Newsletter Issue No. 1207
January 15, 2026
Quick Review: Pirelli Smartube RS TPU Tubes
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
In case you haven’t yet heard of – or tried thermoplastic polyurethane inner tubes for tires (“TPU tubes” for short), the reasons a lot of roadies have switched to them is because they’re much lighter than standard butyl tubes (one third to one quarter of the weight) and they’re so much smaller, that you could carry several in a pocket or even the smallest seatbag and not even see or feel that they’re there. Read more.
Without a Doubt, the Right Doubts Can Keep You Exercising
By Kevin Kolodziejski
Unless you do all your cycling in Senegal or some other sweltering spot, here’s what I want to know. How do you handle what those near the equator never experience, what I call the less-than-holy winter trinity? You know, lack of sunlight, slippery roads, and bitter cold. Read more.
CYCPLUS R200 Smart Bike Trainer – Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Are you looking to join your friends on Zwift? Or do you need a way to train over the winter so you don’t get dropped when the Spring group rides start? Well, now the CYCPLUS R200 delivers essential smart trainer functionality without premium pricing. At $399, the R200 isn’t a budget breaker, and if you search the internet, you probably can find it cheaper. Read more.
Patience Is Key for Home Bicycle Repairs
By Stan Purdum
Jim Langley recently wrote in Road Bike Rider about the retirement of bicycle mechanic par excellence Calvin Jones, who has made many videos for the Park Tool YouTube channel showing how to make bicycle repairs. Jim rightly praised Calvin for his efforts to educate bike enthusiasts in how to handle these repairs themselves. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Bike Rumor: SRAM Adds New Aero Disc Brakes, Shorter RED Cranks, UDH Update, & Type-C Charging
Cycling Weekly: Should the UCI ban WorldTour bikes from the public?
Brujulabike: Chinese electronics gaining ground: two WorldTour teams using iGPSPORT and Magene
Gran Fondo Daily: WANTED: Middle Aged Men in Lycra as Bespoke Cycling Clothier Rapha Struggles
Cycling Weekly: ‘I went out of this world’ – 86-year-old cycles height of tallest mountain in solar system
Question of the Week
Do you use a bike lock?
Most Clicked Last Week
With electronic shifting, is there an optimal cassette range?
End Notes
