Newsletter Issue No. 1089
October 5, 2023
Anti-Aging: Experiment of One, pt. 1
By Coach John Hughes
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.” President John F. Kennedy.
We’re each an experiment of one, i.e., your training should reflect your personal goals, riding history, current fitness, weekly and monthly schedules, etc. – not a cookie cutter program you’ve read somewhere. Part 1 covers the effects of aging, current research, how to train and how to recover both from workouts and from injury or illness. Read more.
Product Review: Muc-Off AirMach Mini Pump
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Tiny pumps like Muc-Off’s AirMach are handy for flat repairs or airing up a soft tire when you’re out riding. And their best trick is that at only 6 inches long, they can be carried in any pack, pocket or even hidden away inside some frames with built-in compartments such as my Trek Checkpoint SL 5 gravel bike’s. Read more.
Strength Training May Be More Effective than Aerobic Exercise to Help Prevent Heart Attacks
Several recent studies show that resistance training for strength may be more effective than aerobic exercise, such as jogging or walking, to help prevent high blood pressure and heart attacks. This may surprise you because many champion body builders and weight lifters have died at very young ages from heart attacks, but the causes of these deaths are likely to have been their use of hormones such as anabolic steroids, growth hormones and insulin. Read more.
SCOTT Road RC Ultimate Shoes Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
I didn’t know what to expect when I unboxed a pair of SCOTT Road RC Ultimate cycling shoes. It was my first time trying SCOTT’s gear, but wow! These lightweight kicks come in at only 260 grams for a size 8.5 US. I’ve been testing these shoes for some time, and today, I sat down to write this review after an 80-mile test ride. I was surprised by how less fatigued my legs felt due to less weight per revolution of the pedal. Read more.
Riding America’s Oldest Cycling Classic
By Stan Purdum
It’s called TOSRV (pronounced Tah-serve) and it stands for Tour of the Scioto River Valley. It’s been occurring annually for 62 years (missing only one year during the pandemic) and as such, it remains the longest-running double century ride in the nation. And it has been an inspiration for annual tour rides in other states.
I was one of the riders this year, my first participation in the event. More about that in a moment. Read more.
How Can I Avoid Buying the Wrong Bike Saddle?
Question: I want to buy a new saddle but don’t want to purchase several to find one that’s comfortable. Any ideas? — Patrick C.
RBR Replies: First, check at your local bike shop. It may have a loaner program, allowing you to pick a couple of seats most likely to work, then do at least one ride on each. Read more.
Anti-Aging E-Book
Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process, by Coach John Hughes, incorporates the latest research and most of it is new material not published.
The book explains how to get the most benefit from your endurance rides and the importance of strength training. It has sample training plans to increase your annual riding miles and to build up to rides of 25-, 50-, 100- and 200-miles. The book explains why intensity training is important, the pros and cons of gauging intensity using rate of perceived exertion, heart rate and power. It includes how to do intensity exercise and different intensity workouts. It integrates endurance and intensity training into an annual plan for optimal results.
Question of the Week
What’s your ideal distance for a regular bike ride?
Cool Stuff to Read
GCN: Bike tech we should all use, but don’t
Cycling Weekly: Indoor training competition shrinks as Wahoo closes down RGT and gives some users Zwift subscription
Bike Radar: How to maintain a tubeless tire setup
Road.cc: Investigating Shimano’s snapping cranksets: What happened, unanswered questions and an engineer’s report
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End Notes
