, perhaps?Trepidatiously I opened it and, well, it kinda was:Lower negative spring chamber?!? What the hell was he talking about? How can a spring be negative?I dug deeper into the box, tore away more newspaper, and found something called a GT:It had teeny, tiny wheels:An insane number of chainrings:And from what I could tell, one applied retarding force via some sort of cable-actuated tongs or pincers:Perhaps Paul had wrapped it in an obsolete medium in order to underscore how wildly primitive it all was:Also, I found it ironic that this bike from far away Washington was wrapped in The New York Times and was advertising the orchid show right down the street from me. By the way, thanks to bicycle infrastructure improvements over the past few years, I can now ride from my home to the New York Botanical Garden more or less entirely on bike paths and separated bike lanes, which comes in quite handy for family outings. Plus, Bronx residents dont even have to pay admission! I mean I guess Id still have to pay admission if I wanted to see the actual orchid show, since the free admission is just for the garden grounds, but orchids schmorchids.Anyway, I dont take a Sicilian message lightly, and so I assembled the bike immediately:What youre looking at is a 1999 GT XCR 1000, and quite a clean specimen too. Naturally theres suspension frontand rear:And its 100% AMERICAN MADE:Sorry if that triggers you:Yes, this is a bike from back when we still made stuff, like the I-Drive with FDS (Front Derailleur Stump):Okay, Im pretty sure thats not called an FDS, but it is a testament to a time when we not only still used front derailleurs, but even went so far as to incorporate structures that served no other purpose but to anchor them.Sorry, my glasses are fogging up.And now it is recumbent upon me to pilot this contraption into the suburban wilderness. Rest assured I shall report back, unless I am felled by either bike path drunkards or turn-of-the-century mountain bike technology, in which case I humbly request burial at sea. Until then,I remain,Yours and so forth,The Classic Cycle Old Crap Test Pilot

Human side of cycling stressed by Geraint Thomas, despite new data-led approach

The unsettled opening phase of Oscar Onleys first season with INEOS Grenadiers continued on Wednesday, with the Brit abandoning the Tour de Romandie during stage 1 under unclear circumstances. No crash had been reported in the race updates, and there had been no obvious pre-stage indication of illn...

Following our Rider's Lens feature on his work last year, UK-based artist Karl Millett was inspired to assemble a packable sketching kit to make more artwork on the move. Find a look at his current tools for drawing on the bike and a smattering of watercolor works from recent bikepacking trips here...The post A Peek at Karl Milletts Lightweight Sketching Kit and Drawings on the Go appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

The company added that Rouvy would be made immediately available on Zwift-compatible trainers, whilst both businesses would be run independently for now

The list of potential challengers to Jonas Vingegaard at the 2026 Giro dItalia continues to shrink, with Richard Carapaz now officially ruled out of the race. Following the earlier withdrawals of Joao Almeida and Mikel Landa, the confirmation from EF Education-EasyPost that their leader will not st...

When it came time for Britt Walker to retire her trusty tent after more than seven years of service, she felt inspired to upcycle it into a practical mix of bags and other accessories to accompany her on future adventures and in everyday life. In this short piece, she shares an ode to her longtime shelter and a little about the meaningful project of giving it a second, third, and fourth life in new forms...The post Upcycled Adventures: A Fresh Life for an Old Tent appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Along with unreleased hubs, WTC had another sneaky new product hanging around their booth. Bar ends. But these arent your average bar ends or bark busters. Instead, these are meant to help you ride faster with less arm pump and hand fatigue. Pro DH racer Joe Breeden has been pioneering the DH bar end for a few years now with the idea that something on the end of the bar allows you to push into it with the side of your palm for additional steering input while also acting as a way to loosen your grip on long descents without risking your hands coming off the bars. Up to this point, Joe has been making his own grips under the AXESS UNLTD banner. The current Get a grip bar ends are either full or half circle grip sections that bolt into the end of your bars adding to your current grips. Now, Joe has partnered with Wolf Tooth Components to take that design to the next level with a fully molded design that looks like it will cup the end of your hand for even better control (and provide a bit of protection for your pinky finger/knuckle). The only catch is that you have to have an open ended grip, so youre either limited in grip choice or you have to figure out how to cut a hole in the end of your non-open ended grips. While Joe set out to find a solution for top-level DH racing, Wolf Tooth thinks the tech could be useful for e-bike riders pushing around heavier bikes as well. WTC expects these to run $35 a pair and will be available likely by the end of May. wolftoothcomponents.comThe post Wolf Tooth Works with Joe Breeden on New Bar Ends to Decrease Arm Pump & Fatigue appeared first on Bikerumor.

Two companies will maintain their independent operations and subscription packages

INEOS Grenadiers are reportedly closing in on another Colombian climber, with respected journalist Daniel Benson indicating that a three-year deal is being finalised for Harold Tejada. According to Bensons latest transfer update, the 28-year-old, currently racing for XDS Astana Team, has emerged as...