Newsletter Issue No. 822
August 9, 2018
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
More Road Tubeless Tire Tricks and Rim Strip Talk
By Jim Langley
As a follow up to last week’s edition where we looked at slow leaks and flat tires caused by rim strips – and solutions – I wanted to provide two additional tubeless tricks that can come in handy. Plus, I’ll share a few of the interesting comments that came in. Read more.
Sportful Hot Pack Ultralight Cycling Vest Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Sportful introduced their Hot Pack Ultralight line that includes a windproof, water-resistant and breathable vest that packs down to the size of two gel packs and weighs only 47 grams. When I received the press release a while back, I didn’t believe it could be that packable. But when my sample arrived I was amazed. Read more.
A Bicycle is for Grieving
By Stan Purdum
My father died in 2013 while I was on a six-day bicycle ride with Adventure Cycling on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I got the call from my brother Scott the evening of the third day, after a challenging ride that included several long climbs and ended with a glorious and breathtaking 14-mile downhill plunge. The news wasn’t really a surprise, because Dad had not been in good shape when I’d left his bedside in the nursing home a day before the trip started. Read more.
Learning from the Pros: Pacing to “Ration Your Matches”
By Coach John Hughes
Last week I described how the pros ration matches, a technique that can benefit all roadies from commuters to racers and everybody in between. It may not be noticeable on TV, but each racer carefully monitors the amount of effort he or she is putting out. At the start of a race a smart pro imagines that he or she has a book of matches. Every time the racer makes a hard effort the rider burns a match, e.g., hammering up a hill, conquering a climb in the Pyrenees or the Alps, sprinting for points or the stage win, taking a pull at the front of a group, breaking away or chasing a break, chasing back to the peloton after a mechanical, etc. When the matchbook is empty the racer can’t get any more matches, the racer is out of gas. Read more.
Bicycle Chain Lube Product Comparison Review
By Rick Schultz
Rick tests four different bicycle chain lubes on four new Ultegra chains, using them exclusively for the life of each chain. Learn which chain lube did the best job extending the life of his bicycle chain, and which lubes he liked best. He tested Squirt Long Lasting Dry Lube, SMOOVE Universal Chain Lube and ProLink ProGold Chain Lube. Read more.
Learn From Coach Hughes How to Have Your Best Season Ever
Your Best Season Ever Bundle
Coach Hughes then shows you how to assess your individual strengths and weakness and set appropriate personal objectives. You then use this information to build a plan including personal training volumes for different seasons and months.
How Inactivity Can Cause Heart Failure
By Gabe Mirkin, MD
People who lie in bed without moving day after day suffer progressive weakening of their heart muscle. Eventually the heart becomes too weak to pump enough oxygen to the brain, they stop breathing and die from heart failure. A recent study on mice shows how this is likely to happen. Preventing mice from using their hind limbs for just 28 days interfered with normal function of mitochondria in cells so that blood levels of oxygen dropped, preventing the sub-ventricular zone of the brain from maintaining normal nerve function and making new nerves. Read more.
How to Avoid Hot Foot
By Fred Matheny
Hot foot is a common malady on rides that last 3 hours or more, so it affects century riders, tourers and cyclists who just like to go long. The primary cause is the tendency of feet to swell during long rides. This increases pressure inside the shoes, which, in turn, compresses nerves. The result is a burning sensation in the ball of the foot and tingling or numb toes. Read more.
Question of the Week
Do you have a favorite bicycle chain lube that you swear by?
‘Chain L’. Made in the USA, but they send it to me in Australia without delay when I order on line. In days gone by, you gents at RBR have rated it superior to anything else.
First, let me admit that I’m lazy. I read articles that tell how to remove the chain from the bike, clean it with an ultrasound machine, hang it up overnight, then lube it with some exotic $8.00 per ounce lube, or use a double boiler to melt wax and emerrese the chain in the wax, etc. I’m not about to go through all that. I make my own cleaner/lube from odorless mineral spirits and motor oil. Mineral spirits is a powerful cleaner/degreaser. I mix one part oil with 3 parts mineral spirits and apply it to the chain generously with a 2″ paint brush. The mineral spirits will clean the chain thoroughly and evaporate quickly, leaving the oil behind. Don’t do this in your living room.! You’ll need a drop cloth to catch the excess. I use a plastic garbage bag under the bike. Then I let it sit for an hour or so to allow the mineral spirits to evaporate, I wipe the chain by running it through a rag until the outside of the chain is as dry as I can get it. Almost no black residue should be visible on the rag. The result is a thoroughly cleaned and lubricated chain. I’ve used this method for many years with great success. When I buy a new chain I never remove it from the bike until it’s ready to be replaced. It’s quick, easy and very inexpensive. Spend about $8.00 dollars, and even if you ride 5,000+ miles per year, you’ll have enough to last you a couple of years. So getting back to my laziness, this method is fast and easy. Apply the cleaner lube, let it sit for a bit, then wipe it off.