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My Dad’s Last Days in Europe
Plus, finding joy in the ride, cycling shoes history, and Stats for the Nerds
Sam Westby
June 05, 2025
Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. It’s liked a tailwind going downhill for your eyeballs.
—Sam Westby @samcwestby
This is a weekly newsletter about bike trips, urban cycling, and a love for two-wheeled transit. The more time you spend on a bike, the better. I share new editions every Thursday, gearing you up for the ride ahead.
Here’s what we have today.
🌍 RIDE: My dad’s last day in Europe
💡 TIP: Leave time for detours
🎥 WATCH: Finding joy in the ride
🚲 ARCHIVES: The history of cycling shoes
📰 NEWS: New bike lanes and one-ways
RIDE REPORT
My Dad’s Last Days in Europe
I’m currently at the Network Science conference in Maastricht, Netherlands, and my dad landed safely in Charlotte North Caroline. We had a good final week together.
Things went fast in Paris. To be honest, I’m not a big Paris fan. The only other time I was there was 2018 when I was hopping across hostels. After this visit, I have a theory why some people love Paris and others don’t.
I think it comes down to how much you’re willing to spend. Paris has excellent restaurant offerings, shopping, and hotels. As frugal bike travelers, those are not things we partook in. Would I love Paris if I went to more interesting restaurants and loved shopping? Probably.
”Paris Syndrome” is a formal syndrome where people experience real physical symptoms from their disappointment in Paris. Dizziness, hallucinations, and sweating, all from disappointment. I didn’t experience this, but it’s interesting to know that it’s a real thing.
On our way to Brussels from Paris, I get a last minute email from the person at Ortlieb who I work with. She was on my route! We were just going to meet for a meal, but my dad and I ended up staying with her at a cycling house with the rest of the LA Sweat elite cycling team.
it was such a random opportunity that came together last minute and shouldn’t have worked as smoothly as it did. That’s the beauty of bike touring.
Bike touring tip: always leave room for a change of plans. All of my regrets from past bike tours have been saying no to interesting opportunities, mostly because I had a deadline to get to my destination.
My dad gets to enjoy cycling with my brother this week, and after my conference I’ll head to London to see some friends. I’ll miss my riding buddy, but we’ll get to ride together soon.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Finding Joy in the Ride - Lachlan Morton
Spend 16 minutes with Lachlan Morton racing the Traka and an epic Sweden route.
Watch on YouTube.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Original Cycling Shoes
Pre-1940s: Ordinary dress shoes
1940s-1960s: Steel-reinforced soles, and designs made for toe clips
1970s-1980s: Plastic cleats and clipless pedal systems were invented
1990s: Velcro straps and ratchet systems made shoes easier to adjust.
2000s: Carbon fiber soles became standard
2010s-Present: Too many options
You can read more here.
204 miles (328 km). The length of new bike infrastructure proposed in Dallas Texas. (Observer)
47th Street. Part of this street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will be converted to a one-way making room for a bike lane. (Philly Voice)
One ways. Similarly, Cleavland, Ohio is also converting two streets to one-ways to make space for non-motor vehicle transit. (Plain Dealer)
Rude. A study in England blames rude cycling advocates on politicians’ ambivalence toward cycling infrastructure. (Forbes)
45. The number of new stations being added to the Pittsburgh bikeshare system nearly doubling their existing number. (Post Gazette)
A Note From Sam
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