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What to Wear in Various Weather

What to Wear Cycling in Varying Weather, a Conversation with Coach Ertl This column began in early 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 […]

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 […]

The GPS in Your Head, Part 2

by Stan Purdum In my recent article “The GPS in Your Head”, I mentioned that not every cyclist seems to have the “aptitude that makes stringing streets, roads and paths together to create bike routes easy.” Kerry Irons, one of the readers who commented on the article, confirmed that observation by telling of riding with […]

“What a Drag it is Getting Old”

By Coach John Hughes This is the first line of Mother’s Little Helper written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1966 when they were 23 — they’re now 76. Mother’s Little Helper is Meprobamate a tranquilizer and in the song the mother keeps taking more and more until she overdoses. Then on August 20, […]

Quick Tip: Don’t Get Dropped in Corners

You’re out with the local training bunch and hanging fine on the rolling hills and windy sections. But every time the group goes around a corner, you get gapped by 20 or 30 feet. Cyclists tend to go hard out of corners. Cynics would say it’s mob mentality. Some riders are fit enough to sprint […]

Quick Tip: Have a Purpose for Your Ride

Have a purpose on every ride. If you do, daily training becomes even more productive. Your fitness and bike-handling skills will improve faster. For example, organize your riding buddies into a paceline instead of a sloppy pack. Do hard turns at the front, then sit in to recover. This type of riding pays off in […]

Quick Tip: Check Your Speed Before Leading the Paceline

One of the common (and irritating) mistakes riders make in a paceline is accelerating while taking over the lead position. Maybe it happens because riders don’t want the others to think they can’t handle the pace. Rather than risk slowing down, they err by speeding up. The correct way is to maintain the speed as […]

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