Newsletter Issue No. 1233
July 16, 2026
25 Years of RBR Weekly Newsletters
By Lars Hundley
This month marks 25 years of Road Bike Rider. Ed Pavelka and Fred Matheny sent the first newsletter in July 2001, following their earlier work at Bicycling Magazine, and it has gone out just about every single week since. Over 1,200 issues! John Marsh published it for a decade after Ed and Fred moved on, and I took the handoff from him in March 2018, with issue No. 798. I’ll tell you one thing that hasn’t changed in all that time. Read more.
Tech Q & A: Nathaniel’s Too Tight Tire Troubles
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Even with all the new tire technology available today, plus more rubber choices than ever, problems with tires remain the most common frustration for cyclists. For example, here’s what’s troubling Nathaniel from New York: Read more.
Recovery: The Training You’re Skipping
By Ric Stern
That’s the thing you can do when you’re dead, right? Or, at least that’s what I sometimes say as a joke — usually to someone who doesn’t exercise and is marveling at how “amazing” it is that I cycle every day.
2 Exercise Success Stories: And the 1 Health Supplement Responsible for Both
By Kevin Kolodziejski
Most of the East coast’s been blistering hot, so if you live there, the last thing I expect you’ll do anytime soon is take part in a Civil War reenactment. To put on a 100-percent woolen uniform, a forage cap, and a pair of straight-last boots, and walk about with a musket while role-playing whatever happened to your character more than 160 years ago in a field outside of Fredericksburg or Gettysburg or wherever. Which, considering the carnage of that war, could very well mean playing dead for a good part of the afternoon. Read more.
Tailfin Journey Rack and CargoPack Rack Top Bag Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Last year, I tested Tailfin’s AeroPack Cargo Rack on several bikepacking trips and found the design and functionality to be outstanding. My only negative comment was that the top bag was not removable. So, when Tailfin announced the launch of the Journey Rack that replaces Tailfin’s eight-year-old Alloy Rack, I jumped at the chance to put it through its paces on my GAP/C&O trip. Read more.
I broke the gate while cycling into a gated community. Now what?
Question: One of my favorite cycling routes goes through a gated community. While I don’t have permission to ride through, the traffic lift gate is not manned, and it’s easy to dismount and just squeeze around the end of it. Exiting at the other end is even easier. And in three years of doing this, no one has ever stopped me or complained. But the last time, there was a delivery truck going through, which had the gate in the open position. I decided to just follow the truck through and avoid dismounting. Unfortunately, the gate dropped back into place as soon as the truck passed under it, and because I was already rolling, I couldn’t stop and crashed into the gate. It apparently had a break-away feature for safety, so while the gate broke loose from the lift mechanism, I was not hurt and my bike was not damaged. I looked around for a sign or for someone to notify, but finding nothing, I eventually just turned around and rode away. Is there something more I should have done? —Anonymous Read more.
Quick Tip: Weigh Yourself Before and After a Ride to Learn Your Sweat Rate
Ever wonder if you’re drinking enough on hot rides — or too much? Your bathroom scale can tell you, and it only takes one ride to find out.
Sports scientists call this a sweat rate test, and it’s the same method pro team staff use in the field. Every liter of sweat you lose weighs about one kilogram (2.2 pounds), so the weight you lose during a ride is mostly the fluid you didn’t replace. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Much Better Adventures: The 250-mile gravel bikepacking route through wild Arkansas
ScienceDaily: Scientists found a “longevity diet” that let mice eat more while losing fat
Velo: Tour de France Riders Can Sweat Out Over 10 Pounds in a Single Stage. Here’s How Teams Refill the Tank.
CyclingNews: Alcohol sprays, frozen carbs, forearm baths — every cooling trick the pros are using in this scorching Tour
Question of the Week
Do you care about matching your kit?
Most Clicked Last Week
Better Sunscreens Are Finally Coming to the US, But You Don’t Have to Wait
End Notes
