July 9, 2026
Tech Q & A: Bert’s Daughter’s E-bike Chain Drop Problem
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Unfortunately, last week’s article 7 Basic Chain Drop Solutions for 1X Drivetrains, which provided multiple solutions for fixing bikes with chains that fall off on single-chainring drivetrains, didn’t help a reader named Bert.
Here’s his follow-up question with my reply based on the information he provided about his daughter’s e-bike. I’m hoping that Bert will see this article and send in more details about his brand, model and type of e-bike – or maybe share the solution he figured out. In the meantime, I offered some possible solutions for Bert based on some popular e-bikes I’ve seen. Read more.
Better Sunscreens Are Finally Coming to the US, But You Don’t Have to Wait
By Lars Hundley
Here’s something most American riders don’t know: for the past two decades, cyclists in Europe, South Korea and Japan have been using sunscreens that are better than anything sold in an American store. Better protection against the UV rays that cause melanoma, and so much nicer to wear that you’ll actually reapply them at the rest stop. American brands couldn’t make anything like them, because the modern UV filters those sunscreens are built on were never added to the FDA’s approved list. That finally started to change this summer. Read more.
Two New BOA Fit Systems: Dialing in Your Ride for Improved Performance, Fit, and Comfort
By Sheri Rosenbaum
You know the BOA name. Maybe you’ve used BOA Fit Systems before. But do you know that it goes beyond the convenience of a dial? It also improves fit, thereby enhancing your performance and comfort.
Insights from testing at BOA’s Human Performance Fit Lab (HPFL) reinforce the value of superior fit. Compared with traditional shoelaces, cyclists benefit from the BOA Fit System, including improved speed, power transfer, energy efficiency with each pedal stroke, and greater stability and control. Read more.
A Ticket to Ride
By Stan Purdum
GPS devices for bicycles are a great invention, and they are a significant help in getting us to our destination when in unfamiliar territory. But their limited screen size means that in terms of physical geography and the locations of human settlements, they don’t give us the big picture in the way that a printed map can. I pedaled my first trip across America before small, portable GPS gadgets were available, and so I relied on paper maps, and they helped me envision the larger context of regions through which I rode. Read more.
Quick Tip: Add a Pinch of Salt to Your Bottle on Hot Rides
If you finish summer rides with white streaks on your helmet straps and salt crust on your jersey, here’s the cheapest hydration upgrade in cycling. Add a pinch of table salt to your bottles.
Sodium is the biggest electrolyte you lose in sweat, and many riders lose more of it than their drink replaces. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Bikepacking.com: Ultra-endurance legend in her mid-50s, Leah Goldstein, finishes the 2,700-mile Tour Divide
Observatoire de la Prévention: The Montreal Heart Institute weighs the cardiovascular benefits of e-bikes and finds they still count as exercise
Road.cc: 12 trends NOT to copy from the Tour de France pros, slammed stems and ceramic bearings included
Escape Collective: Did the Tour’s chaotic new first-past-the-post format finally fix the team time trial?
Velo: Mid-heatwave, the UCI cracks down on riders sneaking ice socks into their skinsuits
One more from the Tour Divide, and this one needs your help. Alyssa Secreto, a 35-year-old endurance cyclist from Colorado Springs, was hit by a car just 60 miles from the finish of her 2,700-mile ride, while sitting in second place among the women. She’s stable but facing a fractured vertebra, internal bleeding, a destroyed dream bike and a long recovery — along with the medical bills that come with an airlift and emergency care. If you’re able, please consider donating to her GoFundMe to help her focus on healing.
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End Notes
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