Newsletter Issue No. 833
October 25, 2018
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
Anti-Aging: Training in Your 50s, 60s and Beyond
by Coach John Hughes
Last week I described the physical changes with aging in your 50s — both true aging and pathological aging. By training effectively you can slow (and even reverse in some cases) true aging. Exercise along with life style changes can significantly reduce the risk of pathological aging. Read more.
This Eclectic List of Bicycle Touring Books Will Have You Itching to Hit the Road
by Stan Purdum
During the year leading up to my 1995 trip on two wheels across America, I read every narrative I could find of other people’s tours, as much to quell my impatience as to prepare me for the road. I was glad to find that a considerable body of first-person literature about such trips existed, and I’ve enjoyed reading other accounts that came along after my ride. And I was pleased to eventually add two bike-travel narratives of my own to the genre. (Find them here and here on the RBR site.) Read more.
Anybody Can Learn To Be a Bike Mechanic
by Jim Langley
Back In 1971, the late Tom Cuthbertson wrote one of the best selling bicycle repair books of all time, titled, Anybody’s Bike Book. Thanks to the Internet, you can still buy it. While you won’t find anything about electronic drivetrains, hydraulic disc brakes or a host of other recent innovations, what you will find is good basic advice for beginner bike mechanics. Read more.
High Fat Low Carb Ketogenic Diets: Another View
by Coach John Hughes
After reading Lars’ interview with Valerie Peterson in last week’s newsletter I did a little research with two scientific organizations about ketogenic diets. Read more.
How to Ride at a Slower Pace Than You’re Accustomed To
Question: I am considering going on a 10 day bike tour in Italy. Everything about the trip looks great except for the fact the average speed of the riding is significantly below what I am accustomed to.
Is there a device one can attach to a road bike that can consume 50 to 75 watts? — Luc G
Stay Fit for Life, With Help From Coach Hughes
In this 3-article series Coach John Hughes shares his personal insight and the current research into how different physiological systems worsen with age. In Fit for Life, he shows you that by exercising in different ways you can stay fitter than if you just ride your road bike. In Peak Fitness, he provides specific week-by-week workouts designed to make any rider a better, fitter cyclist. And in Training with Intensity, he explains the physiological benefits of riding with intensity; doing some hard riding slows the aging process and delivers an array of benefits at any age. Learn more.
Here Are 5 Ways You Can Help a Fellow Cyclist, Even if You’re a Mediocre Mechanic
by John Yoder
You don’t have to be a skilled mechanic to help a cyclist in distress. A helping hand, a better tool or an encouraging word can often be the most helpful response you can make.
Although I consider myself knowledgeable about cycling in general, I would be the first to admit that I’m not a skilled bicycle mechanic. I can fix a flat tire, tighten loose screws on my water-bottle cage and adjust the brakes so that they don’t squeal, but for any major mechanical issue, I head for a local bike shop. But I also know that my bicycle-related mechanical skills are better than those of the average recreational cyclist, and as a result, I always offer to help fellow cyclists I see stopped on the side of the road with mechanical problems. Read more.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
To make muscles stronger, you need to exercise intensely enough to damage the muscles. You can tell that you are damaging muscles when you exercise vigorously enough to feel burning during exercise and soreness in those muscles eight to 24 hours later, which is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. To protect yourself from tearing muscles, you should wait until the DOMS is gone before you take your next intense workout. Read more.
Question of the Week
What’s your favorite laundry solution for keeping your cycling gear clean and stink-free?