Newsletter Issue No. 1186
August 14, 2025
Tech Q & A: Standard Tire Availability?
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
An interesting question came in the other day. The answer might seem obvious to you. But I think there’s more to the question, and I believe others probably have the same or similar queries.
I’ll answer and after reading my take, if you’d like to add your tips, please do so in a comment. Tires are always a hot topic and together we’ll help other roadies with these questions. Read more.
Don’t Try This TPU Tube Sealant Hack That Failed Me
By Lars Hundley
Seems like there’s a trend of road riders (and maybe even a few gravel riders) giving up on tubeless. The high pressures and small air volume of road tires mean a puncture can lose too much air before the sealant has time to work. And those aren’t the only headaches. There’s the problem of blowing a tire off the rim while trying to seat it, struggling to get it to seal in the first place, spraying sticky sealant all over your bike and anyone drafting you when you get a puncture, or even discovering too late that the sealant inside your tire has long since dried up and won’t seal at all. Read more.
Is It Time to Carb Up or Carb Down?
By Kevin Kolodziejski
It’s highly unlikely you’re a Frenchman, but let’s just say you are.
Then there’s a 1 in 2 chance if your television was turned on during the afternoon of July 27, you watched at least a part of the greatest Tour de France finale that began with a mass start. Only the 1989 version culminating with Greg LeMond erasing a 50-second deficit in a 15.2-mile individual time trial to defeat Lauren Fignon by a mere 8 seconds (the slightest difference between first and second ever) can claim to be better. Read more.
Bikepacking Gear Roundup – Part 1
By Sheri Rosenbaum
One of my goals for this year is to try bikepacking. I lean toward credit card camping (aka hotels, motels, BnBs), but I haven’t ruled out sleeping in a tent. Either way, a multi-day adventure will have me carrying gear on my bike. Read more.
Getting a good workout on an ebike
By Stan Purdum
In my recent article, “The ‘e’ in ebike stands for ‘equalizer’,” I told about a ride I had on my ebike with a stronger cyclist who was also pedaling an ebike, and at one point, I mentioned how fast — 18.5 mph — we had ridden over a particular section of our route. Read more.
How Much Sleep Do I Need
QUESTION: How much does sleep affect my ability to ride and recover? I have a busy schedule and rarely get more than 6 hours a night. Do I need more? — Sarah M.
RBR ANSWER: Different people need different amounts of sleep in order to recover from the routine activities of daily life. If you’re also training or even riding recreationally, you’ll almost certainly need to sleep more. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Cycling Weekly: Why pros are racing Leadville on drop bars and ‘Frankenstein bikes’
PEZ Cycling: Hyperhydration For Cyclists: Science-Backed Strategy To Boost Performance In The Heat
Question of the Week
Do you use chamois cream?
Most Clicked Last Week
Flat Tire Solutions From Tannus
End Notes
