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In a Cycling Weekly column, former professional cyclist Michael Hutchinson describes feeling guilty that he does not enter gravel races or take on long-distance cycling adventures. He says he does not own a gravel bike, citing a lack of suitable local routes, and reflects on how social media can make other riders’ experiences look appealing.
Michael Hutchinson, a former professional cyclist and Cycling Weekly columnist, says he feels guilty about not entering gravel races or taking on long-distance cycling events, even though he would like to. In a personal column, he says he does not own a gravel bike and argues that social media can intensify the feeling that other riders are having experiences he is missing.
Hutchinson writes that he often feels he should be riding more, particularly on long-distance adventures such as the North Coast 500, a London-to-Istanbul bikepacking trip or the Transcontinental Race. He says such events can seem like a new norm among ambitious riders, including people of his age and ability, leaving him feeling out of step. His account describes personal feelings rather than a claim that all cyclists share the same pressure.
He also focuses on gravel racing, saying he has not bought a gravel bike despite what he describes as sustained marketing efforts. Hutchinson says the nearest suggested place for suitable gravel riding would require about a four-hour round trip. He questions whether driving that far to ride would create another source of guilt, rather than resolving the feeling that he is missing out.
The column links that envy to cycling content online. Hutchinson says following another rider’s updates can make even a difficult race appear adventurous and attractive. He also recounts seeing a friend post a photo with a Highland cow on a lane he had ridden the previous day. The difference, he says, was that his friend stopped to take pictures. Hutchinson adds that he posts little about his own riding and sometimes feels he should share more.
How Cycling Posts Shape Envy
Hutchinson’s column gives a personal account of the gap between ordinary riding and the high-mileage or event-focused adventures often shared online. Its relevance is not that it establishes a widespread trend, but that it describes how comparison can affect a rider’s sense of whether their own cycling is enough.
For readers considering gravel bikes or endurance events, Hutchinson’s experience also highlights practical limits: access to suitable routes, travel time and personal circumstances. His column does not argue against gravel riding or long-distance racing. Instead, it questions the assumption that every cyclist should take part in them, or document their rides publicly.
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Hutchinson’s Cycling Background
Hutchinson is a writer and journalist as well as a former professional cyclist. Cycling Weekly’s supplied report says he won multiple national titles in Britain and Ireland, competed at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, and became a three-time Brompton folding-bike world champion. He writes the “Dr Hutch” column for the magazine.
That background frames the column as a reflection by an experienced rider, but it does not make the feelings he describes representative of cyclists generally. The piece is personal commentary about riding ambitions, gravel-bike marketing, local access and social media, rather than a survey or reported study.
“I feel guilty about the fact I don’t ride gravel races, I don’t even own a gravel bike.”
— Michael Hutchinson, in Cycling Weekly
What the Column Does Not Establish
The supplied report does not give the column’s publication date, identify a particular gravel race Hutchinson plans to enter, or indicate that he intends to buy a gravel bike. It also provides no independent data about how common these feelings are among cyclists. The experiences and observations in the piece are Hutchinson’s own, and should not be treated as evidence of a wider measured trend.
The report does not specify which local gravel routes were suggested to him or give a precise location for the four-hour round trip. It is also unclear whether he will change how often he posts about his riding. The column describes that reluctance and its possible connection to envy, but reports no decision or planned action.
No Race Plans Reported
No immediate follow-up or event participation is announced in the supplied material. The column ends as a reflection on how riders compare their experiences, including the possibility that even a routine café ride might look appealing to someone else online.
For now, the reported development is the publication of Hutchinson’s personal column. Any future decision about entering gravel races, travelling to ride gravel or sharing more of his rides remains unconfirmed.
Key Questions
Who wrote the column?
Michael Hutchinson, a writer, journalist and former professional cyclist, wrote the column for Cycling Weekly’s “Dr Hutch” series.
Does Hutchinson own a gravel bike?
No. He says in the column that he does not own a gravel bike. He also says suitable local gravel riding is difficult to access.
Why does Hutchinson feel he is missing out?
He describes wanting to take part in long-distance adventures and gravel races, while seeing other riders’ experiences shared online. He says those posts can make even difficult rides look appealing.
Has Hutchinson said he will enter a gravel race?
No race plan is reported in the supplied material. The column describes his feelings and circumstances but does not announce that he will enter an event.
Source: rss
