Question: I just started riding after 20 years of overwork at the office and sloth at home. I love it, but simple mechanical chores have me stumped. For instance, how do you lube a chain with a drip applicator bottle without getting it all over the garage? – Basil M.
Q: I’ve ridden for 40 years without knee problems. I’m still using clips and straps but am considering clipless pedals. Is it true they can cause problems? — Ford K. COACH FRED: I’ve used clipless pedals since the original Look model came out in the mid 1980s. The only “problems” are minor. For all riders, you…
In newsletter issue No. 110, Coach Fred Matheny commented on the odd brake lever position seen on the bikes of numerous Tour de France riders. They’re putting the levers high on the curve of the handlebar. Instead of creating a horizontal platform, the hoods angle upward by 30-40 degrees. Apparently, Fred said, this position helps…
UPSHIFTS TO SMALLER COGS: Hand in drops Hand on hood DOWNSHIFTS TO LARGER COGS: Hand in drops Hand on hood SRAM’s New ‘DoubleTap’ Shifting System Japan’s Shimano and Italy’s Campagnolo have owned the road component market for the last quarter century. Now Chicago-based SRAM, the respected maker of MTB equipment, has revealed…
Q: I’m new to cycling and have become fascinated by old racing photos. So here’s a dumb question: Why do bikes in those pictures have cables sticking out of the brake levers? — Amanda Q. COACH FRED: For most of cycling history, brake levers were designed with the cables making graceful loops from the tops. Then in…
