Newsletter Issue No. 1039
October 20, 2022
Anti-Aging: Effective Training
By Coach John Hughes
I’m an embarrassed 73-year-old. I’ve won ultra-distance races of 500 and 750 miles. I’ve finished the solo Race Across AMerica (RAAM), riding 3,000 miles from the Pacific to the Atlantic with minimal sleep. I’ve been coaching for 30 years. My clients have completed events ranging from a metric century (62 miles) to RAAM. Despite all my knowledge and experience I collapsed trying to climb Colorado’s Berthoud Pass (11,300 ft.) in December, 2021.
We can learn more from a so-called failure if we analyze it than we can learn from successes. Instead of a failure let’s call my unsuccessful climb a learning experience. Read more.
Beginners’ Guide: How to Properly Shift a Derailleur Bicycle
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
My wife and I were back in New England last week. It’s where we both grew up. We drove across the country from our home in California to be there for our nephew’s wedding and my 50th High School reunion.
October is a magical time to be back east because nature usually puts on an amazing show with the changing of the leaves (photo). We parked our rolling hotel room (our RV) in my wife’s sister’s driveway in North Hampton, NH and had a grand week hanging with the family. Read more.
Pearl Izumi Women’s Thermal Bib Tights and Unisex AmFIB Lite Shoe Covers – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Pearl Izumi recently dropped a boatload of new fall/winter gear, and I sat down with Abigale Youcha to review the line. The company sent me several key pieces, and I’ve just started testing each one.
Along with the new line, Pearl Izumi launched a Let’s Pedal to Zero campaign. The premise is that every garment includes the number of miles necessary to ride, instead of driving a car, to zero out its carbon footprint. Read more.
Lizard Skins Monitor 3 Szn Full Fingered Gloves Review
By Brandon Bilyeu
A while back I tested out the Lizard Skins Monitor SL summer weight glove and now Lizard Skins has plugged the cold weather gap in their product line with the new Monitor 3 Szn full finger insulated glove. My biggest complaint about the summer Monitor SL glove was the aggressive velcro wrist closure that frayed the glove fingertips. The Monitor 3 Szn solves this issue by incorporating a one size fits all elastic slip-on wrist cuff. Read more.
Stolen Goat Women’s Cortez Kiko Bodyline Jersey – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
This time of year, during the day, there’s a big temperature swing in Chicago, but the mornings have a definite chill. Stolen Goat’s new women’s Cortez Kiko Bodyline long-sleeve jersey is a perfect choice since it’s great for temps ranging from 35-60 degrees F. When it was in the 30s and 40s, I added a base layer, and at 50+, I’d wear the jersey on its own. Everyone’s tolerance for the cold differs, so you’ll need to see what works best for you. Read more.
How Fast Do Electric Bicycles Go?
QUESTION: How fast do electric bicycles go? Will they let me keep up with my speedy friends? I’m having trouble keeping up on group rides as I get older, and I don’t want everyone to have to wait on me but I still want to go on the rides. —Tom B.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: An electric bike — commonly called an ebike — will help you go pretty fast, but whether it will let you keep up with your friends depends on how speedy they are. Read more.
Predicting Longevity
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
To find out if they could predict how long an older person will continue to live, Duke University researchers used 1507 blood samples and lifestyle data from participants in the D-EPESE study that was conducted in New Haven, CT, in 1992. Participants were at least 71 years old when the study started, and the Duke researchers counted their years to death over the following 27 years. The strongest predictors of longevity were levels of small HDL particles (described below) and smoking history. Their findings are particularly dependable because their blood was drawn in 1992, when fewer people were taking drugs such as statins that would make tests of blood lipid levels less significant. Other predictors of longevity included evidence of physical and mental activity. 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, includes interviews with Elizabeth Wicks, Gabe Mirkin, Jim Langley, Andy Pruitt and eight other male and female roadies ages 55 to 83. They describe their exercise programs in terms of the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendations. They talk about changing exercise goals over time. They emphasize the value of intrinsically enjoying an activity rather than doing it because it’s good for you. They describe many ways to adapt positively to the aging process. The final chapters are on Motivation and on Sticking With It. Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process incorporates the latest research and most of it is new material not published in his previous eArticles on cycling past 50, 60 and beyond. It’s your comprehensive guide to continuing to ride well into your 80s and even your 90s.
Question of the Week
Do you use a cycling mirror?
Cool Stuff to Read
Outside: Stomach Issues? What to Eat During a Workout
Rene Herse: Ted King’s Favorite Mirror
Bicycle Retailer: PeopleForBikes recommends Class 1 e-bikes for mountain bike trails
CyclingUpToDate: Audrey Cordon-Ragot talks about stroke experience
VeloNews: David Walsh: Lance Armstrong’s punishment was ‘draconian and probably excessive, but that was on him’
Runner’s World: I Did an Ironman Without Training. Then I Puked, Cried, and Fell Asleep.
End Notes
Sad, because it’s true.
