Ben Likes Bikes

Today, on the eve of my 24th birthday, a quote fell into my lap that perfectly summarized where I am and where I want to be. It comes from Ira Glass, the brilliant mind behind one of my favorite podcasts, This American Life . “All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you . We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work . It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta

The following is all of the knowledge I've amassed over my cycling career on what you need to pack to make it home. The best rides are the ones where you don't think about your bike. What's with you on the bike should help achieve that. My Bike Seat Pack Philosophy Those of you that know me, know that I'm an Eagle Scout. The Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared", has been ingrained in my head for over a decade. In order to be independent and self-sufficient on the bike, you have to be prepared. Otherwise, you'll end up stranded on the highway or a gravel road somewhere with limited cell phone reception. Most cyclists know that walking several miles in bike shoes is not fun. Trust me, been there, done that. My bike seat pack philosophy can be summed up in three words. Make it home The whole goal is to be able to fix any common mechanical failures that may happen to the bike and make it home while only using the tools and supplies that are in the pac

Like Donald Trump's hair, this article needs some explanation. For instance, is it a wig?! Who knows. Is it even possible for a fake piece of hair to be as titillating, debilitating, and arousing as The Donald's fine display? So many questions to ponder about the exquisite nature of his follicles. Oh, sorry. Wrong topic, we're talking about bikes. Although, I hope what you are about to read is as titillating, debilitating, and arousing as The Donald's hair. But let's be honest... can it really be on that level? Gravel Worlds 2016 is a wrap. We've sailed the 7 seas, some conquered, others perished. After spending some time back in port, I've compiled and combined every piece of digital media, that I'm aware of, to put together a comprehensive overview of my Gravel Worlds 2016 experience. Think of it as my Captain's Log Book; my bike is my ship; my riding partners are my crew.  Being Ben Fischer, I couldn't take the easy way out. Instead, I com

The dust has settled from Gravel Worlds 2016 and with that came some self-reflection and a story. The Story of Two Bottles In May of 2012 I started a new job with UNL Housing and in turn met Shari Rosso and Paul Belz. These two fine people are why I dove into the deep end with biking. Shari was continually bugging me to log miles for the National Bike Challenge and later to do Tour de Nebraska with her group of misfits; they masquerade as Team Just Sayin' (don't be fooled by their fancy kits). But first, Paul wanted to take me mountain biking; I said sure! So, I rented a mountain bike from UNL Outdoor Adventures for the weekend (I only owned one bike at this time, I know… shocker) and met Paul at Wilderness Park. He showed up with a full-suspension beauty of a bike and rode it down a set of stairs and through the single-track like it was smooth tarmac. I puttered along behind trying to not hit a tree (mission accomplished.) For me, that day ushered in a new er