Editor’s Notes:1) I will be taking some much-needed time off during an upcoming visit by my German in-laws, so we will not be publishing an issue June 6. Instead, I’ll be speaking a little German and drinking a little extra beer. Warum nicht? Ich bin im Urlaub! (That’s German for: Why not? I’m on vacation!) See you next Thursday, and then again June 13.

2) I’m expecting the jerseys any day now; I will mail them out immediately the day I receive them.

Last July, we published the first title in what has turned out to be a superb 4-part series of eArticles by Coach John Hughes – the “Past 50” series. Today, we’re proud to publish the final installment in that series, Performance Cycling Past 50. Here’s how Coach Hughes starts off the new eArticle:

Do you strive to be a better rider? To go faster or farther, in addition to being fit and healthy? In this eArticle I describe the different factors that go into improving your performance as an older rider. As you age your body can still handle stressful riding and get stronger as a result; however, it takes longer to recover.

Thus, the key to improving your performance is systematic, focused training, working on the factors that make a difference and not wasting time and energy on unnecessary riding. You still do rides just for fun—they’re active recovery!

Coach Hughes provides two specific training programs to improve your performance:

• A 12-week program to ride a century, which can be adapted to other, longer distances
• A 9-week program to increase power and speed

But first he walks you through the various aspects of training, planning, nutrition and recovery to help you accomplish your own program of systematic, focused training, including: assessing events; setting goals; identifying performance requirements; assessing your own strengths and weaknesses. And rolling those into a season-long plan that builds on itself in phases.

He also teaches you how to train by intensity, establishing training zones based on Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Heart Rate, or Power (depending on the technology you use), and how to use your training zones across various types of workouts to help achieve your specific riding goals.

He stresses the importance of recovery as an elemental factor in training gains. “High-quality recovery is the secret to improvement,” he says. “Your season-long plan, your weekly pattern of workouts, and the mix of hard and easy riding within a workout should all provide sufficient recovery.”

So whether your goals include accomplishing a ride of a certain length that you’ve never done before, or boosting your power and speed to wow your riding or racing buddies, or something else entirely regarding increased performance on the bike – Performance Cycling Past 50 is for you.

If you haven’t already, check out Coach Hughes’ other stellar “Past 50” series eArticles:

1. Healthy Cycling Past 50
2. Off-Season Conditioning Past 50
3. Healthy Nutrition Past 50

On tap this summer from the prolific Coach Hughes are 3 more terrific articles (in keeping with RBR’s baseline mission) to help you improve your riding and enjoy our great sport even more.

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Enjoy Your Ride!

John Marsh

Editor & Publisher

A cycling buddy sent me a link to a fascinating article dissecting a recent discovery that holds immense life-saving potential. It also holds the potential to be the most effective doping agent ever.

From the original story that made the rounds on Facebook:

“A team of scientists at the Boston Children’s Hospital have invented what is being considered one the greatest medical breakthroughs in recent years. They have designed a microparticle that can be injected into a person’s bloodstream that can quickly oxygenate their blood. This will even work if the ability to breathe has been restricted, or even cut off entirely.

“This finding has the potential to save millions of lives every year. The microparticles can keep an object alive for up to 30 minutes after respiratory failure. This is accomplished through an injection into the patients’ veins. Once injected, the microparticles can oxygenate the blood to near normal levels. This has countless potential uses as it allows life to continue when oxygen is needed but unavailable. For medical personnel, this is just enough time to avoid risking a heart attack or permanent brain injury when oxygen is restricted or cut off to patients.”

Think about that for a moment. You don’t even have to breathe for your blood to remain oxygenated. You would effectively never go anaerobic, in other words. The potential for abuse and record-shattering human performance is almost hard to overstate.

Click to read the full article from Michael Pecaut, PhD.

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Harvard Study Calls for More “Cycle Tracks”

A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers says U.S. guidelines for building cycling infrastructure on roadways need to be updated to include more cycle tracks – physically separated, bicycle-exclusive paths adjacent to sidewalks – to encourage more people of all ages to ride bicycles.

The study appeared online May 16, 2013, and will appear in the July 2013 print edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

According to lead author Anne Lusk, research scientist at HSPH, standards set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in its Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities generally serve vehicles well but overlook most bicyclists' needs.

"In the U.S., the default remains the painted bike lane on the road," said Lusk, who has been studying bicycling patterns in the U.S. and abroad for many years. That approach is problematic, she says, because research has shown that women, seniors, and children prefer not to ride on roads with traffic.

In a release on the study, researchers said “the AASHTO guidelines discouraged or did not include cycle tracks due to alleged safety concerns and did not cite research about crash rates on cycle tracks. This study analyzed five state-adopted U.S. bicycle guidelines published between 1972 and 1999 to understand how the guidelines have directed the building of bicycle facilities in the U.S. They also wanted to find out how crash rates on the cycle tracks that had been built compared with bicycle crash rates on roadways in the U.S.

“They identified 19 cycle tracks in 14 cities in the U.S. and found these cycle tracks had an overall crash rate of 2.3 per one million bicycle kilometers ridden, which is similar to crash rates found on Canadian cycle tracks and lower than published crash rates from cities in North America for bicycling in the road without any bicycle facilities.”

Lusk cited the confluence of transportation and public health when it comes to setting such guidelines. "Bicycling, even more than walking, helps control weight, and we need to provide comfortable and separate bicycle environments on existing roads so everyone has a chance for good health."

According to the study’s authors, AASHTO bicycle guidelines should be based on more rigorous and current research. They concluded: “If policies could allow for easier construction of cycle tracks, studies have indicated that more individuals would be willing to bicycle – thus, more people of all ages would reap the related health benefits.

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The Pros: Tour of California, Giro Updates

Tejay van Garderen (BMC) rode a commanding TT win in Stage 6 to a nearly 2-minute overall victory in the Tour of California. It was the 24-year-old American’s first career win in a stage race.

"It's a big relief to finally get my first stage race victory," he said. "I've been close on a number of occasions, and I was starting to get worried I didn't have what it took to win one. Now I've proven I can, it's a big relief, and I can go into every race a little less stressed. Sometimes if you loosen your grip it will come naturally."

He’s been close a number of times but never got past the 2nd step on the podium, including at last year’s USA Pro Challenge. He finished 5th overall in last year’s Tour de France and wore the white jersey as best young rider.

Van Garderen’s Tour of California victory now sets up an interesting dilemma for BMC. With teammate and former TdF champion Cadel Evans riding a strong but distant second place after 2 weeks of the Giro, BMC now faces the question of who will be the team leader heading into the Tour. BMC manager Jim Ochowicz, while cagey, seemed to indicate that the time for van Garderen has not yet arrived.

"It's not short-term," he said. "It's not about the next month, six months. It's about the next 10 years. We're taking one race at a time. We just accomplished winning the race, and we're pleased with that….The Tour is still a couple months away, but I keep saying it's not about the short term, it's a long career he's looking forward to."

Jens Strikes Again

Among the highlights of this year’s Tour of California was yet another stage win by the ageless Jens Voigt, nearing 42! Jensie did it in typical fashion: a well-timed solo attack. His description of the win after the fact was also classic.

In Stage 5, with teammates including Matthew Busche in the lead group, Voigt launched after some encouragement from Busche.

"Busche said to me, 'You look pretty good, why don't you go for the stage'. I just did the same move I've been doing since the ice age, and I couldn't believe they let me go,” said Voigt.

"Once I get 20 seconds, I'm gone. I looked back and said, 'I can't believe they're giving me 20 seconds, don't they know?' I actually had time to slow down and it was good, because I was, well not close to passing out, but it was hard. I had to dig really deep, but now all the pain is behind me."

Nibali Locked on in the Giro

Speaking of the Ice Age, Stage 15 of the Giro brought it to mind, as the stage was contested on a snowy, icy day up the Col du Galibier – one of the TdF’s signature climbs.

Despite repeated threats from GC contenders to take time from him, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) easily held off threats to his race lead, which remained at just under 1:30 over Cadel Evans. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) is another 1:20 behind Evans.

The Dolomites and an individual time trial stand between Nibali and victory, but he’s steadfastly protected the maglia rosa thus far on the steeps, and the ITT is a short one, with little chance for big time gaps. In other words, Evans has his work cut out for him if he realistically entertains hope for a win.

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A Bike in 893 Easy Pieces

Ever wondered what a completely disassembled 1980s Raleigh bicycle would look like, with every single piece laid out nicely to see? Well, wonder no more. Click to see the Wall Street Journal graphic of the disassembled Raleigh.

It’s an amazing display.

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RIDE WITH RBR: Upcoming Atlanta-Area Rides

June 15: Jackson County Brevet

This ride, which meanders through some lovely countryside near Braselton, Georgia, benefits Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDS). Aplastic Anemia is a very rare and very deadly bone marrow disease that receives almost no funding for research, and the treatment has not changed in 25 years.

RBR is supporting the ride for the 2nd consecutive year. John will be joining in the ride, so look for him if you’re there.

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In Next Week’s News & Reviews:

• Product Review: SKS Spaero Sport Pump

Answer at http://www.roadbikerider.com/question-of-week , where you can also find an archive of previous poll results.

Highlights of your responses to last issue’s Question:

Question:

Most of the strong guys on our weekend rides are also the ones who do the most miles. Some of them even ride an hour or more after the regular ride. They do about 5,000 to 8,000 miles (8,000-12,800 km) a year while I ride 3,000 (4,800 km). Would more mileage help me improve? -- Barney K.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies:

If I had $1 for every question similar to this I've received over the years, Deb and I could eat free at our hometown Camp Robber restaurant tonight.

But it's a key question in cycling and worth answering every few months. We read about pros riding 20,000 miles (32,300 km) a year and assume that if we had the time to emulate them, we'd be much faster and more powerful. However, there is a limit to how much improvement we can gain from sheer mileage.

At some point, probably between 150 and 200 miles (240-322 km) per week, just riding more isn't enough. You need to add substantial doses of intensity, too. Once you reach 8-10 hours per week of riding, improvement slows dramatically or even reverses unless intervals, climbing or other stressful efforts are included in the mix.

This depends on your goals in cycling, of course. If you want to win the Race Across America, some pretty substantial mileage is essential. But to hang with local hotshots for 40 or 50 miles (64-80 km) or set a century PR, some well-chosen intensity will more than make up for fewer miles.

And you know what's also crucial if you've been reading my coaching advice for long: Rest. You can't go really hard without resting really hard.

Many recreational cyclists tend to do all their riding in the same intensity range, somewhere between "cruising" and "pretty hard."

Far better is to do a few rides that are "really hard" and keep the rest of them "guilt-inducingly easy" for recovery. Then when you want to put down the hammer, you'll have done the hard work necessary to make it happen.

So concentrate on the quality of your miles (and recovery) rather than sheer volume. I bet you'll see marked improvement.

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In Part 1 last week, I explained how the online auction site ebay.com is a great cure for the frustrations we face as roadies, such as keeping up with the rapid pace of technological change, finding obsolete components and selling used bike gear. This week, I have a few more tips on getting the most out of this excellent resource.

Finding bargains

Ebay started off kind of like fleamarket dot com, with lots of people using it to clean the junk out of their attic and garage. It still has that element. But it’s also become a fine way to find genuine bargains.

You have to be a little careful. But if you read the descriptions carefully, check the photos closely, and ask questions of the sellers, you can often find gems.

The items like this that I shop for are typically lightly or barely used bicycles, wheels, components or accessories. They’re usually sold by bicycle shops or bike shop employees or pro or semi-pro sponsored racers who get new team bikes and gear each season.

For the shops and mechanics, it’s typically something that they purchased at wholesale prices, didn’t use much for some reason and now they just want to sell it at their cost so that they can buy the latest model.

Another scenario is parts that bicycle shops removed when they set up a new bicycle for a customer. Often they’re left with a crankset with certain gearing or crankarm length, or a wheelset that is slightly shop-worn. These items are almost new and usually much more affordable than the same part at retail pricing since it came as part of a complete bicycle and didn’t cost them as much.

Tip: Every seller and buyer on ebay has a rating and feedback that you can review, which is a nice way to gauge how easy they’ll be to work with. You can also ask questions, which is a nice way to get to know the person selling the item and learn any details they didn’t spell out in their ad. I’ve been selling and buying on ebay since 1999, and I’ve only run into one dishonest buyer in all that time, and never been cheated by a seller. But, for example, if I was to ask a question from a seller and not receive a reply, I would not buy that item because if they don’t answer questions, I can’t be sure they’ll respond if there are any issues with the shipping or with the actual item.

Use Buy it Now

When shopping on ebay, it’s smart to look for items marked with a Buy it Now price (this is an option for sellers to use, so you won’t find it on every item). This special feature lets you buy the item immediately by agreeing to pay the seller’s preset Buy it Now price. That way you aren’t caught up in a bidding war and you also don’t have to wait until the end of the auction, so you can get the part sooner.

A lot of the time the Buy it Now price is too high, so pay attention. What you’re looking for is the perfect item for you, where the seller put a Buy it Now price on it that is a bargain for you.

So, for example, you’ve been shopping for a set of aero wheels and noticed them going for a certain price. Then one day you see the perfect set offered at Buy it Now for a lower price. That’s the kind of deal to look for, and if you keep looking, it’s surprising how often deals like this turn up.

Tip: To avoid bidding wars, I research what I’m looking for and figure out what I’m willing to pay for it. I then wait until the last few minutes of the auction and place my maximum bid. Ebay will only raise the current highest price bid on the item by a set percentage. So if the item is at $15 and you bid $100 and no one else bids in those last few minutes, you will win the item for a little more than $15.

Don’t worry selling things

While it’s theoretically possible to make a mistake using ebay and sell something with true collectible value too cheaply, it’s not that likely. There are just too many buyers who know what things are and that tends to ensure that things sell for what people are willing to pay.

So, if you were to list an item for a too-low price -- let’s say a 1960’s Cinelli track stem, complete with head badge, for $25 -- it’s highly likely that by the end of the auction it would reach its true value.

Many sellers use that tactic when pricing their items, too, starting at a stupid-low price just to attract bidders early, knowing full well that the item will fetch the price they need. The low price jumpstarts the bidding and others see the activity and start bidding, too. (It’s a tactic used in selling houses, even.)

But if you’re worried about getting a fair price, you only need to search and find a similar item and watch to the end of the auction to see what it sold for. You can then list your item at that price or put a reserve price that high on it to ensure you don’t sell it unless you get that amount.

You also have the option of setting the opening bid amount at the lowest price you’ll sell the item for. That’s how I usually list my items. To come up with that price, I include what I want to sell the item for (the price that will make me feel OK about selling the item) and add a bit for my time to box the item and ship it, too. If an item doesn’t sell, you can relist it at a lower price. Ebay saves every listing so it only takes a minute or two to relist an item.

Tip: I recommend listing items for sale on the weekend and choosing a 7-day auction. That way the auction will end on the weekend when I believe more people are likely to be available to bid on it. It also lets you deal with the boxing and shipping on the weekend. Another theory is that auctions should end during the week since so many people shop ebay from their office workstation, but I’m not sure about that.

Selling is easy

Just like you probably don’t have to worry about getting ripped off on the price, you also don’t have to be an expert to sell something. That’s the great thing about ebay. The buyers are often the biggest experts and as long as you provide enough photos and a basic description, they will figure out what you’re selling regardless of how little you know about it.

Still, you do want to provide basic information like the brand name, model, a basic description of what it is and what condition it’s in. It’s also helpful to put words in the title of your item so that when buyers search, they find it. But that type of information requires little expertise.

Tip: If you’re not sure how to list something, another trick is to search for it and then copy how that seller did it, changing your ad to reflect the differences in your item.

Use ebay’s tools, too

Once you get the hang of ebay, you might get addicted. Some of their tools automate things so that you don’t have to pay so much attention and can still find and take advantage of great deals. For example, there’s a Watch Item button. Hit that and ebay will alert you as the auction is closing so you have time to check the current price and bid if it’s what you want.

I have a smartphone ebay app that follows items I’m selling and trying to buy. It alerts me when a potential buyer has questions about my items, when something I’ve purchased has shipped, when anyone places a bid on my items and more.

Ebay has greatly improved its photo tools, too, so it’s quite easy to upload your photos and display them so large that buyers can really see all the details. That helps technical items like bicycle parts sell more effectively. Currently, you can upload up to 12 photos for each item, and I usually provide at least six. Just be sure to hold the camera steady so you get nice, in-focus photos to make the best impression.

Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful getting you started using and benefitting from ebay. There are almost endless other tips, tricks and tools you can find out about searching and learning more on Google and ebay’s own help menus and community forums.

Tip: There’s one scam on ebay to watch out for. I only see it occasionally, but it’s worth knowing about. You’ll be searching for a certain item and bring up a long list. They’re all priced in the same range. You scroll a bit looking at the different ones for sale and spot one selling at a ridiculously low, low price. Beware. On items like this, the typical scam is selling the item for peanuts but charging a super-high price for shipping and handling. So always check the shipping fees before bidding or buying.

If you’re an ebay user and/or expert, please chime in with your favorite tips and advice, and good luck with your buying and selling!

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A few years ago, I was in Winter Park, Colorado, at the U.S. Cycling Team’s high-altitude training camp. Chris Carmichael was the national coach at the time. Team members included current pros Tyler Hamilton, Kevin Livingston, Fred Rodriguez and Chann McRae.

When I arrived, I found the riders pounding out intervals up Berthoud Pass, a 3-mile-long, 6% grade. But instead of using the supple pedal stroke and rapid cadence of top climbers, they were plodding in a monstrous 53x15-tooth gear at a cadence of about 50 rpm.

It looked like they had broken their derailleurs and just wanted to get home.

Actually, they were building muscular endurance using a technique that I call “grinders.” That’s what it feels like—low-cadence, high-resistance grinding. It’s like doing weight-training squats on the bike.

Grinders

There are 2 basic types:

1. 3-5 minutes, moderate grade of about 5%, 50-60 rpm, seated.Use a computer that counts cadence so your rpm stays in this range. Concentrate on making perfect circles with pressure on the pedals all the way around each stroke. Keep your upper body quiet—don’t rock your shoulders or hips.

Intensity is important. If you’re breathing hard, you’re doing this drill wrong. It’s designed to strengthen muscles, not provide an anaerobic workout. Your heart rate should be about 10 beats below lactate threshold. You should feel the strain in your legs, not in your lungs.

2. 10-20 minutes, gradual grade of about 3%, 75-85 rpm, seated.These intervals are like time trialing in that you ride steadily for a relatively long time. But cadence is 10-15 rpm slower than you’d use in a competitive TT and effort is more moderate—about 5 beats below lactate threshold. Again, concentrate on your pedal stroke and overall form.

Long, steady grades work best because you’ll be going at a steady pace and using a fairly large gear. Gravity gives you something to push against.

EXAMPLE! East of my hometown of Montrose, Colorado, Highway 50 rises about 2,500 feet in 14 miles to the top of Cerro Summit. Only the final 4 miles are steep. There’s a wide shoulder, no stop signs and few intersecting roads. It’s a perfect venue for No. 2 grinders.

My steep hills are west of town, climbing to agricultural mesa tops. Each one is 5-8% and about a kilometer long. They’re perfect for big-gear No. 1 grinders.

You may not have such ideal terrain, but you can make do. For instance, consider the area around Bowling Green, Ohio. I ride there when we visit in-laws. Bowling Green is aptly named—the land is dead flat. But there’s a prevailing southwest wind, so I simply do grinders into it. For short climbs, there’s a highway overpass just outside of town. It’s not ideal, but it works.

Grinders are high-intensity workouts. The low cadence and high resistance will make your legs feel like you’ve done a tough weight-room workout.

So, do grinders only once per week in the 8 weeks of spring training. This leaves room for the other workouts outlined in my spring training eBook and reduces the risk of chronic fatigue.

I talked earlier about including periods of harder efforts in your endurance rides. If you mix several grinders into your long weekend ride, count them as your once-per-week dose.

CAUTION! Grinders seem like they’d wreck your knees in short order. But if you do them right, they won’t. The exception: If you have a history of knee problems such as chondromalacia or patellar tendinitis, use an easier gear and a higher cadence.

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Adapted from Coach Fred Matheny’s Spring Training for Roadies. Coach Fred Matheny has decades of experience as a competitive racer and cycling coach. He is the author of 13 RBR eBooks and eArticles.

 

 

 

Some nagging health issues had been making me kind of blue a while back.

After muddling through bronchitis, then a mystery ailment, then an emergency tooth extraction, I'd been diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease, a virus characterized by a rash on the arms and legs, plus painful mouth sores.

Not to be confused with hoof-and-mouth disease, which only animals get. Or with foot-in-mouth disease, which only humans get.

A concerned co-worker noticed I hadn't been too chipper recently and asked if I'd considered taking anti-depressants. Something like Prozac, Zoloft or HappiTyme. (Caution: Side effects may include nausea, dry mouth and rectal leakage.)

Fun as that sounded, it hadn't occurred to me to try drugs of the non-EPO variety. I guess because my anti-depressant has always come with 2 wheels and derailleurs.

Would medication help? I wondered. The answer came -- as it often does -- on my next ride.

It was a nice evening after work, around 7:30, and I'd just finished some hill repeats. I was heading home at an easy pace, feeling wasted but satisfied. The roads were quiet, finally. The setting sun bathed the ridgeline orange.

Time, I noticed, had slowed way down. I felt incredibly peaceful and began seeing things I'd normally miss.

As I glided by, a woman in her garden looked up and said hi -- two of us doing something we loved, possibly after a long day of doing something we didn't.

I passed some horses in a fenced yard. "Please don't feed the animals," a sign said. "They bite." Ah, nature.

A mile from home, I almost made the light I never make. But I didn't care. I'd already taken my anti-depressant.

Comment

If you're like most riders, hills are a real limiter. You do fine on the flats but on steep stuff your lungs scream. You gasp for air and soon slow to a crawl.

Get help from the technique known as belly breathing.

If you look at profiles of pro riders on their bikes, they often seem to have big stomachs. What you're seeing is their diaphragms expanded like bullfrogs in full voice. It looks odd but it's the efficient way to breathe when you're going hard.

Here's how to get that bullfrog lung capacity

Practice off the bike.  Lie on your back with a book on your stomach. Breathe in slowly and fully. Instead of swelling your chest, expand your diaphragm near the bottom of your rib cage. The book should move toward the ceiling. Then exhale steadily to lower it.

Most people think that breathing deep means puffing their chest like a drill sergeant. But breathing is fuller as well as more efficient if you use diaphragm muscles.

Practice on the bike.  During a ride, increase your intensity to about 85% of max. Breathe steadily and rhythmically with your diaphragm. When you do it right, your thighs might almost touch your torso at the top of each pedal stroke. If you start panting, ease off until deep breathing is possible again.

The goal is to make diaphragm breathing automatic. Think about it, especially when climbing, until shallow, less-efficient chest breathing is a thing of the past.

Tip! Emphasize your out-breaths, especially on climbs. If you force air from your lungs, you won't even have to think about breathing in. Air exchange will be more complete, providing more oxygen to your muscles.

This technique will also stop you from slipping into panting mode. It helps you find a rhythm for breathing and pedaling. Try a firm exhale on one pedal stroke, followed by passive inhales on the next 2 strokes. Or whatever feels natural to you. A regular breathing pattern will aid your pacing on long climbs.

Some riders make a whooshing sound when they forcefully breathe out. Others grunt like a pig. It sounds funny, but auditory feedback like this helps you do it right, especially as you're learning.

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COMING SOON TO THE RBR eBOOKSTORE:

• New eArticles:
  • Four-Article Series on Aging and Cycling, by Coach John Hughes:
    • Healthy Cycling Past 50 - already released!
    • Off-Season Conditioning Past 50 - already released!
    • Healthy Nutrition Past 50 - on sale now!
    • Performance Cycling Past 50 - on sale TODAY!
    • Riding in the Heat (COMING IN JUNE/JULY)
    • Cycling Past 60 (COMING SUMMER 2013)
    • Cycling Past 70 (COMING SUMMER 2013)
• New eBooks, ePubs & DVD Products:
  • Bike Fit Video Analysis, by Alan Canfield (COMING IN SUMMER 2013)