Newsletter Issue No. 975
July 29, 2021
Anti-Aging: 4 Reasons Why Year-Round Strength Training is Good for You
By Coach John Hughes
On Sunday I met one of my goals for the year. I rode from my house up to the Vista Ridge trailhead, which included 10 minutes of all out effort. I was deep in the hurt locker! Then I enjoyed one of my favorite mountain bike trails. Last year by the time I got to the trailhead all I could do was coast home. I’m fitter this year because I’ve done strength training weekly. This along with short hilly neighborhood rides made the difference. Here’s why. Read more.
Cheap Road Tires: Readers’ Picks
By Jim Langley
Last week I told you about the cheap folding clincher road tire that I think provides a lot of bang for the buck, Schwalbe’s Lugano II. It’s a standard, not tubeless or tubeless-ready tire. Sometimes I can find them for about $20. If you missed the column, here it is: Schwalbe Luganos – Cheap Road Tires I Like. Read more.
Should I Go Road Tubeless?
QUESTION: Should I go road tubeless? Tubeless has been a game changer on my mountain bike, but I’m hearing conflicting information from roadies about it. Some love it, some hate it. – William N
ANSWER: I think the reason why you’re getting conflicting information is because there are a lot of different opinions about road tubeless, so there isn’t necessarily a yes or no answer about whether you should do it. Read more.
Showers Pass APEX DWR Shorts Review – Men’s and Women’s
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Showers Pass just launched a pair of shorts, in men’s and women’s versions, that work great for mountain biking, gravel, hiking, or any adventure. The APEX shorts are one of the most comfortable and best-fitting pairs of shorts I’ve tested in a while. Read more.
Building Mental Strength for Cycling: Breaking it Down
By Martin Sigrist
Takeaway: Mental strengths can be given a sports specific context by considering them in terms of “long term” versus “doing it” (e.g. riding a bike) and “emotional” versus “rational”. This results in four different aspects “Ambition”(long term, emotional), “Informed Planning”(long term, rational), ”Combativity” (riding, emotional) and “Positive Habits”(riding, rational). Success requires mastery of all of these. In addition it is useful to be aware of the existence of “Mind Hacks” from areas outside of cycling that can be used to help develop proficiency in these aspects. Read more.
How Far Would You Go To Support Your Spouse’s Dream?
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Would you ride your bike lugging 400 pounds of gear and supplies to support your spouse’s dream of running 2,112 miles across the Australian Outback? For Henley Phillips, the answer was a resounding “YES!” In 2019, Henley and his wife Katie Visco successfully made the 119-mile journey. And yes, they are still happily married. Read more.
Exercise for Both Endurance AND Intensity
For maximum health benefits, you should work for both endurance and intensity in your exercise program. We have lots of evidence that exercise prolongs lives by reducing risks for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and diabetes, and adding intensity to a workout increases its health benefit. Read more.
Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process
Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process by Coach John Hughes explains why intensity training is important and the pros and cons of gauging intensity using rate of perceived exertion, heart rate and power. It includes how to do intensity exercise and different intensity workouts. The book explains how to get the most benefit from your endurance rides. It has sample training plans to increase your annual riding miles and to build up to 25-, 50-, 100- and 200-mile rides. It integrates endurance and intensity training into an annual plan for optimal results. Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process incorporates the latest research and is your comprehensive guide to continuing to ride well into your 80s and even your 90s.
Question of the Week
Do you ride more often with groups or alone?
Other Cool Stuff to Read
CyclingTips: New 24 hour world record of 1,024 kilometers
Wall Street Journal: Solo Cyclist Completes His Alternative Tour de France
VeloNews: Technical FAQ: Rotor travel protection, tubeless tire retention, yellow equipment
End Note
