Category: Biking
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Beginner Bike Maintenance: Pre-Ride Checks
When I first started cycling (and let’s be real, to this day), Mark is my bike mechanic. And my friends’ bike mechanic… I have a few colleagues who cycle and think “bike maintenance” is something best left to professionals with expensive tools and mysterious knowledge. However, there will be time that I will have a…
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8 Tips for Building Mental Toughness on the Bike
If you’d asked me early on what made cycling hard, I would have said hills. Or distance. Or speed. When it comes to cycling, people usually focus on fitness — stronger legs, better lungs, higher watts. But after a certain point, it’s not your body that wants to stop first. It’s your brain. Some rides…
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Cycling the Golden Gate Bridge
Few bike rides are as iconic as cycling the Golden Gate Bridge. One moment you’re weaving through city streets, the next you’re floating above the Pacific with fog drifting in and out. The iconic red towers rise around you like something from a film set. But the bridge itself is only part of the experience.…
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Fueling on the Bike & Avoiding Bonking
If you’re new to cycling, you may or may not have heard the term “bonk.” Bonking sounds like it might be fun, right? Not quite. It’s that, sudden moment when your body says, “Nope, we’re done here.” Your legs stop cooperating, your head feels foggy, and you question every life choice that led you to…
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Japan Cycle Touring Packing: 2 Short Trips
Japan is one of those rare places where cycle touring feels both adventurous and approachable. Incredible infrastructure, thoughtful drivers, convenience stores everywhere, and routes that blend nature, culture, and food — sometimes all within the same kilometre. But packing for cycle touring, especially for your first trip, can feel overwhelming. What do you really need?…
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10 Tips for Beginner Cycling Route Planning
For new cyclists, the hardest part isn’t necessarily always fitness — it can also be feeling safe and confident on the ride. The good news? Thoughtful route planning can dramatically reduce stress and make riding feel enjoyable instead of intimidating. Now the bulk of my experience comes from riding in the Fraser Valley of BC…
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Lake Biwa: A 3-Day Guide To Japan’s Iconic Lakeside Loop
Just north of Kyoto is Japan’s largest freshwater lake — Lake Biwa — a calm, scenic place where locals swim, cycle, paddleboard, and temple-hop. Lake Biwa has been a cultural heartland for centuries: ancient shrines, Zen monasteries, and old post towns ring the shoreline. Much like the Shimanami Kaido route, the Biwaichi route is a…
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Understanding your Road Bike Gears & Cadence
Learn how your bike gears and cadence can work for you, so that your ride is smoother, you climb easier, and go faster with less effort.
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Cycling the famous Shimanami Kaido route in Japan
Back home in Vancouver, the rainy season had already settled in. We hadn’t been outside on our bikes in weeks, and while indoor trainers keep your legs moving, they’re undeniably a little soul-crushing. So I cannot tell you how wonderful it felt to be on the bikes outside – especially for an adventure on the…
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Cycling Gear 101: What You Actually Need (and What You Don’t)
When I first started cycling, I had no idea what half the gear was for — drop bars, clip-in shoes, aero helmets… it all sounded a bit intense (and expensive). Mark, of course, already owned several bikes and more cycling gear than I thought one person could need. Meanwhile, I was just trying to figure…