One Year of Built on Bikes
Lessons learned, people who made it possible, and what comes next for a newsletter built on a love for cycling and a leap of faith
One year ago today I took a leap of faith and began releasing stories at the intersection of cycling, business, and the sport’s development in the United States. It was exciting and a little scary to be putting my honest thoughts out into the world of cycling media, but it has proven to be one of the most impactful decisions of my life. Candidly, there was no real goal in mind when I created Built on Bikes other than becoming more connected within the world of cycling.
For three years leading up to starting this publication I was an avid, no, obsessed cyclist. The sport had become a cornerstone of my life and identity. I was spending over five hundred hours a year on two wheels training for races, religiously following the professional side of the sport, and consuming every form of cycling media I could find. I would not trade those years for anything. They gave me a deep understanding of the sport, the culture, the vernacular, and of myself, but I still felt like something was missing.
Every time I watched a race, read an article, or listened to a podcast I felt like I had something to add to the conversation. Up until last year cycling had been a form of self-discovery, but the desire for a deeper community in the sport had become too big to ignore. Local group rides and clubs were a great way to build that locally, but I was always dreaming of being involved with the sport in a way that was not limited to a few hours a week.
I had no idea how I would get there, but I knew that was the goal. I spent the summer of 2024 scheming ways to get more involved when I came across someone in my professional network who had paved his own way into professional cycling conversations. Craig Dalton was a venture capitalist in the San Francisco area and while researching his firm for my day job I discovered he was also the host of The Gravel Ride podcast.
I immediately reached out to set up a conversation and he gave me the nudge I needed. He told me to start putting my ideas out in the open through a newsletter or podcast. He said my knowledge had gone well beyond casual fandom and that if I talked about subjects the way I was talking to him, people would probably listen. I was skeptical, but through my professional experience up to that point I knew the best thing to do was stop planning and just start.
So that is what I did. I announced I would be writing a weekly newsletter and began reaching out to people in the cycling industry hoping they would give me the time of day. To my surprise they did, and 52 weeks later there have been 49 editions of Built on Bikes. Falling a few short of a perfect weekly cadence, but for a side project I do entirely for free, I would call that a pretty good batting average.
It has not been easy. Whether it was a rough week personally or an incredibly busy stretch at work, I spent countless hours writing on weeknights after full days at my day job. That part of the process could feel isolating, but the harder part was putting myself out there, sharing my own opinions, and opening myself up to criticism. I am so glad I did. Built on Bikes has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. I am now firmly involved in the sport I love and have met some of the most remarkable people along the way.
As you have probably guessed, this piece looks back on the first year of Built on Bikes. I will be shouting out some people who helped me along the way, sharing my biggest takeaways, and outlining what I am working toward in year two.
First, some thank yous
I have put in the hard hours required to consistently release a weekly newsletter that dives deep into topics I care about, and I do not want to minimize that accomplishment, but it is truly only half of the equation. Without the willing cooperation and support of others, Built on Bikes would not exist. So many people have contributed to the success of this newsletter, but I wanted to call out a few individuals who have helped me enormously over the last year.
Seth Lareau — Seth is the author of Trail Waves, a wildly successful newsletter that covers similar topics to what I write about but for the world of trail running. Along with Craig Dalton, Seth was one of the people who inspired me to get Built on Bikes off the ground. He launched Trail Waves a month before I started Built on Bikes and was a proof of concept I looked up to from the start. To date he has sent more subscribers my way than any other publication and continues to be a great collaborator and friend on this journey. I cannot recommend following him and Trail Waves enough. His insights and perspectives are always on point.
Sam Huntington — Sam is the Founder of Hill Climbers and someone who reached out to me almost immediately when I launched Built on Bikes. Sam has not only brought me into the Hill Climbers network but given me meaningful opportunities to share my insights on developmental pipelines with individuals who can make a direct impact in the United States. The scope of our collaboration is only beginning and I cannot wait to see what we build together.
Leni Carrillo — You might know her better as Holy Spirit of Gravel, but I have come to know her as a great friend and fellow gravel nerd. While our content mediums are quite different, we constantly learn from one another and support each other’s goals. Leni has introduced me to countless people and made so many things possible for Built on Bikes. Leni, thank you for making the networking journey feel fun and for hours of unhinged, gravel-coded conversations.
Movemint — I have learned that the two biggest keys to succeeding within the world of endurance sports are authenticity and, most importantly, being a good person. The team behind Movemint embodies those values more than just about anyone I have met. I specifically want to thank Zack Isaacs, Rosie Cruz, and Rebecca Moll for their endless support, friendship, and dedication to making endurance events accessible to people of all backgrounds. I cannot wait to keep collaborating and repping your incredible work.
Andrew Vontz — Getting to know Andrew has been a full circle experience for me. Long before Built on Bikes, Andrew’s Substack and podcast were pieces of media I consumed regularly. Now I consider him a key collaborator and friend on this journey. From niche WorldTour jokes to San Francisco networking walks to fighting cancer with the same tenacity he brings to everything else, Andrew and I have been riding the waves of life and media together.
Nina Machnowski — I met Nina by sheer coincidence at Sea Otter earlier this year and knowing her and her development team at Mach1 has been a game changer for Built on Bikes. From providing a place to stay at races to letting me document her work in the developmental landscape, she has genuinely accelerated the impact and reach of this newsletter. I cannot wait to be back with the Mach1 team later this month at Lauf Gravel Worlds.
There are truly too many people to thank individually, but if you have been involved with a Built on Bikes story, provided a connection, or simply took the time to reach out, thank you.
Looking back on some cool moments
Before I dive into some of my biggest lessons and goals for the year ahead, I want to take a moment to highlight a few of the moments that had me pinching myself over the last twelve months.
Interviewing Sarah Sturm about collegiate development
Sarah was one of the first cyclists I started following when I got into the sport. I have always identified with her as a rider and looked up to her as someone who genuinely has a positive impact on cycling as a whole. At Big Sugar last year, Leni introduced us and I was later able to sit down with Sarah to talk about the importance of collegiate cycling programs. To this day that remains the story I feel most fortunate to have been able to tell.
Attending Big Sugar and Unbound Gravel as media
Being at premier events never gets less exciting. The energy, the community, the on-course coverage, and the networking all combine to feel like a family reunion. They are places where I can completely forget about the stresses of everyday life and just live and breathe cycling.
Partnering with Enervit
This is a recent development but it still feels unreal. If you had told me a year ago that the nutrition partner of Tadej Pogacar would be partnering with Built on Bikes I would have told you to seek help because you must be hallucinating. But here we are. The best part is not even the products, as good as they are. It is the fact that this is a genuine knowledge partnership and I am excited to share some of what we are working on together in the near future.
Photography
I have always loved photography, but having access to media credentials at Life Time events has allowed me to go well beyond hobbyist shooting. From being hired by Marin Bikes for product photography to capturing action shots of elite athletes, combining my two favorite pursuits has been incredibly rewarding.
What I’ve learned
Built on Bikes has changed my life in ways I could not have imagined, and that kind of impact does not come without some lessons along the way. Here are some of the most valuable things I have learned and what success can look like for a publication like Built on Bikes.
Nothing will beat boots on the ground presence
I am extremely fortunate to have enough financial flexibility to fly myself out to events, but it has certainly been a learning exercise in grit and investing in myself. When I went to Big Sugar last year I bought the cheapest flights I could find, packed everything into a single backpack, and rented the most affordable Airbnb available. Even then it was not a financially comfortable decision, but investing in that trip and every trip since has paid off with returns that far exceeded the cost.
For my goals there is really no such thing as competition. A rising tide lifts all boats when it comes to growing the sport of cycling. But when you are quite literally a random person with a Substack and a dream, it can be hard to get in front of the right people digitally, and even harder to connect with people you do not even know exist yet. Physically showing up has allowed me to stand out from the many other inquiries industry professionals receive and meet people I would never have come across online.
I hope to not always have to fund my own way to every race or event, but I have learned that the investment will always be worth it when there is no other option. Cycling is all about community and nothing matters more than face to face interaction.
Help others to help yourself
Surprisingly, my favorite part of running Built on Bikes has been playing the role of connector. I am lucky to have the freedom to explore any topic I want in a given week, which means I have had the pleasure of meeting people from almost every corner of the industry. When I am speaking with someone about a topic or challenge they are working through, it is genuinely rewarding to be able to connect them with someone who can actually help. That simple act has opened more doors for me than almost anything else.
My goal is to grow the sport in the United States and to do that I will need help from many different people and organizations. Nothing makes collaboration easier than showing you already know how to provide value. That will be a significant factor in achieving what I am working toward in the year ahead.
Lack of experience does not have to be a hurdle, it can be a strength
Cycling as a sport and industry is rooted in history and tradition, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to groupthink and limit perspectives. I am relatively new to the sport and have no industry experience to speak of. Early on I had real insecurities about saying exactly what was on my mind, and I was frankly too cautious to publish an outright opinion piece. With time I started taking more risks until eventually I was publishing full essays on specific topics and business situations. To my surprise those became some of my most successful stories.
I still put significant thought and research into everything I publish, but I am more empowered now to throw bold ideas into the conversation and spark curiosity, and hopefully action. While I welcome criticism, the reception of Built on Bikes among industry professionals has been genuinely reaffirming. Lack of experience used to intimidate me. Now it empowers me to offer a viewpoint that a sport desperately in need of fresh thinking does not always get from within.
Consistency and quality over quantity
I believe the same would apply to other creative mediums, but releasing stories consistently has driven consistent subscriber growth since Built on Bikes launched. Sometimes that growth accelerates and sometimes it slows, but with consistency the subscriber count normalizes over time.
As I approach 600 subscribers, all I can say is that I am genuinely grateful that this many people have found enough value in my writing to subscribe. My stories are not doing viral numbers, but for written media I am pleasantly surprised by how many people have chosen to follow along. It has also taught me that attracting the right audience matters far more than chasing a large view count. My subscribers are engaged, loyal, and knowledgeable, which leads to better conversation and collaboration over time. We will see if the trend continues, but if you have subscribed, thank you.
Moving forward
As I look ahead to the next year of Built on Bikes, my content goals are not changing much. I will continue committing to weekly editions that explore the same topics I already cover, but beyond the stories themselves I hope to significantly expand my impact. I have learned that my perspective and accumulated expertise can create real value for others, specifically for brands dedicated to authentic storytelling.
Over the next year I want to officially partner with more brands and organizations within cycling. Not to deliver press releases, but to help them engage with cyclists in the United States in a way that feels genuine. I also want these relationships to function as true knowledge partnerships, where I can help improve developmental pipelines in the United States by connecting brands with athletes, teams, and programs that need the support.
The last year has been a rollercoaster and an absolute pleasure. Cycling changed my life four years ago and this newsletter has breathed new life into my own growth as a person. Next week it will be back to regularly scheduled programming, and I cannot wait to continue this journey.
In other news
An epic Everesting attempt
A few weeks ago I wrote about Everesting, and this week I learned about someone attempting something truly remarkable. Victor Asenov is a blind ultramarathon runner and cyclist who completed an Everesting on foot in 2025 and later attempted one on a bike. While an injury prevented him from finishing, he will be back this year to attempt a cycling Everest at the Everesting World Championships. Thank you to Bozhidar Kartunov for bringing Victor’s story to my attention.
Runners and cyclists unite!
Having brief conversations with people I have connected with online has become one of my favorite things. Yesterday I connected with Shai Goodman, who runs Physically Educated and puts on a great event called the Marin Mile. The conversation highlighted how intertwined endurance sports are and how much cycling and running have to learn from each other. Shai is an entrepreneur through and through and I wanted to give her a shout out. Her new Substack is absolutely worth a follow!
Ride and rip,
Kyle Dawes
Congratulations on a year and here’s to many more, Kyle. The secret is there is no secret. Make what you like and keep going.