I’ve mentioned a couple times that this year I planned to visit a massage therapist after my big rides, to evaluate whether professional massage provided any discernible benefit in terms of recovery, flexibility, and muscle tightness. Now, with my season unexpectedly cut short, I guess I have the time to summarize my experience.

I had five ( Read more... )

When I bought my new bike, I also wanted to finally have a full premium fitting done.

Judging by the people I talk to, unless you’re a cyclist, you probably have no idea that there’s anything more to fitting a bike than making sure you can reach the pedals and the brakes, and that’s it. Well, it gets a whole lot more complex than that…

Still, it’ ( Read more... )

Follow this link for my full 2011 Pan-Mass Challenge ride report, including writeup, photos, and GPS logs.

It’s been ten years since I resumed cycling as an adult. In that time, I’ve ridden 28 thousand miles and gradually become more and more refined as a rider. But the one mark of a serious rider that I never did was shave my legs.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that there are solid reasons for most of the crazy things cyclists are known for ( Read more... )

In my last post I promised more details about my pre-PMC reading about training, technique, and nutrition. Well…

Last night I finished reading “The CTS Collection: Training Tips for Cyclists and Triathletes”. CTS stands for Charmichael Training Systemsa prestigious coaching organization founded by Chris Charmichael, a ( Read more... )

Follow this link for my full 2001 Pan-Mass Challenge ride report.