​A Resource for Cycling Fans

If you've discovered the joy of cycling during the pandemic and are now looking for a way to learn more about the sport of cycling and keep up to date on the cycling scene all over the world, you should check out VeloNews.  According to Betsy Welch, Senior Editor at VeloNews the VeloNews team is based in Boulder, Colorado and it publishes a magazine  and website.   Betsy was the guest speaker at the July 21 Evanston Bicycle Club meeting and she provided a glimpse into what are the current trends in cycling as well as some of her own cycling adventures.  

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VeloNews began publication over 40 years ago covering cycling racing, but it’s writers have expanded to events beyond European road racing to mountain bike and gravel racing, the Everest challenge (riding your bike the vertical elevation of Mt Everest), and virtual racing (involves a cartoon and an announcer).  Other areas they cover are cycling history, adventure, trends, science, and gear.  Topics recently features include:
 
News – bike racing in the time of COVID-19, including events changes and cancellations
Gear – helmets, bikes, and, thanks to Betsy, women’s cycling gear especially those available for the touch points of handlebar, saddle, and shoes
Training – workout plans, how to stay motivated on solo rides, and analysis of power and heart rate data from professional cyclists
Culture -  profiles of key event champions and, on the heels of the George Floyd protests, insight into inequality in cycling
Events – Coverage of all the races that have not been cancelled this year and news on the top professional team comings and goings
 
Betsy has been a freelance writer for over 10 years and recently made the switch to the full time staff at VeloNews from a previous career in health care.  She says that being a registered nurse and journalist requires the small key skill--the ability to ask questions and listen.  She professes a long time love of cycling, saying that when you are exploring new places you see things differently on a bike.  She has made epic cycling trips to Cuba, Molokai, Hawaii, Moab, and the Katy Trail and has the pictures to prove it! 
 
Betsy highlighted the following current trends:

• Bike packing – placing equipment on the handle bars, inner triangle of the bike, and seat tube enabling a self-contained multi-day trip on a bike
• Gravel biking –becoming more popular because riding on off road gravel trails might be considered safer than the road, enables communing with nature,  and there are increasingly more racing opportunities.

To write good reviews on bikes and equipment Betsy is developing new bicycle mechanical skills using her kitchen as her workshop.   She does not profess to be a brand loyalist, but looks for the best product for each category.  She also does some bike tour guiding and says it is just like leading a bike club ride in that people of different backgrounds and abilities get together to ride as a group.
 
VeloNews is gearing up to cover the Tour de France which is scheduled for August 29 to September 20 with modifications in light of COVID-19.  Coverage will be provided by VeloNews European staff.  Sounds like this will be a good place to keep up to date on the world’s greatest cycling event and everything else in between related to cycling.