August 24, 2023
Tips to Avoid Overtraining
By Coach John Hughes
Ned Overend at age 35 won the first UCI World MTB Championship in 1990 in Durango, Colorado, and won again in 1991. In 2015 at the age of 60, he won the first US Fatbike championship. On training, he said, “I do exactly what I have always done; it just takes me longer.” A prior four-week training block now takes him six to eight weeks because he needs more recovery. (Friel, Fast after 50) Read more.
10 Ways of Finishing Bicycle Cables
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Last week we covered the importance of finishing the ends of bicycle cables to prevent fraying, possible injury (the cables can stab you), as well as to give them a tidy professional appearance. Read more.
Root River State Trail in Southeast Minnesota
By Sheri Rosenbaum
The Root River State Trail in southeast Minnesota has been on my radar for several years, and finally, this past weekend, I checked it off my list. Just an easy 4.5-hour drive from Chicago, a friend and I headed up there on Thursday and returned on Monday. We could easily have spent longer, but this working stiff has limited vacation time. Read more.
Is it Safe to Road Bike at Night?
QUESTION: Is it safe to road bike at night? —Anonymous
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: With the right lights and reflective clothing, it can be about as safe as daylight riding and perhaps a bit more so, because after dark, your lights really stand out and call attention to your presence on the road. The exception is if you are in a high-traffic area where your light is just one of many drivers have to pay attention to. Read more.
How to Avoid Skin Cancer
Almost all skin cancers are caused by repeated damage to the DNA in skin cells from excessive exposure to sunlight. Every cell in your body is programmed to live for a limited time and then die. This is called apoptosis. For example, red blood cells live for only around 120 days and then die. A new skin cell starts on the inner bottom layer of your skin and then progressively moves to the outside, where it is sloughed off as dander or dandruff at about 28 days. Read more.
What Climbing Cadence is Best for Knees?
QUESTION: I’ve heard that it’s better for knees if you spin a lower gear on climbs rather than mash a big gear. Why is it harder on the knees to pedal at a slower rpm? What about pedaling slowly when out of the saddle? — Jim M.
RBR REPLIES: Good questions! The important element here isn’t the total time taken to climb the hill, but rather the total load on the knees during any given pedal stroke. 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 chapters on the training principles to build endurance, how to gauge intensity, cardiovascular endurance exercise and recovery. He includes plans you can easily modify for different amounts of riding. One plan increases over two years your annual riding from around 4,000 miles (6,500 km) to over 5,000 miles (8,000 km) a year. Hughes gives you plans to build up to 100 km and 100-mile rides and discusses the importance of recovery and how to gauge if you are getting enough recovery.
The book includes chapters on how to meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendations on aerobic, high intensity aerobic, strength training, weight-bearing exercises, balance and flexibility. Included are sample weeks and months for different types and amounts of exercise. He combines the different kinds of training into programs that balance training and recovery.
Question of the Week
Have you ever bought tires that wouldn’t fit in your frame because they turned out to be too wide?
Cool Stuff to Read
YouTube: Packing for the Colorado Trail Race with Lael Wilcox
Rouleur.com: A Lifetime with Phil Liggett
Road.cc: Want to own Fausto Coppi’s custom 1946 Bianchi road bike? This masterpiece is yours for £103,505
Cycletechreview.com: How to ride cyclocross
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Anti-Aging: Nine Old Friends from Paris-Brest-Paris
End Notes
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