Tips on Riding in the Rain

Tips for Riding in the Rain Issue No. 596 - 10/24/13  ISSN 1536-4143  RoadBikeRider (RBR) Newsletter IS POSTED IN ITS ENTIRETY ON OUR WEBSITE. Click the links in this email to view complete articles and the entire weekly newsletter on our site. Click here to go directly to our website to read the entire issue Click here to open the PDF version to read or download From the Top    Views from the Editor John Marsh Tips for Riding in the Rain RBR Premium Member Tom Daly wrote us a few weeks back, posing the question: Can you offer some tips for a new rider about how to ride in the rain? It was a question that really resonated with me, as this was the wettest summer in Atlanta in the 26 years I’ve lived here – and I had more rain rides than I could shake an umbrella at. (It was a soaker of a summer in much of the U.S., for that matter.) As we often do, we tag-teamed on our response to Tom. First, I provided my two cents’ worth, and then turned it over to Coach Fred Matheny. Click to read the entire article on our website An Annual Premium Membership Delivers! Support RBR Newsletter and RoadBikeRider.com -- and get benefits beyond 48 issues a year of quality how-to cycling knowledge! Discounts on all RBR ePubs Discounts on all RBR Gear Discounts (up to $70 on a single purchase!) on Great Sponsor Cycling Products Giveaways of Amazing Cycling Prizes Access to the Internet’s Best Cycling Knowledge Base Ask Coach Fred     Training & Nutrition Tips Fred Matheny Why Do I Feel Awful After So Much Training? Question: I decided I needed a challenge as a 62-year-old to keep me focused during our southern winter [Steve lives in New Zealand], so I chose The 5 Passes Tour, which equates to 600km over 4 days as part of a team -- me and 2 friends.  The longest day being 216km, and the ride is a mixture of racing stages and touring stages. I got a coach, and was set up with a program four and a half months ago. All went pretty good for 4 months when I was riding on a trainer and outside 5-6 times per week, starting at 7 hours per week, and ramping up to 10.5 hours per week -- mostly based around intensity, with no rides longer than 3 hours. Long story short, I have had to 'abandon ship' (can't do this, pretty gutting), as over the last 2 weeks I have been getting slower, sore core, legs, glutes, can't sustain an hour of riding without feeling caned...plenty of other strange symptoms. It was going so well up until this point. What happened? – Steve M. Click to read Coach Fred's reply on our website The RBR eBookstore -- Now Over 100 Titles! NEW TITLE!  Dynamic Conditioning Monthly - Month 1: Base Conditioning, by Coach Dan Kehlenbach.  Part 1 of a 5-part series of monthly dynamic conditioning workouts. Each month’s workout regimen will build on the last. In this 30- page eArticle, Coach Kehlenbach introduces fundamental exercises to develop a solid foundation that will be built upon over the course of the entire program. He offers two different workouts, each in four phases, including a number of different exercises designed to focus on various areas: static and dynamic stretching; core/activation training; elastic or power exercises, lower and upper body conditioning, and post-workout activities, among others. Cycling "Past 50" Series Bundle. In this 4-article series Coach John Hughes shares 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! These article apply whether you are just taking up cycling and exercise or you’ve been a cyclist for years and intend never to stop. Each one of these eArticles is terrific on its own merits; together, they make an indispensable 95-page set. In short, it’s a thoroughly researched, imminently useful and beneficial knowledge base. In Pedal Off the Pounds, USA Cycling Level 1 Coach David Ertl eschews diet book gimmickry for the hard truth, detailed nutritional and dietary knowledge, and a proven approach to weight loss for cyclists – whether weight loss alone is your goal, or whether losing weight and simultaneously training to improve cycling performance is your goal. When you combine a reduced-calorie diet with increased energy expenditure, weight loss becomes manageable and noticeable. And cycling is the ideal calorie-burning activity. Coach Ertl provides sample eating and workout plans in his 34-page eBook. Click links or book covers for more info on these titles, and click author names to view all titles by that author. Jim's Tech Talk     Mechanical & Product Advice Jim Langley Fixing Flats Fast, Part 1 Last week in my notes about the Interbike show, I mentioned that I briefly held the fastest time (1:26) in a flat-fixing contest at the Polar booth. Some of you wrote, surprised at my time and, especially, that the winner took only 54 seconds. So I thought I’d offer some reasons it’s valuable to be able to speedily fix a flat, tell a few stories, and next week, pass along the secrets so that you can get faster. Pros can fix flats fast To start, I found this exciting photo of Greg LeMond on his Facebook page showing him changing his own tire in a race. I don’t know the facts behind the image but typically racers change their own tire only when they have to, usually because the support vehicle can’t get to them in a timely manner. Pros don’t usually carry spares, but I assume Greg had one. I also believe he’s fixing a tubular tire (also called a “sew-up,” these tires are glued onto the rim). And that he’s using a tire lever to break the glue bond, which can sometimes be a struggle. Click to read the complete article on our website Also in this Issue     Our Regular Weekly Features News & Reviews:  Bike Engineer Addresses Disc Brake Spoke Tension • Our Favorite Rides: the DarWin Ride in the Cascades • Government Shutdown Affects the Bike Biz • New Tours Combine Biking with Breweries • 2014 Tour de France Route Unveiled • and more No Problem:  Coach Fred: My Own Burnout Story Quick Tips:  Women’s Bikes for Men; Rare Earth Cadence Magnet Cadence:  Learn to Draft; Draft to Learn Question of the Week:  If You're 60+, How Much Do You Exercise a Week? Click any link to go directly to the full content of that section on our website. Enjoy Your Ride! John Marsh Editor & Publisher Featured Sponsors RBR eBookstore Purchase and download expert Books and Articles on cycling fitness, training, skills, tech and more. Click to see over 100 titles and the newest additions.   by Coach John Hughes by Coach  David Ertl by Joshua Cohen by Alan Bragman, D.C. by Joe & Maria Kita by Coach John Hughes Free eBook 29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies with your first purchase! Premium Site Access hundreds of pages of exclusive road cycling content from our experts and get a 15% discount on all eBooks, eArticles and RBR logoed gear. Membership Benefits Visit Our Marketplace RBR: An Independent Resource for Roadies RoadBikeRider (RBR) Newsletter is a product of RBR Publishing Co., Inc. All material is copyright © 2001-2013 RBR Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please subscribe by clicking here. No cost or obligation! Disclaimer: Consult your physician and follow all equipment safety instructions before beginning any training program or using any gear or equipment discussed in this newsletter or on www.roadbikerider.com. 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