Newsletter Issue No. 837
November 22, 2018
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
Holiday Gift Guide 2018: Gift Ideas for Road Cyclists
The holidays are here already, so you might be thinking about gift ideas for your favorite road cyclist — or perhaps gift ideas for yourself to suggest to friends and family this year.
Here’s our collection of cool cycling gear that we think a roadie could appreciate. Read more.
Should I Lighten My Bike or Buy a New One?
by Fred Matheny
Question: I’m a first-year racer and bought my current bike a year ago from a friend for $400. It weighs 22 pounds and has a triple crankset. To lighten my bike, where would I get the best bang for my buck: wheels, fork, frame or drivetrain? Or do I need to bite the bullet and buy a new one.
Worried About Losing Your Fitness Over the Winter?
by Fred Matheny
The biggest danger in the off-season isn’t loss of fitness, it’s the risk of overtraining brought on by the fear of losing fitness. Riders who are upgrading their racing category are especially at risk. They imagine how hard the next level will be and overcompensate by training hard. They cook themselves before the season even starts. Read more.
Is It Necessary to Build an Aerobic Base?
by Coach John Hughes
Question: When I started cycling in the late ’70s, coaches were of the view that building an aerobic base was very important – and specific. Training outside of the aerobic zone interfered with aerobic development and should be avoided at all costs. Does this compartmentalized view still hold up, given the increased knowledge we have? Read more.
Cycling Past 60
Your body isn’t a harmonious whole, but is composed of different parts, each of which ages somewhat separately: the cardiopulmonary system; muscles; the skeletal system. And, as you age into your 60s and beyond, flexibility and balance increasingly are at risk of deterioration.
Cycling only stresses and keeps relatively young the cardiopulmonary system. If all you do is ride, you lose muscle mass, bone density, flexibility and balance in activities of daily living. Coach Hughes describes how your whole body ages and gives you six different health maintenance objectives for different components of your physiology, including comprehensive fitness programs that address these objectives. Learn more.
Make Your Own Take-along Spoke Wrench
by Jim Langley
Great comments came in about our Buyer’s Guide to Multi-Tools last week. Thank you!
I liked the feedback from regular contributor Kerry Irons so much that I decided to do a short feature on them this week. I think you’ll like what Kerry shares, too. I’m going over his advice line by line and adding a few comments and a how-to for what I think is his most awesome tip. Read more.
Ask The Bike Fit Coach: Best Stretches Prior and Post Ride, Part 3
by Rick Schultz
Here are two more terrific stretches for cyclists that are useful before and after your ride to keep you comfortable and injury free. These two stretches will help your lower back and the latissimus dorsi muscles in your mid back. To see some of our previous stretches, be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2. Don’t forget that when your muscles are cold, you shouldn’t over-do any stretching. Sometimes it’s better to do an active warm up like walking or jogging around the block first. Read more.
Want to learn more and be able to ride better, and more comfortably? Check out our comprehensive book, Stretching & Core Strengthening for the Cyclist. It’s a 57-page eBook, with with nearly 50 different stretching and core exercises (including variations) that is just $14.95.
Amy Schultz has a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, is an accomplished cyclist and has done extensive research on athletes and injury prevention. Amy demonstrates the proper form for all the stretching and core exercises in the eBook. Most of the exercises are easy to do, with more difficult ones labeled. All are clearly illustrated, with actual photos demonstrating the proper technique.