Newsletter Issue No. 912
April 30, 2020
PDF version for Premium Members is here.
Ask the Coach: What Should a Beginning Cyclist Eat and Drink, pt. 1?
By Coach John Hughes
Mike W.: Thanks for the column on How Can a Beginning Cyclist Improve? It was very helpful. I have a related question. I see lots of ads for bars, gels and drinks. The guys I ride with each recommend something different. What should I eat? Does it matter? Read more.
Elite Jet Water Bottle and Vico Carbon Cage Review
By Jim Langley
It never occurred to me that bicycle bottles could be contributing to the piles of plastic floating in our oceans. But, it makes sense that tossed and lost ones – almost all made of materials that resist decomposition, have to end up somewhere. I know for a fact that I’ve lost dozens of them in my 40 years of races and events – especially during cross-country mountain bike races. And I doubt that any of those got reclaimed and put back into use. Read more.
Showers Pass Transit Jacket CC Review (men’s and women’s)
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Over the years I’ve reviewed a lot of gear from Showers Pass and I’m rarely disappointed. It’s the attention to detail and their dedication to producing high quality clothing that keeps you dry no matter where the adventure takes you. Available in both men’s and women’s sizing, the new Transit Jacket CC is ideally suited for a variety of cyclists from commuter to road. Add the optional hood and it’s great for a rainy hike or sporting event. Read more.
Zwift vs. Sufferfest vs. TrainerRoad: an App Comparison
So you’ve got a smart trainer (or maybe even just a regular trainer) and you’re trying to decide which app to use with it. Which app should you use, and which one is best? There’s really no right or wrong answer when it comes to bike trainer apps. It’s about choosing the one that works best for your own personal needs. In that respect, these three apps are quite different and give you a lot of options for training. You might even end up using more than one of them. Read more.
Salt Intake Can Be Too High or Too Low
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
A study of 130,000 people from 49 countries shows that severely restricting salt may actually increase risk for heart attacks, strokes and death in both people with and without high blood pressure (The Lancet, May 20, 2016). The article recommends against severe salt restriction even in people who already have high blood pressure. Read more.
Eating & Drinking Like the Pros
In Eating & Drinking Like the Pros, Coach John Hughes, talked with racers, coaches and cooks to learn what the pros eat and translated this into information every roadie can use. Coach Hughes gives you 12 recipes to make your own sports nutrition. He worked with a professor of nutrition and an expert on hydration and electrolytes (both experts are cyclists) in creating recipes for both sports drinks and food. They’re easy to make, with known, unprocessed ingredients, and can be tailored to your specific taste and needs.
Can I Use Strava Segments for Training?
QUESTION: With the cancellation of every local and regional gravel and road bike ride ongoing with no end identified, it’s understandable how most recreational riders are finding it difficult to maintain a training plan that was patiently constructed this winter, and adhered to during indoor training rides, to create peak fitness for at least one event this summer. Read more.
Other Cool Stuff to Read
Outside: Why hard exercise feels worse when you’re alone.
VeloNews: Dumoulin: Virtual race results ‘are not to be trusted’
Cyclingnews.com: Chris Froome is ‘here and ready’ to target fifth Tour de France victory
TheBicycleSite.com: A guide to bicycle etiquette
Bicycling: Cyclist rides 3,000 miles in 13 days on Zwift. My butt hurts just reading about it.
Question of the Week
Do you use Strava?
End Notes
