Here’s another in-between issue of the newsletter. The temperatures in Dallas yesterday dropped from the 70s in the afternoon to around 40 degrees this morning with a high in the 50s, so I had to get back out my winter weather gear for this morning’s ride. Hope you’ve got good weather and the ability to ride outside where you are, or that you own a trainer and don’t mind riding it if you’re stuck inside.
Ask the Coach: How Can a Beginning Cyclist Improve?
By Coach John Hughes
Bill P.: I’m 40 years old and my doctor says I need more exercise. I walk our dog and garden; otherwise I’m sedentary. I tried running and that hurt and I don’t know how to swim. I got a road bike and have been riding for a couple of months. I ride about 10 – 15 miles a day four or five days a week. I really enjoy it. What should I do to improve? Read more.
What’s the Difference Between Bike Sizing and Bike Fitting?
By Coach Rick Schultz
Bike sizing is done prior to bike fitting and happens BEFORE you purchase your bicycle. Bike sizing deals mainly with the size of a frame. The bike shop or retailer should measure you to help determine which size frame is best suited for you. Please be aware that not all shops or retail bike stores do this! If you’re thinking of buying a bike someplace that does not take the time to measure you in order to sell you a correctly sized frame, you may want to consider shopping elsewhere. Read more.
High Resting Heart Rate Unsafe
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
A resting heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute is a strong predictor for future heart attacks, diabetes and even cancer. From 1974 to 2002, 53,322 healthy people were followed at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas. Those with a resting heart rate lower than 60 beats per minute were far less likely to suffer heart attacks or to die than those with a resting heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute (Mayo ClinicProceedings, 12/12/2013). Read more.
Quick Tip: Carefully Installing Your Tube and Tires Prevents Flats
Today’s comes to us from Michael Hormel, about his method to prevent flats – and the results are astonishing. Here’s what he wrote:
I’ve only had one flat in the 10-15 years since I went from sew-ups to clinchers. The one was early this summer when I hit a rough spot were a culvert had been replaced and I bounced over it and got a pinch flat. Read more.
Can You Use a Gravel Bike as a Road Bike?
QUESTION: I’m thinking about buying a new bike, and I was considering buying a gravel bike instead of a road bike, so I have the option of wider tires. Can you use a gravel bike as your road bike? Read more.
A Roundup of Top 1x Gravel Bikes for 2020
We’ve rounded up our favorite single chainring 1x gravel bikes here. We specifically aimed slightly below the high end of the market, where a bike can cost $8K to $10K. Most of our picks are half that price, with terrific quality options that go all the way down to $2,600. Read more.
Quick Tip: Keep Your Repair Kit Up-to-Date
Reader Russ Wood, writes: This comes from personal experience. I’m usually pretty good at keeping my saddle bag/commute trunk tire repair kit up-to-date, but I had gone several thousand miles without a puncture. Read more.
Last-Chance Repairs May Save You When Nothing Else Does
By Jim Langley
If you watch pro cycling as intently as I do, you’ll notice the amazing mechanics, racing to the scene of a crash, spare bike in hand, diving into the wreckage to extract their rider, slipping his spare bike under him and mightily pushing him up the road. Or even crazier, leaning out of the windows of speeding team cars and fine-tuning a rear derailleur while hanging upside-down! Whatever the problem, they’ve got the know-how, parts and tools to fix it. Read more.
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