Newsletter Issue No. 851
February 28, 2019
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
4 Tips for When You’re Sick
by Coach John Hughes
Being sick totally sucks! I know — I’ve had the flu for a week and am totally bummed. I love to XC ski and enjoy doing events. We have great conditions in Colorado. I was looking forward to the Latigo 15K, a race I’ve never done, on Sunday. However, I collapsed in bed yesterday after shoveling snow for just 10 minutes yesterday. Read more.
Tricks for Internal Bike Cable Replacement
by Jim Langley
If you bought a new road bike in recent years, you may have cables that are partly inside your frame, maybe your components, too. Known as internal cable routing, this feature is helping to create some of the cleanest looking rigs ever, and it also reduces wind drag significantly according to the gurus that run Specialized’s Win Tunnel. Read more.
These Floor Pumps Let You Mount Tubeless Tires
by Stan Purdum
If you ride a recent model mountain bike or gravel bike, you’ve probably already dealt with tubeless tires. Road tubeless wheels and tires are also making inroads. Once you make the switch to tubeless tires on any of your bikes, you’ll discover that mounting them using just the floor pump you used for regular tires with tubes is not easy and often impossible. Seating tubeless tires correctly is best accomplished with an instant high-volume shot of air, something regular floor pumps can’t deliver. Read more.
A Guide to Overtraining and Recovery for Cyclists
by Fred Matheny
Hard training doesn’t always lead to better performances. Combine it with inadequate recovery and you’ll almost certainly get worse instead of better. How can you avoid this depressing phenomenon, known as overtraining? How can you recover better? Read more.
Fizik Aria R3 Road Shoe Review
by Sheri Rosenbaum
Fizik’s introduced the Aria R3 road shoe last year along with several other models. They all share a similar design with varying differences in closures and materials which is reflected in the different price points. Out of the box, the Aria R3 is a sleek well-crafted shoe with an upper made from perforated Microtex, a synthetic leather. The perforations help with ventilation and breathability in warm weather or indoors. 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.
Every Different Type of Road Bike, Explained
by John Marsh
Road bicycles are just that, bikes made for efficiently riding on roads. You’ll know a road bike when you see one.
But within the classification of road bike, there is an ever-expanding range of sub-types of bike – each of which has a slightly different, more defined purpose than the standard road machine. Depending on the specific purpose, or the type(s) of riding, each road bike is designed for, it can feature different materials, different “geometry” (frame shape and length of certain frame elements) and setup (height or offset of different pieces of the bike, such as the seat and handlebars), different types of gearing, wider tires, etc. Read more.
New Certified Bike Fitting Course from Coach Rick Schultz
Congratulations to Coach Rick Schultz, who has introduced two new continuing education bike fitting courses for both cycling industry and medical professionals. The courses are fully-accredited by the International Bike Fitting Institute (IBFI) as well as the California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA). His Bike Fitting for the Health Care Professional course is taught by a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy. It’s also USA Cycling certified, so USAC coaches can earn 15 CEUs. Learn more.
What Does Athlete’s Heart Mean?
Question: I’m 65 and been at it hard for umteen years and competing in my age division with success until recently. Why the demise? I have a problem with the ticker — arrhythmia. My cardiologist calls it ‘athlete’s heart.’ With this arrhythmia there was no real symptom other than the workouts feel harder and the race results weren’t as usual. My condition and treatment are still being assessed, and I might be in for an ablation process to reconnect the heart’s circuitry. I thought this experience might be of interest to your other readers. — Rob D. Read more.
How to Do Interval Training
by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
If you want to improve your level of fitness, you can try interval training, the technique used by athletes in sports requiring speed and endurance such as cycling, skiing, running or swimming. They exercise very intensely, rest, and then alternate intense bursts of exercise and rest until their muscles start to feel heavy or tired. Read more.