Newsletter Issue No. 879
September 12, 2019
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
10 Tips to Improve Your Mental Toughness
By Coach John Hughes
My client David finished the arduous Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) covering 1219km (758 miles) in 89 hours 20 minutes. (90 hours was the cut-off for an official finish.) This is the total time including all the time off the bike including short sleep breaks! Riders had to check in at controls (check points that also had food and places to sleep on the floor) along the route within specified time limits. Read more.
Garneau Milan Boa (men’s) and Sienna Boa (women’s) Road Shoe Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
At a price point of $129.99 MSRP, Garneau’s Milan Boa or Sienna Boa road shoes are a great entry-level choice. They offer many features found on a higher priced shoe like a Boa closure, stiff sole and ventilation all for a fraction of the price. Read more.
Preventing and Dealing With Frozen Seatposts
By Jim Langley
A guy with a Sparrow frame came to me at my shop in Vermont around 1978. His exquisite steel hand-made American frameset was so nice I couldn’t believe it needed any work. But when he told me the seatpost had become part of the frame and no one could get it to budge, I knew I was in for a battle. Read more.
Why Should a Fitness Rider Do Training Time Trials?
Time trials aren’t just for Cat. 1 racers and pros. Here are a few good reasons you should add some time trialing to your regular cycling routine even if you typically just ride for fitness and fun. Read more.
Stop Cycling’s Showstoppers
Many books offered by RBR are about training for rides. Stop Cycling’s Showstoppers is about finishing rides, no matter what obstacles might crop up. It’s a unique and highly useful reference for all cyclists. Coach John Hughes is a multi-time finisher in the Race Across America and Paris-Brest-Paris. In rides as long as those, if something can go wrong it probably will go wrong.
Reaching the finish requires successfully solving potential showstopping issues involving equipment, nutrition, weather, ailments, injuries, discouragement, and more.
How Can I Learn to Go Slower on Enjoyment Rides?
Question: This sounds silly, but how can I learn to go slower? When I tour on our wonderful English lanes, I find it difficult to slow down. I finish the day exhausted. — Samuel P. Read more.
Headsweats Cycling Cap Review
Wearing a traditional cotton cycling cap under your helmet can be a pretty hot and sweaty experience. Fortunately, Headsweats has designed a traditional looking cycling cap that’s made of a modern high tech fabric that wicks moisture and stays much cooler on your head. Even better, it also operates as a headband and keeps sweat out of your eyes and off your face. Read more.
Question of the Week
Do you wear a cycling cap or headband under your helmet?
More Cycling Stuff to Read
ABC News: 103 year old wins gold at the 100 meter dash
CNN: Mouthwash after exercise can counter blood pressure benefits.
Marketwatch: Are sports drinks ruining your teeth?
VeloNews: Q&A with Andrew Bernstein about the hit and run that almost killed him.
End Notes
We’re already almost halfway through September, but it’s still blazing hot here in Dallas. Hope it’s cooling off where you live. Are you preparing for cyclocross season? If you’ve never tried a cx race, you should give it a try. Cyclocross usually has much more of a fun and laid back atmosphere than regular road cycling, and you can usually race on your mountain bike if you don’t own a cyclocross bike. And the pain is usually over in 45 minutes or less! Even if you don’t race, it’s fun to be a spectator.