Posts.

Henry: "Jay, do you trust me?" I thought, "of course, with my life." Which was good because I was flat on my back on a gravel track in the middle of nowhere staring up at the Utah sky and had no idea what had just happened.

You're riding through Medieval villages with cobbled streets that barely accommodate a small car. But the locals seem rarely put off by cyclists—single or in groups. As with the pace overall in Italy, they take the short wait to get around you in stride.

But by no accident. One that’s been percolating for nearly a decade. Not out of fantasy either. Carefully considered, deliberately planned and executed.

My biking palmares started with a Schwinn Stingray. Along the way I had a 10-speed, then a hybrid Miyata, moved to a mountain bike, then a tri bike, before retiring to roadie status for the last 15 years.