Anton Maliauski Anton Maliauski

Opened the 2025 cycling season

May 4, 2025
From series In the saddle
  1. Stencil Bike in the City
  2. Got My Steed Back from the Shop
  3. Opened the 2025 cycling season

Finally, I kicked off the cycling season! The hardest part of the first ride is getting in the zone. I try to recall the route, listen to the bike after the repair , and stay focused on the road. Physically, it’s not easy either — my heart rate spikes, my breathing’s off, and my legs burn on the very first climb.

But I love these first rides for that childlike feeling of freedom.

I stopped to catch my breath and figure out how best to continue driving.
I stopped to catch my breath and figure out how best to continue driving.

In the end, I rode 28.2 km. For the start — great! I’m in the season now.

The bike performed well (knock on wood!). I was worried that problems would pop up after the repair, but everything went smoothly. The upgraded transmission is a joy: you can really feel how all the power from my legs goes straight into the wheels, with no slippage or play.

The bike computer shows 24 km, but this is not the end of the trip
The bike computer shows 24 km, but this is not the end of the trip

I had the idea to take a new route, but decided to stick to the familiar one for the first ride. In the end, it felt like a new route — I was surprised to see how much the city had changed in a year1 — where there used to be shacks, now there are (monotonous) high-rise buildings and bike lanes.

Night in Minsk-Mir
Night in Minsk-Mir

Anyway, I’m happy!
Riding on.


  1. I skipped last season. Just wasn’t the right time for cycling. ↩︎

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From series In the saddle:
  1. Stencil Bike in the City
  2. Got My Steed Back from the Shop
  3. Opened the 2025 cycling season