January 19, 2023
7 Columns on Winter Riding Outdoors
By Coach John Hughes
There’re no such thing as bad conditions, just bad gear! Here’s a good selection of articles about getting through winter and continuing to ride outdoors. Read more.
New Product Promises to Stop Speed Wobble
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Back in August in this space, the subject was speed wobble, which if you aren’t familiar with the term is the tendency of a bike usually traveling downhill to suddenly start shaking violently. The front end (front wheel and handlebars) start swinging side to side and may do so faster and faster. Worse, with some speed wobbles (also called high speed shimmy), nothing you can do will stop it. Read more.
Pearl Izumi PRO Alpha Layer Review
By Brandon Bilyeu
The Pearl Izumi PRO Alpha Layer is designed as a thermal midlayer to keep you warm and dry. It is long sleeve, full zip, and has three rear pockets. Pretty standard stuff, but the differentiator is the use of Polartec’s Alpha Direct fabric throughout most of the jersey. The lightweight Alpha fabric is reinforced under the arms and at the pockets with a heavier fleece construction. Read more.
His Reason to Stop Acting Is Your Reason to Keep Cycling — While Searching for the ‘Dial’
By Kevin Kolodziejski
“When all is said and done, more is said than done.”
It’s certainly a witty one-liner, but is what legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz once said and then — in his inimitable fashion — said again and again and again really true? I’m not sure how you’ll answer, but I’m torn between “Unfortunately” and “Of course.” It’s those two answers to a large extent that determine what you read every other week in this column. Read more.
Embark Maple Energy Nutrition Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
I’ve used maple syrup as a wintertime energy source for several years. What’s nice about maple syrup is that it has a low freeze point, add some sea salt, and it drops even more. But the one problem with many syrups and gels is you must consume the whole packet as there’s no way to reseal. Second, if there isn’t a trash can nearby, you must figure out what to do with a sticky, messy packet. And lastly, what about when you rip open the packet, and it doesn’t open all the way? There’s no way to get to your nutrition without cutting the top of the packet open. Read more.
Quick Tip: Secure Your Front Wheel While in the Work Stand
When your bike is on a bike repair stand and you rotate the bike so the front wheel is higher than the rear wheel, the front wheel will flop to the side if you let go – and it can slam into your frame. Not good.
Read more.
How Can I Hang On During Hill Surges?
QUESTION: I can stick with the weekend group ride most of the time. But the route includes five short hills, and when we hit them the pack goes berserk. The mellow pace is replaced by mad sprints to the top. I’m usually 30 meters off the back and have trouble catching up before the next hill. How can I stay in contact? — Molly C. Read more.
How can I charge my ebike battery to only 80%?
QUESTION: I just bought my first ebike, which came with a lithium-ion battery. I read that these batteries will last through more charging cycles and have less reduction in range over time if I charge it to only 80% each time instead of 100%. Leaving it on the charger until the indicator light goes from red to green tells me when it has reached 100%. But how long should it be on the charger if I want only 80%? —Henry C. 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, has individual chapters on each of the types of exercise the American College of Sports Medicine recommends: cardiovascular both endurance and intensity; upper, lower, and core strength; weight-bearing, flexibility and balance. He includes interviews with Gabe Mirkin (recommendations from an M.D.) Jim Langley (importance of goals), Andy Pruitt (importance of working on your skeleton, posture, balance, muscle mass), Muffy Ritz (recommended activities for older people, especially women), Malcolm Fraser (recommendations from an M.D.), Fred Matheny (importance of strength training), Elizabeth Wicks (motivation) and five other male and female riders ages 55 to 83.
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
What’s your low temperature outdoor riding limit?
Cool Stuff to Read
Bike Radar: Strava responds to price hike – but new cost remains unclear
Cycling Weekly: 7 benefits of riding outdoors you miss out on if you ride the trainer
Canadian Cycling: Old bikes suck: Why there’s no point in getting cog’d up in the past
VeloNews: Colorado Summer of Gravel race series to debut in May
End Notes
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