What to Wear Cycling in Varying Weather, a Conversation with Coach Ertl This article began one December when I started trading emails with Coach David Ertl. Coach Ertl lives and rides in Iowa. I grew up in neighboring Missouri and can attest to the terrible weather (and the 100-degree-plus extremes — in normal years!) possible in […]
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What to Wear in Various Weather
Dictionary of Cycling Lingo
A List of Common Terminology to Decipher the Sometimes Arcane Patois of Road Cycling Ever wonder what cyclists are talking about when they start throwing around weird slang? We’ve created a bicycling dictionary for you, with definitions of the most common phrases and words related to cycling. Did we miss a word? Leave a comment […]
To Be Totally Aware on the Bike: It Makes You a Bit More Than Safer
By Kevin Kolodziejski A vital advantage. An extra edge. In his autobiography, “Laurent Fignon: We Were Young and Carefree” (Yellow Jersey Press, 2010), the feisty, astute, and my favorite French cycling legend says both about something you probably see as neither. Aging.
Use “Stress and Recover” Workouts, Even If You Exercise Just For Health
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. Competitive athletes train by “stressing and recovering,” and healthy people who do not compete in sports can gain greater benefits from their exercise programs by using this same training principle. You have to damage muscles to gain strength and enlarge muscles. You become more fit if on one day, you stress […]
When’s the Wrong Time to Skin the Cycling Cat?
By Kevin Kolodziejski The discussion supposedly occurred during an airplane flight and a chance meeting of two distinguished philosophers. It’s worth sharing because its end result should stay the same when two cyclists meet and talk about how to train. Especially when one of the cyclists considers himself a “cycologist” and has, as the legendary Phil […]
3 Essential Cycling Techniques for Roadies
By Coach Fred Matheny Pro athletes develop simple techniques that become automatic. A three-point shooter’s follow through or a golfer’s silky stroke are techniques they’ve honed until they no longer think about them. Pro cyclists, too, develop characteristics that separate how they look on a bike from the rest of us. It’s not simply a […]
How Can I Learn to Go Easier on ‘Enjoyment’ Rides?
Question: This sounds silly, but how can I learn to go slower? Even when I go on rides that I intend to be fun rides or recovery rides, I find it difficult to slow down. I finish the day exhausted. — Samuel P.