By Bob Howland After a recent windy ride, Premium Member Bill Rosenfeld wrote to pose two questions about the physics of riding in the wind: 1) When you’re buffeted by a cross-wind, does going faster make you more or less stable? Velocity is a vector quantity; it has both speed and direction. Let’s say you…
Question: Now that it’s warmer I want to shed my tights. But all of the experienced riders around here tell me to keep my legs covered. Is there a rule of thumb (knee?) for when it’s safe to reveal my gams to the elements? — Perry C. RBR Replies: A cyclist’s knees are directly exposed…
Question: I sweat beyond belief. Sweat runs off my face and drips like a worn faucet. Then I cramp badly, even though I drink a lot. What do you suggest? — Joe J. Coach Fred Matheny Replies:I’m a heavy sweater, too, and have suffered many cramps. I was tested at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute….
Question: For several months I’ve been plagued with “hot feet,” pain in the balls of my feet starting after several thousand-mile months this summer. Maybe that’s too much mileage for a 65-year-old, but I’ve never experienced it before. I’ve changed pedals, put cushioned insoles in my shoes, moved the cleats as far to the rear…
By Coach Fred Matheny Saddles — and their potential for causing crotch crises — always receive lots of attention. It could be argued that the search for the ultimate saddle design is the Holy Grail of cycling research, considering that almost every rider suffers pressure, chafing and even saddle sores at some time during his or…
