July 8, 2021
Ask the Coach: How Massage Helps

By Coach John Hughes
In the Tour de France on Saturday the riders raced through the Alps in the rain. Phil Liggett pointed out that late into the night the soigneurs would be massaging the riders and the mechanics would be working late into the night to get everything ready for Sunday’s mountainous stage. Read more.
Formosa Dual Bike Cover for Hitch-Mount Bike Racks

By Jim Langley
I’m writing this Tech Talk in my RV. My wife and I, and our Aussie posse (2 Australian shepherd pups) are in the midst of a cross country drive. As I type this, we are parked in Deadwood, South Dakota. Read more.
Carbitex CX6 Real-World Application: Lake CX403 Road Shoes

By Sheri Rosenbaum
A few weeks back, I posted a Q&A with Carbitex, a manufacturer of flexible carbon fiber textiles. It’s a pretty cool technology that Lake Cycling incorporated into their CX403 road shoe design that launched in January. I had the opportunity to talk with Chris Dimmick, General Manager at Lake Cycling, to understand how and why they chose to incorporate CX6 technology. Read more.
How Cyclists Can Stave Off Sarcopenia: Part II

By Kevin Kolodziejski
Sarcopenia Sucks
Of course, the statement above is a bit . . . coarse. But I’m willing to come off as uncouth to explain the age-related loss of muscle, strength, and function that’s in store for both me and you — especially when the uncouth is both figuratively and literally true. Read more.
Zealios LipGuard SPF 28 Lip Balm

By Sheri Rosenbaum
Long hours in the saddle means exposing your body to the harmful rays of the sun. As someone who has had skin cancer before, I’m religious about using sunscreen from head to toe, including my lips. Team Zealios, the same company that produces products I’ve reviewed in the past, including Sun Barrier sunscreen, Betwixt Chamois Cream, and Race Relief Cold Therapy Muscle gel, just launched LipGuard, an SPF 28 broad spectrum lip balm. Check your current lip balm, and I bet it doesn’t have sunscreen. Read more.
Mind Over Body

By Martin Sigrist
Take away: In becoming the best that you can be the mind is more important than the body. Or, to paraphrase Arnold Palmer, “Cycling is a sport not of miles but of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.” Read more.
Is a Two Hour Bike Ride Good?

QUESTION: Is a 2 hour bike ride good? I just recently started riding. – Charles K
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: Without knowing what you want cycling to do for you, it’s not possible to give you a detailed answer, but in most ways that matter, the answer is “Yes!” Read more.
Summer Riding Bundle
Summer Riding Bundle by Coach John Hughes gives you the info you need to ride better and more comfortably. It includes:
- Cycling in the Heat, Part 1: Ride Management. 20 pages on how to acclimate, how to ride in the heat without overheating, how to stay (relatively) cool, what to wear, what to eat and drink, how to cool down if you overheat and heat related problems
- Cycling in the Heat, Part 2: Hydration Management. 21 pages on assessing your personal sweat rate and composition, how much you should drink, electrolyte replacement and the pros and cons of electrolyte replacement drinks, supplements and foods.
- Preventing and Treating Cramps. Hughes has not cramped in decades. 10 pages on what causes cramps, how to prevent them and what to do to break a cramp so you can keep riding.
- Eating and Drinking Like the Pros: How to Make Your Own Sports Food and Drink — Nutritional Insight from Pro Teams. 15 pages covering what the pros eat and drink, what you can learn from this, how to make your own sports drinks, gels and solid food and what to eat at a minimart.
Question of the Week
Do you use a bike rack on your vehicle?
Other Cool Stuff to Read
PhilMaffetone: Woman rides 4,170 mile Virtual Trans Am Bike Race eating Carnivore Diet
Design Boom: New crankset design reportedly increases pedaling power and comfort
Cycling Weekly: ‘Some of my best power, still in the last group’ – Why the level is so high in the 2021 Tour de France
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