Newsletter Issue No. 886
October 31, 2019
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
Can Coach Hughes Still Improve? I Hope So!
By Coach John Hughes
I turned 70 this year and in an earlier column I wrote about Lessons from my Journey Through Life. The basic message is that chronological aging is unavoidable; however, you can choose how you live the journey and control physiological aging. Read more.
Cartridge Bottom Bracket Checking and Maintenance
By Jim Langley
This week’s Tech Talk is about modern bottom brackets, which employ sealed cartridge bearings. They’re a bit of a mystery to many roadies since there are no obvious adjustments to make. This week I’ll try to unravel the mystery so you know what you’re dealing with and how to care for them. Read more.
Follow Hollow High-Performance Alpaca Socks
By Sheri Rosenbaum
I’ve been singing the praises of alpaca over merino wool for years, with my first encounter in Peru when I trekked the Inca Trail. About a month ago, Brain Davis reached out to me asking if I’d try out his new Follow Hollow alpaca socks and provide some feedback. Read more.
12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process
Anti-Aging 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process by Coach John Hughes is to help you flatten the geriatric curve by increasing your aerobic capacity, doing intensity training, building and maintain muscle strength and power, increasing your flexibility, working on your balance and reducing bone loss. Anti-Aging incorporates the latest research and most of it is new material not published in his previous eArticles on cycling past 50, 60 and beyond. Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process is your comprehensive guide to continuing to ride well into your 80s and even your 90s.
Stretching Doesn’t Deliver
Whenever I see someone stretching before or after hard exercise, I worry that the person has gotten bad advice about training.
• You should not stretch before a competition because stretching weakens muscles.
• You should not stretch after hard exercise because stretching muscles that are already damaged by intense exercise delays recovery and increases risk for injury.
• You cannot lengthen muscles or tendons by stretching.
An extensive review of the scientific literature showed that the supposed benefits of stretching are highly controversial. Read more.
A Fall Cycling Vest Roundup
For fall bicycling, layers are the name of the game. Cyclists might start out on a ride early in the morning where the temperatures are down in the low 40s, but it’s 70 degrees by the time they finish the ride a few hours later. Read more.
Potatoes Just as Effective as Energy Gels for Cyclists
We’ve heard it from Coach John Hughes many times that regular foods from the convenience store like Peppermint Patty and Fig Newtons have more carbs than energy bars and gels, and often taste better.
A new scientific study in the Journal of Applied Physiology shows that regular potatoes are also just as effective as energy gels when it comes to cycling performance. Read more.
Road Cycling Shoes – A Short Primer
by Rick Schultz
During bike fitting client interviews and evaluations, many questions come up. One category that always brings questions is cycling shoes. Are these good shoes? I just bought them. What’s the difference between my $90 shoes and your $550 Lake CX-402? Etc.
The first and most important thing I cover when I answer questions like these is the sole of the cycling shoe. Read more.
René Herse Switchback Hill 48mm 650b Extralight Tire Review
If you’re not familiar with the Rene Herse brand, it might be because you don’t know that Jan Heine changed his company’s branding from the previous name, Compass Tires. I’ve been riding Switchback Hill Extralight tires on my Giant Revolt gravel bike for almost two months now. I bought them specifically for a gravel event, where they performed spectacularly, even with the smooth tread. Read more.
Question of the Week
Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming! Do you gain weight during the holiday season?
More Cycling Stuff to Read
Men’s Health: The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir is still ripped at 72 years old.
Cycling News: Chris Froome says there’s no guarantee he’ll ever get back to his previous level of cycling.
Cycling Weekly: Guy on a road bike averages 31mph on a 10 mile time trial course.
Bicycle Retailer: New presta valve design makes it easier to add tubeless sealant and seat your tire.
BusinessWire.com: Tour of California put on hiatus and cancelled for 2020. (Hat tip to John Marsh.)
End Notes
Tried out my first Zwift race last weekend on the Wahoo KICKR. The good news is that my effort was so hard that Zwift recognized a new FTP (functional threshold power — the highest power you can maintain for an hour) almost 15 watts higher than my last test, taken from my recorded race wattage. The bad news is that even with that 15 watt personal improvement, I was still second to last in the B race category. And that’s only counting the other riders who also signed up at Zwiftpower.com for power and heart rate verification, which filters out cheaters. Dear Zwift, how do you cat down?