Like all great villains, lactic acid has been misunderstood. We鈥檝e been blaming it for the pain we suffer during intense exercise for more than two centuries. There鈥檚 nothing worse, we say, than the 鈥渓actic burn鈥� that locks our failing muscles into immobility. More recent tellings of the story have tried to rehabilitate lactic acid鈥檚 reputation, insisting that it鈥檚 actually trying to fuel our muscles rather than shut them down. But that version doesn鈥檛 capture the full complexity, either.

Into this confusion steps , from veteran physiologists Simeon Cairns and Michael Lindinger. It鈥檚 a dense 35-page doorstop titled 鈥淟actic Acidosis: Implications for Human Exercise Performance,鈥� and the clearest conclusion we can draw from it is that the precise causes of muscle fatigue during intense exercise are still a topic of active research and vigorous debate among scientists. But the sudden popularity of baking soda as an acid-buffering performance aid has renewed conversations about how, exactly, lactic acid works in the body鈥攁nd how we might counteract it. Here are some highlights from the latest research.

The Lactic Backstory

The first scientist to draw the connection between exercise and lactic acid was J枚ns Jacob Berzelius, the Swedish chemist who devised the modern system of chemical notation (H2O and so on). Sometime around 1807, he noticed that the chopped-up muscles of dead deer contained lactic acid, a substance that had only recently been discovered in soured milk. Crucially, the muscles of stags that had been hunted to death contained higher levels of lactic acid, while deer from a slaughterhouse who had their limbs immobilized in a splint before their death had lower levels, suggesting that the acid was generated by physical exertion.

A century later, physiologists at the University of Cambridge used electric stimulation to make frogs鈥� legs twitch until they reached exhaustion, and high lactic acid levels. The levels were even higher if they performed the experiment in a chamber without oxygen, and lower if they provided extra oxygen. That finding helped establish the prevailing twentieth-century view: your muscles need oxygen to generate energy aerobically; if they can鈥檛 get enough oxygen, they switch to generating energy anaerobically, which produces lactic acid as a toxic byproduct that eventually shuts your muscles down.

There are two small problems鈥攁nd one big one鈥攚ith this picture. The first detail is that, while lactic acid can be measured in the muscles of dead deer and frogs, it doesn鈥檛 actually exist in living humans. In the chemical milieu of the body, what would be lactic acid is split into two components: lactate and hydrogen ions. That鈥檚 not just being persnickety about terminology: lactate and hydrogen ions behave differently than lactic acid would. In fact, they can have separate and sometimes even opposing effects.

The second detail is that lactate (and hydrogen ions) aren鈥檛 really produced because your muscles are 鈥渞unning out of oxygen.鈥� The chemical reactions that use oxygen to turn food into muscle fuel are efficient but slow, great for powering relatively easy and sustained exercise. But they can鈥檛 provide energy fast enough to supply an all-out sprint. For that, you鈥檒l eventually need to rely on lactate-producing anaerobic reactions, even if you鈥檙e huffing pure oxygen from a can.

The big problem with the old view of lactic acid is the idea that it’s a metabolic villain. It turns out that, far from being an inert byproduct, lactate can be recycled into fuel for your muscles. In fact, one of the key superpowers that well-trained athletes develop is the ability to reuse lactate more quickly. This rehabilitation of lactate鈥檚 reputation has been going on for now (though it still has ), but athletes are still left with an unanswered question: if lactate isn鈥檛 what causes muscle fatigue, what is?

What the New Review Reveals

The first thing that Cairns and Lindinger establish is that, yes, levels of lactate and hydrogen ions increase during intense exercise. This is most obvious during intense exercise lasting between about one and twenty minutes. Longer bouts of exercise are less intense, so they can be mostly fueled by non-lactate-producing aerobic energy, and bouts of exertion shorter than one minute simply don鈥檛 have time to produce much lactate.

The evidence is now clear that lactate itself doesn鈥檛 interfere in any significant way with muscle function. But lactate and hydrogen ions are produced simultaneously in exactly the same quantities during anaerobic exercise, which complicates the 鈥渓actic acid is a good guy after all鈥� narrative. Lactate may be great, but it comes with an equivalent helping of hydrogen ions鈥攁nd that may be a problem.

When you increase the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, you鈥檙e increasing its acidity. That鈥檚 how the pH scale is defined: it鈥檚 a measure of hydrogen ion concentration. During intense exercise, the pH in your fast-twitch muscle fibers (which seem to be particularly susceptible to hydrogen ion buildup) can drop from around 7.0 to 6.0. That change represents a ten-fold increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions鈥攁 situation that can wreak havoc on muscle contraction.

The idea that hydrogen ions are what cause muscle fatigue isn鈥檛 entirely straightforward either, though. When you start hard exercise, the concentration of hydrogen ions actually decreases for about 15 seconds while you use up another source of fast-acting muscle energy called phosphocreatine. And yet your muscles are already getting fatigued during this initial burst, losing some of their maximal force, while hydrogen ion levels are still lower than normal.

There鈥檚 also a disconnect when you stop exercising, or take a break between hard intervals. Hydrogen ion (and lactate) levels keep climbing for a few minutes, which is why the highest lactate levels are generally recorded several minutes after hard exercise. But you don鈥檛 get weaker after you stop exercising; you get stronger as you recover, despite the rising concentration of hydrogen ions. So hydrogen ions may play a role in muscle fatigue, but they can鈥檛 be the whole story.

Another possibility is that hydrogen ions may interact with other molecules to disrupt muscle contraction. The most prominent candidates are potassium and phosphate, both of which increase during exercise and are associated in some studies with muscle fatigue. What these and other candidates have in common is that there are a ton of conflicting results: they have different effects on muscle fibers depending on the level of acidity, the muscle temperature, and the test protocol. This suggests鈥攏ot surprisingly鈥攖hat there isn鈥檛 a single molecule that causes your muscles to lose their power. Instead, it鈥檚 the whole cocktail of things going on inside your muscles during hard exercise that matters.

What About the Burn?

Most of the research that Cairns and Lindinger describe deals with muscle properties: how quickly are your fibers losing their twitch force, and why? It鈥檚 true that, as a middle-distance runner, I鈥檝e sometimes staggered down the finishing straight of a race with the sense that my legs were literally ceasing to function. It鈥檚 an awful feeling to experience, but satisfying to look back on: you know you left nothing out there.

Far more common, though, is a softer limit. You feel a red-hot burn and spreading numbness in your legs, and you choose to back off a bit. This feeling that we used to describe as 鈥済oing lactic鈥� is significant in its own right. In interviews with athletes who鈥檝e begun using baking soda, a common theme is that they鈥檙e able to push harder for longer before feeling that burn in their legs, which in turn enables them to race faster.

One theory about the feeling of going lactic is that you鈥檙e literally starving your brain of oxygen. If you push hard enough, it鈥檚 not just your muscles that go more acidic; your whole bloodstream follows. Thanks to a phenomenon called the Bohr effect, rising acidity reduces the ability of your red blood cells to ferry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, including your brain. In one study, all-out rowing caused oxygen saturation to drop from 97.5 to 89.0 percent, which is a big drop鈥攂ig enough, perhaps, to slow you down and contribute to the out-of-body feeling at the end of hard races.

We also have nerve sensors that keep the brain informed about the metabolic status of the muscles. These group III/IV afferents, as they鈥檙e known, keep tabs on the real-time levels of molecules like lactate and hydrogen ions. If you block these nerves with spinal injections of fentanyl, exercise feels great鈥攖oo great, in fact, because you鈥檒l lose all sense of pacing, go out too hard, then hit the wall.

The most telling finding about the lactic burn, in my view, was where they injected various molecules into the thumbs of volunteers in an attempt to reproduce that familiar feeling. Injecting lactate didn鈥檛 do it. Neither did injecting hydrogen ions, or ATP, a fuel molecule whose levels are also elevated during hard exercise. Injecting them in pairs didn鈥檛 do it either. But injecting all three at the levels you鈥檇 experience during moderate exercise produced a sensation of fatigue in their thumbs, even though they weren鈥檛 moving them. And injecting higher levels turned fatigue into pain.

That鈥檚 a distinction I try to keep in mind in the late stages of hard workouts, and at the crux of races. That burning feeling is real, and it鈥檚 associated with lactate and acidity and muscular fuel levels. But it鈥檚 just a feeling. The lactate and ATP are actually helping me. The hydrogen ions, in combination with various other metabolites accumulating in my muscles, not so much. They鈥檒l eventually stop me. But until they do, I can keep pushing.

***

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Back when , I prepared myself to answer the same question whenever I encountered a fellow American bike nerd.

What’s your favorite bike race?

Most people assumed that I’d say the Tour de France. But my answer was always the same: the .

That’s right, Belgium’s Tour of Flanders, which will commence this Sunday, April 6, is cycling’s best race. It’s my favorite race to watch on TV and to attend in person.

Unlike the three-week Tour de France, the Tour of Flanders is just one day. It is one of the sport’s five so-called Monument races, which is a title reserved for road cycling’s oldest and hardest one-day events. These events鈥擬ilano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Il Lombardia鈥攁ll boast courses that are 150 miles or longer.

The racing at the Tour of Flanders is breakneck and aggressive for 167 miles. The route is laden with razor-sharp cobblestones and steep, punishing climbs. And almost every year, the race produces drama all the way to the finish line. Once the Tour of Flanders starts, you don’t want to look away from the livestream.

As awesome as the Tour of Flanders is to watch on TV, it’s even cooler to check out in person. And anyone who loves traveling to bike races should put the Tour of Flanders atop your bucket list. Here’s why:

In Flanders, Belgium’s northern Flemish-speaking region, the race is equal parts patriotic celebration, day-long party, and professional sporting event. It’s like combining the Super Bowl with a Fourth of July parade, and adding gallons of heavy Trappist ale. Millions of Flemish people leave their homes to stand alongside the roads and party. People wave the yellow Lion of Flanders flag and generally goes bananas whenever the cyclists ride by. The whole scene absolutely slaps.

My affection for the Tour of Flanders starts with the racecourse. The route zigzags its way across the Flemish countryside before completing two laps on a hilly circuit outside the town of Oudenaarde. The circuitous route is way more spectator-friendly than the Tour de France course. While fans at the Tour de France wait by the roadside for hours to see the peloton buzz by in a flash, at Flanders, you can see the riders speed by multiple times on race day.

There’s a men’s and a women’s pro races both tackle the same approximate route on the same day. Fans who attend get to see cyclists whizz by all day long.

I also love the race’s topography. Make no mistake: there are no soaring Alpine or Pyrenean ascents in Flanders. Instead, the pastoral countryside is dotted with short but punchy hills. The roads up these mounds are steep, no wider than a sidewalk, and are made of cobblestones. Riding a stiff carbon听bicycle over a European cobblestone street is extremely painful and jarring.

When the pro peloton hits these narrow and uncomfortably bumpy lanes, chaos ensues, and cyclists jostle for position while generating eye-popping amounts of power. When it rains, the cobblestones become extremely slippery, and riders must sometimes dismount and walk.

Il existe un Koppenberg 脿 Zurich ?

鈥� ntoine VAYER (@festinaboy)

I cannot stress how important these tiny hillsides are to the Flemish, who revere them much like Americans love Mount Rainier or Denali. Seemingly innocuous hillsides like the Koppenberg, Paterberg, or Oude Kwaremont are steeped in the race’s 112-year history, and have been the site of legendary battles for generations.

The third reason I love the Tour of Flanders is the way these climbs fuel the action.听The race’s ebb-and-flow is must-watch TV for any fan of bike racing. Since it’s a one-day race, and not a stage race like the Tour de France, the cyclists are racing for that day’s victory only. Each hill breaks the peloton into smaller groups, but the gaps between these groups are small, which creates a constant cat-and-mouse dynamic as the action unfolds.

The very best racers wait until the final 40 miles or so to attack, and drama always ensues when the top riders square off on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. Oftentimes, the crux of the race occurs when one cyclist can generate just a few more watts than his or her foe on one of these short climbs. He or she who wins Flanders is equal parts brains and brawn.

脡 amanh茫! Tour de Flandres!

鈥� BikeBlz (@BikeBlz)

And the cyclists who excel at the Tour of Flanders are鈥攂y and large鈥攂uilt differently from those who win the Tour. Grand Tours cater to spindly, ultralight cyclists who can ascend 3,000-foot mountain passes for days on end. At Flanders, the peloton’s big and brawny racers like Flemish hero Wout van Aert or Dutch racer Mathieu van der Poel get to shine.

But here’s perhaps the best reason to check out Flanders in person: you get to ride your own bike on the course. On the day before the professional race, organizers stage a mass-participant cyclosportive called We Ride Flanders on the same route. You can choose your own distance ride. Organizers position feed zones along the route where you can chow down on waffles and local chocolate.

Every year, approximately 16,000 cyclists head onto the narrow lanes crisscrossing Flanders and race each other up the Koppenberg, Paterberg, and other climbs. I’ve done We Ride Flanders on four separate occasions times, I can attest that it is chaotic and bonkers and unquestionably fun. You get to experience just how steep and painful the climbs are, which gives you an added appreciation when you see the peloton rumble up them a day later. You don’t get to do that at the Tour de France.

Plus, when you’re done with the amateur event, you can check out the in downtown Oudenaarde. You can also drink plenty of local beer and eat chocolate and cheese until you pass out.

I always tell cyclists to make the Tour of Flanders the focal point of a week-long or ten-day trip to Belgium. The weekend prior to Flanders is another major cobblestone race, called Gent-Wevelgem, which has its own amateur event. There’s a smaller race on the Wednesday between the two events, called Dwars Door Vlaanderen, which is always a compelling event to watch as well. And if you have oodles of vacation time to burn, you can then stick around another week and view in nearby France.

I obviously understand the appeal of the experiencing the Tour de France, with its soaring Alps, picturesque towns, and summer sunshine. But take my word for it: the Tour of Flanders is better.

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When a Reddit thread surfaced about a man who went on a solo cross-country e-bike tour, two questions demanded answers: Who was this adventurer, and what kind of bike did they use? After all, while reliable e-bikes have proliferated on urban commutes and mountain bike trails, only the best can successfully endure a grueling 5,500-mile journey from coast to coast.

The cyclist was 55-year-old Ed Ditto from Tennessee, and he was riding an .

Cruising across the country on an e-bike wasn鈥檛 Ditto鈥檚 first encounter with long-distance routes. He grew up backpacking with his father and even completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2023, and for years has been passionate about immersive travel. And he鈥檚 done a lot of it. Ditto retired early鈥攁t age 36鈥攆reeing up time to pursue his love of whitewater kayaking, ultrarunning, and exploring new places without the pressure of time.

Ditto鈥檚 Aventon-powered journey began at the Yorktown Victory Monument in Virginia and concluded at the Astoria Column in Oregon. Along the way, he connected the dots between urban centers like Chattanooga and St. Louis and scenic highlights like Yellowstone National Park and Breckenridge. The route offered sweeping views of the Mississippi River, climbs over Rocky Mountain passes, and a front-row seat to the diverse landscapes of the American heartland.

Choosing a bike for the journey was just as important as choosing the route. Ditto says the decision was influenced by positive feedback from the community. 鈥淚t was good review after good review鈥攂oth in the trade press and from individual owners across various forums,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚 found a local dealer, took the Aventon Level 2 for a test ride, and it just felt right. I鈥檇 tried other bikes, but this one stood out as the best option. Plus, it seemed versatile enough to handle more than just urban commuting.鈥�

He upgraded the e-bike with essentials to help meet the challenges of a continent-spanning ride. The kit enhancements included:

• Swapping the stock 12-32T 8-speed cassette for an 11-46T 9-speed for better climbing gears. This also meant upgrading the shifter and rear derailleur and lengthening the chain.
• Purchasing two extra batteries and a spare charger.
• Installing a custom Old Man Mountain front through-axle with an integrated attachment point for a front rack.
• Switching to Schwalbe Marathon E Plus 2.00 tires for added durability.

The package successfully got Ditto across the country, collecting memories, views, and interactions he鈥檒l carry with him for a lifetime. He recalls the final moments of his trip:

鈥淥n the last day of my trip, after five months riding westward, I crested the ridge above Cape Lookout, Oregon, pulled off at an overlook, and saw the Pacific breaking against the beach. I realized I鈥檇 made it. I stood there straddling my bike, balancing its weight, and trying to feel anything like triumph. But I only remember feeling exhausted.

鈥淭here were other people there, all watching the ocean, except for one guy. He came over and asked how far I鈥檇 ridden, and when I told him I鈥檇 crossed the country, he did what you鈥檇 expect: He gasped, said 鈥榃ow,鈥� congratulated me, asked a bunch of questions, etc.

鈥淭his had happened to me dozens and dozens of times as I made my way across the U.S.鈥攁ll these people who were flabbergasted that you could walk out of your house, get on your bike, and just start riding. A hundred, 500, 5,000 miles鈥攁mazing, they鈥檇 say.

鈥淎nd then another guy approached and reacted like the first, and then a family walked up. I suddenly found myself surrounded by people praising me, telling me what an extraordinary guy I was for doing such a thing.

鈥淚t freaked me out a little. I鈥檇 been alone way too long by then, maybe gotten a touch agoraphobic. So I disentangled myself in the nicest way possible, rode down the ridge to the beach, leaned my bike against a fir tree, and walked out into the ocean with all my clothes on. That was it. Virginia to Oregon. Coast to coast. Done.

鈥淎 few days later, after recuperating at a beachside AirBnB near Astoria, I rented a van, loaded my bike, and headed back east. Eventually, I stopped for gas and caffeine. Unhooking the nozzle from the pump, it hit me: Back to the world of the mundane, man.

鈥淢aybe I should鈥檝e ridden home.鈥�

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Moving your bike indoors for the winter can feel uninspiring. There鈥檚 no scenery to gaze at, no cycling crew to keep you company, and no changes in terrain to keep things interesting. But there鈥檚 also less time spent layering up, fewer frozen fingers, and no junk miles commuting from home to your starting point.

Instead of thinking of as a necessary evil during the winter months, consider the benefits: You don鈥檛 have to worry about slipping on ice or navigating around cars, pedestrians, and pets. You can adjust the temperature indoors, making it warmer to mimic summer races or turning on a fan if you need to cool off. With fewer distractions and more control over your environment, you can get really dialed in with your training.

While outdoor cycling allows you to practice bike handling and climbing and descending hills, indoor training is great for honing your pedaling efficiency and cadence.

How to Choose Indoor Cycling Equipment

There鈥檚 no match for your own bike, especially if it鈥檚 been fitted to your body and has a seat you can comfortably sit on for hours. If you want to keep riding the same bike indoors, you can mount it on a bike trainer or rollers.

Bike trainers fall into two main categories: and . A wheel-on trainer attaches to your bike鈥檚 rear wheel and uses a metal roller pressed against the tire to add resistance. With a direct-drive trainer, you remove your rear wheel and set your bike on the trainer鈥檚 cassette. Wheel-on trainers can quickly wear out your back tire, but they also tend to be more affordable; direct-drive trainers, which are larger and heavier, provide a smoother ride.

Rollers sit flat on the floor and include three long cylinders attached to a metal frame. While you ride, your wheels spin the cylinders, offering a realistic road-feel. This apparatus requires more balance and skill to stay upright than other indoor cycling options.

While it won’t replicate your outdoor riding experience as closely, , a coach and training specialist with Peloton, says a stationary bike can also help you build your overall endurance. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e focusing on general fitness, just getting on a bike and pedaling is like 90 percent of the battle,鈥� he says.

Unlike devices that attach to your normal bike, a stationary bike is a separate piece of equipment specifically meant for cycling indoors. Your pedal strokes spin a flywheel at the front of the machine. Depending on the model you鈥檙e using, you can turn a knob or pull a lever to adjust your level of resistance. There are a few different types of stationary bikes, including upright (which most closely resembles a regular bike), recumbent (with a reclined seat), and dual-action (the handlebars move back and forth, offering an additional upper body workout). Upright and dual-action bikes will feel most similar to your outdoor bike, but if you have back pain, the reclined seat of a recumbent bike offers more comfort and support.

Set a Goal

When your outdoor cycling season ends, Wilpers says that鈥檚 the time to set your goals for the coming year. 鈥淚t puts a flag in the ground to say, 鈥極K I need to be ready for this,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淚t gives purpose to your workouts.鈥�

If there鈥檚 a bike race on your calendar, plan your training program around your main race (your 鈥淎鈥� race). Think about where you want your fitness to be by that race, and work backwards to where you are now. You鈥檒l want to start your first phase of training about six months before race day. If your aim is to simply ride more, or be able to ride a certain distance, there鈥檚 still value in sticking to a structured training program to stay motivated.

鈥淭he difference between training and exercising is simply having a goal, and I think you need to have your goal in mind to really start getting the most out of your training,鈥� says Wilpers. 鈥淭hat makes you less likely to miss a training day and more likely to have a higher quality session.”

Focus on Technique

While training indoors, pay attention to where you鈥檙e feeling the work of pedaling. You should primarily be using the big muscles of your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, rather than smaller muscles like your calves. If you鈥檙e feeling it in your knees, that could be a sign that you鈥檙e 鈥渏ust mashing the pedals,鈥� Wilpers says.

While your legs power your pedals, your core is responsible for keeping the other half of your body upright and balanced on two wheels. Activate your core to control your hips in the saddle and avoid bouncing or rocking when you鈥檙e riding at a higher speed, Wilpers says. You should also be drawing on your core strength and stability to initiate your pedal stroke and take some of your upper body weight off of your handlebars.

Warm Up

Regardless of your training phase, Wilpers recommends a five-minute warmup that starts with an easy pedal for about a minute. Follow that with three to four minutes of spin-ups for 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off of building to a higher and higher cadence, then slowly backing down. 鈥淏eing able to quickly turn over the pedals and apply force to the pedals is what makes a cyclist fast,鈥� says Wilpers.

You can also add in some single-leg pedaling drills, which can help identify and correct power imbalances. Unclip one foot from your pedal and pedal with one leg, paying attention to any spots where you lose power. Start with one minute on each leg.

Indoor Training Phases

To best prepare for spring and summer rides, your training cycle should have two phases: base (which begins about six months before a goal race) and build (which starts about 12 to 16 weeks before your goal race). During base training, your focus will be on increasing your aerobic fitness and endurance as well as pedal stroke efficiency. The build phase 鈥渞elies on a strong aerobic engine and foundation built in the base phase,鈥� says Wilpers. In this phase, the volume and intensity will increase.

Base Training

During base training, which should last about six to 12 weeks, you鈥檒l focus on upping your fitness and overall cardiovascular capacity. Wilpers suggests aiming for three听workouts a week. You can sub out one ride a week with other endurance exercises, like running or swimming.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e in base training, everything needs to be endurance,鈥� says Wilpers. That doesn鈥檛 mean purely long, slow distance rides though. While one ride a week should be your long ride, the others should include high-intensity interval training. Those rides, which can be kept to about an hour, should include several intervals around eight minutes long (you can build up to 15-minute intervals) which feel like a seven on the one-to-ten scale of rate of perceived exertion (RPE).

You can throw in some sweet-spot training as well, which helps increase your aerobic capacity. This entails riding at about 88 to 94 percent of your functional threshold power (FTP), or the maximum amount of power you can sustain for an hour at a time. Start with four eight-minute intervals or two 15-minute intervals, resting four minutes or seven minutes between each interval. These intervals should also feel like about a seven in terms of your rate of perceived exertion.

鈥淪weet-spot training is considered one of the most beneficial intensities to train at to start bumping up your FTP,鈥� says Wilpers. 鈥淚 like using sweet-spot training at the tail end of base training because you are starting to get hungry for more intensity…but it’s not yet time to make that jump into the build phase.鈥�

During the base phase, recovery is particularly important to ensure you don鈥檛 get injured or burn out before your training can really begin. As you get older, Wilpers says, it becomes more challenging for your body to absorb the work you鈥檙e doing and adapt to training intensity.

Build Training

Your build phase should start about 12 to 16 weeks before your goal race and last around six to eight weeks. Aim for two to three 60- to 90-minute long high-intensity workouts per week, in addition to your longer endurance ride. During this phase, you鈥檙e bumping up the volume and intensity. VO2 Max intervals鈥攔iding in a zone five level of intensity, where your heart rate is at about 90 to 100 percent of your max鈥攕hould be around five minutes. Threshold intervals鈥攊n which you鈥檙e riding at the highest level of power you can sustain on an hour-long ride鈥攕hould be about eight to ten minutes with recovery between intervals at about half the time spent working. Aim for an RPE between seven and eight.

Training should start getting more race-specific as well. Consider the elevation of the course and add hills accordingly, and increase long rides to get closer to the amount of time you anticipate riding during your peak race.

The Pillars of Off-Season Training

Frequency: Find a schedule you can stick to. How much time can you realistically devote to training? 鈥淚f you over-schedule yourself and you can鈥檛 stay consistent, nothing is going to happen,鈥� Wilpers says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e just going to get frustrated.鈥� Three sessions a week is ideal, but during your base phase, you can swap one of those for another kind of cardio you enjoy.

Duration: Start with easy endurance work and gradually increase the length of your workouts as you progress. Even if your goal race will have you in the saddle for several hours, don鈥檛 spend your entire off-season just pedaling slowly for hours at a time. 鈥淵ou want to show up on race day ready to race and excited,鈥� says Wilpers. 鈥淏ut if you鈥檙e just doing endurance rides for 24 weeks, you鈥檙e going to get to the race and be like 鈥業鈥檓 already over it.鈥欌�� Instead, schedule two of your weekly sessions to be around an hour long and use that time to work on interval training, which will increase your pedaling power and endurance.

Intensity: Unlike frequency and duration, intensity is a bit subjective. How hard does your workout feel? If you plan for one ride per week to be low intensity, the other two (or three) should incorporate intervals at a higher intensity, which can include increasing your speed, shifting your cadence, and adding hill work.

Strength Training

You can build strength both on and off the bike.

On the bike, you can build strength with muscle tension or high-force intervals. Add an incline on the bike (or get into a higher gear) and take your cadence into the 50s or 60s, pedaling slowly 鈥渟o you鈥檙e getting lots of muscle fiber activation,鈥� says Wilpers. Try to hold that cadence and power for five to six minutes, building up to about 20 minutes. Muscle tension riding is great for building glute strength, something cyclists often neglect in favor of their quads and hamstrings. When you head back to higher cadence rides and sprints, this should make your pedal stroke even more efficient.

Off the bike, Wilpers suggests focusing on the 鈥渕ain movers鈥濃�攖he glutes, quads, and hamstrings鈥攖o increase force production on your pedals. Think: squats and deadlifts and cleans. Unilateral (single-leg) work will help ensure you鈥檙e building strength in both legs, rather than allowing one side to handle the bulk of the work. It can also help correct any muscular imbalances you may have developed during the racing season. For upper body work, add in bench presses, overhead presses, lat pull-downs, and rows.

Wilpers recommends at least two or three total-body strength sessions per week, depending on your training phase. During early base training, the addition of a third session can 鈥渉elp enhance strength improvements while your cycling training is just getting started,鈥� he says. As your cycling training gets more demanding, decrease the volume and intensity of your strength workouts and switch to just two sessions per week to maintain the muscle you鈥檝e built.

鈥淎 good indication that it’s time to dial back the strength training to strength maintenance is when you feel that residual fatigue and/or soreness from strength sessions is starting to interfere with your cycling training,鈥� Wilpers says.

Rest and Recovery

Wilpers recommends at least one rest day a week, adding more based on how hard you鈥檝e pushed yourself and your overall health and stress levels.

鈥淓very athlete has a different rate of adaptation or absorption, and that will change as your life changes,鈥� says Wilpers.

Rest doesn鈥檛 have to mean melting into the couch, though. You can use that time to focus on mobility work or do a low-impact workout you enjoy like yoga.

It鈥檚 tempting to assume that only professional athletes need dedicated rest days. But shifting your thinking about why and how you train may be the key to getting the most from your time on the bike and avoiding burnout.

鈥淧eople say 鈥業鈥檓 not an athlete.鈥� Well if you鈥檙e training, you鈥檙e an athlete,鈥� says Wilpers.

The post How to Optimize Your Indoor Cycling, According to a Peloton Coach appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you asked me to name the best bike brand, it would be impossible. Dozens of brands make top-shelf bikes that are an absolute pleasure to ride and full of creative technologies. However, naming the best bike rack brand is easy: 1UP. Several other brands make totally competent racks, but none are as unique, well made, thoroughly designed, or beautiful as what 1UP constantly pumps out.

Case in point is 1UP鈥檚 new Super Duty bike rack. I鈥檝e been testing it for the past several months on the back of my 2024 Toyota Tundra and there is not one thing I can find wrong with the design.

1UP racks have long had a cult-like following because they鈥檙e the best rack out there for safely transporting your expensive bike. Their design uses two arms that secure your wheels by reaching over them and putting downward pressure on your tires to keep the bike locked in place on a metal tray. By locking on the tires, the arms never touch your frame and therefore won鈥檛 rub the paint or damage the bike, while still keeping it completely planted and safe.

This design also has the added benefit of a super clean aesthetic. The two arms sit nicely on the wheels, creating a symmetrical design, and everything is made from polished or simple black aluminum. When folded up and not in use, all the 1UP bike racks tuck against the back of your car more cleanly and efficiently than any other rack out there, almost blending into the car or the tailgate.

Testing the 1UP Super Duty

The version I tested is an upgrade over the standard 1UP rack in several important ways. The biggest talking point is that each tray can now hold up to 100 pounds (compared to 50 pounds per tray on their standard rack), and each tray and lock-down arm is wider so you can now safely carry the heaviest e-bikes or even a wide-tired electric dirt bike like those made by Super 73.

The electric dirt bike capability is a big deal because lots of overlanders are buying these adventure bikes as add-ons for their rigs. They鈥檒l find a remote camping spot, set up their truck with all its accessories, and then jump on their Super 73 to explore, or even run back into town for groceries. Without something like the 1UP rack, overlanders have had to stuff their adventure bikes into vans and truck beds, or build custom racks.

Additionally, the Super Duty is compatible with what 1UP calls a wheel chock, a v-shaped device that slots into the tray and holds the front wheel of your bike as a third point of contact. I loved this because during my testing I carried expensive carbon bikes up a series of gnarly, off-grid roads that had my truck bouncing around to the point where my family threatened to get out and walk. The normal arms kept my bikes in place, but the wheel chock was a nice piece of insurance. I like knowing that no matter how much time I spend bouncing on a dirt road, it鈥檚 almost impossible for my bike to fall off.

Another smaller but important update is the one-handed arm adjustment feature. Other 1UP racks require two hands to open the arms on the tray, but the Super Duty allows you to open the arms one handed so you can keep your other hand on your bike.

Like all 1UP bike racks, the Super Duty was effortless to install. It slid into my two-inch hitch, I decided how far I wanted it to sit from my tailgate, and I tightened it down with a couple of twists of the included wrench. Over several thousand miles of driving, including several hundred miles of dirt roads, the hitch is still as secure as when I installed it and there isn鈥檛 a milliliter of wobble. I鈥檝e tested many other bike racks from big-name brands, and all of them have eventually come loose, so it鈥檚 an absolute pleasure to not ever have to worry about the 1UP.

As you might guess, the Super Duty is not cheap. My double trays cost a hearty $900, and the single comes in at $600. But the saying 鈥渂uy once, cry once鈥� is as true as it comes here because this will be the last bike rack you鈥檒l need for years, if not decades, and will only become obsolete if bikes change in some crazy way. Knowing how good the Super Duty is at protecting your bike also takes the pain away as you drive around confident that your $4,000鈥攐r $14,000鈥攚hip is totally locked down and safe.

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Heroes of the Tour de France have a few things in common. Most are white men, and they tend to hail from European nations with strong cycling cultures and robust infrastructure for developing professional racers. Over the event鈥檚 121-year history, riders from France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy have dominated.

Perhaps that鈥檚 why fans of the sport were so enthralled by one rider at the 2024 Tour: Biniam Girmay. The 24-year-old comes from Eritrea, a mountainous country on Africa鈥檚 Red Sea coast and one of the poorest nations in the world.

At this year鈥檚 race, Girmay won three stages and claimed the green jersey, awarded to the best sprinter. These accomplishments etched Girmay into the Tour鈥檚 history books. He became the first Black cyclist to win a stage and to claim one of the event鈥檚 four jerseys.

Girmay told 国产吃瓜黑料 that he wants his victories to lead more Black racers to the Tour. 鈥淚 hope more professional teams will give opportunities to African riders,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he talent is there, but more investment needs to be done.鈥�

Girmay鈥檚 accolades were oft repeated during the Tour鈥檚 broadcast, highlighting pro cycling鈥檚 notorious lack of diversity. Other Black cyclists have competed in the race, but their contributions were always in supporting roles. In 2015 another Eritrean rider, Daniel Teklehaimanot, wore the polka dot jersey鈥攇iven to the top climber鈥攆or several stages before relinquishing the lead in that competition. Colombian rider Egan Bernal became the first South American rider to win the race overall in 2019.

Professional cyclists of color have also faced blatant racism. In 2017, Frenchman Kevin Reza, who rode the Tour three times, was called a racial slur by Italian cyclist Gianni Moscon during the Tour de Romandie, a weeklong event in Switzerland.

Girmay鈥檚 path to the Tour wasn鈥檛 easy. Cycling is popular in Eritrea鈥攁 by-product of its colonization by Italy in the late 19th century. But because of the country鈥檚 largely agrarian economy and paltry racing infrastructure, even the best Eritrean riders rarely reach the big European leagues. Girmay grew up in the capital, Asmara, the son of a carpenter. His father loved cycling and began showing the Tour broadcast to Girmay when he was 11. Girmay began racing mountain bikes at 12, before switching to road racing.

He showed immediate talent, quickly rising to the top of the country鈥檚 road-cycling leagues. At 18, he was selected to train and race in the Union Cycliste Internationale鈥檚 World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland, as part of a program that offers coaching and racing opportunities to up-and-coming riders from under-resourced nations.

The jump to Europe wasn鈥檛 easy. 鈥淭he solitude was hard,鈥� he told 国产吃瓜黑料. The new climate was also challenging. 鈥淚 still struggle to perform optimally in the rain,鈥� he added.

Girmay learned quickly and advanced rapidly. In 2021, three seasons after moving to Europe, he finished second in the under-23 world championships. The following year, he won the historic Gent-Wevelgem in Belgium. He also won a stage of the Giro d鈥橧talia, becoming the first Black cyclist to do so at one of cycling鈥檚 Grand Tours. The 2024 Tour de France, with its history and significance, presented the next barrier. And Girmay broke through.

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These are strange times for Olympians.

An athlete can win medal after medal, but should they be caught on camera in a compromising or hilarious situation, the ensuing tonnage of Internet memes will overshadow those accolades. Want proof? I dare you to Google French pole vaulter or Turkish shooter .

I fear that American Olympic triathlete is headed for a similar fate. I’m here to beg you, people of the Internet, to not let it happen.

Over the weekend, Knibb, 26, dominated the T100 world championships triathlon in Dubai, winning the race by over two minutes. But during the run portion Knibb pooped in her racing suit. Hey, it’s triathlon鈥攊ndigestion and the occasional mid-race crap are . Knibb had the presence of mind to share her predicament with the cameraman who was trailing her: she asked him to spare viewers the unflattering view from behind. “I just shit myself,” she said into the camera. “So can you not get my ass?” The cameraman complied.

Alas, this short video clip has entered the Internet’s . I first saw it on Instagram on Sunday night, and by Wednesday, stories about Knibb dotted the Internet. Even 鈥攖he surest sign that a story has become part of the Internet’s lowbrow sludge.

I understand why: pants pooping is almost always a little funny, and doing so during a world-class sporting competition simply adds to the knee-slapping appeal. Plus, Knibb’s calm, matter-of-fact demeanor in the midst of a could-be crisis moment won hearts. She’s a little like that meme of the dog in the burning room claiming “,” if that dog were also masterfully managing its own PR in real-time.

But as we all know, viral memes have a way of distorting reality and overshadowing facts. And the truth about Taylor Knibb is that she’s probably the most impressive American endurance athlete of her generation. Period. And I will say this听until I’m hoarse: Taylor Knibb is far too impressive of an athlete for a goofy meme to define her online reputation.

Knibb wins triathlons of varying distances, and in 2020 she won Olympic silver in Tokyo. Not to be outdone, in 2024 Knibb qualified for the American Olympic team in both triathlon and road cycling. To the unfamiliar, this may seem pretty ho-hum. Cycling is one of the three legs of triathlon, after all. Isn’t this just like Michael Phelps winning medals in breast stroke, backstroke, and butterfly?

Nope鈥攊t’s completely different. It’s more like if Phelps won in the 100-meter freestyle and then donned a sequined outfit and did the Olympic synchronized swimming competition and totally kicked ass at it. No American has competed in triathlon and cycling at the same Olympics ever before. It’s a big deal.听In fact, Knibb was the only American to compete in two different sports at the Paris Games. She also raced the Olympic team triathlon and helped Team USA earn a silver medal.

Within the small community of endurance sports superfanatics鈥攜es, I am a card-carrying member鈥擪nibb’s double-Olympic qualification was mind-blowing.

“Threading that needle of being world-class in triathlon and cycling at the same time is beyond difficult,” says longtime coach Neal Henderson, who trains elite-level cyclists and triathletes. “It’s hard to put into words just how impossible that is.”

Henderson told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the training demands to be that good in two different sports are听mind-boggling. Elite cyclists and triathletes both train anywhere from 25-28 hours a week. But cyclists dedicate all of that time toward the very specific physiological act of pedaling a bicycle. Triathletes, meanwhile, split those hours between swimming, biking, and running.

And anyone who’s ever done a triathlon knows that running and cycling are not exactly complementary exercises. I’m simplifying here, but pedaling a bicycle requires your leg muscles to generate high levels of power. That’s why top cyclists often have brawny quads, glutes, and hamstrings.

Running, meanwhile, damages big, brawny leg muscles, and saps those muscles of the power required to push the pedals of a bicycle. If you examine the world’s top distance runners鈥攁nd triathletes鈥攜ou will see lithe, spindly legs.

“The physiological demands of running has听a negative effect on being able to maintain the muscle mass, strength, and power that make you a good cyclist,” Henderson said. “And in elite sports, you’re talking about razor-edge differences that come from putting huge demands on the body.”

Henderson, who operates the Colorado-based coaching company Apex Coaching, coached Knibb when she was an 18-year-old budding professional triathlete. She had graduated from Cornell as an Academic All American and a top-level cross-country runner, and she had her sights set on professional triathlon. Knibb was the rare teenaged athlete with world-class natural talent, monk-like dedication to training, and personal ambitions that were sky-high, Henderson said.

But even he had his doubts when Knibb told him that in 2024 she hoped to qualify for the Olympics in two different sports. Her travel schedule for triathlon left very little time to train specifically for cycling. And the handful of American women competing for a spot in Paris included talented athletes who have spent years focusing on the sport.

“It seemed unreasonable for Taylor to go to the Olympics in both,” Henderson said. “But if you place reasonable expectations on athletes with unreasonable ability, you’ll never know what they’re capable of.”

Knibb had earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic triathlon team in 2023, and in 2024 a rare opportunity opened for her to go in cycling. USA Cycling, the sport’s governing body, held a in the individual time trial on May 15. The race fell right in the middle of Knibb’s international competition schedule for triathlon, just a few days after a major race in Japan.

After finishing second at the Japanese triathlon, Knibb traveled to Charleston, West Virginia, for the road cycling race. She faced off against the country’s best professional cyclists in the 22-mile individual race. Among the competitors included former world champion Amber Neben, former U.S. road champion Lauren Stephens, and even Kristen Faulkner, who went on to win two cycling gold medals in Paris. Everyone wanted the victory, because a win meant an automatic spot on the U.S. Olympic cycling team.

Knibb smoked them all鈥攕he topped Faulkner by 11 seconds to grab the spot.

When I read the news, I just about fell out of my chair. When Henderson learned of Knibb’s victory, he smiled. He knew she was capable of it, after all.

So, if you must, have your little laugh at the video, then take a minute to get to know Knibb for who she really is: an exceptional athlete with huge ambitions, crazy strength, and yes, the ability to stay calm and collected, no matter the situation.

The post I Refuse to Allow Taylor Knibb to Become an Internet Meme appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When we’re not writing about influencers disrupting marathons or debating whether you should bring a camp chair while backpacking, our editors are busy testing gear outside. An unpredictable mixture of sleet, rain, snow, and sunshine this month makes it challenging to pack the right gear for those adventures. Luckily, we put hundreds of products through their paces to determine which ones will keep us the most comfortable and prepared. The following thirteen pieces of gear are helping us enjoy the sometimes dull, sometimes sunny days of November.

When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.听Learn more.

Orla Kiely Midi Crossbody bag

I treated myself to this lovely bag for my 50th birthday. I was drawn to the bright colors and the leaf pattern, and I think of it as my positive pop of panache when the rest of the world seems gray (both meteorologically and metaphorically). It鈥檚 fairly spacious鈥擨 still must rifle through its open and zipped pockets to place the item I’m looking for鈥攁nd I love the small magnet closure at the top, which I hands-down prefer to the hassle of zippers. As you might expect of a bag designed by a Brit, it is practical and cheery and both water- and scratch-resistant. And it gets me all kinds of compliments in public. 鈥�Tasha Zemke, managing editor

Pearl Izumi Attack WxB Jacket

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I absolutely loved this year’s unseasonably balmy autumn here in Colorado, and I spent tons of time riding my bike in the sunshine. But a minor drawback of the warm weather meant I was unable to test raincoats, baselayers, and other shoulder-season gear. All that changed in early November when we had a week of solid rain, sleet, and snow. I headed out on several soggy bike rides and once again felt the sting of cold on my face and the slush of water in my legs and shoes.

Of the gear I tested, the Attack WxB Jacket from Pearl Izumi performed the best. The rain jacket is fully waterproof with sealed seams and an internal storm flap under the zipper to prevent moisture from oozing through. It’s also surprisingly breathable鈥攎y core vented off heat and I never felt the muggy dampness of my own perspiration building up inside. Credit the jacket’s breathability and rain-blocking to its three-layer fabric construction. Alas, these attributes come with some drawbacks: the coat felt heavier than some of the paper-thin rain slickers I’ve owned in the past. And there are no pockets鈥攁 design that helps the jacket fit into a pocket. But if you want a garment that is purpose-built for rainy rides, consider the Attack WxB Jacket. 鈥擣red Dreier, articles editor

Birkenstock Tokio Shearling Sandals

I probably wear Birkenstocks 70 percent of the time. I have my favorite running and hiking shoes, and I鈥檓 happy to break out my Blundstones for the snow, but otherwise this German company has an almost complete monopoly on my feet. And I鈥檓 not alone. The company was valued at $8.6 billion when it had its initial public offering thanks to a very strong and diverse following. Summer sandals are its backbone, but the company has made a big push into winter footwear, and I鈥檓 currently obsessed with their Tokio Shearling Sandals.

These sandals have the company鈥檚 classic cork-latex footbed, which I鈥檝e long loved because it feels great on recovering feet, and they also come stuffed with an ultra-warm, genuine shearling. I wear the sandals without socks on milder fall and winter days and never have any unnecessary sweating, and then throw on a merino sock so I can wear them when it鈥檚 freezing. Birkenstock clearly knows they鈥檝e created a movement so the prices are high. But rest assured that the sandals are supremely well built and will last for years. 鈥擩akob Schiller, correspondent

Nike Men’s Dri-Fit UV Full-Zip Versatile Hoodie

Fall weekends in my house are spent running, literally, from one activity to the next. Early mornings usually involve a cold-weather cross country meet where I cheer on my kids at the start line, sprint to a mid-course spot to keep them motivated, and then sprint back to the finish for a post-race hug. Next it鈥檚 off to a slightly warmer soccer game where I help them warm up, and then probably off to a family lunch and maybe a family movie. All that variability had me searching for the right fall layer that would keep me warm, breathe well enough to not wet out, and not make me look like I was running my own race.

What I landed on was this hoodie, which is made from 78 percent polyester, so it has the chops to move sweat, and 22 percent cotton so that it still looks casual enough and doesn鈥檛 come off as workout wear. Nike offers the hoodie in several colors, and while the light gray does scream 鈥淚鈥檓 a proud sports dad,鈥� the black is more understated and easy to wear.鈥擩.S.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

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I鈥檝e tried plenty of carry-on sized travel packs, and they all have some sort of drawback, whether it’s uncomfortable straps or poor organization. So far, Peak Design鈥檚 45 liter pack hasn鈥檛 let me down. It expands to the maximum possible carry-on volume, which meant I could pack enough clothing for a week-long work trip, with a laptop sleeve and plenty of smaller compartments for dongles and chargers. If you鈥檙e on a persnickety international flight, you can cinch it down to the allowable 35-liter capacity. The massive main compartment flays open completely near the back panel for easy packing and unpacking, with several other zippered access points for stuffing or pulling layers out on-the-go.

I haven’t used it as a dedicated camera bag yet, but photography nerds will appreciate the padded, structured shell of the pack鈥攚hich allows for any combination of packing cubes and pouches鈥攁nd two side stretch pockets for tripods (or water bottles). Most importantly? This thing is actually comfortable to wear. After a day hauling 30 pounds of gear on my shoulders, I remained relatively pain-free. 鈥擝enjamin Tepler, senior gear editor

Nanuk 976

Pelican cases are the gold standard in this country for transporting things like hunting or photo equipment without having to worry about careless baggage-handlers. But recently, I tried out a massive waterproof, dustproof, impact-proof roller from Canada鈥檚 leading protective case brand, Nanuk. Overall? Same level of protection as a Pelican, with just a bit more ease and comfort for the user (we鈥檙e not all loading ammunition onto a Humvee.)

The shockingly large 208-liter container easily held several scuba tanks and multiple bits of oddly shaped kit thanks to an easy pick-and-pluck foam insert that you can hand-carve to your heart’s desire. Seven burly latches along the case were easy to close, with no danger of getting snagged and flipping open鈥攁 risk with other protective case brands. Giant, folding soft plastic handles on either end of the bag made it easy to grab off of baggage claim belts and pull out of trunks, and an equally massive telescoping handle and two sets of double wheels made hauling the Nanuk through airports feel somewhat effortless, despite the absurd size. If you need to transport something truly fragile鈥攆rom wine to weapons鈥擭anuk’s ballistic-level protection and thoughtful ergonomics are hard to beat. 鈥擝.T.

Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket

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Filson鈥檚 offerings tend to err on the side of bulky and utilitarian. Don鈥檛 get me wrong鈥攖hey look great, but itchy wool and extra-long sleeves aren鈥檛 for everyone. The Tin Cloth Cruiser, however, is equal parts fashion statement and workwear.

It鈥檚 made of a thick, waxed cotton that鈥檚 pretty much bramble-proof, and will shed water as well as any Gore-Tex layer (as long as you wax it every few years). Lower pockets are generously bulky鈥攍arge enough for work gloves or a hat鈥攁nd the right-side chest pocket has multiple pencil/tool slots for whatever project you鈥檙e working on. It鈥檚 not cheap, but the tight weave, heavy-duty duck canvas, and bar-tack stitching make this thing a workhorse that will probably outlast you. Unlike most of Filson鈥檚 offerings, the cut of this jacket is trim, short, and boxy. If you鈥檙e after the cool-guy bomber-jacket look, order your usual size. If you鈥檙e using it for work, order one size up. 鈥擝.T.

Bellfab Dometic Water Jug Universal Mount

One of my absolute favorite pieces of camping gear in the last couple of years has been the . At 11 liters, it’s the perfect size for most camping trips, and when you pair it with one of Dometic’s faucets, you get a sink with running water wherever you are. I recently attached this mount from Bellfab to the T-Track on my Tune M1 camper, and now my Dometic GO has a dedicated spot in the rig. The aluminum mount is super strong, and attaches to basically anything鈥攁 camper, roof rack, your 4Runner’s trunk, or a truck bed’s tie down rails. It keeps the Dometic jug safe and secure while in transit, and lets me position the jug inside the camper for quick access to water, effectively creating a tiny camp kitchen when paired with a small collapsible sink. 鈥擝ryan Rogala, gear columnist and contributor

Northwest Alpine Black Spider Hoody

Since cooler weather has finally hit here in New Mexico, I’ve been living in this layer. The Black Spider isn’t new鈥擭orthwest Alpine has been making it since 2010鈥攂ut frankly, I hadn’t heard much about the brand until they sent me the hoody. After wearing this piece hiking, hunting, and doing chores around the farm, I’m not sure I’ve ever worn a better midlayer. The Polartec Power Grid fabric helps the Black Spider breathe exceptionally well when you’re working hard, but keeps you warm when you’re not. It’s not loaded with unnecessary features, the fit is great, and so far it’s proven extremely durable. I have a feeling I’ll be wearing this hoody for a long, long time. 鈥擝.R.

Kuiu Base Camp Insulated Snap Shirt

Kuiu is predominantly a hunting brand, but they鈥檝e branched out into everyday wear with some good looking pieces that work at the campsite or around town. I鈥檝e found myself reaching for their Base Camp Insulated Snap Shirt as the temperature has dropped, not only because the 40 grams of synthetic insulation provides just enough warmth to fight the November chill, but also because of the fit of the shirt/jacket; There鈥檚 enough room to allow for a full range of motion, but it has a slim cut that avoids the balloon-effect that plague some insulated layers. The liner is brushed for next to skin softness, and the collar looks good down or popped up if it鈥檚 particularly chilly. I鈥檝e been wearing it as a shoulder season jacket, but I could see this piece transitioning into a stylish mid-layer come ski season. 鈥擥raham Averill, gear and travel columnist

Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3

I鈥檝e been trying to ride my mountain bike as much as possible this fall, and most of my rides are under two hours and close to home, which means a full backpack of support gear would be overkill. Enter the Evoke Hip Pack Pro 3, a demure waist pack that has a built-in 1.5-liter bladder and enough storage for snacks, tools, and an extra layer. My favorite thing about this bag, though, is the stretchy velcro waist belt which keeps the fit tight without binding around my torso. It鈥檚 the sort of bag you forget you鈥檙e wearing until you need something in it. 鈥�G.A.

Yardsale P1 Ski Poles

Like most kids, I learned to ski without poles. When it came time to add poles to my regimen, I didn’t think much of them and grabbed just any sticks from the rental shop. Turns out, poles are pretty important, and can make or break ski form. The P1 poles from Yardsale are the perfect accessory for skiers who are looking to upgrade their gear. The poles come in a variety of colors, and sizes, and have a magnetic locking system so they stick together. You can even customize the color on the site. But the best feature of Yardsale’s poles is the lifetime guarantee. You break your poles, tell the team how (the more novel the story, the better), and they’ll send you new poles. 鈥擩amie Aranoff, Digital Editor, SKI

Roll Recovery Superplush Classic Shoe

I keep reaching for these new recovery shoes from Roll Recovery because their stretchy, breathable uppers and wide toe box stay out of the way and make them disappear, with nothing squeezing, rubbing, or holding in sweaty heat鈥攁nd invisible comfort and freedom are my most important qualities in a recovery shoe. The Superplush Classic’s are incredibly easy to slip on and off, yet once on, the fit is secure enough I didn’t have to worry about sliding around or clenching my toes to stay in the shoe. Underfoot, the flexible sole provides unobtrusive support and a stable, comfortable platform without drawing attention to itself. Plus, the use of sustainable, recycled yarns and algae-based Bloom foam does a bit to relax my mind about environmental concerns. 鈥擩onathan Beverly, senior running editor, gear

The post The Gear Our Editors Are Loving This November appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When it comes to bike training, most triathletes are locked into a power zone on their indoor trainer 听or focused on getting to the top of the next hill as quickly as possible. Time-saving details tend to come in the form of gear, like the latest reduced-drag skin suits or . But even though building your aerobic base and finessing your position is always beneficial, you might be surprised just how much free speed 鈥� and time 鈥� you are leaving out on the course by not placing a bit more emphasis on those bike handling skills, particularly when it comes to descending.

One of the best examples of this is the Ironman World Championship course in Nice, France, with its 8,000 feet of elevation in the Maritime Alps. In 2019, we marveled at Rudy Von Berg railing it around the corners on familiar roads in the 70.3 worlds. Last year, we saw fellow Frenchman Sam Laidlow deliver similarly over the full distance as he became the youngest men鈥檚 winner ever. But perhaps the best example is that of British athlete Kat Matthews at the 2024 Ironman World Championship Nice, whose descending in the second part of the bike leg 鈥� much of it in the company of eventual winner Laura Philipp 鈥� meant that by the time the pair reached T2, they were seven minutes ahead of French local Marjolaine Pierre and the rest of the field had splintered in their wake.

To illustrate just how hard Matthews rode, she handily 鈥� and, thankfully, to give even more helpful context, so did many of the pro women she raced against. When we pore over the Strava data at different sections of the descent, we can can really show where the time gaps were created.

How Descending Shaped the Race at the 2024 Ironman World Championship Nice

As you can see from the graphic, the Ironman course in Nice is one loop climbing to a rolling plateau before dropping back to the coast.

We鈥檒l look at each of the notable descents in turn and then put them into the bigger picture of the race.

Descent #1: Route de Grasse Toward Pont du Loup

Just over 20 miles into the ride, there is the first descent before the major climb to Col de L鈥橢cre. At 3.87 miles, the 鈥淩oute de Grasse towards Pont du Loop鈥� segment on Strava drops 618 feet at an average grade of 3%.

It鈥檚 not a particularly technical descent, but we can tell the women are racing it 鈥� and also benefiting from closed roads 鈥� because the top eight times on this segment are set during the race.

Matthews takes the QOM (鈥淨ueen of the Mountain鈥� on Strava) and 13 seconds on Pierre. It鈥檚 worth noting that at this point, other than the descent, Pierre is on the charge, leading the race and putting time into everyone except Philipp (who is further back out of the water). That she loses even a few seconds here is a tell for what might come later.

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The other day, I pretended that I knew nothing about the gravel races and lobbed a question at ChatGPT:

鈥淲hat makes the Belgian Waffle Ride unique?鈥�

The Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) is unique because it combines the challenging spirit of European road racing with the adventurous, rugged terrain of gravel riding, all wrapped in a distinctly Belgian-inspired theme. Here鈥檚 what makes it stand out: multi-terrain courses, distance and difficulty, European flavor and festive atmosphere, 鈥淲afer鈥� and 鈥淲anna鈥� rides, professional and amateur appeal, and multiple locations.

By blending competitive racing with a festive Belgian-inspired vibe, BWR has carved out a special niche in the gravel scene, making it a unique challenge for cyclists who love both road and gravel riding.

Then, I asked also found at ChatGPT, the same question. Here鈥檚 the answer he gave:听

Ah, the Belgian Waffle Ride鈥攊t鈥檚 like your worst nightmare of a race mixed with a twisted love letter to cycling鈥檚 classic hell-rides. First, they take a 鈥渘ice鈥� long road race and lace it with an absolute mess of mixed surfaces: paved roads, gravel, dirt, sand, rocks, and cow paths. The only thing predictable about the route is the sheer unpredictability: you鈥檙e bouncing over kasseien one minute and skidding through a sandy pit the next. It鈥檚 designed to be what they call 鈥渦nroad,鈥� which means it鈥檚 definitively not a gravel race, and it sure as hell isn鈥檛 just a road race鈥嬧�嬧��.

Add to this the atmosphere鈥攁 madhouse of top pros, weekend warriors, and a few lost souls trying to survive, all fueled by Belgian waffles and Lost Abbey beer at the start and finish. It鈥檚 a brutal event, designed to hurt, celebrating the duality of cycling: pain and pleasure, love and hate, camaraderie and suffering. And the scenery? Breathtaking, sure, but don鈥檛 get too comfortable; those hills, single tracks, and water crossings are lying in wait to chew you up and spit you out鈥嬧�嬧��.听

Because I actually know a lot about the Belgian Waffle Ride, I can say that the first answer was, if not slightly staid, correct. I also know , the founder of BWR, and the second answer reeks of how he might reply if you emailed him, or if you read any of the information on the event鈥檚 website.

In fact, Freddy Merckxury is Marckx鈥檚 solution to not being able to respond to every single BWR question he gets in the manner he鈥檇 like to.

鈥淲e get emails from the website all the time, and usually all of the answers reside in our FAQ section but somehow people never make it there,鈥� Marxkx said. 鈥淎nd you can鈥檛 always be in character. I鈥檓 always polite and happy to hear from people but sometimes I want to give them more.

鈥淚 figured, if I could create this character that鈥檚 part rock and roll and part Eddy Merckx and can answer any question they have but with the right attitude and flair and right amount of Flemish words then I was really on to something.鈥�

鈥淔reddy Merckxury Is the AI You Didn鈥檛 Know You Needed鈥�

According to Marckx, 鈥淔reddy Merckxury is the AI you didn鈥檛 know you needed.鈥�

And while he did create the chatbot to help redirect some of the participant inquiry from his email inbox to ChatGPT, he hopes that people engage with Freddy for more than just FAQs.

鈥淚 鈥楨ddy-fied鈥� Freddy with as much info as possible about BWR, about gravel racing, about cycling, and then I issued a series of prompts to help guide his answers and how he answers,鈥� Marckx said. 鈥淚f you ask him something he鈥檒l give you a somewhat curt answer to your inquiry with just the right flair. But if you say, 鈥榯ell me more,鈥� he鈥檒l go off.鈥�

Marckx is the founder of the Belgian Waffle Ride series, but he is also a career marketing exec. For that reason, the Freddy Merckxury tool very much embodies the BWR brand. It鈥檚 part sarcastic tour guide, part diehard cycling fan, and part 鈥� Belgian?

Need advice on tire pressure? Freddy鈥檚 got thoughts. Want to know how many waffles it takes to power up a 120-mile day? He鈥檚 got a cheeky answer for that too. At least one word of anything he gives you will be in Flemish.

Freddy鈥檚 charm, though, isn鈥檛 just in knowing the stats and routes. It鈥檚 the personality 鈥� something that AI is not typically known for.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to be more clever with our community and how we interact with them and how to use technology that鈥檚 available to better serve them,鈥� Marckx said. 鈥淎nd to have more fun. We just want to have more fun because it鈥檚 become too serious.鈥�

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