Newsletter Issue No. 1202

December 4, 2025

Do You Need to Bed in New Disc Brakes?

Jim’s Tech Talk

By Jim Langley

Before we hop onto the saddle here, I want to thank everyone who offered help to David – there’s been a steady stream of comments coming in since last week! David wrote in asking for suggestions for his next bike. He had a very specific wish list and you gave him excellent tips and recommendations. If you missed the article, here it is with all your great comments at the bottom. Read more.

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Could the Greatest Threat to Your Health Actually Be You?

By Kevin Kolodziejski 

If you think I’m a fool for asking that question, I understand.

Until last October, I could’ve never imagined asking it to RBR readers — let alone use it as a title.  But then again, I could’ve never imagined the statistic that I read at that time to be true either. Read more.

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Castelli Winter Gear With New Polartec AirCore – Quick Review

By Sheri Rosenbaum

Castelli’s partnership with Polartec enabled it to incorporate AirCore into its Fall/Winter cycling gear, a genuinely revolutionary move. By utilizing the AirCore membrane in jackets, gloves, and shoe covers, cyclists can now enjoy lightweight, breathable, PFAS-free, and made from recycled materials that are windproof and water resistant. Read more.

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Analog, Smanalog …

By Stan Purdum

As both a cyclist and a wordsmith, I read with interest the reader comments below Jim Langley’s recent RBR column “Can You Help David in His Quest for a New ‘Analog’ Bike.” In that piece, Jim was seeking reader recommendations for a new bike with specs that would fulfill the precise wish list longtime RBR reader David wanted for his next two wheeler. In his correspondence with Jim, David said he hoped “to have another decade or so of riding analog bikes” (italics added), and Jim repeated “analog” his column’s headline. Read more.

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Are Aero Bike Wheels Worth It?

QUESTION: Are aero bike wheels worth it? I ride a Trek road bike that just has wheels it came with and was thinking about upgrading my bike. – Sawyer F

ANSWER: If you’re hoping to go faster with equipment upgrades, improving your aerodynamics is one of the best ways. So if you want to make an existing bike faster, installing aero wheels can make a big difference and save you a lot of watts. Read more.

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Other Cool Things to Read

Crankpunk.com: How Kilojoules Became the New Sexy in Cycling Training
Canadian Cycling: Wout van Aert weighs in on cycling’s ‘fragile’ finances
Road.cc: How light is a ‘lightweight’ e-bike really? Why are electric bikes so heavy?
GranfondoDailyNews: UCI World Champion Warns of Real Dopers in Virtual Races
Bike Radar: Campagnolo reportedly cutting 40% of jobs, stating “there is no alternative”

Question of the Week

Do you have a system for when you get a new bike chain?

Most Clicked Last Week

Can You Help David in His Quest for a New “Analog” Bike

End Notes