Introducing Standing Cyclist The Book

Some exciting news to report from our Team Standing Cyclist camp! Early in 2013, encouraged by a handful of interested supporters, I had begun compiling my various Standing Cyclist trip notes and soon after organized them into a simple manuscript. The content developed as part adventure-log, part memoir with regards to my own personal struggle with Allergic Asthma.

After 37 early Sunday morning (highly therapeutic) writing sessions, I completed the original pre-edit copy in late 2014. It ended up athletic in nature but laced with deeper, more meaningful undertones as well. It lays out as a first-half/second-half of life series of lessons learned, against an adventure cycling and health & wellness backdrop. The manuscript was reviewed and edited in 2016, and published in early January 2017. The book is called Standing Cyclist: Flirting with Wisdom, One Breath, One Mile at a Time. 

We're releasing this project in phases. Our first phase is the Kindle (e-Book) version available as of January 1st on Amazon. Next, we will release a paperback version some time later this month or early February. Lastly, an audio book version will be produced and released later this Spring/Summer time frame.

This project has been such a joy and the response so far has been outstanding. Many thanks! A special thank you goes out to everyone who has believed in and supported this labor of love, from Day 1. You know who you are.

Peace Always - Frank

Cycling and the Ego: My BFF?

It’s early morning, 5am. It’s still dark and the air is cold. A few bites of an energy bar and I’m off to battle the rolling hills, rain and the skunks and other little critters creeping around the narrow roadside shoulders. Sound familiar? Not to me. I don’t do mornings. Never had and probably never will. But many cyclists do. What makes us different? What fuels some of us to rise early and others to sleep in and ride later? Why do some of us choose to race toward a finish line, while others tour along perfectly content with passing scenery. How bad do you want that personal best? How bad do you want to win? More importantly, why? I used to think I rode for fun, adventure, the physical challenge, the sense of accomplishment, the camaraderie, and for my overall health and well-being. To help control my stress level, weight, and my allergic asthma. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Well, not my entire story. There’s one more reason I have spent my life training, riding, building bikes, and touring. My Ego. Yes, my BFF and I have traveled the world together, through thick and thin, wind and snow, from the Rockies to Iceland. So much time and so many miles, that I began to take him for granted. Until, one day recently, on a long 90 mile “seatless” tribute ride, when I saw him for what he really is and left him behind. Well, tried at least. He was a tough one to shake off my wheel. At times, when he was out of sight, I felt terribly alone and exhausted. I never realized just how much he fueled my efforts, until he was gone. It was actually frightening at times. After a long while, I became more comfortable with being truly alone and pushing myself forward by sheer will, belief in my purpose, and memories of why I started to ride in the first place, way back when. Suddenly, things got much simpler both on the road and in my head. Is this Soul Work, I wondered. My years of meditation, both on and off the bike, were telling me this was my true nature. Wow, enlightenment. Wink, wink. Very cool. I rolled back to my car in the dark at the end of that long, chilly 12 hour day. I, the Standing Cyclist, had cycled standing up without a seat/seatpost for 90 miles. I was flying high, feeling free and loving life without my old friend. As I was gearing down and locking my bike up to my roof racks, a New York State Trooper pulled up to check on me. I explained what I had done and it blew his mind. He asked more questions and I provided the answers, with speed and excitement. As he drove off, I realized I wasn’t alone on the dark roadside shoulder. Yep, you guessed it. My ugly BFF was back. Ah life, a work in progress…