December 15, 2022
8 Tips for Effective Winter Training
By Coach John Hughes
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” Yogi Berra. We often set goals for the year ahead at New Year’s. However, only about 10% of the people who make New Year’s resolutions actually keep them!
Goals don’t have to be epic or even big. The simpler the goal the more likely you’ll follow through. My goals are simple. Read more.
Fixing Bent Derailleur Hangers Part 3
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Just when we thought we’d covered every aspect of derailleur hanger alignment in part 1 and part 2 of this series, two cycling luminaries reached out with some fascinating related facts. Plus, a helpful comment worth sharing was posted. That’s how we’ll kick this off. Read more.
I Asked ChatGPT to Write About Road Cycling
by Lars Hundley
After recently reading all over the web how the new AI chatbot called ChatGPT was going to replace human writers, I decided to go straight to the source put it to the test myself. What did it know about cycling?
Are our jobs safe at RBR for now? Or will you all all be getting your cycling articles from an AI soon? I’d like to stay in the industry, but hopefully I won’t be forced to become a bike mechanic since I can barely adjust a derailleur. Below are all real, unedited responses from ChatGPT to some of my questions. Read more.
What’s the difference between a touring bike and a road bike?
QUESTION: What’s the difference between a touring bike and a road bike? —Scott B.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: At first glance, a touring bike doesn’t look much different from a standard road bike, and in fact, touring bikes, just like road bikes, are primarily designed for on-road travel. They both have the same basic configuration, and both have drop handlebars. But if you differentiate them as if they were motor vehicles, the road bike is a sports car and the touring bike is a pickup truck. It’s possible to tour in either vehicle. but if you’re carrying a lot of gear, the pickup is better suited to the task. Read more.
45NRTH Sturmfist 3 Winter Cycling Gloves and Naughtvind Winter Cycling Shell Pants – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
A few weeks ago, I reviewed 45NRTH’s new Ragnarok Tall Boot and the company’s new warm wool socks and mentioned there were a couple of other products awaiting testing. I got my chance last weekend while celebrating Global Fat Bike Day. It was perfect testing conditions – blustery 20-something degrees with windchills of 11 degrees. I set out on my fat bike to test 45NRTH’s Sturmfist 3 winter cycling gloves and their Naughtvind winter cycling shell pants. Both contributed to keeping me warm as I celebrated hitting my 6000th mile for the year. Read more.
Potatoes Just as Effective As Energy Gels
by Lars Hundley
We’ve heard it from Coach John Hughes many times that regular foods from the convenience store like Peppermint Patty and Fig Newtons have more carbs than energy bars and gels, and often taste better.
A scientific study in the Journal of Applied Physiology shows that regular potatoes are also just as effective as energy gels when it comes to cycling performance. Read more.
Quick Tip: How to Find Out What Caused Your Flat
PROBLEM: Nuts, you got a flat. But once the tire is off and the tube is out, you can’t see anything that caused the puncture.
SOLUTION: This is worrisome because if something sharp is hidden in the tire tread, it’ll quickly pop the new tube. Read more.
2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – Interview with Kate Veronneau, Director of Women’s Strategy, Zwift
By Sheri Rosenbaum
The route for the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was announced back in October, and it will cover 956 km (594 miles), include eight stages, 4 flat, 2 hilly, and 1 mountain stage, and culminating with a 22 KM individual TT. It’s like a Swiss Army knife of racing, requiring riders going for the yellow jersey to excel in all areas.
The race starts August 23, 2023, and is sure to be exciting to watch. I recently asked Kate Veronneau, Director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift, a few questions about the Tour. Read more.
Zwift Races vs. Intervals: Which is better for fitness?
QUESTION: My cycling buddies say I should be doing intervals if I want to become a better cyclist. But I find them boring and painful. Can I just race on Zwift instead? – Landon J Read more.
Off-Season Bundle
The three-article Off-Season Bundle: Productive Off-Season Traing, Year-Round Cycling, Gaining a Mental Edge by Coach John Hughes includes 12-week plans based on riders’ goals, how to extend your riding season outdoors by learning how to properly dress, eat, ride safely and stay motivated throughout the off-season; and how to use sports psychology to improve your cycling (even long after you’ve plateaued physically) by focusing on the often-overlooked mental side of the sport.
Question of the Week
Do you carry a pump or CO2 cartridges when you ride?
Cool Stuff to Read
Road Bike Action: 14 Simple Tips to Ride Faster
VeloNews: Adventure no more: Specialized ends contracts with dozens of paid ambassadors
Cycling Weekly: 5 cost-effective upgrades to make a second-hand bike feel like new again
Today.com: Man, 100, works out at the gym every day: ‘Exercise is better than medicine’
End Notes
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