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Stories from Specialized

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Stories from around the world

Image for story Bikepacking adventures

Bikepacking adventures

I have always commuted short journeys but since the pandemic I have really got into longer rides I was inspired by Mark Beaumont & Emily Chappel (google it) I spent last winter getting used to ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story 4 Corners

4 Corners

It was the last four days of the Cycle September Challenge and I got a text from Meg. "I want to hit all four corners of the City in the last four days. Which corner would you rather ride, SE or SW... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Back in the Saddle

I got back home the evening of Sept. 21. It's great to be on a real bicycle again; but I'm more out of condition that I thought. I've got a ways to go before I'm really back in shape, and am back t... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Loving the IB

I am enjoying the IB Scavenger Hunt. Visiting so many places and discovering so many new murals.

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Fit Rovers 100 mile ride

Fit Rovers 100 mile ride

Back in 2019 I was encouraged to get back on a bike for the first time in over 30 years by colleagues at Fit Rovers. Since then I have been building up my time cycling and during the pandemic lock-... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story My Summer on the Road

My Summer on the Road

From May 29 to August 8 I joined the Fuller Center Bike Adventure to benefit the Fuller Center for Housing. We rode our bicycles from Amelia Island, Florida to Florence, Oregon. We stopped 6 days... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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LoveToRide and the MapMyRide app

UnderArmor bought Endomondo and promptly decided in November of 2019 to retire the Endomondo app and substitute their own MapMyRide App...all well and good except that mapmyride on my Galaxy S7 Edg... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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King Alfreds Way

King Alfreds Way Between lockdowns last year my youngest son rode KAW (King Alfreds Way) with a friend, they did it rough camping and in three days. Being inspired and needing to plan some th... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Well done everyone for June Bike Challenge

Thank you Love to Ride for the June Bike Challenge and all those lovely prizes. Sad to say I had no luck in the raffles, but hey that is not what it is all about. I was trying not to be competiti... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Smashing my First 💯 miler

Smashing my First 💯 miler

Hope you don’t mind, but it’s me again. 🙃 Following on from my previous story when I said my goal was to achieve a 💯 mile ride. Well yesterday I achieved it. I went out for a cycle with my Paul, m... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Being Present on your ride

Being Present on your ride

Yesterday I rode the well known guided busway that runs between St Ives and Cambridge in Cambridgeshire. One way it is 14 miles. Because it runs along an old trainline, it's pretty flat the whole... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Tour de Rennie Grove

Tour de Rennie Grove

I’m currently about to take to the roads of the southern Chilterns in the 3rd and final leg of this charity ride. Being a regular cyclist, with distances of 50 miles a regular occurrence, I set my... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Making Time

Spare time is somewhat of a luxury when you have a 5 year old, 3 year old and 5 week old. Finding enough time to get out on a bike ride has proven to be challenging these last few weeks but with th... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Way of the Roses

Way of the Roses

After three years planning and lock downs we completed the way this June. Setting off from Whalley we rode to Morecambe, took the usual start photo and cycled to Lancaster for our first nights stay... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story The New Forest

The New Forest

As part of cycle June I have also been taking part cycling 100 miles for dementia during June. With this in mind I mounted my Cycle on the back of the car and headed with my husband to the New For... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story The early bird catches the Ram!

The early bird catches the Ram!

Last week I got on my bike for the first time this year in order to join in with the Great Get Together Ride for Refugee Week. I haven’t worn a watch since lockdown last March so a quick glance at ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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My first century

Trying to cycle more this month and on Saturday I cycled over 100 miles for charity. Didn't think I would ever get to this point but can't believe how much the enjoyment of a day in the sun and the... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Endomondo and Map My Ride experience

Cool. As you may be aware, UnderArmor killed Endomondo last year. That was my app of choice for recording my rides. The new app that UnderArmor is marketing is MapMyRide. I promptly switched ove... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story My challenge

My challenge

I completed my first ever sportive yesterday. 65 miles, with an average speed of 12.5 mph. Three years ago, I thought 10-15 miles was a good ride. My next challenge is to become as confident on a r... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Home Home Out out

Home Home Out out

Come visit for lunch. The folks invited. So with decent weather and coincidentally #Worldbicycleday off I set. 166km round trip and a lovely lunch with the parents. I will take a rain check for a ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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100 miles in a day

I think I did to much the 106 miles was hard but I want to prove I still can at 67 took me all day started at 6am stopped every two hours until 3:40pm. I will not be doing it again

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story 2 in one shot

2 in one shot

Ride to the park for a pic with my bike and helmet! #bikeanywherebingo

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Rode to Julian

Rode to Julian

I have been training for longer distances and more elevation in preparation for bikepacking. So on Saturday, I rode from Escondido to Julian and back. I was a bit scared of the lack of shoulder i... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Biking Everyday

Biking Everyday

Everything is close, so it's impractical for me to drive my route during the week: dropping my son off at school, going to work and heading to the local Farmers Market. I'm really happy I made the... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Riding to keep our sanity

Riding to keep our sanity

My husband and I were mt. bikers before his accident. His handcycle has made it possible for us to still enjoy our time pedaling. His old friend and one time volleyball buddy joins us on a handcycl... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Sea Otter Classic eMTB Race

Sea Otter Classic eMTB Race

Raced in the eMTB at Sea Otter Classic. It was great to be out with other riders, talking to vendors and learning. I got to meet Calvin Jones of Park Tool - he helped me fix my buddy's bike after... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story 1970s tandem gets a new life!

1970s tandem gets a new life!

My partner does vegetable deliveries by bike trailer and last week when he was on his rounds he sent me a photo of a very old tandem bike, saying "someone threw this in a skip". It was a lovely blu... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Scavenger hunt!

The weather is so nice and perfect for fish tacos by the beach

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Pedal It Forward

Pedal It Forward

Our family recently had the opportunity to upgrade a bike. We replaced a Trek 830 Mountain Track (1997ish) with a new Liv Rove E+ so it was a pretty significant change. We didn’t need to keep the o... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Pit Stop During the IB Active Bike Challenge

Pit Stop During the IB Active Bike Challenge

We stopped by Cowabunga for a sweet treat (and to fulfill a clue) during our 5-mile bike ride today.

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story IB Active Scavenger Hunt

IB Active Scavenger Hunt

Do the Hunt! It’s FUN! You get the miles in, lots of interesting places to check out, and prizes are an added bonus!🚴🏼‍♂️

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Aller à la plage en vélo

Aller à la plage récréoparc en vélo!!! Beau défi surtout après une semaine de canicule. Nous avons fais 60 km aller-retour. On s’est bien préparé pour faire cette route à vélo sans oublier les truc... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Virtual STP for Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Virtual STP for Special Operations Warrior Foundation

This is my third STP ride, having ridden my 1st time in 2019 with my son Stephen, and I rode virtually last year. I live far off in Southern Ohio, and it was hard for me to find a training partner.... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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RNLI Charity Ride

Purely by coincidence, it has been postponed twice due the pandemic, six of us have just completed a four day ride (26th.-29th. June) from Weston-Super-Mare to Padstow in support of the RNLI. Over... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story 0kms to 20kms to 65kms and beyond

0kms to 20kms to 65kms and beyond

I was a regular biker 10 years ago. used to do 100 mile ride once a year for charity. I couldn't get onto bike riding until this year. I found group of friends doing Saturday rides. We started ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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A bike ride a day keeps the doctor away

I decided to ride my rickety old Kona mountain bike every day of June as a personal challenge. So far I'm on day 22 and have been out everyday and ridden 188 miles, the most in one day is 20 miles ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Return to cycling

Return to cycling

I have always had a bike since I was a child. I would ride all the time with friends or on my own not so much to get places but more for the enjoyment of cycling. However like with a lot of thi... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story The Yorkshire Beast

The Yorkshire Beast

5:01 AM on Saturday, June 19, 2021 Hambleton, England A feast for all. The Main course is ready. Hors d’oeuvres out of the way and the beef suitably rested. Well, The Yorkshire Beast - an even... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Over the hills and far away

Over the hills and far away

The end of a big challenge. Completed the Dartmoor Classic Medio ride not far off a Silver Medal time. Only started cycling again about 4 years ago, because the work car park was shut!

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Why I decided to get moving #womenwhoride

Why I decided to get moving #womenwhoride

Lockdown one hit me hard- I developed anxiety and depression through a mix of teacher and mum guilt. This left me both a mental and physical wreck. I was prescribed fluoxetine and it helped however... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Steve's 41 club Dementia UK 706 mile challenge.

Steve's 41 club Dementia UK 706 mile challenge.

I work at Johnson Matthey at Clitheroe and a lot of colleges have seen me coming into or leaving work in bright coloured lycra. Instead of my bright car. And you have wondered why … I have si... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Bike packing the South Downs Way

Bike packing the South Downs Way

Having been a keen cyclist for years for commuting, in a work based road club, and mtb trail riding with friends. With the lock down easing I decided to try a new challenge with my mtb friends. We ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Just for fun.....NOT! :)

When I formed our team, my thought wasn't to be competitive. I just wanted to participate, encourage some friends to ride, and be in the running for some of the cool prizes during the Challenge. On... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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New riders passion

I bought a bike for transportation only because my daughter got her driver's license & needed my car. This began my passion for biking. Now I ride on bike paths, I learned the road ways & e... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Bicycles - foldable, with a Hub and with a Sterling Ackoroyd Hub

I ventured into cycling and kept on changing bikes - starting out carefully with a foldable bike tucked up in the corner of the office hoping that I would be allowed to visit clients soon. I swappe... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

Image for story Cruising the Neighborhood at Night

Cruising the Neighborhood at Night

The highlight of Shasta Bike Month for me has been riding my bike in the late evenings around our neighborhood. Sometimes I ride alone, other times my husband or girls join me. Or our fun neighbor,... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story A Ride to the Lighthouse

A Ride to the Lighthouse

Sally and I haven’t ridden in a week so our legs were not in the best of condition. We decided on a ride to the lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument. It was a scenic 50 mile loop from home. We ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Safari Park and Coast to Crest Challenge

Safari Park and Coast to Crest Challenge

For Bike Anywhere Week, one of the challenges was to ride to an iconic San Diego destination. The closest I could find to my home in Escondido was the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Since that was ne... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Red Rider Family

Red Rider Family

My cousin and I are Red Riders. What this means is that we are cyclist who have diabetes. My cousin had lost his eye sight because of diabetes. He and I reconnected a few years back through cycling... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Beautiful Britain By Bike - Day 2

Beautiful Britain By Bike - Day 2

Beautiful Britain By Bike - Day Two. Corinium Dobunnorum Loop of the Cotswolds- a step back in time exploring the deserted lanes of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Today's commute took ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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