Hi, I’m Michael Better. I am a 24-year-old freelance writer, and cycling aficionado living in Boulder, Colorado. As a recent graduate of James Madison University (JMU) with a B.A. degree in journalism, I seek out opportunities to tell the stories that need to be told. My specialty is cycling, which is grounded in a deep knowledge of the sport and the characters who shape it.
Currently, I am the freelance contributing writer at CyclingTips.com. My main role involves putting together the “Daily News Digest,” which is a story containing all of the day’s important cycling news.
Previously, I worked as the weekend web editor for Velonews.com and was also responsible for writing the “The Week In Tech” story that gets published each Friday and includes a summary of the latest cycling tech pieces released during the week.
For the summer of 2016, I was a contributing writer for CyclingTips.com based in Boulder, Colorado. My main role was focusing on producing content around the U.S. racing scene and U.S. riders racing abroad. I also wrote the daily stage report for many of the stages races that occurred during my time there, including the Tour de France and Giro d’Italy. I was able to gain experience writing feature stories and evergreen content.
I became a staff writer for The Breeze, JMU’s school newspaper in fall of 2015. I ventured to Florence, Italy to study during my spring semester of 2016. There, I was able to expand my knowledge of European culture and further my pursuit in cycling journalism by freelancing stories at prestigious events such as Strade Bianche and Milano-SanRemo.
As an editorial intern at VeloNews during the summer of 2015, I gained experience in all aspects of news, reporting and content creation. During the internship I matured to pitching stories and pursuing interviews with some of the key figures in cycling, such as then two-time gold medalist Kristin Armstrong and three-time national cyclocross champion Jeremy Powers.
Experience:
– Bylines
– Contributing Writer at CyclingTips.com (Summer 2016)
– Study Abroad Florence, Italy (Spring 2016)
– Summer Editorial Internship at VeloNews.com/VeloNews Magazine (Summer 2015)
– Medalist Sports: Temporary hire for Tours of California, Utah, & Colorado
– Internship at Comcast SpotsNet Mid-Atlantic (Academic Year 2012-2013)
Accomplishments:
– Eagle Scout Award
– Third Degree Black Belt
Fedora Mike 