A cyclist, especially a racing cyclist, is constantly looking for a reprieve from the wind, to save energy, to gain an advantage, and to move faster. The wind is often…
Michael Barry is a former professional cyclist, three-time Olympian, multiple Canadian National Champion, author of four books and is now an owner of Mariposa Bicycles.
Grime and Grease
Arriving home, I pull off my sweater. The scent of the workshop has woven its way into the fabric: grease, paint, rubber, flux, and oil. In the aromas, I…
Bikes
Like most cyclists, I have several bikes hanging in my garage. Which is my favorite? That’s easy—the Mariposa porteur bike that my father built for me eight years ago. I…
The Cross
Racing cyclocross was once a common method for professional cyclists to stay fit in the off-season. Until the late ’80s, road champions like Roger De Vlaemink, Eddy Merckx, and…
Time Off
By mid August, the professional peloton begins to yearn for the off-season. The Tour de France is over and the rest of Europe is vacationing in coastal towns or mountain…
Work or Play?
To most people cycling is freedom. When asked what their first memory of riding is, they’ll likely recall the joy they felt as they took their first pedal strokes…
Early Morning.
At 5:40 a.m. the group met, in the parking lot of the 24-hour grocery store. The city streets were void of the parked cars that line the curbs each day…
Le Métier. The Seasons of a Professional Cyclist. Third Edition.
Now available: Amazon or Rouleur
Cycling Becomes a Cleaner Sport, Not a Safer one.
New York Times, Oct 15, 2012. Click here .
The USADA Investigation
Cycling has always been a part of my life. As a boy my dream was to become a professional cyclist who raced at the highest level in Europe. I achieved…
The last set of race numbers
The Montreal Grand Prix was officially my final race as a professional cyclist as I will not be racing in Italy this week or China in October because the arm…
Thank you.
After a lifetime of bicycle racing and experiences that have taken me around the world, introduced me to my wife and my closest friends, I am ready to retire as…