Newsletter Issue No. 810

May 17, 2018

PDF version for Premium Members is here.


Anti-Aging: Wising Up As You Get Older

By Coach John Hughes William Chopik, an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University, surveyed more than half a million Americans via the internet. He found that as people got older they nevertheless continued to feel younger than their chronological age.  “People know that they are aging, but they are evaluating themselves and their lives and reporting feeling about 20 percent younger than their current age.”

Read more.


The Perils of Deferred Maintenance

By Stan Purdum My favorite story about deferred maintenance on a bicycle comes from a group ride I was on a few years ago. When a guy named Ted flatted and didn’t have a pump, I stopped with him so he could use mine. As we removed the wheel, I noticed there was a hole the size of dime in the sidewall of the tire. Once we got the tire off the rim, I also saw a dollar bill folded in half already inside the tire “patching” the hole.

Read more.


Shopping for a New Road Bike? Here Are Some Tips

By Jim Langley I don’t know if it’s the fact that the grand tour season kicked off last week with the Giro d’Italia, or if it was the arrival of Bike Month (Colorado’s isn’t until June), or if the weather suddenly improved. Whatever the reason, I’ve been fielding lots of questions from folks shopping for new road bikes. So, I thought I’d try to help by sharing some very basic buying advice I’ve been doling out for the questions I hear the most.

Read more.


Garneau Equipe Shorts, Bibs and Equipe 2 Jersey Review

By Sheri Rosenbaum and Brandon Bilyeu For their Spring/Summer line Garneau completely revamped both their women’s and men’s Equipe 2 jersey and Equipe shorts/bibs in multiple great color/graphic combinations for a superb cycling kit. All the kits have the same technical features but very different graphical designs. Now you can own them all and no one would know they are all the same model.

Sheri tested the women’s jersey and shorts, while Brandon tested the men’s jersey and bibs. Read More.


When Should I Replace My Bike Helmet?

By Fred Matheny It’s often recommended that a helmet worn frequently should be replaced every 3 years or so. The reason is that the foam degrades due to sun, heat, salty sweat and other environmental factors, added to the usual knocks of regular cycling activity.

Read more.

 


Smith Network MIPS Road Helmet Review

By Sheri Rosenbaum  It’s been over a year since my last Smith helmet review, so I was interested to test one of their 2018 models launched in March. Smith continues to exceed protection standards on their cycling helmets. The Network helmet combines MIPS, in-mold Aerocore™ construction, patented Koroyd ventilated technology, and a VaporFit adjustment system to provide safety and incredible fit.

Read more.


Question of the Week

Reading Coach Fred’s article on how long you should keep a helmet before replacing it led to me doing a little bit of backwards calculation about the age of the incredibly orange POC Octal helmet I ride with. I think I’m getting near the three year mark. What about you? How Old is Your Helmet?

Similar Posts

  • Newsletter Issue No. 913

    May 7, 2020 PDF version for Premium Members is here. 10 Essential Bike Handling Skills for Roadies By Coach John Hughes I turned 71 in April and rather than rueing my age, I’d set a challenging goal of cross-country skiing at least 71 days.  I skied 75!  My second goal was to continue to improve…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1143

    October 17, 2024 Tom’s Tip For Keeping Bottles From Growing Mold Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley My Santa Cruz County Cycling club mate and riding buddy Tom Pennello told me this cool tip last week and he gave me permission to share it with you. Read more. PRIMAL Wear Gear Roundup for Men and…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 848

    February 7, 2019 PDF version for Premium Members is here.   Getting Home With a Damaged Wheel By Jim Langley The goal of this tip is to make sure you can ride home if your wheel gets damaged out on the road. The reason this tip is important is because many modern road rigs (those…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1189

    September 4, 2025 A Different Take on Dealing With Cyclist Haters Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley The story last week in newsletter #1188 entitled Bike Hater Meets His Match – Will You?, reminded me of a similar tale that had a different outcome. I’m sharing it below. First though, I don’t consider these people…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1191

    September 18, 2025 A Few Beginners Tips for Traveling with Disc Brake Bikes Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley As you may already know if you’ve been reading this column for awhile, my wife Deb and I do a fair amount of RVing. As I type this we’re enjoying the lovely rolling hills, lush fields…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 942

    December 3, 2020 Anti-Aging: Too Much Stress Shortens Your Life By Coach John Hughes As an RBR reader you probably know the major factors that affect how long you will live: Smoking shortens the life expectancy of 30-year-old men by 6.6 years and women by 5.5 years. Diabetes shortens the life expectancy of 30-year-old men…