Hi!
My name is Petr Minařík (haha, do you dare to pronounce it?), and I am the founder of CyclistsHub.com.
I’ve been cycling since I was a kid, but working on Cyclists Hub? That’s another story… Below, I explain my goals, why I started this website, and how I approach content creation.
You can also follow me on Strava.
My Goals with CyclistsHub.com
The first goal was to help people decide what bike and bike accessories to buy. If you are a beginner, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the number of options on the market. Every product review article will teach you how to choose the product that best suits your needs. No product will suit us all.
My second goal was to improve the quality of information on the internet. My friends who run cycling stores always complain: “People are too ‘smart.’ They read things online, but it is often bull**it.” Well, they were often right.
I research every topic in detail. This includes countless hours of reading forums and articles and discussing topics with bike store owners, industry experts, and pro cyclists. This way, I try to provide you with the most accurate and helpful information possible.
Last but not least, I believe that sharing know-how is important. Although I have never been a professional cyclist, I had the opportunity to ride with pros and gain some of their know-how. And now, I would love to share it with YOU.
Activities I Do to Improve My Content
I engage in several important activities to continually enhance the quality of my content and provide you with the highest added value possible.
Firstly, I actively seek out conversations with industry experts, manufacturers, and pro cyclists. By tapping into their knowledge and insights, I gain valuable perspectives contributing to my content’s depth and accuracy.
Secondly, I dedicate time to studying publicly available sources on carbon manufacturing, aerodynamics, training, etc. Staying up to date with the latest advancements in these areas allows me to provide you with accurate information.
I reinvest the earnings from the site to buy new products or receive products from brands. Then, I comprehensively test them. I always share the most objective view possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s the good, the bad, or the ugly. If something goes wrong, you’ll know about it.
I also watch race analyses and coverage from races, which keep me up-to-date about the latest results and tech in competitive cycling and help me understand the strategies and techniques employed by pro teams.
Lastly, I attend events like Eurobike, where I interact with industry professionals, explore cutting-edge cycling technology, and gain firsthand experience of the latest trends in the cycling world.
By engaging in these activities, I strive to ensure that my content remains of the highest quality, providing you with accurate, insightful, and up-to-date information.
How Do I Choose the Best Products?
Before I choose products for my selections, I do extensive market research. I evaluate user reviews, reviews of influencers, and also well-known magazines and websites.
I don’t blindly trust everything that’s written. Instead, I assess information critically and from multiple angles. I also do my best to provide context so you can better understand how a particular product compares to its alternatives.
Thanks to the growing popularity of Cyclists Hub, I can afford to reinvest the earnings into buying products. This leads to the higher added value of my reviews. I write them as unbiased and objectively as possible. I always try to put myself in my reader’s shoes and consider their needs.
You can read more details about how I pick and test products on my testing policy page.
Let’s find the best cycling equipment for your needs!
My Stance on AI Content
When chatGPT was introduced in November 2022, many creators, including myself, felt like they had been stabbed in the back. After all, Large Language Models (LLMs) were trained on our content, among other things, without our knowledge or permission. Articles that took us hours to create can now be generated in a few clicks.
So many of us were faced with the decision of whether to jump on the wave, swim against it, or choose to compromise. I belong to the latter group. I only use AI for idea generation, grammar checks, and improvements to readability. I don’t publish articles generated by one of these LLMs. I always try to deliver more added value than paraphrasing content from others.
However, long-term sustainability is becoming increasingly difficult also because of declining traffic from search engines. These often answer queries before you even click through to a site where you would be shown an ad, which is what makes many content sites viable. Again, of course, these answers are generated based on the hard work of content creators, with no additional compensation. Therefore, not only I but also other content creators will appreciate it if you choose to support them. Find out how to support the Cyclists Hub below.
How to Support Cyclists Hub?
The best way to support my website is by buying products using my affiliated links (they don’t cost you anything extra!) or using Cyclists Hub exclusive discount codes. I get a small kickback, which I reinvest into buying products, creating more content, improving the website, my equipment, etc.
Another great way to support me is to share the articles with your friends and comment on social media.
I would also like to encourage you to add the modifier “cyclists hub” to your query when searching for cycling topics. This tells the search engine to return results from cyclistshub.com.
Last but not least, please consider donating if you find the content on Cyclists Hub helpful. Every dollar helps. I reinvest earned money to provide you with even better content. Thank you in advance!
I’m Petr Minařík, and This Is My Story
Below, you will learn more about me and my ‘cycling’ story, or you can watch my introduction video.
Painful Beginnings
I started riding a bike when I was 4 years old. Honestly, I had to ask my mom to tell me when I started because I didn’t remember it anymore. I abraded my knees and elbows countless times, but it did not stop me from cycling.
I loved every moment of it until one day when I had a horrible crash on my first fixed-gear bike. The brakes failed, and I crashed badly.
Luckily, I wore a cycling helmet and didn’t break anything. But, of course, I didn’t want to ride a bike for days because I was scared it could happen again.
However, before my wounds fully healed, I started cycling again.
First Sucesseses on a Bike
In elementary school, I had a teacher who was also very enthusiastic about cycling.
He discovered a series of competitions called “Young Cyclist.” Each competition had four basic disciplines:
- A test of traffic regulations,
- riding a bike according to traffic regulations,
- bike handling skills,
- and first aid.
We competed in teams and individually, and we were pretty successful because we devoted much time to preparation. I even managed to win the solo edition of the same competition.
We then fought with my team for the regional round and once more for the national round.
Short Break from Cycling
In high school, I took a break from cycling (I don’t count occasional driving between villages or to/from a grocery store). I’ve tried new sports like bodybuilding and street workout but stopped enjoying them after two or three years.
I started watching the Tour de France and found it very exciting. I wanted to try road cycling.
Unfortunately, my financial situation was bad, and I did not have enough money for a new road bike. Although I went on many summer jobs to save some bucks, I often had to pay for other, more urgent expenses.
Cycling is not just a sport – it is a lifestyle.
Finding Myself in Cycling
At Christmas in 2014, I received a refurbished road bike from Favorit, an iconic Czech bike brand.
The (steel) road bike weighed over 25 lbs (12 kg), but I didn’t care. I was happy to finally ride longer journeys without being tired after 15 miles (24 km).
The best thing about this bike was that I didn’t expect it at all!
Riding it motivated me to work even harder to save more money for a “proper road bike.” In the meantime, I have bought basic equipment such as road cycling shoes, a jersey, a floor pump, tools, etc.
I finally made it in 2016. Two years after I got my Favorit road bike, I bought a Canyon Endurance. I couldn’t be happier!
A few years later, I upgraded to a YOELEO R12, my first carbon road bike with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset.
And 2 years or so later, I started riding Winspace Agile.
New Friends, Crashes, Stories, and Memories
First, I cycled alone. Once I gained confidence, I found a local cycling club and rode more regularly.
After a while, the first fracture also came. Can you guess which one it was? Yes, exactly, a collarbone. Here is how it happened.
During a sprint challenge, I pulled my foot off the pedal and flew over the handlebars. I fell on my shoulder, abraded half of my back, and broke the collarbone.
Sh*t. I couldn’t ride a bike for 2 weeks. I missed it so much… I started training with my indoor trainer during the third week of my rehabilitation. It was a great feeling to be in the saddle again.
Time passed, and my wounds healed. Then, I visited beautiful places, including iconic climbs in Italy, such as Passo Stelvio, Gavia Pass, Mortirolo Pass, Passo Giau, Passo Pordoi, etc.
And here, you can watch my trip to the Tour de France 2023 and the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps.
Thanks to these experiences, I realized this:
Cycling is not only about performing the best watts. Cycling is about visiting beautiful places, experiencing the unexpected, feeling good about yourself, and, most importantly, sharing these moments with your family, friends, and fellow cyclists.
When the opportunity arose to create a website about cycling and share my passion for cycling, I did not hesitate.
I hope my content will benefit you and help you in YOUR cycling story.
Founder & Editor at CyclistsHub.com
– Petr
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