Question: I recently developed a bad case of Achilles tendinitis. The real discomfort occurs hours after a ride while walking and climbing stairs. Bicycling is supposed to be low impact. What’s going on? — Harris C. RBR Replies: Many riders think that because cycling is relatively gentle on legs, they’re immune from the injuries we…
QUESTION: My jaw hurts after long downhills. It’s painful under my ears almost like I’ve been chewing toffee too hard and overworked the muscles. Any idea what causes this? I don’t like to descend, and I need to get better for a Colorado tour I’m doing this summer. — Bailey A. RBR REPLIES: Because you don’t like…
QUESTION: My wife thinks that with the time we spend on our long rides (6-8 hours), always including the strongest sun of the day, we should be putting sunscreen on underneath our jerseys. There are very few cycling jerseys that explicitly list the ability to filter UVA/B rays. Should we be coating our upper backs…
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. Many studies show that a lifetime of vigorous exercise makes the heart stronger and healthier and does not harm it. However, as I reported earlier, a few studies that got a lot of media attention suggested that chronic intense exercise can damage the heart to cause irregular heartbeats. Now a study of…
You just got a new bike with 175-mm crankarms instead of the 170s on your old bike. Now your knees hurt. Are the longer cranks to blame? It depends on what sort of knee problems you’re having, so the short answer is—maybe. When you switch to longer crankarms, your knee must extend more at the…
