You and your nice bike are cheating. Any amateur cyclist riding on a nice bike is basically using EPO. Or so says the Northern Express. 

kolo t.c. is rather spiritedly working on a response piece to a recent Northern Express article that defends Lance Armstrong against all drug charges while damning local cyclists on nice bikes as seeking an unfair advantage. To think for one second that owning a nice $3,000 bike is in anyway similar to taking part in an international money laundering scheme worth millions of dollars to supply cyclistswith dangerous performance enhancing drugs is, and you might agree a bit of a stretch. He also neglects to mention any actual charge or piece of evidence from any investigation of Armstrong. He does, of course, cite funds raised by Livestrong.

Please join me in asking for the opportunity to present a picture of Armstrong, with both good and bad lights included, in an up-coming edition of Northern Express. The following has already been sent to North Express offices:

Hello,

As an avid cyclist in the area and the creator of kolotc.com, a cycle website focused on Northern Michigan, I feel obligated to respond to the recent article posted in the Random Thoughts section of your latest issue.

The points raised in the piece ignored numerous incidents, reports and those pesky little ‘facts’ about Armstrong that deserve to be noted in his case. Downes conveniently ignored Armstrong’s positive tests in 1999 and 2010, the many testimonies of eyewitnesses and teammates, staff and entourage, and other recent incidents that have come to light through multiple inquiries.

I would like to submit in the near future a piece offering a more accurate and encompassing piece on the Armstrong saga that reflects a more balanced and honest picture of Armstrong, the UCI and cycling in general. Perhaps more importantly, I would like to ask Mr. Downes to apologize for his portrayal of local cyclists and the absurdity of his comparing nice bikes worth $10,000 (he’s completely undershot the price level) to complex, international blood doping practices paid for with laundered money on a massive scale worth millions of dollars a year.

This request will be posted through various media and I will ask others in the cycling community to encourage your acceptance of such a piece early in the coming week.

Thank you for your time and I hope you will consider my piece when sent. I am adamant that a more accurate picture of Armstrong be painted in your publication, and a less condescending and mocking tone be conveyed to our local cyclists.

Downes’ portrayal of our local cycling and triathlon community is mocking and distorted. It also greatly misjudges the actual advantage of such a machine. A person on a $5,000 bike is just as likely to finish last as they are first at the amateur level. In fact, some of the fastest cyclists in the state are on bikes five, ten or even fifteen years old. Thinking that buying a Cervelo is on a level anywhere close to buying $275,000 worth of doping supplies shows a gross misunderstanding of the sport, the advantage and the human body.

Cycling in Traverse City is a vital source of economy and sustainability. To mock it is to mock all of us.