June 8, 2023
Heat Tolerance and Aging
By Coach John Hughes
I was 46 when I bought my home in Boulder, CO in 1995 and the heating and cooling systems were like a cabin. When it was cold I chopped wood and built fires in the wood stoves. When it was hot I opened both low and high windows to increase the airflow. About 10 years ago my wife and I decided that getting up when it was only 50F in the house and building fires wasn’t tolerable any more so we put in heat in each room. This year we’ve decided that 85F in the house is too hot and we’re putting in air conditioning next week. As we age we feel less tolerant of the heat. But is loss of heat tolerance inevitable with aging? Read more.
Product Review: Pearl Izumi’s Men’s Expedition Gravel Kit (bibs, jersey & gloves)
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
A little before the Sea Otter Classic bike festival took place back in April in Monterey, California, I asked RoadBikeRider apparel guru Sheri Rosenbaum whether she knew of any gravel cycling clothing. One of the brands she recommended was Pearl Izumi. So I made an appointment to visit them at their Sea Otter booth where they showed me their Expedition gravel line-up, which includes bib shorts, a jersey and gloves. All the pieces are available in Men’s and Women’s versions. Read more.
Nathan Sports VaporAir/Airess 3.0 hydration pack – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
In March, Nathan Sports launched an updated version of their popular VaporAir (for men) and VaporAiress (for women) hydration vest. The vest is ideal for various sports like cycling, hiking, or running and is lightweight, comfortable, and doesn’t shift around like some other brands. Read more.
Drink In and Drink Up: Coffee’s Rep Has Done a 180
By Kevin Kolodziejski
Just before the start of an early stage of the 2015 Vuelta a España, a Global Cycling Network journalist asked Lawson Craddock how much coffee he had consumed so far that day. The Team Giant-Alpecin rider answered, “Maybe a cup, one or two cups.” Read more.
Fierce Hazel True Grit Handlebar and Saddle Bags – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
If you are a regular reader of my reviews, you know I’m always on the lookout for quality products produced and sold by women-owned businesses. I believe supporting women who make a name for themselves in a male-dominated industry is important. Read more.
Review of ArroWhere Lightweight Waterproof Jacket
By Stan Purdum
In June of 2013, I participated in a week-long bike ride run by the Adventure Cycling Association on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in Virginia. All-in-all, it was a great ride well managed and supported by the ACA. The first four days of the ride were in sunshine — crisply cool in the mornings but warming nicely as hours ticked by. On riding day five, however, tropical storm Andrea sucker-punched us. She did that by allowing the day to start out warm like the previous ones, with a forecast declaring a 50% chance of rain, but only later in the day. Thus, most of us dressed lightly as we had the previous days, packing our wet-weather gear and warm layer clothing in our luggage and loading it in the baggage truck. Read more.
Zealios LipGuard SPF 28 Lip Balm Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Long hours in the saddle means exposing your body to the harmful rays of the sun. As someone who has had skin cancer before, I’m religious about using sunscreen from head to toe, including my lips. Team Zealios, the same company that produces products I’ve reviewed in the past, including Sun Barrier sunscreen, Betwixt Chamois Cream, and Race Relief Cold Therapy Muscle gel, just launched LipGuard, an SPF 28 broad spectrum lip balm. Check your current lip balm, and I bet it doesn’t have sunscreen. Read more.
Intense Exercisers Have More Plaques but Fewer Heart Attacks
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
The MARC-2 study followed 291 older men for 6.3 years with a test called Coronary Artery Calcification (CAC), and found that the amount of calcium in the arteries leading to the heart increased most in men who exercised at the highest intensity, even more than those who exercised the most (Circulation, January 4, 2023). Read more.
Quick Tip: Run a Flashing Headlight During the Day
By Greg Conderacci
Sure, bright headlights can be heavy. And they seem so unnecessary. After all those oncoming cars are on the other side of the road, right? Well, yes, they are. Until they decide to pass on a two-lane road. Then, they’re not only coming right at you, but they are closing in at your combined speed. So, not only is reaction time shorter, it means that, if you’re doing 15 mph and they’re doing 55 mph, the collision impact will be 70 mph. Read more.
Summer Riding Bundle
Summer Riding Bundle for all roadies regardless of age. Summer is when we ride the most and Coach John Hughes teaches you all you need to know to have your best summer ever. The 65-page summer riding bundle includes four eArticles:
- Cycling in the Heat, Part 1: Ride Management
- Cycling in the Heat, Part 2: Hydration Management
- Preventing and Treating Cramps
- Eating and Drinking Like the Pros
Question of the Week
Have you ever had heart trouble?
Cool Stuff to Read
Road.cc: Grandmother, 85, completes 1,000-mile bike ride to remember her late children
CyclingUpToDate: Jens Voigt: “Cav is actually a real threat for the Tour and the record”
Ebiketips.Road.cc: Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0 review
Most Clicked Last Week
Does Direction Matter on Directional Tires?
End Notes
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