About

Welcome to the party!

JJ here – I’m the lead guy behind the scenes at Cycling Beast, and I’m glad to have you here.

The mission of Cycling Beast is simple, we aim to remove roadblocks that hold people back from enjoying cycling.

At the end of the day, cycling is a pretty simple hobby and sport. BUT, there are information gaps and minutia that can make cycling intimidating or frustrating.

For example, maybe you want to try a new type of cycling (road cycling, gravel biking, etc.), or perhaps you’re trying to understand some cycling jargon you just heard. I’ve cycled thousands of miles, but I still find new steps like these to be pretty intimidating.

In my experience, the #1 most valuable thing to help you overcome these kinds of hurdles, is a friend that’s done it before. At Cycling Beast, we aim to be that friend. Or at least the digital version 🙂

We hope that you’ll find all of the guides and FAQ answers on our blog helpful, it’s all free.

Who is JJ?

I’m not known for my selfie-skills 🙂

Now, just a little bit about me.

I love to cycle, and I particularly like bicycle touring. Here are a few highlights of notable trips I’ve completed:

  • The Southern Tier Route (California to Florida): 3,000+ miles, self-supported bike trip
  • Journey to Niagara Falls (Indiana to New York): 400-500 miles, supported bike trip
  • Natchez Trace Parkway (Mississippi to Tennessee): 400-500 miles, supported bike trip
  • Michigan Shoreline (Michigan): 300-400 miles, supported bike trip

But, touring isn’t my only experience. I’ve also done mountain biking, and bicycle “commuting” (i.e. going from A to B with a bike instead of a car).

If you’re into gear, I have used a Cannondale road bike for a lot of my miles (an SR500 to be specific), I’ve also spent a lot of time on a Specialized mountain bike. But my current primary bike, is a Cannondale cyclocross bike, which I like because I can take it on roads or on rougher terrain. Plus it has mounts for a full trunk rack, which is handy for touring.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about cycling, is the strong friendships you can build while cycling long-stretches together. And as someone who has spent a lot of time on a bike, it brings me a great deal of joy when I can help someone who is less experienced have a great cycling experience.

Thanks again for stopping by, and if there’s anything we can do to make the site better, feel free to send us a note on our contact page.