Newsletter Issue No. 1249
November 5, 2026
Should Steve Upgrade or Replace His “Old” Trek Madone 4.7?
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
The question I’m answering this week is from a reader named Steve, who is riding a 2009 Trek Madone 4.7. I offer a few tips, recommend sources for replacement parts and give my take on what he might like about a new machine. Have a read and then weigh in with a comment to Steve with your recommendations. Read more.
Health Woes
By Ric Stern
Ok, deep intake of breath. Probably not for the squeamish. A few weeks ago, I was at the gym. My staple there is the back squat — great for building strength in my legs, great for sorting out my osteoporosis. Anyway, I’d had two weeks off from the gym — I’d been in France (which I previously wrote about). So, I started with my easy recovery week plan to ease back into things. Read more.
Don’t Let Resignation Keep You Off the Bike
By Kevin Kolodziejski
Whether it be a Century, a hammerfest with your buddies, a one-thousand rider Gran Fondo, or an insanely fast crit that included a couple soon-to-be pros, take a moment to recall a ride that did you in. That broke your soul. That made you sit up, soft pedal, and say to yourself, “No more.”
Now what if there’s a way to say, “No more” nevermore? And not just while you’re turning the pedals? Wouldn’t that be lovely? Read more.
Tunnel Hill State Trail: An Ideal Fall Vacation
By Sheri Rosenbaum
The autumn weather in the Chicagoland area has been unseasonably mild. I was riding in short sleeves and shorts through most of October. Craving one last adventure before the end of the year, I started tracking the fall foliage maps and trying to predict when the leaves would peak in southern Illinois. Read more.
Is it really so bad to take the whole winter off the bike?
Question: I basically hang the bike up from Thanksgiving to March. Between work, the kids’ basketball season, and it being dark before I get home, riding just doesn’t fit those months, and honestly, I don’t even miss it until the days get longer. My riding buddies act like this is a crime. They’re all on Zwift five nights a week, sending me screenshots and telling me I’m “losing everything I built.” And sure, every April I’m slow for about six weeks. But by June I’m right back in the same group taking the same pulls. So what’s the real story? Is starting over every spring actually as costly as everyone insists, or are my basement-dwelling friends just recruiting? —Jason K. Read more.
Magnesium Makes a Comeback
Deep Archives: Newsletter #64 · October 10, 2002
A look back at the newsletter from 24 years ago! The following is reprinted as originally published; product details and prices are from 2002.
Will magnesium be the hot new frame material? A decade ago, one attempt to use it in frames foundered on a design that was too stiff. Several loose fillings and bruised kidneys later, the company vanished. But now a major player — Pinarello — is betting it can take advantage of magnesium’s lightness and strength without rattling your world. Why the buzz over magnesium? It has a mass of 1.8 compared to 2.8 for aluminum, 4.5 for titanium and 7.8 for steel, along with outstanding rigidity. The Pinarello Dogma is visually identical to an aluminum bike but promises much more. Frame and fork about $3,200.
(Take a look what it looks like at Buycycle.)
Other Cool Things to Read
MySportScience: Is more carbohydrate better? What evidence says about 90, 120 and 150 g per hour
Brujulabike: Why do legs feel heavy when you start a workout, only for that feeling to disappear later?
YouTube PRO. Gravel: Is America’s Most Famous Gravel Actually Overrated?
Bike Radar: This British couple pedaled around the planet together – and broke a world record.
Question of the Week
How much does your cycling mileage drop during winter?
Most Clicked Last Week
Is Internal Cable/Hose/Wire Routing a Bad Thing?
End Notes
