October 16, 2025
How to Keep Your Bike Clean
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Recently I created two videos that are related. One is on how to wash your bike and keep it clean (today’s Tech Talk topic) and the other one covers some new tools that I ordered from Park Tool to upgrade my workshop (I learned about them after attending an Sea Otter Classic and decided I had to have them). Read more.
Hiplok Ride Shield Bike and Car Protector – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
When I’m alone and transporting my bicycle, I prefer to keep it inside my Toyota Highlander SUV. The bike stays cleaner and safer than on a hitch rack. As you might recall, I had two bikes stolen from a hitch rack. For years, I’ve used a ratty old blanket with a rubber backing to protect the floor of the car. Unfortunately, the blanket failed to protect the bumper and sides from getting dirty and scratched. More times than I want to admit, I’ve scratched the bumper while loading or unloading the bike. The flat pedals with spikes on my MTB are the worst offender. However, the problem was solved by installing Hiplok’s Ride Shield Bike and Car Protector. A game changer, and I wish I had it when the Highlander was new. Read more.
Pearl Izumi PRO Road Shoes Review
By Brandon Bilyeu
When I pulled the brilliant white PRO Road shoes out of the box the first things I noticed were the pleasing aesthetics and the use of a standard tongue instead of a wraparound upper. Turning the shoes over revealed a carbon sole with an impressive amount of missing carbon. Pearl Izumi says the cutouts are to reduce weight and add ventilation, without any impact on stiffness. So naturally, I initiated the ‘can I bend this carbon sole with my hands’ test protocol and my climber arms were no match for the PRO Road sole. Read more.
Dealing With a Chain-Dropping Problem on a 1x Drivetrain
By Stan Purdum
In my recent article, “Riding Your Ebike with Cyclists on Regular Bikes,” I mentioned that I had installed a chainring from Wolf Tooth that corrected a chain-dropping problem I was experiencing on my ebike, which has only a single chainring on the crank and no derailleur. Read more.
Are Long Training Rides Necessary?
QUESTION: During typical years when there’s racing, I like to ride 40 kilometer (24.8-mile) time trials and the occasional road race. How far should I ride in training? I’m wondering if long (4- or 5-hour) rides are necessary? — Patrick A.
RBR REPLIES: Good question. Early in the spring when you’re building endurance, longer rides are fine. But during the competitive season, conventional wisdom says not to ride significantly farther than your longest event. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Road.cc: Whatever happened to the ON bike – Cannondale’s strangest bike?
BBC: Riding the Rhine: Europe’s first certified long-distance cycle path
ESPN: Tadej Pogačar matches record with 5th Tour of Lombardy title
Cycling Weekly: Kilian Jornet on fueling with olive oil, riding gravel during his epic 5,000km quest
PBS.org: From Rails to Trails. Narrated by Edward Norton
Question of the Week
When was your last bicycle crash?
Most Clicked Last Week
Riding Your Ebikes with Cyclists on Regular Bikes, Part 2
End Notes
Call me crazy, but I don’t see what the $145 Hiplock pad does that you can’t do with a couple of $5.99 moving blankets from Harbor Freight. I’m still using the ones I bought ~15 years ago.