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Your road cycling resource since 2001

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Anti-Aging: Elizabeth Wicks’ Story

By Coach John Hughes I’ve been coaching Elizabeth Wicks since she was “only” 66 years old and helped her to improve with age. In past issues of the RBR newsletter I’ve described her training and progress. She just turned 74 and rode 74 miles to celebrate her birthday. She is retired and lives in Boylston in central Massachusetts. She has set age 65-70 and 70-75 records … [Read more...] about Anti-Aging: Elizabeth Wicks’ Story

Of Convenience Stores and Inconvenient Bridges: Tale of an Outer Banks Bicycle Tour

By Stan Purdum I recently happened to see an announcement that the eastbound lanes of North Carolina’s Wright Memorial Bridge, the twin spans across Albemarle Sound between Point Harbor and Kitty Hawk were going to be closed this winter to resurface those lanes. The bridge is the northernmost of only two bridges that enable one to drive — or cycle — to the Outer Banks, … [Read more...] about Of Convenience Stores and Inconvenient Bridges: Tale of an Outer Banks Bicycle Tour

Squaring the Geriatric Curve: Staying Healthy and Vigorous Into Old Age

By Coach John Hughes RoadBikeRider is publishing today my new eBook Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process. I wrote Anti-Aging for all roadies age 50 and older. This eBook will teach you how you can fight the physical effects of chronological aging. Most people’s health and fitness start to irrevocably decline about age 50, and as they get older their health … [Read more...] about Squaring the Geriatric Curve: Staying Healthy and Vigorous Into Old Age

Am I A Cycling Fanatic?

by John Yoder  During a recent solo ride in the country, I stopped for a snack at the entrance to the cemetery. As I munched on a Clif bar, a biker came down the road from the opposite direction I was going, and as he got closer, he pulled over and called out: "There's that biking fanatic." I was puzzled for two reasons: 1) Why he would call me a fanatic, and 2) Why … [Read more...] about Am I A Cycling Fanatic?

New Studies Show Cyclists Age Better, With Higher Strength and Immunity

by Gabe Mirkin, MD Two exciting new studies show that older men and women who have cycled for many years do not have the markers of aging found in non-exercising people (Aging Cell, March 8, 2018). Their muscle size and strength, amount of body fat, levels of hormones such as testosterone, and blood cholesterol levels were close to those of much younger people. Their maximal … [Read more...] about New Studies Show Cyclists Age Better, With Higher Strength and Immunity

New Study Shows Good News Regarding Cycling and Impotence or Urinary Symptoms

by Gabe Mirkin, MD Cycling is not associated with increased risk for impotence or urinary symptoms. The largest and best study on the subject to date shows that serious cyclists are no more likely to suffer impotence or urinary problems than swimmers or runners (The Journal of Urology, March 2018;199(3):798–804). This refutes earlier and much smaller studies that suggested … [Read more...] about New Study Shows Good News Regarding Cycling and Impotence or Urinary Symptoms

Anti-Aging: Aging Is a State of Mind

By Coach John Hughes At age 69 I’ve been a roadie for almost two-thirds of my life. When I started riding in my 20s, each summer friends and I would load our panniers with camping gear and take off for a week or two of touring in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Each spring we rode centuries and the annual Davis Double Century to get in shape for touring. We … [Read more...] about Anti-Aging: Aging Is a State of Mind

Do You Really Need Shoe Wedges, Or Is Your Q-Factor Too Narrow?

By Rick Shultz, MBA, DBA Years ago, I took my first ‘Bike Fitting’ course. It was called ‘Foot Pedal Interface’ offered by BikeFit. It is a very good course and I highly recommend it as a basic requirement for all bike fitters. Why? Because the Foot/Pedal interface is one of the most neglected areas of bike fitting. Many of my clients tell me of their previous ‘bike … [Read more...] about Do You Really Need Shoe Wedges, Or Is Your Q-Factor Too Narrow?

Anti-Aging – New Research Cyclists Can Benefit From

By Coach John Hughes As I wrote several months ago, I fell off a ladder and shattered my ankle, which is now held together with four screws. The bad news is that I’ve been off the bike since January 26. I’m just starting riding the trainer – 5 minutes today and building back up slowly. I’ll be back on the road by May. The good news is that I’ve had time to do a lot of … [Read more...] about Anti-Aging – New Research Cyclists Can Benefit From

Hey, This Looks Different!

We switched to Wordpress. All the articles we've published since 2001 are still there -- they're just organized a little differently in few categories so they are easier to browse. The change will make it easier to keep the site updated and the newsletter published each week, and the new design loads faster on mobile devices, which has grown to make up 50 percent of the traffic … [Read more...] about Hey, This Looks Different!

How Should a Senior Train for a Multi Day Bicycle Tour?

By Coach John Hughes Jim Hardy wrote, “I'm age 72 and a bunch of geezers like me are prepping for the very, very hilly Bike Ride Across Georgia in 1st week of June. Any training advice (besides "don't do it!!!") for guys our age to help us complete this 6-day ride in the mountains? The ride is 300 total miles with 18,192 feet of climbing. Day 5 (after a day off if … [Read more...] about How Should a Senior Train for a Multi Day Bicycle Tour?