February 2, 2023
5 Ways to Improve Your Riding This Winter
By Coach John Hughes
The top contenders in the pro peloton are all very fit and winning races requires more than fitness. Team Sky used a strategy called “the aggregation of marginal gains.” The coaches identify different ways riders can improve slightly, which when taken together produce better performance and more wins. Read more.
My New Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL 5
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
This has probably happened to you: friends visit your house for the first time and when they see multiple bikes in your garage (or office, etc. if yours are there), they say, “Geez Louise, why do you need so many bikes?!” Read more.
‘Connect’ to Diet-Reverses-Diabetes Study: Even If You Don’t Have the Disease
By Kevin Kolodziejski
Let’s say our paths cross three days from now, and you tell me you skipped reading my RoadBikeRider article this week.
That you recently took a fasting blood sugar test and the doctor found your number to be optimal. Nowhere near the range that indicates you’re among the one in three Americans who are prediabetic, let alone one of the more than 35 million who, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate, have type 2 diabetes. Read more.
Rolflex Muscle Recovery Tool Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
The saying goes, “If you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you must be dead.” As cyclists, we always have some aches and pains from overused muscles. That’s why I’m constantly testing some sort of recovery tool, from foam rollers to massage guns to recovery boots. The goal for every one of these devices is to increase blood flow which in turn aids in muscle recovery. Read more.
Quick Tip: Set up a Privacy Zone on Strava
This tip comes to us from RBR reader Tom Pennello, among the many of you who have read and offered comments/tips to Jim Langley Tech Talk Your Tips on Preventing Home Bicycle Thefts links to the first one) about how to keep your bikes stored safely at home, and out of the reach of thieves. Read more.
Which Cycling Gloves Work Best in Changing Temps?
QUESTION: In the current changing weather where I live, short-finger gloves aren’t enough protection for weekend rides starting at 8 a.m. But by 10, long-fingered gloves are too hot and I have to stop to change. Is there a better way? – Roger M.
Weak Muscles Predict Accelerated Aging, Disability and Death
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
A study of 1,275 men and women found that those who had very weak handgrip strength had signs of accelerated aging, as measured by deterioration of the DNA in their cells (J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, Nov 9, 2022). Previous studies have shown these DNA tests: Read more.
Off-Season Bundle
The three-article Off-Season Bundle: Productive Off-Season Training, 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 use Strava?
Cool Stuff to Read
PEZ Cycling: The Road Cycling Hotspots In Italy You Should Know About
Road.cc: No, I don’t wave at other cyclists when I’m out for a ride
Cycling News: How indoor cycling can complement your outdoor cycling training
Outridebike.org: In Honor of Black History Month-A Salute to Black Cyclists in US History
End Notes
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