Newsletter Issue No. 1028
August 4, 2022
Anti-Aging: Why “Drink Before You’re Thirsty” is Dangerous
By Coach John Hughes
My client Jack was on a fast cross-country tour: 2750 miles in just 20 days. Seven days into the tour he started riding poorly although he had plenty of training miles in his legs. His buddies noticed he wasn’t urinating at the rest stops and said he was getting dehydrated. Even though he wasn’t thirsty they told him to drink more. After the ride he still wasn’t going to the bathroom so at dinner they reminded him to drink. The next day he kept drinking but still didn’t start to urinate. By that evening he had a headache and at dinner his friends noticed he seemed confused. His condition didn’t improve overnight so the tour staff took him to the emergency room. A simple blood test revealed he had a dangerously low sodium concentration in his blood, a condition called hyponatremia. The ER doc started an intravenous fluid with a high concentration of sodium. Read more.
7 Ways to Seat Stubborn Bike Tires
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
For anyone who doesn’t know what it means to “seat” a tire, let’s start with an explanation. To “seat” or “seating” a tire is one of the final steps taken when installing most tires on bicycles and motor vehicles, too.
Seating is important because it ensures that the inflated tire is fully and properly installed. If tires are not properly seated they can have low and/or high spots, twists in the tread and with the worst seating mistakes (high spots), they can blow off the rim. Read more.
Hungry Is Too Often Hangry and Not a Good Thing
By Kevin Kolodziejski
For the sake of your cycling companions, I hope you’re not a squirrel. But even if you never swerve while in a paceline and always pull at a steady and suitable speed, your pedaling partners — and more importantly you — need to know you actually are a far less likable rodent. Read more.
Stealth Methods for Tracking Your Bike
By Sheri Rosenbaum
It’s essential to keep tabs on your “baby” when checking it as luggage, shipping it to a race, or parking it in front of a coffee shop. You never want to lose your bike. So what are your options?
Tracking devices have become popular, and for iPhone users, an Apple AirTag is one option. You can tuck it in your saddlebag or tape it in the downtube or seat tube. Manufacturers like Muc-Off have even found a way to hide AirTags where thieves are less likely to find them—inside your tire. Muc-Off developed a holder that sits inside a tubeless tire…yes, very stealthy. Read more.
Become a Faster Cyclist by Strengthening Your Weakest Muscle Groups
By Coach Rick Schultz
As a cyclist, it’s not so much that we’re really weak in some key muscle groups. But it’s clear that doing some specific things to address our three weakest muscle groups can have a profound effect on our riding. Read more.
Are gravel tires good for the road?
QUESTION: Are gravel tires good for road? I’ve seen some that are on sale that would fit in my road bike frame and I really like how my gravel bike feels nice and cushy so I was thinking about getting some. Any reason why I shouldn’t? – Jack E
Read more.
How Can I Carry More Water on Long Bicycle Rides?
QUESTION: I know this question must have a couple of obvious answers, but no one can give me a direct solution. On long rides, how can I replenish my fluid supply when the two bottles that I can carry aren’t enough? I don’t want to carry a back-mounted hydration pack while riding on the road. — Steve H. Read more.
Anti-Aging E-Book: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process
Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process, by Coach John Hughes, incorporates the latest research and most of it is new material not published in his previous eArticles on cycling past 50, 60 and beyond. The eBook explains why intensity training is important for older riders and includes how to do intensity exercise and different intensity workouts. Learn the pros and cons of gauging intensity using rate of perceived exertion, heart rate and power.
Anti-Aging:
- Explains how to get the most benefit from your endurance rides. It has sample training plans to increase your annual riding miles and to build up to 25-, 50-, 100- and 200-mile rides. It explains why both endurance and intensity training are important and it integrates endurance and intensity training into an annual plan for optimal results.
- Describes the importance of strength training and includes 28 exercises for lower body, upper body and core strength illustrated with photos, including an annual plan to integrate strength training with endurance and intensity training.
- Includes an annual plan to put together all six of the aspects of aging well: cardiorespiratory exercise, intensity training, strength workouts, weight-bearing exercise, stretching and balance. The book concludes with a chapter on motivation.
Question of the Week
Do you use a tracker on any of your bikes?
Cool Stuff to Read
Trail Runner: 5 Body Parts You Shouldn’t Use A Massage Gun On
Bicycle Retailer: LeBron James’ investment group invests $30M in Canyon Bicycles
Off.Road.cc: Peter Sagan commits to 2022 UCI e-MTB World Championship Race
Cyclist.co.uk: Frame protection for road and gravel bikes
End Notes
Historical inspiration for Chris Froome? https://chrisfroomelookingatstems.tumblr.com/