Newsletter Issue No. 858
April 18, 2019
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
Nutrition for Cycling Performance
By Coach John Hughes
My client Vince recently wrote me, “This was not my best ride. Maybe my worst. A few 18-20 percent grades that I walked. Lots of 10-15 percent hills. I was struggling at 9 mph for a time and quickly added calories and jumped to 13 plus mph. I need more calories.”
Vince figured out by the end that he needed to eat more calories. If he’d just started eating enough early in the ride it would have gone quite differently. Read more.
Tips for Fixing Tires that Won’t Accept Air
By Jim Langley
As the designated mechanic for our couples group who bike together some weekends, I run into interesting issues. Like last week, when Marc disappeared off the back and I went looking for him. He was a half mile behind standing on the shoulder trying to pump up the tubeless rear tire on his Santa Cruz.
He told me it wasn’t flat, only soft enough that he wanted to add a little air. The problem holding him up was that he couldn’t get any air into the tire with his pump. Read more.
Why Use A Dual-Sided Power Meter?
By Coach Rick Schultz
I always recommend dual-sided power meters over single-sided. For location, it’s more of personal preference. For example, I do not recommend pedal-based power meters for criterium racers, because a power meter in the pedal will either increase the pedal stance or make the pedal “thicker.” This increases the chance of clipping the pedal on the ground when pedaling through a corner. For the rest of us, any of the dual-sided power meters will work fine? Here’s why you I think it’s important to go with dual sided. Read more.
BONT Cycling Riot Buckle Road Shoe
By Sheri Rosenbaum
In late January, BONT Cycling introduced the Riot Buckle as an entry level road shoe. Retailing for $129 this shoe is priced to be attainable to most cyclists. Read more.
Eating & Drinking Like the Pros
Written by John Hughes, this eArticle Eating and Drinking Like the Pros describes in detail what pros eat for breakfast, during a race, after the race for recovery and for dinner. The eArticle includes a dozen recipes to make your own riding nutrition, each of which he tested with clients and friends. The 15-page Eating and Drinking Like the Pros is just $4.99.
How to Raise Your Lactate Threshold
by Fred Matheny
If you read articles about training (or hear other cyclists talk about their training programs) you can’t avoid the term “lactate threshold” (LT). It’s so common it has become a buzzword, as in “What’s your LT?” or “I went over my LT on that hill and blew up.” Read more.
How to Pace a Ride for Speed
By Arnie Baker
Years ago, runners used to run the mile by starting out almost as fast as they could go. They invariably pooped out at the end. Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier for the mile back in the 1950s by planning on running each quarter mile in just under one minute. That planning allowed him to become one of the most famous athletes of all time. Read more.
SockGuy Cycling Socks Review
by Lars Hundley
After a recent review of socks that came in black and gray, several readers commented that they were more interested in bright, high visibility socks so that they can be better seen by cars while riding. We’ve written previously about a study showing that wearing high visibility colors on parts of your body that move (like your feet) increases your visibility on the road. Read more.
Quick Fix: Foggy Cycling Glasses
PROBLEM: In misty or foggy weather, your glasses get covered with fine droplets and start streaking. You can’t see squat!
SOLUTION: Here are three fixes that work. Read more.
Question of the Week
Which type of bicycle is your primary bike?
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