š¤·āāļøStage 42: What happened to the fixie culture?
the $250,000 Gravel Race Series and the ultimate gravel training guide.
Hi,
How is your week going? Iām coming at you from my rest day in Girona for Stage 42 of our newsletter. This rest day has been long overdue. With over 26 hours clocked up on the bike in the past seven days, itās fair to say Iām pretty tired.
Thereās not too much on my agenda today. Iāll be heading out for a very short, and very easy recovery ride up Els Angels, the main climb out of Girona. Then itās a case of parking myself at the cafĆ© before my Spanish class this evening.
Weāre trying a new feature this week at the bottom of the newsletter. Weāre going to start to introduce brands that we feature on our app. Itās just a short, bite-sized part of their story but we hope you enjoy it. Scroll to the bottom to see us introduce āAngry Pabloā.
Have a good week on the bike,
Joe
Also, feel free to emailĀ meĀ at joe@nplus1.cc if you have any questions, or feel Iāve missed something that is worth putting in the newsletter.
š Read
#gravel
The gravel scene is going from strength to strength. Every week, there is something new and this week, itās HUGE. This new American series includes three MTB and three gravel events. The prize pot is a whopping $250,000. A few years ago, it was hardly mentioned in the cycling industry. Now, itās one of the fastest-growing sectors in the sport. Long live Gravel!
4-minute read
#culture
Matteo Jorgenson hails from Idaho, lives in Nice, and races for a Spanish World-Tour team. He is one of Americaās brightest hopes for the future, yet heās much more than just a bike racer. Along with his brother, he spent his off-season backpacking part of the 180 km long GR 20 in Corsica, one of Europeās hardest hiking trails. Matteo doesn't know what sort of bike racer he is yet, nor does he plan to stick to traditions.
7-minute read
#health
Phil Southerland is changing diabetes through sport. He is the founder of the Novo-Nordisk Pro Cycling team, a team that only hires T1 diabetic riders, and the CEO of Supersapiens. Supersapiens is a revolutionary piece of tech in the sports world, allowing the athlete to monitor glucose levels in real time. I can guarantee that this wonāt be the last you hear of Southerland or Supersapiens, so get ahead of the game and check this interview out.
5-minute read.
#pride
Sometimes, change has to start at the bottom and force its way up. When it comes to LGBTQ+ representation in pro-cycling, specifically on the menās side, itās non-existent. There are no openly gay male riders in the pro-peloton, statistically, thatās pretty much impossible. Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, one of Australiaās oldest cycling clubs, hosted the first-ever pride round of its summer crit series. It may only be a ripple, but a single ripple can lead to significant change.
4-minute read
#training #gravel
There are few Gravel events across winter, which makes it the perfect time for training. While gravel riding, is obviously all about pedalling, it also takes a toll on the upper body. Core and upper-body strength can be key in guiding your way through technical off-road sections. This is the ultimate training guide from Wahoo and itās great.
5-minute read
š±Tweet of the week
Chris Froome is one of the greatest cyclists of all time and Iām sure many of us would love to go out for a training ride with him. Well, unless that training ride includes wading through swamps with crocodiles.
š§ Listen
Like everything, cycling disciplines go through phases. Weāre well and truly in the gravel phase, but a decade ago, it was all about the fixie. The fixed-gear phenomenon was unique, as a core part of the movement were bike messengers, riders not from the ātraditionalā cycling scene. The jewel in the crown was the Red Hook Criterium races. What did happen to the fixie culture? Tom Whalley and The Cycling Podcast find out.
68-minute listen
š Watch
L39ION of Los Angeles arenāt reinventing the wheel, but theyāre changing bike racing forever. The American crit squad recently hosted one of the biggest crits in history, with a whopping $100K on the line. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the big primes, loud jerseys, and equal prize purses that made Into the Lionās Den so good.
15-minute watch
šš» Introducing
In this new part of the newsletter, weāre going to introduce one of the vendors that we work with at N+1.
Introducingā¦ Angry Pablo
Angry Pablo are relatively new to the cycling world, having only launched in April 2020. The brand was founded by two friends who lead very different lives but were always brought together by one thing, the humble bicycle.
Their goal is to create a sustainable off-the-bike clothing culture in cycling. And the dream? To be the first cycling brand that is sought after by both cyclists and those who have never worn lycra.
Be sure to download our app and browse their collection!