Conquista - The Cycling Quarterly Issue 3 | Page 12

W E LCO M E TO CO N Q U I S TA I S S U E 3
OUR TIME IS NOW

Are we at the dawn of the golden era for cycling? Certainly feels that way. Ok –
we love the history and nostalgia of the sport as much as anyone. Heroic tales
of impossible feats of endurance from a bygone era might suggest the heyday
of cycling is in the distant past, but these incredible stories serve only to fuel the
growth in popularity of the modern sport. Participation numbers are on the up all
over the globe and television audiences continue to grow as the sport reaches in to
new territories and finds additional followers.

The factors that have combined to bring about this cycling renaissance have been
coming together over the last decade or more – like planets aligning. Simple
participation events are growing across the board – whether they be running,
swimming or cycling. Our sedentary Western lifestyles are being addressed as more
people appreciate the need to be active. Traffic congestion has more people on their
bikes too – especially in built-up urban areas, where there really is no quicker way to
get around. Environmental concerns also have encouraged more people to leave the
car at home and get out and pedal. And maybe just a sense of independence and
desire to be self-reliant has enticed more people out of the packed underground
tube, the overcrowded commuter bus, and the bumper-to-bumper car queues, and
on to their bike.

A friend once pointed to a dog sticking its head out of a car window – enjoying the
rush of the wind in his hair. “That’s why I cycle”, they said. And it’s true – there are few
more simple and rewarding pleasures than the freedom of riding your bike, fresh air
filling your lungs and that sense of speed as the air rushes past your ears.

The appeal of cycling is so wide and varied – so many different bikes and disciplines
to choose from and so much scope for individual expression from the choice of
machine to the kit you wear. Technology advancement in kit and bikes also makes
the sport increasingly accessible and engaging. The only real question remains why
was cycling not always so popular? Frankly – who cares, our time is now.

At Conquista we celebrate and embrace all forms of cycling, and its fantastic to
finally see some real steps forward in terms of Women’s racing especially. As Emma
Pooley’s recent assertion that she can earn more money winning an amateur
triathlon than a pro bike race proves – there is a still a long way to go – but the
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momentum is gathering. Cyclo-cross and BMX continue to experience rapid growth
too and it’s a real shame the IOC don’t take seriously the suggestion of making
certain bike events part of the Winter Olympics as this would surely aid their growth
around the world.

This issue of the magazine continues to search out a variety of images and stories
from all corners of the globe. You can read about the World Tour in just about every
other bike magazine on the market – and we will never ignore this element since it
is such a rich source of content - however the reality is that there is so much more
interesting stuff out there that we want to bring you. That has resulted in a bumper
issue of over 300 pages – some +50% bigger than any previous issue. We continue
to tinker with the content ratio of images, stories and advertising – and as ever your
feedback is welcomed.

Within these pages you will find stories from the US, Middle East, Asia, DownUnder and as always, the cream of European pro cycling. Whether it’s admiring the
beautiful imagery from our uber-talented photographers, or the indulgence of an
in-depth feature on a ride that you might like to undertake yourself some time – we
hope there is something for everyone in this super-sized issue.

Despite the huge amount of content in this issue – there is yet more. So much stuff
that we could not fit it in due to time constraints. So please also keep checking back
to the blog and our social media streams that are regularly updated with stuff we
think might interest you.
Thanks for continuing to support Conquista. Keep ‘er lit.

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