Newsletter Issue No. 1235
July 30, 2026
Product Review: Silca Hirobel Frame Clamp
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
With Silca’s Hirobel Frame Clamp, you get the peace of mind of knowing that both ends of your bicycle are cradled in soft rubber holders that Silca refers to as “cones,” and held fast with even softer and stretchy thick rubber adjustable straps.
This is at least twice the support provided by the clamp that comes on most repair stands. Read more.
Training Around Limited Time
By Ric Stern
The Tour de France just wrapped up, and for many of us it stirs up that familiar daydream: if only we had unlimited time to train, we could be in it (if we could also wind back the clock and become 20 again ;-)!). I know I do!
Look, even if we could do that (have unlimited time to train and wind back the clock), the strong likelihood is that we couldn’t actually ride the Tour de France. But as far as I’m aware no one can wind back the clock (!), and most of us are stuck with limited training hours due to work, family, or aging. So this week’s article is about training with limited hours. Read more.
Is Time-Restricted Eating the Best Way to Keep Off Weight Lost?
By Kevin Kolodziejski
Fellow American cyclists, whether you’re currently carb depleted or not, you need to chew on this. There are people in this world who would do anything to be you.
No, I’m not currently bonking, nor did I hit the wall a day or two ago. I’m just writing what’s as easy to forget as the first PowerBars were hard to swallow. Read more.
ASSOS EQUIPE R Men’s Kit
By Brandon Bilyeu
Back in 1976, ASSOS took a new approach to bib short design. At the time, everyone wore wool shorts with leather chamois’. ASSOS made the first Lycra short, and now that is all we know. To celebrate, ASSOS released a limited-edition 50th anniversary kit based on the EQUIPE R line as seen in the opening image above, though it has already sold out. Read more.
SP Connect Smartphone Mounting System Roundup
By Sheri Rosenbaum
At CABDA Midwest in February, I came across the SP Connect booth. While talking to the rep, staff from my LBS joined the conversation. They mentioned the shop carries SP Connect and had nothing but positive feedback about the brand’s quality products.
I was planning several bikepacking and multiday cycling trips for the summer, and figured it would be the perfect time to test a variety of SP Connect components. Read more.
Is it okay to play music from a speaker on group rides?
Question: A newer guy in our bike club mounted a Bluetooth speaker on his bars and plays classic rock for our entire rides. About half the group loves it and sings along. I hate it, and I feel like a grump for hating it. Part of why I ride is to hear the birds, the tires humming and my friends telling the same stories they told last month. Now every ride has a soundtrack I didn’t ask for. Nobody else has complained, so maybe the problem is me. Is there any etiquette here, or did I just get old? —Dennis W. Read more.
Quick Tip: Do Your Intervals Early, Before You’re Tired
If your ride includes hard efforts, do them near the start, while your legs are still fresh. Save the easy miles for the end.
It’s tempting to warm up with a long, relaxed stretch and then hit your intervals once you’re deep into the ride. The problem is that by then you’re already carrying fatigue, and fatigue drags down the numbers that matter. The whole point of an interval is to push hard enough to force an adaptation. If you’re too tired to hit your target power or heart rate, you’re getting a watered-down version of the workout you set out to do.
Think of your best efforts as the main course, not dessert. Warm up properly, maybe 15 to 20 minutes of easy spinning with a few short bursts to wake up your legs. Then do your intervals while you can still hit them cleanly. Once the hard work is done, ride home at an easy pace. Those closing miles still count as endurance riding, and they double as a cool-down.
There’s a quality argument here too. Sharp, focused efforts done when you’re fresh teach your body to produce real power. Sloppy efforts done when you’re cooked mostly just teach you to suffer. For most riders, most of the time, the fresh version is the one that makes you faster.
There is one exception worth knowing. Racers and fast group riders sometimes practice hard efforts late in a ride on purpose, because that’s when the winning move happens in a race. But that’s an advanced, race-specific tactic. It’s something to build up to only after you can already nail your intervals when fresh.
The bottom line: put the hard part first. You’ll hit better numbers, get more out of the workout, and enjoy the ride home. See quick tip.
Other Cool Things to Read
Cycling News: ‘Two years ago I already said he’s going to surpass Eddy Merckx‘ – Former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans
Yahoo Sports: Chris Froome: I don’t miss the suffering or starvation of pro cycling
Cycling Weekly: Bang-for-buck products used by the Tour de France peloton I’d actually buy
Newser: Critics Say One Family Is Holding Back Cycling
YouTube: Come bikepacking with WorldTour Pro Alison Jackson.
Question of the Week
Have you ever taken a cycling vacation or trip specifically to ride somewhere new?
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End Notes
