Question: When I ride outdoors, I concentrate on keeping a quiet and relaxed upper body. I thought I was successful until I started riding on my indoor trainer where I can see my shadow on the wall. I noticed that my upper body moves about an inch or so from side-to-side as I pedal. Is this…
Question: On a long climb, is it better to sit and spin or stand and crank? I can spin faster seated, but it feels better to stand from time to time. Which is better? — Art S. RBR Replies: This sounds like a simple question, but the answer is complicated. It depends!
Question: Is there a way to determine the taste of a sports drink by looking at its list of ingredients? — Simon S. RBR Replies: I wish! Besides the various ingredients that add flavor, and their proportions, there’s the fact that drinks can taste different depending on whether they contain fructose, maltodextrin or a combination,…
What to Wear Cycling in Varying Weather, a Conversation with Coach Ertl This article began one December when I started trading emails with Coach David Ertl. Coach Ertl lives and rides in Iowa. I grew up in neighboring Missouri and can attest to the terrible weather (and the 100-degree-plus extremes — in normal years!) possible in…
Question: What gears are they pushing? They look like they’re flying. —Jack G. Pros often use a 55×11-tooth high gear for time trials. On flat or rolling stages they might have 53/39T chainrings with an 11-21T cassette. In moderate mountains they switch to a large cog of 23T or 25T. These days, they’ve joined the big-gear…
