Updated 5/1/16
Now ubiquitous on new bikes and slowly trickling into the pro field, disc brakes are proving to be much more than just the latest fad. But are road bicycle disc brakes really necessary? Should they be on your next bike?
What to Look For in an Entry Level Road Bike
If you’ve started looking for an entry level road bike, but feel paralyzed by so many choices, you’re not alone. Buying your first road bike is a big decision. But knowing what to look for in a new bike is half the battle. Here are some considerations that will help lead you to the perfect ride, along with a few of my favorite bikes for beginners.
How to Lose Weight Cycling: Simple Hacks for Weight Loss
Weight is often at the forefront of a cyclist’s mind. Some get into cycling to lose weight and others need to maintain a certain power to weight ratio to stay competitive in the sport. And then there are those of us who enjoyed one too many coffee and croissant stops in the off-season and need to get things dialed in. Whatever your reason, here are a few tried and true ways for how to lose weight cycling, plus a couple of lesser-known weight loss hacks to speed up the process.
Cut the Funk: How to Clean Water Bottles in 5 Simple Steps
In an ideal world, our cycling water bottles would magically transfer directly from our bottle cages to warm water and dish soap. But in reality, half-full water bottles roll under car seats or get stuffed in gear bags. How do you save your favorite bidon when it’s succumbed to a sticky mold attack? Follow these simple tips for quick, easy water bottle cleaning.
Learn This Secret Training Weapon: How to Ride Rollers
Let’s face it: crashing your bike on the living room floor is pretty embarrassing. But that’s just what happened the first time I tried to ride rollers. So how do you stay upright while getting in a great workout and sidestepping some awkward bruises? Here are my favorite tips for how to ride rollers — plus 3 free roller workouts.
Numb Fingers No More: The Best Winter Cycling Gloves
Cold, numb hands will end a ride quicker than flatting a tire without a spare tube. But finding a glove that not only fits, but also blocks wind, rain and a biting headwind is a daunting task, which is why so many cyclists have a stash of unused gloves.
We tested the most popular winter cycling gloves, with the intent to weed out gloves that turn into sweaty finger furnaces or morph into wet bricks in the rain. Click here to jump to our comparison chart or keep reading for our best winter cycling gloves review and recommendations.
The Best Foam Roller To Up Your Recovery Game
Some athletes call them spherical torture devices. Others swear by this secret recovery weapon. With so many foam rollers on the market, how do you know which is the best foam roller for you? Or if foam rolling will benefit your recovery and performance at all? Before we dive into our foam roller reviews, here are some things you should keep in mind.
The Benefits of Foam Rolling
The makers of foam rollers and other self massage tools make some pretty hefty claims. Enough to make any massage therapist bristle, they claim that their products rid muscles of trigger points, treat chronic pain and break up the knots and kinks responsible for aching backs, necks and legs.
But does foam rolling work?
Zwift Review: How to Boost Your Cycling Fitness Now
Last updated: 12/29/16
If you hate the trainer, listen up. Zwift will save you from dying of trainer-induced boredom this winter and give your fitness a kick by spring. Here’s our official Zwift review and quick-start guide.
What is Zwift and should you try it?
Zwift is a software program that syncs your bike to a live, virtual course where you can ride and train with other cyclists. Launched in beta mode in the fall of 2014, Zwift quickly grew a following. According to Bicycle Retailer, riders from over 100 countries have already logged over 300,000 rides that cover more than 4.5 million miles.
Riding this wave of popularity, Zwift switched to a monthly $10 subscription last year, though they’re still offering a 7-day free trial to new users. Best of all, you don’t have to have a fast computer to enjoy the game. Now that you can play via iOS, it’s easy to see why Zwift is currently the hottest training tool.
10 Cycling Gifts Guaranteed to Impress the Cyclist in Your Life
Looking for the perfect gift for the cyclist in your life? From the latest technology to keeping legs toasty, here are our 10 favorite cycling gifts.
Zwift
Winter can be a lonely time for cyclists accustomed to in-season group rides. But the solution is as simple as picking up an ANT stick and a $10 monthly subscription to Zwift. After downloading the software and syncing devices like power, cadence and heart rate, you can invite your buddies on a virtual training ride or hit the road with other cyclists (including pros) across the globe. Vie for Strava segments and points or follow Zwift’s virtual training programs as you ride one of two routes, including Richmond, Virginia’s World Championship course.
Shimano Camera Review
When Shimano threw their hat into the lifestyle gear ring with the launch of their CM-1000 Sport Camera in 2014, they left out a key component— the camera’s accompanying software. Users had to wait until August of the following year to get their hands on the tools that promised to enhance the camera’s functionality by integrating metrics like power, speed, heart rate and Di2. Now that this sprinter has his leadout man, we can finally tell if Shimano’s point of view sport camera lives up to the initial hype.