The last 3 races of the local 'cross series here are coming up, and as I struggled to hold onto wheels and keep rubber side down in each muddy turn on Sunday, I had an epiphany about another cycling-inspired truism that I've learned: commit to the rut.
After the first few laps of jostling for position, I settled in and did my best to hold anyone off that was slow enough to still be behind me and, if I'm lucky, gain ground on whoever may have just made their way around me.
I'm still racing in the Under 45 category, and it is always the last race of the day. In Holland, that means big-time mud & deep ruts. Getting creative with your line will only cost you time, so you have to look at the course further ahead of you, commit to the rut, and pedal through. Taking your eyes off the upcoming track and veering beyond the groove is almost certainly a bad move.
Sure, committing to the rut can also mean 'death before DFL' – aka not giving up & holding your line until you're over the line – but it can also mean not trying to reinvent the wheel and opting to blaze a path that's more likely to send you into the canal, bushes, or over your bars.
So, if you're reading this but not into racing with arguably undersized tires in deep mud, what's the message? In bike races, as in life and business, someone has likely been down your path before, and learning from the route they rode can help you reach your goal more deftly, safely, and with style than by thinking you know better.
Being able to follow a more experienced rider's line takes more than humility and the ability to observe; it takes skill to follow the wheel. It also takes conditioning and years of pushing yourself to stay the course.
The real breakthrough? When you look back and realize you're the one plowing through difficult terrain, and see those behind you following your line because you did it so well. Chapeau!
Last note: too tough to pedal? Shoulder your bike and run for it! The rider in front of you goes rogue and slides off course? Trust your gut and commit to another rut!
Stuck in a rut? Keep going, there is only one way out!
Thank you for supporting Twotone, thank you, once again to everyone who came out Friday and to you for reading this newsletter,
Jon
Twotone is celebrating 11 Years and we've updated our annual offer: Every paid subscriber makes a big difference! Thank you! 😊
December
- 🇳🇱 17 Wheelrunner Wednesday Ride (Weekly at 6:30am)
- 🇳🇱 20 AMS CX COMP | ZWC DTS (Evening Edition!)
- 🇳🇱 31 AMS CX COMP | WV AMSTERDAM – SPORTPARK SLOTEN
January
- 🇳🇱 4 AMS CX COMP | UWTC – UITHOORN
- 🇧🇪 16-18 Velofollies
Bikes
Bikerumor Editor’s Choice – Extravagant: Remco electric bike lift
Bike Theft in Amsterdam Survey
Quinn Gregory, a 2025-2026 Fulbright Schuman U.S. Student Award Winner, Master of Architecture, Pratt Institute, 2025 & Winner of 2024 Bill Menking Travel Award is conducting research about bike theft in Amsterdam. Help him out here.
Marianne Vos's Gravel Worlds secret becomes €2,995 Gravaa x Handgespaakt wheelset
Peter Stuart
Cool to see Velora launch last week with a Gravaa feature! Thank you, Peter!
Ideas
Shift Cycling Culture's Barcamp Returns 11-12.2.26
Why you need a storyline: Inside Tietema’s Playbook
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"If you’re not winning, and you’re not appealing to fans, then what the hell are you doing?" I mean, yeah!
A complete guide to quitting Spotify
Friends
Wheelrunner Winter Sale & Two Wheel Talk Coming Up On 9.1
International Cargo Bike Fest Returns to Utrecht 12-13 Oct '26
BESPOKED vs. Eurobike: Goals, access and relevance for custom bike builders
Radness
From June 2026, European Sleeper will connect Brussels and Amsterdam with Bern, Stresa on Lago Maggiore, and Milan.
Thank you for reading!
Here's to committing to the rut this week & next year!