Cycling in the USA: Defining American cycling culture

The diversity of American cycling landscapes and climates

At this very moment, whilst I’m writing about cycling in the USA and struggling with the difficulty in trying to define American cycling culture, there’s snow falling in the Midwest region where our Lake cycling shoes home lies, in the city of Chicago. The temperature is a cool 10F (-12C) degrees – yes 22º (12º) below freezing; whilst elsewhere in San Diego and Los Angeles, California, they’re sleeping in a warm 52F (11C) and 55F (13C) degrees respectively. And as the USA wakes up in the morning, temperatures are forecast to be 77F (25C) degrees in sunny Florida, with Denver, Colorada wrapping themselves up in winter clothing due to a mere 53F (12C) degrees in the winter sun!

Yes, defining American cycling culture and the diverse nature of cycling in America is difficult, due to the simple fact that the country is so geographically vast and different. Tomorrow, when cyclists across this amazing nation take to their bikes, some will be wearing our latest MXZ305 winter cycling boots, others will be training for triathlon on the Florida coast, wearing our latest TX224 Triathlon specific cycling shoe, whilst those riding into the California hills might well find their fit in our CX20R road cycling shoe, with the mesh upper to helping to maximise breathability for their feet in the warm temperatures.

America is a tapestry of cycling styles and genres, and for well over 40 years we’ve been creating the world’s most wide-ranging selection of cycling shoes to cater for this diverse cycling landscape. Designing cycling shoes for such an eclectic community of cyclists means that Lake have probably got a cycling shoe to suit just about every cyclist – from bikepacking across the dusty trails of Arizona, to the Colorado road cyclist, testing themselves in the Rocky Mountains.

The evolution of bikepacking and adventure cycling

Accepting that cycle touring was alive and well – and especially popular within Europe during the post-war 1950s, bikepacking itself was coined in the early 1970s, by National Geographic editor, Greg Siple, along with Lys and Dan Burden, who set out on an expedition across Alaska and Canada. Developed as a form of "dirt-focused" travel, distinguishing it from traditional on-road bicycle touring, it led to the US becoming the bikepacking centre for ultralight, dirt-focused gear rides and iconic routes such as the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

These days, right across the world, riders such as our own Lake ambassador, Ja Big from Canada,take to the bikepacking trails and challenges, whilst paying homage to its evolution here in the USA. And, at Lake, we continue to design some of the best off-road adventure cycling shoes in the world, that fit the bill for multi-day bikepacking adventures. In 2025, we re-introduced our new LXSDL Sandal, which looks back to those fun days of mountain biking and bikepacking yesteryear.

Built on our Comfort Plus last, the Lake LXSDL has been designed as a cycling sandal for adventure seekers, bike-packers, casual riders and commuters, where comfort is the main priority. It’s a cycling sandal where your wider feet have the freedom to spread out. With an SPD compatible real rubber sole, a hardwearing microfiber and webbing upper, and reinforced heel for stability, the LXSDL is a reincarnation of a Lake classic cycling sandal, with a cool vibe for those days of baggy shorts, tees and adventure time – all over the USA casual and leisure cycling landscape

Embracing GRAVEL – American gravel biking

Whilst gravel biking came to the fore quite recently in Italy and the Tuscan hills, before becoming a global cycling phenomenon, gravel events had been taking place in the US for well over a decade already. Often these were grass roots events focused on being self-supported and emphasized adventure over competition. Events such as Gravel Worlds, The Mid-South, BWR, to name a few, now draw participants from all over the world to share in the adventure and community that is gravel.

Events such as Unbound Gravel, based in Emporia Kansas are now bucket-list gatherings for gravel riders from around the globe. Previously known as the Dirty Kanza, Unbound is an event comprising gravel racing and covering various distances held annually during the late spring on rural roads in the Flint Hills region of the Great Plains around Emporia, Kansas. Many regard it as the premier gravel biking event in the world, with over 5,000 riders competing in 2025.

Developing cycling shoes for this adrenaline fuelled cadre of riders isn’t easy, as they seek a strong, stable and sleek high-performance cycling shoes that merge off-road ruggedness the lightness of a road cycling shoe, allowing them to take the racing road to gravel.

Our Lake MX20G creates a new era for adventure and gravel cycling, setting the standard with an extremely lightweight, breathable and adjustable upper that is also available in 3 widths. We’ve utilized the lightness and durability properties of Clarino microfiber, alongside a micro mesh panelling and laces, to give riders a race-ready, durable and lightweight classic adventure shoe, with ultimate adjustability. This classically designed off-road MTB shoe is the culmination of over 40 years of world-leading innovation and expertise and is ideally suited for those long days on the Unbound gravel grind. Welcome to the off-road adventure shoe revolution – the Lake MX20G.

Sharing a cycling lifestyle, with the American cycling community

Adventure cycling is alive and well in America and is thriving as we head towards spring. Throughout 2026, we’re going to be taking a closer look at all form of cycling in the USA. We’ll be looking at the various events, the racing scene, the challenges and at leisure and commuter cycling across the rich and varied tapestry of American cycling culture. We’re also going to be present at Unbound 2026, where we’ll be giving away a race entry to some lucky rider!

And, we’ll be following the exploits of our US cycling ambassadors, such as international BMX racer, Carly Kane. This constantly smiling, warm and enthusiastic young woman is quietly determined that when LA 28 comes along in two short years, she’ll be following the team flag around the opening ceremony, before racing to success wrapped in our a super-adaptable and race-ready MX333 cycling shoe.

For now though, as the snow falls across the Lake Michigan landscape, and the early morning triathletes awaken in sunny California, we’ll leave with the fact that Lake continue to be the most innovation and wide ranging cycling brand in the world  - and where cycling shoe comfort and performance comes as standard for all riders!