Michael Hutchinson
Michael Hutchinson is a writer, journalist and former professional cyclist. As a rider he won multiple national titles in both Britain and Ireland and competed at the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. He was a three-time Brompton folding-bike World Champion, and once hit 73 mph riding down a hill in Wales. His Dr Hutch columns appears in every issue of Cycling Weekly magazine
As a writer, he wrote the award winning The Hour about his attempt on the sport’s most famous and sought-after record. He followed that up with Faster, about the training, the science the genetics and the luck behind the world’s fastest riders, and Re:Cyclists, a history of cyclists from 1816 to the present day.
He’s written for outlets ranging from Cycling Weekly to the New York Times, and has presented and and commentated for the BBC, Eurosport, Channel 4, and Sky Sports.
Before he did any of that he was a legal academic at Cambridge and Sussex universities. He now lives with far too many bicycles in London and Cambridgeshire.
Latest articles by Michael Hutchinson
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It’s been fun watching others deal with Pogačar's un-ignorable excellence
If Tadej Pogačar’s Giro d’Italia dominance has taught us anything, says the Doc, it’s how to lose with style and grace – or not...
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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It's OK for pro cyclist to hate cycling - my affection for the sport has had ups and downs, too
Amateur cyclists' relationship with the sport is less than simple, so why should professionals be expected to love it all the time?
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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'I’m too good a rider to tell one bike from another': Why our columnist will never write a good bike review
The Doc's useless at reviewing bikes but finds himself possessed by a pedantic, critical voice that's landing him in domestic hot water
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Riders who exceed the limits of a polite margin spoil everyone's day with their showboating victories
At what point does a brave show of strength become brazen showboating? The Doc ponders the etiquette of the long solo break
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Non-cyclists think there’s something wrong with us
Cyclists are still viewed as a strange breed, even by close friends, observes Dr Hutch, from a towel draped chair after a heroic 20-mile ride
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Bike riders never crash where you want or expect them to
In a sport as unpredictable as cycling, we have to learn to expect the unexpected, says the Doc, no matter how painful that might prove
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Folding bike riders know it's about the size of the watts, not the wheels
Riding a folding bike marks you out as a crank, especially with the addition of a monocle and dinner jacket, recalls the Doc
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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If you have too much money, coffee is right up there with cycling as a solution
'I suspect that you can divide cyclists into personality types around coffee', muses columnist Dr Hutch
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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'Monday will be a whole new me': How not to stick to a training plan
In an overview which will sicken anyone targeting Cycling Weekly's Zwift time trial, columnist Dr Hutch outlines his weekly training rituals - complete with baking
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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If entry to your next local race costs £27,000, you'll know who to blame
Inspired by Bernard's tragically organised time trial, the Doc sets about stabilising the Tour of Britain, but be warned – it's going to cost
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Everything we cyclists have put on our heads since we invented the bike has been mystifying and ridiculous
Will the UCI ban Giro's wacky TT helmet for being too weird? And if so, will the response be weirder still?
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Heat training left me thinking 'if that’s what Hell is like, it would be easier to be good'
Hutch's attempts to incorporate heat conditioning into his training have often taken him dangerously close to boiling point
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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My friend had warm urine squirted in his ear on the Alpe d’Huez - and it impresses people more than my national titles
When it comes to impressing people with his cycling exploits, Cycling Weekly's columnist finds that anecdotes trump achievements every time
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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It only takes a little mathematics to explain why size isn't everything
Cyclists love to lose their minds over a 'dinner plate', but it's gear ratio - and cadence - that makes the difference
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Identifying the rider who will get a lot of punctures is just as valuable a skill as anticipating a crash
A sixth sense for avoiding crashes is useful, observes CW's columnist, but so is an intuition for spotting spongers and puncture-prone clubmates
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Components that cost too much and don’t last long enough make us truly appreciate the opposite
The age of product recalls and built-in obsolescence gets CW's columnist reminiscing about indestructible components that refused to die
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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'Zone two' is what cyclists call 'having a nice time' when we want to make it sound scientific
Intensity zones may be based on science but it's the subjective scale of suffering that really counts
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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I know very little about football, but I know that there is no sport in the world that you can’t analyse to the benefit of the player, says Dr Hutch
Dave Brailsford is poised to enter the world of Premier League Football, and the Doc believes he will fit right in
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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Old kit ought to be one of the pleasures of having been in the sport for a long time
The Doc celebrates the joy of owning 'no longer cool' short socks
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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The 'greatest rider of all time' is always the one who inspired you in your youth
The generational debate is always easy to solve: the riders of our youth are always better than the riders of today...
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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An important element of any training programme is just how long you can put it off for
Many riders seem determined to peak in December, observes the Doc, who's tempted to delay his winter training until the spring
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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There’s no good reason to have a winter hack any more, but try telling that to the rider with 15 bikes on Zwift
There's always room for one more bike, goes the theory (N+1), and Cycling Weekly's columnist agrees, but it's a position he's finding harder to justify
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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'In winter I select routes based on the amount of mud I’ll encounter': how to avoid cleaning your bike
The Doc would rather haul his bike over mud than to clean it later, such is his aversion to wielding a bucket and a sponge
By Michael Hutchinson Published
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However good genetic testing gets, there will always be plenty of space for you to make a total mess of things entirely of your own free will
A DNA test could determine if you have the genetics to win the Tour. The Doc ponders, even so, if all the training might be a bit of a faff
By Michael Hutchinson Published