Newsletter Issue No. 998
January 6, 2022
8 Reasons a Training Journal Can Help You
By Coach John Hughes
I’m an optimist. I’ll turn 73 this year so I just ordered 17 more blank training journals – enough to last until I’m 90. I don’t know how many miles I rode last year. Or any year in the last decade. I use a training journal rather than an on-line program or a spreadsheet. The most relevant data for me aren’t numbers.
We’re each an experiment of one and a different way of recording your exercise may work better for you. Here are eight benefits of recording your training in some fashion. Read more.
Even More of Your Top Chain Care Tips
By Jim Langley
For the holiday break, we ran an RBR best-of issue which included a rerun of a Tech Talk I wrote on chain care a year ago. That article was titled Basic and Obsessive Chain Care and it included two videos from Silca about super cleaning chains.
There were lots of interesting comments when the piece first ran. And more came in this time with lube and cleaning pointers, product recommendations, and some fun commentary. So we’ll keep the chain chatter going with your new comments and tips. Feel free to keep the comments coming, too. There’s a master’s class in chain care here! Read more.
Ways to Keep Your ‘Gotta Wanna’ This Winter
By Kevin Kolodziejski
What in the World Is ‘Gotta Wanna?’
That’s what I was thinking, too, nearly 46 years ago when a high school basketball coach who sounded a bit like Rocky Balboa after six espressos used the phrase in a lecture at a summer basketball camp I attended. His topic was playing defense, something he said that everyone in that gym — tall or short, fast or slow — could do well. Playing good defense, he explained, was simple. Read more.
From Dusk til Dawn
By Martin Sigrist
Takeaway: Riding through the night is an experience like no other on a bike and a bike is the perfect form of transport on which to experience it.
For those of us in the north we just at the darkest point of the year. The winter equinox occurs on 21st December and from then on, even though the worst of the weather may yet be still to come, at least the days will get a little longer and the nights a little less dark. Read more.
Could Magnesium Alloy Frames Be Bicycling’s Next Big Thing?
By Kevin Kolodziejski
I don’t practice Santeria. I ain’t got no crystal ball. So don’t expect a definitive answer to the question posed in the title. Do expect, though, to keep finding references to mostly lame song lyrics designed to make you roll your eyes yet also smile. But that’s not because we at RBR are living on a prayer that this article will interest you, oh no. We know it will for sure for one simple reason: When it comes to choices in bike frame materials, there’s a new kid in town. Read more.
Bontrager Adventure Bags Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Bikepacking is on my 2022 “must do” list, and the new line of Bontrager Adventure bags are coming along for the ride. After testing them on recent gravel rides, they have me dreaming of my next adventure. Read more.
LOOK – KEO 2 MAX CARBON Pedals Review
By Rick Schultz
Going over to LOOK’s Pedals page, they have seven product categories: road, MTB, gravel, urban, trekking, power meter ( joint collaboration with SRM) and spare parts. Most reading these reviews would probably be interested in the road lineup of pedals. Read more.
Best Fans for Indoor Bike Trainers
By Chris Honett
Indoor bike trainers are naturally convenient for a variety of reasons. At the same time, cycling inside can present it’s own challenges. One common concern is how to stay cool without the wind (literally) at one’s back. Here’s a roundup of some fans we might suggest to help keep the temperatures down when you’re training inside. Read more.
Quick Tip: Chain Lube Lessons from a Chain Tester
By Rick Schultz
Lessons Learned from an actual tester of chains. I will attest Thomas Prehn’s reply regarding wax-based lubes. Not to be confused with paraffin-wax, two manufacturers I have tested were Squirt and Smoove. Read more.
Healthy Cycling Past 50
Using Cycling and Other Exercise to Stay Healthy and Active as We Age
Do you want to live a longer and happier life? Do you want to reduce the risk of dying in your 50s or 60s? Do you want to feel better every day? This earticle, Healthy Cycling Past 50, will teach you what you need to do as you age into your 50s and beyond – using cycling and other exercises – to increase your longevity and improve your enjoyment of life! This article applies whether you are just taking up cycling and exercise or you’ve been a cyclist for years and intend never to stop.
Question of the Week
Do you own any bikepacking gear?
Cool Stuff to Read
Outside: Why I Still Love Racing at Age 82
Road Bike Action: 10 Tips to Become Your Own Bike Mechanic
Road.cc: World champion Julian Alaphilippe turns up on Google Street View
End Note
