August 2, 2018
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Learning from the Pros: Don’t Break Bones
By Coach John Hughes
Seems simple – don’t fall!
In Anti-Aging 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process Fred Matheny writes, “Avoid injury so that you can keep working out. That’s hard to do as you age but not impossible. Staying uninjured also means not taking chances on the bike. Keep something in reserve on technical descents, watch out for dangerous riders in packs, use front and rear lights during the day and wear highly visible jerseys. Don’t take chance with motorists either—look for roads with less traffic. And you don’t need to get big air on the mountain bike!”
But it’s more complicated. Read more.
Slow Leaks? Frequent Flats? Check Your Rim Strips
By Jim Langley
Three times this month I helped roadies with almost identical problems. If my mechanic’s life was on social media, the mystery I was asked to diagnose and fix would be trending. The three riders all complained about tire trouble: slow leaks and flats. Two run tubeless-ready road tires with sealant. The other is on standard tires with tubes. All were sure there was something wrong with their valve because they could hear air escaping there. Read more.
Travels With the Conversationalist
By Stan Purdum
One’s choice of a cycling companion can change the whole complexion of a bicycle trip. This proved true when, several years ago, I rode a bike tour of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with my son Scott. By myself, I tend to be an introverted soul, and though I have no trouble speaking up for myself when necessary, I don’t have the same gift for conversing with strangers that Scott has. I found our trip together not only to be a fascinating time to see him in action, but also one on which I enjoyed at least one experience I’d have probably not undertaken if he hadn’t been along. Read more.
Don’t miss the newest ebook from Coach Hughes:
Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process
Anti-Aging describes the physiological changes that take place as you age, how to assess your current fitness and the training principles that apply to older roadies.
The book explains how to get the most benefit from your endurance rides. It has sample training plans to increase your annual riding miles and to build up to rides of 25-, 50-, 100- and 200-mile rides. The book explains why intensity training is important, the pros and cons of gauging intensity using rate of perceived exertion, heart rate and power. It includes how to do intensity exercise and different intensity workouts. It integrates endurance and intensity training into an annual plan for optimal results.
A reminder From the Tour de France: Overlapping Wheels Can Cause a Nasty Fall
By John Yoder
I’ve enjoyed watching the cyclists in the Tour de France the past three weeks. Their skill on descents in the mountains at 60 mph, their power in climbing long mountain passes, their unreal (for me) speed in time trials and sprint finishes and their bicycle handling skills at 30 mph while surrounded by other riders in the peloton are phenomenal. Most of the time, I see scant connection between their riding and mine, but there is one cycling principle the tour always reminds me of: when overlapped wheels touch, a fall is almost inevitable. Read more.
My Favorite Cycling Interval Workout for Power and VO2 Max Gains
By Rick Schultz, MBA, DBA
Now that the racing season is over in SoCal, it’s time to reflect on which workouts worked and which didn’t. This workout has been my overall favorite this year, as well as the workout that gave me the most gains for strength (power) and VO2 max.
And believe it or not, the total workout including warmup and cool down is only 51 minutes. Read more.
Garneau Raid MIPS Helmet Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
If you’re on social media you must have seen the countless posts regarding a new crash test for bicycle helmets. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) teamed up with researchers at Virginia Tech’s helmet test lab to test and rate cycling helmets. Their testing attempted to replicate a variety of impact scenarios including when a helmet hits the ground at an angle. They tested 30 helmet models in all, 24 scored good or very good. But only 4 received a 5-star rating – the highest safety rating. This one from that small group of four costs just $99! Read more.
Question of the Week
Have you crashed on your bike in the past two years?
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