In September of 2022 I accepted a last-minute invitation to kind of a charity ride-cum company team-building journey within the Swiss Alps. Upon my return I wrote a narrative about it for Bicycling, which I’m happy to report they lastly printed yesterday:
To at the present time I’m nonetheless undecided why Plume (the corporate behind the journey) invited me. I received the sensation perhaps their PR individual plugged “biking journalist” into a well-liked search engine and my identify got here up, however I simply tried it and that doesn’t appear to be the case:
They completely ought to have invited Henri Desgrange.
Anyway, I want I’d been capable of share extra concerning the journey right here instantly upon my return, however I figured it was higher to attend for Bicycling to run the story, and I had no concept that wouldn’t occur for over a yr. By the way in which, it appears like Pogačar got here again for this yr’s journey, and in consequence I can now boast that there’s a photograph of me on his web site:
See? There I’m:
I’m undecided if I used to be actively hiding or simply distracted by my telephone.
Talking of this yr’s journey, the CEO of Plume mentioned he was planning to make it even tougher this yr, and judging from the route it appears like he did simply that.
As for why I selected the Vengeance Bike as a substitute of 1 that really made sense, my unique plan upon receiving the invitation was simply to convey the Homer and do the entire journey in sandals. Nevertheless, taking a look at video of the earlier yr’s journey it was clear to me I ought to no less than use some form of street bike (, pacelines and stuff), and as I say within the story I used to be having fun with driving the Kestrel a lot simply earlier than my departure I figured “What the hell,” and simply threw it in a bag. Nevertheless, I suppose a part of it was additionally my very own insecurity–I had no concept what I used to be entering into or who any of those folks had been, and I assume I form of figured if I used to be gonna get dropped then no less than there could be extra honor in it if I used to be driving a 35 year-old bike with a six-speed and no climbing gears. This is identical motive I used to decorate the way in which I did in highschool: for those who can’t look as cool as the opposite children, then take the alternative tack and are available to high school trying such as you received run over by a driving lawnmower. Additionally, to not examine myself to Jobst Brandt or something, however I knew he used to tour the Alps with like a 46×19 or one thing loopy like that, so I figured (hoped) I’d most likely be capable to handle.
As for Pogačar, I used to be secretly relieved that I by no means received to interview him as a result of I had no concept what to ask him (“Uh, so what’s it wish to be a very good bike rider?”), however he did appear fairly gracious and was completely satisfied to pose for photographs:
However I’ll all the time take into consideration these climbs. Possibly it was simply my dumb gearing, or perhaps my life’s too straightforward in any other case, however they made me really feel elated and like something was attainable. Sooner or later I’ll have to return and take a look at it with regular gears…
