Newsletter Issue No. 844

January 10, 2019

PDF version for Premium Members is here.


5 Simple Strength Exercises to Keep Cyclists Injury-Free

By Coach John Hughes

Almost every roadie suffers an overuse injury at some point. When you ride your legs go through about 5,000 pedal revolutions per hour! If you have a weaker muscle, tendon or ligament it is overly stressed 5,000 times an hour. Here’s what you can do to prevent injuries. With regular training you can build stronger muscles, ligaments and tendons and be ready for longer, harder rides this spring. Read more.


A Few New Cycling Toys That You Might Like

By Jim Langley

This week I’m shifting into high gear, covering a lot of ground to tell you briefly about four products picked up last year that I like. They include shoes, tools, a lock and glasses. I’m currently using them all and give them an enthusiastic thumbs up. Read more.


ASSOS Equipe RS Cycling Rain Jacket and Mille GT Cycling Winter Jacket Reviews

By Brandon Bilyeu

ASSOS offers a full range of gear for wet and cold weather and for the last couple months I’ve been testing out two different jackets in progressively worse weather conditions. The Equipe RS Rain Jacket is a waterproof option while the Mille GT Winter Jacket is designed for cold rides. The RS is built with a snug race-fit, while the GT offers a bit more relaxed comfort-fit, but both offer excellent protection. Read more.


 Off Season Conditioning Past 50

As we age, consistency becomes more and more important.

This eArticle from Coach Hughes, Off-Season Conditioning Past 50, applies to roadies in your 50s, 60s, 70s (like me) and beyond. Whether your goal is long-lasting physical health, the joy of physical activity or continuing athletic performance, this eArticle will teach you what to do in the off-season.

Learn more.


Garneau’s New Providence 2 Winter Bib Tight Hits the Mark

By Sheri Rosenbaum

A couple of winters back I reviewed the Garneau Elite 2 Bib Tights and gave them a 3.5 star rating. I am excited to see that a few of my concerns were addressed with the new Providence 2 bib tight. Garneau improved the upper panel coverage, chamois and proportions, plus added “nature call” panel and bib straps (women’s version) for an excellent winter bib tight. These tights come in men’s and women’s version as well as with or without a chamois. I tested the women’s version with a chamois. Read more.


Wahoo Kickr, Headwind and Climb Smart Trainer System Review

By Lars Hundley

Wahoo recently sent me the three major parts of their smart trainer ecosystem: the Wahoo Kickr, which is their top level smart trainer, the Wahoo Headwind, a “smart fan” designed specifically for bike trainers, and the Wahoo Climb, a device that you hook up to your fork that raises your bike up and down to match any incline changes on the major trainer apps like Zwift. I’ve been using it for several weeks now, and here’s what I thought. Read more.


Make Your Bike Chain Last 3 Times Longer With This Technique

This week’s Quick Tip comes from RBR reader Steve Bayard, about his method of chain maintenance that has dramatically increased the life of his road bike chain.

Normally, a road bike chain seems to last in the range of 2,500 to 3,000 miles when serviced in a traditional manner.

About three years ago, I changed the way I maintain my chain. Read more.


Question of the Week

How well do you take care of your bike chain?

Similar Posts

  • Newsletter Issue No. 893

    December 19, 2019 PDF version for Premium Members is here. How to Maintain Fitness, Gain Freshness and Enjoy the Holidays By Coach John Hughes Brent Bookwalter, who raced for BMC, advises that if you have a choice between an extra 20 minutes of riding or spending that time recovering, choose recovery. Think of the holidays…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 914 b

    How To Choose Cycling Shorts You should choose road-cycling shorts based on the quality of materials and construction. But also crucial is how well they conform to your unique anatomy. Sometimes a relatively inexpensive pair may work better for you than a high-dollar model. Shorts, like saddles, are tough to recommend because of differences in…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1159

    February 6, 2025 Are Bicycle Bottles Safe to Drink From?  Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley You might recall that in the past we reviewed a biodegradable bicycle bottle from Elite. It being one of the first pollution-fighting bidons we’d seen, we awarded it our highest rating of 5 stars. The review is here if…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1144

    October 24, 2024 New Product: Tifosi Swank Readers Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley I actually reviewed a pair of Tifosi readers a while ago. They’re cycling glasses that have small readers built into the bottom of the lens so that you can see fine while riding and can also read your cycle computer display…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1004

    February 17, 2022 Anti-Aging: Interval or Fartlek for Longevity? By Coach John Hughes I wrote a recent column on Anti-Aging: Interval Training Increases Longevity. This column explains how to do intensity exercise. For many riders intervals sound like “no pain, no gain.” No worries! I explain in this column Why ‘No Pain, No Gain’ Is…

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1245

    October 8, 2026 1X Versus 2X: My response is Classified! by Charles Wells Jim’s Tech Talk By Jim Langley Our conversation in the last two episodes of Tech Talk about choosing between a traditional double chainring or a newfangled single chainring drivetrain for your next road bike (referred to respectively today as a 1X or…