The world is full of average people who ride bikes; let’s get together and make it a better world for all of us Average Joe Cyclists!
My name is Joe, and I am an average cyclist. So is my wife, Maggie. Together we write a blog for average people who love to ride bikes. Most cycling blogs are about people who can bike really fast – and who look stunningly good in skintight lycra. We are not those people! If you are interested in a blog that is mainly about average people having fun on bikes, please consider joining our community by subscribing!
I’m an average guy who makes a living out of writing, editing, and publishing (which I can do for you too, if you need it). Back in 2010 I followed my passion (actually was DRAGGED ALONG SCREAMING by my passion) and started writing a blog for people like me: Average Cyclists. This blog is about fun things average people can do on bikes, such as cycling along wonderful bike trails in Vancouver or Richmond or Montreal or Portland or Vancouver Island, or going on strenuous (but not insane) bicycle tours, or the many health benefits of becoming a bike commuter.
When I started cycling I was, frankly, clueless. I even famously managed to pump a tire DOWN while on a cycle tour, and had to be rescued by a bike store. (Maggie still chuckles every time that “incident” is mentioned.) But since then, thanks to constant cycling, lots of blogging and tons of research, I have learned a lot about cycling. Now, I can even write Bike Maintenance 101 posts, such as my very popular post about the easy way to clean a chain. But I remain – at best – average in terms of how fast I can ride, so I still just an Average Joe Cyclist!
Guest Posts for Average Joe Cyclist
We love hearing from readers about other places that are fun to cycle, and publishing Guest Posts, such as the one about Alex Precosky doing his first Whistler GranFondo. One of our most popular guest posts is about fun places to go on honeymoon – on a bike! Some of our newest guests posts are about cycling vacations in Ireland, and the joys of cycling in Northumberland.
We also love to post stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things on bikes – such as our friend Al, who quit smoking, took up cycling, lost weight, and then did the 240 km/150 mile Ride to Conquer Cancer! And let’s not forget Heather Adams, who overcame cancer and now does the Ride to Conquer Cancer every year.
Mrs. Average Joe Cyclist
A few years ago Maggie caught the cycling bug from me, and soon she was also commuting by bike. Now she also writes posts, under the name she chose: Mrs. Average Joe Cyclist.
Maggie focuses on issues she believes are of special interest to women cyclists, such as the challenges of commuting on a bike and still looking great at the office. She is also thrilled by the fact that both of us have got healthier and lost weight from biking, and so she has written about losing weight by cycling. When she’s not riding a bike, Maggie draws on her years of business leadership experience to run a successful career coaching business, Executive Decisions. That’s Maggie with one of our dogs, Billy the Yorkie-poo (yes, really). We have even written about the challenges and fun of biking with our dogs.
Cycling and Kids
Even though I’m just an Average Joe who rides a bike, I do cycle to work almost every day (except when it snows), and I cycle whenever I get the chance, and I believe that cycling is one of the few ways for adults to reconnect with the sheer joy of being a child.
Speaking of children – Maggie and I have five kids and three grandchildren. That makes the topic of cycling for kids very important to us. We both think that teaching kids to bike is one of the best things parents can do – but we also know how precious our children are, so we are very strong advocates for safe cycling routes for people of all ages and abilities. We don’t think this is a utopian dream – we believe this is the way the world is going in the 21st century.
Product Reviews
Biking can be an expensive hobby (even though it is much cheaper to bike than to drive a car). We spend a lot of money on bikes and associated products, so we decided to start writing some bike reviews and product reviews. In these, we try to give an unbiased review from the point of view of ordinary cyclists who want value for money and quality products.
Electric Bikes
Because we are not that young any more, and because we have very difficult bike commutes, Maggie and I have both got very much into electric bikes, and now we also write a blog about electric bikes. We are excited about electric bikes because we believe they make cycling possible for everybody, and that’s a wonderful thing! Not only that, but by keeping people mobile as they age, electric bikes offer outstanding health benefits, plus the potential to lose weight in a healthy, safe way.
Deciding which electric bike is the best electric bike for YOU is difficult. I have written a book about how to choose the best electric bike for you. The book includes reviews of many of the best electric bikes on the market today. Click here to find out more about this book.
Safe Cycling Routes for All
Finally, Maggie and I have both become advocates for safe cycling infrastructure, as we have had more than a few close calls with cars. (Maggie is still having physiotherapy after being hit by a truck.) We hope our blog will contribute to building a world in which average people who ride bikes can do so more safely, and have more fun doing it.
“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi
What Other People are Saying about Average Joe Cyclist
The Cycling Bug (out of the United Kingdom) lists my blog at no. 5 in a list of 10 Must Read Cycling Blogs, globally.
This is what the Cycling Bug says about my blog:
“5. Average Joe Cyclist
Average Joe Cyclist is into cycling in a big way. His posts range from tips on how to miraculously cure knee pain to the top honeymoon destinations for cyclists. His wife, Mrs Average Joe (of course…) even chimes in to bring a true beginners point of view to cycle commuting.”
My blog came in just ahead of Bike Snob NYC, which was ranked at no. 6!
The I Wear Spandex Blog (out of the USA) lists my blog at no. 3 of “Six awesome, fantastic, and must-read cycling blogs.”
This is what Brian says:
“3) Average Joe’s Cycling Blog – Joe (yeah, just Joe)
“Joe lives in the Pacific Northwest, on the Canada side. That is some of the most beautiful country that you will find, and it sounds like it’s great for cycling. He writes some great content for the average recreational cyclist. I enjoy his writing style and down to earth approach. Joe is truly an “average Joe” cyclist. Don’t mistake that fun name, he’s a big time cyclist with lots to share.
In the blog post here, his wife writes a story sharing her experiences as a new bike commuter. She started commuting to work on her bike and wanted to share all that goes into being a new commuter. She writes just as well as Joe and really captures all that goes into commuting.”
