If it’s spring, it must be time for our annual bicycle buyer’s guide. This year’s guide reflects two major changes over the last two editions, both good. The first is an increase in the number of entry-level road bikes. Mountain biking’s explosive growth over the past few years has brought more people into the cycling … Read more
Tackling a long ride is something most of us undertake sooner or later. Whether you are considering your first metric century (62 miles) or the more ambitious double century (200 miles), setting a specific goal is an important part of achieving success. Completing a long ride can serve as a benchmark of your fitness and … Read more
All of us have had them. They strike without warning, and they can ruin the most carefully planned and eagerly awaited of rides. They’re cramps, and they feel as though Zeus has thrown a thunderbolt at your calf. A cramp is an involuntary contraction or spasm of a muscle, and the pain is sudden and … Read more
Cycling fitness can be evaluated in several ways: from a simple measure of speed in a time trial to the power delivered to the cranks to metabolic efficiency. But no matter which measure you choose, you will find that your fitness is highly influenced by the way you and your bike fit together. For that … Read more
Ask Frederic Guesdon how important raw power is to a cyclist and he’ll tell you all about his 1997 Paris-Roubaix win. The little-known rider for team Les Francaises des Jeux surprised his star breakaway mates with a ferocious sprint he uncorked at the finish on turn three of the Roubaix velodrome, using a mere 100 … Read more
I don’t know who first coined the phrase “appropriate technology” but they certainly were on to something. When I was working at Lynch’s Bicycles in Los Altos, as a fourteen year old mechanic, I used to see expensive racing bikes being ridden by the local High School kids. My fellow mechanic and teacher from Brazil … Read more
Sometimes back I used to experience biking saddle sores and discomfort around the butt area; the worst part was that it was so itchy and I couldn’t help but quit cycling for two weeks. If you’ve experienced serious saddle sores then you can relate to my situation. You’ll barely have a smooth ride if your … Read more