Review: Just Ride – Simple and, at times, controversial advice for anyone who loves riding

By Vernon Felton

The man for whom the word "retro grouch" was coined has penned one of the more thoughtful and relevant books on cycling to date.

People who are familiar with Grant Petersen tend to fall into one of two camps. Those in Camp A see him as a throwback—the original “retro grouch” (indeed, the very term was invented to describe Petersen) who hates innovation and clings to outdated notions about bicycle design. Folks in Camp B, by contrast, revere the man as a bastion of common sense in a bicycle industry run amok with idiotic trends.

In short, Petersen has always been a divisive figure. What’s more, his new book Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike shows that nothing’s changed in that regard. The book is, at turns, witty, harsh, rational, ballsy, introspective and, above all else, refreshingly different from everything else hogging shelf space at your local newsstand or bookstore.

A bit of background: Grant Petersen is the owner of Rivendell Bicycle Works (a company specializing in steel road bikes that hark back to earlier times). He’s also the author of the Rivendell Reader. Most people, however, are most familiar with Petersen from his decade-long stint (1984 to 1994) as the marketing director of Bridgestone Bicycles. It was at Bridgestone that Petersen made his most obvious mark—as the designer of what are arguably the most beloved road and mountain bikes of that period. The bikes that bore the Bridgestone name were brilliantly designed: infinitely practical, yet very high performance. Indeed, this is precisely why clapped-out RB-1s, XO-1s and MB-Zips still command boutique prices on Ebay today.

It’s easy to write Petersen off as a relic from a defunct era. The man championed rigid forks and friction shifters: what could he say now that would have any relevance today? Quite a lot, actually.

The premise of Just Ride is simple: most of the bikes, clothing and conventional wisdom foisted on cyclists today might make sense for that tiny sliver of the cycling population that races professionally, but are wildly off-point for the rest of us. Carbohydrates? Avoid them. Pedaling smooth circles? A physical impossibility (he advocates mashing them instead). Carbon-fiber forks? Sketchy. Clipless pedals? Generally a bad idea. And racing? It ruins cycling for the masses.

This is not a book written by a timid man.

I don’t agree with everything Petersen has to say. For instance, while I completely agree with his contention that people obsess uselessly over grams on their bikes when they should, first and foremost, drop a few inches from their waistlines, I also think the notion of a 31-pound “performance” road bike (that’s how much his personal bike weighs) is ridiculous.

Likewise, Petersen’s assessment on the deficiencies of carbon fiber as a frame and component material is outdated—it might have rung true five or ten years ago, but resin technology and composite manufacturing processes have improved massively over the intervening years. Carbon fiber’s track record is actually pretty damn good.

Most notably, Petersen makes a strong case in favor of riding light and loose on the bike as opposed to relying on mechanical suspension. While picking a clean line and riding light on the bike are always good ideas, front and rear suspension have vastly changed mountain biking for the better by enabling riders of all skill levels to tackle terrain that would have destroyed the rigid bikes of the past. Not everyone requires suspension, true, but that group of riders is miniscule.

Still, even though I shook my head and muttered while reading a few passages, I recommend Just Ride to everyone. For starters, it’s a good read—Petersen’s writing is top notch. And while he stakes out strong and controversial positions, Petersen readily admits that he doesn’t hold the ultimate answer to every question. What’s more, there’s great advice in here for beginners and intermediate riders, as well as some excellent in-depth discussions on bicycle geometry and “velosophy”. The book covers everything from wrapping your handlebars to reducing your Q-factor (a term he invented back in the `90s). The best thing about this book, however, is that it’s a welcome counterpoint to all the books and magazines out there currently demanding that you Get Fit! Get Lean! Race! Race! Race!

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with being fit, fast or with strapping on a number plate. There’s everything wrong, however, with reducing cycling to the one-dimensional act of squeezing yourself into a sausage suit and monitoring your heart rate. Cycling is bigger, more profound and infinitely more interesting than any of that. You don’t need the latest gizmos, a racing license or team-issue bike to have a good time. Just Ride is a much-needed reminder that twenty minutes spent pedaling your bike on a whim is just as valid and praise-worthy as an afternoon spent interval training or crushing your yesterday’s Strava record.

BIKE Magazine