Newsletter Issue No. 1206
January 8, 2026
Calvin Jones Retiring After 28 Years As The Director of Education At Park Tool
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Below is Park Tool’s press release about every bike mechanic’s guru at Park Tool, Calvin Jones and his upcoming retirement. I thought it was important news to share because I bet like I have, that many of you have been assisted by Calvin in his books and articles and especially his Park Tool bicycle repair how-to videos on their YouTube channel. If you’re ever stuck when fixing a two-wheeler, the chances are excellent that there’s a video out there on it with Calvin showing the proper way to get the job done. Read more.
In-Depth Biography – Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Winter is the perfect season to dive in and tackle your reading list. Last month, Bloomsbury Sport released a detailed biography of four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar, authored by acclaimed journalist Andy McGrath. Read more.
UDOG Sempre Cycling Shoes
By Brandon Bilyeu
The UDOG Sempre is a road cycling shoe with a Nylon-Carbon composite sole and polyurethane uppers that are closed via a single UDOG Twist Tech dial. The uppers are a wrap-around design without a tongue, and the laces incorporate udog’s Tension Wrap System. They offer a clean aesthetic, and the quality of material and construction is clear. Read more.
With electronic shifting, is there an optimal cassette range for both steep climbing and fast descents?
Question: With modern electronic shifting, is there an optimal cassette range (e.g., 10-34 vs. 11-36) that best suits both steep climbing and fast descents? —Scott R.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: Back in the mid-1990s, when I was preparing for a ride across America, I didn’t have the funds to purchase a touring bike, so I decided to reconfigure my old 10-speed Schwinn Sprint so it would be better geared to handle steep climbs on mountain roads. Read more.
Avoid Saddle Cysts with These Tips
There’s almost nothing as painful as dealing with saddle sores as a cyclist. They really hurt. If you try to just suffer through the pain and hope they’ll go away on their own, you can end up with much bigger problems. Don’t ignore them, because a sore can get worse and turn into a hard, persistent lump called a cyst which can sometimes even require surgery for removal. Read more.
Why Not Ride and Ruck This Winter?
By Kevin Kolodziejski
It’s a running joke of mine, not meant to be funny or offensive but simply to express a climber’s disdain for the type of bicycle racing known as the criterium. It goes something like this: That God only permits cyclists to congregate in urban settings and corporate centers to make hundreds of right-hand turns for about an hour at a time while endlessly jostling for position — and occasionally using his name in vain — to show that the sport falls just a wee bit short of the state that he and he alone has attained. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Cycling News: I tried nasal strips for cycling to find out if they really help
Bike Radar: Escape a fitness rut and get 2026 off to a flyer with these six essential strategies
CyclingUpToDate: “Cycling has completely changed… Now you eat like a mother all day long”
Question of the Week
Ever experienced back pain related to cycling?
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A Simple Tip for Cyclists with Dogs
End Notes
