Newsletter Issue No. 866

June 13, 2019

PDF version for Premium Members is here.


What Is the Best Electrolyte Supplement?

By Coach John Hughes

Even in very hot conditions, most of the heat is generated by your body, which is only about 25% efficient. For every four calories you burn, only one calorie provides energy to move you forward—and the other three calories produce heat. That heat must be dissipated from your body through primarily by sweat. Your body is like a car’s radiator. Blood circulates through your core, heats up and circulates to the skin where heat is dissipated via sweat. Read more.


Setting Up My Park Tool BX-3 Toolbox

By Jim Langley

Last fall, while camping, which always includes riding, of course – I needed to lubricate the rear brake cable on my Litespeed. When I went to yank my trusty Plano toolbox (photo) out of the RV storage compartment, the box’s plastic handle broke off. Upon further inspection, when I flexed the box and drawers I discovered that the whole thing had become so brittle it was ready to fall apart. Read more.


How Can I Best use Commuting as Training

Question:  This past fall, a job change meant a change to my commute. I now ride over 15 miles each way. This means my weekends are now recovery time instead of riding time. I can fit intervals into my commute twice a week and I can occasionally take a day off by getting a ride from a co-worker. But other than that, how can I, at 51 years old, use this commute time as a training benefit? —Harth H. Read more.


Garneau Art Factory Jersey, Neo Power Art Motion Shorts and Air Gel Ultra Gloves Review

by Sheri Rosenbaum

Garneau’s new Art Factory summer collection provides fresh new road kit designs for both men and women. The Art Factory jersey comes in 3 unique graphical designs with matching shorts. You are certain to find a look that suits your style. Read more.


Time Limitations? Try Training for Busy Cyclists

Last week, coach Fred Matheny responded to a question about training under a time-constrained schedule. In addition to the great information Fred provided in his answer, we wanted to remind readers of our eBook “Training For Busy Cyclists” written by coach and RBR contributor, David Ertl.  In coach Ertl’s ebook, you’ll learn how to work with a schedule that is crammed full of family, work and life events and still make time for training, and learn how to make the most of the time that you do have available. It also includes example workouts and training plans for busy cyclists. Learn more.


What’s the Trick to Cycling on Really Rough Roads?

Question: I ride on bad pavement — old, bumpy and cracked. It’s not the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, but I do get bounced off the saddle. It’s a struggle to keep a steady cadence. How in the hell (of the North) do the pros manage to ride so fast on cobbles? — Craig P. Read more.


Variables of Cycling Workouts and Why They Matter

By Arnie Baker

By understanding the variables of bicycling workouts, you will understand how workout programs function to achieve different ends and be better able to design your own. Read more.


Cycling Apparel for UV Protection

Some cyclists prefer preventing sunburn with apparel rather than sunscreen. On long rides, you can easily sweat away all your sunscreen and end up burned. Others simply like to double up and use both. We’ve rounded up the top UV blocking cycling products we could find to keep you protected from the sun. Read more.


Cycling in the Heat: Ride & Hydration Management

Cycling in the Heat bundle by Coach Hughes combines the latest scientific research and his wealth of riding and coaching experience to prepare you to ride when you are hot. Coach John Hughes has twice won the Furnace Creek 508, racing 508 miles including through Death Valley, one of the hottest places on earth! He has finished the Race Across AMerica across the southern US in August. These two eArticles share what he has learned from decades of riding and coaching. Learn more.


Question of the Week

How much time do you have for cycling?


More Cycling Stuff to Read

BikeRumor: Trek starts the transition to the new T47 bottom bracket on a new cyclocross model.
YouTube: A fun video tour of the Silca Headquarters.
VeloNews: Chris Froome will not race the Tour de France this year after a serious crash during training.


End Note

Thank you for reading the totally free RBR newsletter. I’m excited to see a growing number of people who are subscribing and opening it each week. If you know someone else who like it, consider forwarding this newsletter to them with a note and suggest that they sign up too. The RBR newsletter is made possible by the support of our awesome premium members and supporting members. This support allows us to turn off the ads on newsletter articles for everyone for the first three days after each newsletter goes out. We appreciate them!

Finally, a reliable way to prevent chain marks on your right calf.

Similar Posts

  • Newsletter Issue No. 907

    March 26, 2020 PDF version for Premium Members is here. Hope everything is going ok for all the RBR readers. I thought it might be a welcome distraction to keep sending our regular, not news-related cycling material, for all of us who are stuck at home. Maximizing the Value of Your Trainer Time By Coach…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1172

    May 8, 2025 7 More Reasons To Give Time Trials A Go Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley In last week’s newsletter, there was a helpful article titled Why Should a Fitness Rider Do Training Time Trials? In the story we provided four excellent reasons cyclists working on fitness will benefit by riding training time…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1192

    September 25, 2025 One More Disc Brake Tip for Beginners – and Why We Share These Tips Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley Let’s start with why last week’s Tech Talk was for beginners traveling with bikes with disc brakes (here’s that article) and then we’ll share an additional tip. It seems important to explain…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 965

    May 13, 2021 Anti-Aging: 4 Essential Year-Round Home Resistance Exercises By Coach John Hughes As we age resistance training becomes more important. I call it resistance training exercise because strength training has the connotation of going to the gym and lifting free weights or using machines. You can do these exercises at home with no…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1214

    March 5, 2026 Event Gear CUBE Chain Wax Lube Revisited Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley You’ve surely heard the saying, “never discuss politics or religion.” When it comes to cycling, I would add “and chain lube,” because it’s one of the things riders disagree about and argue about most. Even when there’s agreement on…