{"id":194455,"date":"2023-11-16T13:03:07","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T13:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=194455"},"modified":"2023-11-21T14:24:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T14:24:00","slug":"mastering-the-cobbles-why-do-cyclists-like-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2023\/11\/16\/mastering-the-cobbles-why-do-cyclists-like-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering the Cobbles \u2013 Why Do Cyclists Like It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Every time bicycle wheels start turning on cobblestones, they echo with history. Riding on pav\u00e9 is not just cycling, it\u2019s a rite of passage. Skill, adrenaline, history, and fulfilment are all reasons why cyclists are still drawn to this bumpy, unpredictable terrain. Let\u2019s take a closer look at each motivation to get a better understanding.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Test of technique and finesse<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we explored in the previous article of the series, cobblestones were added to cycling races to increase the difficulty. But the thing is, navigating pav\u00e9 isn\u2019t just about brute strength. More watts will make you faster but without adequate technique and finesse, you are also that much more likely to crash. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2023\/11\/07\/mastering-the-cobbles-why-dont-we-avoid-them-instead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Succeeding on cobbles<\/a> requires balance, an acute awareness of your bike, and a deep understanding of how to handle unpredictable surfaces. It&#8217;s a test of handling skills, a challenge to your ability to adapt and react. Every ride polishes your skills, turning you into a more adept, responsive cyclist. And that\u2019s what makes cobblestones so appealing to a certain type of cyclist.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The adrenaline factor<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Riding on difficult, irregular terrain at high speeds is bound to spike your adrenaline. Unlike the predictable hum of asphalt, cobblestones offer a rollercoaster for the senses. Every second is a new challenge of trying to balance speed with the risk of falling off. For some, it\u2019s thrilling to try and manoeuvre through this chaos. Cyclists looking for extra excitement and rush may be attracted to pav\u00e9 for these exact reasons.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147635\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147635\" style=\"width: 1800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-147635\" src=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741.webp\" alt=\"Cycling on cobblestones\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741.webp 1800w, https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2017\/04\/profimedia-0328463741-272x182.webp 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147635\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cobblestones, also known as pav\u00e9 in French, were originally added as a part of cycling races to increase difficulty for the riders. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Personal accomplishment and community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conquering cobblestones is a victory not just over terrain but also over self-doubt, it&#8217;s a testament to your tenacity. The sense of achievement in mastering these ancient adversaries is enticing. Moreover, cobblestone routes are often communal crucibles where bonds are forged in the shared struggle and triumph. The community comes together in sweat, mud, scraped jerseys, and laughter. You earn the nod of those who&#8217;ve gone through the same hardship as you. That\u2019s how many cyclists get pulled in in the first place.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sense of a historical connection<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cycling is a sport with an incredibly rich history and riding on pav\u00e9 makes you acutely aware of that. Cobblestones carry the legacy of cycling giants who have battled over these same roads in legendary races like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paris-roubaix.fr\/en\/\">Paris\u2013Roubaix<\/a> or the Tour of Flanders. To ride there is to pedal in the wheel tracks of history, to connect with a tradition that transcends time. It&#8217;s a chance to be part of a narrative that&#8217;s larger than any single rider. And even not knowing anything about the significance of cobblestones in cycling, your body will certainly feel what it was like to ride on these surfaces back then.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cycling on cobblestones means many different things to different cyclists. To some, it\u2019s a test of physical and technical prowess, to others, it\u2019s a way to connect with history and tighten bonds with their community. If you\u2019re looking for a new challenge or adventure, you have to try some serious cobblestones at least once.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every time bicycle wheels start turning on cobblestones, they echo with history. Riding on pav\u00e9 is not just cycling, it\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":194458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[332],"tags":[7455,7474,893,433],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-194455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-training","tag-cycling-on-cobbles","tag-mastering-the-cobbles","tag-paris-roubaix","tag-tour-de-france","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mastering the Cobbles \u2013 Why Do Cyclists Like It? - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Every time bicycle wheels start turning on cobblestones, they echo with history. Riding on pav\u00e9 is not just cycling, it\u2019s a rite of passage. Skill,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2023\/11\/16\/mastering-the-cobbles-why-do-cyclists-like-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mastering the Cobbles \u2013 Why Do Cyclists Like It?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Every time bicycle wheels start turning on cobblestones, they echo with history. Riding on pav\u00e9 is not just cycling, it\u2019s a rite of passage. 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