Winter training is generally going to be tough. You’re either going to be riding inside and bored, or you’ll be outside in the cold, harsh conditions. If you will be outside in the cold, along with your warm clothing, you’ll need a beater bike.

A winter “beater” bike is generally heavier, slower, cheaper, and tougher than your road racing bike. That’s good. Here’s why:

1. Slower speeds are safer.

You don’t want to hit a patch of ice at high speeds and go flying.

2. Slower speeds are warmer.

As if the cold air and wind chill aren’t bad enough, you create your own windchill when you ride. But the slower you go, the less windchill you generate.

3. You won’t overshoot your headlight.

With such short days, you’ll be riding in the dark before and after work, so you’ll probably be using a headlight. A headlight will only reach so far, so you want to be riding slow enough that you still have a good stopping distance just in case a road hazard appears out of nowhere.

4. You don’t have to worry about weather damage.

If I was riding my race bike in sloppy conditions, I’d be paranoid about all the salt and gravel getting thrown at it. Then I’d spend hours cleaning it after each ride. With a cheap beater bike, you can put your mind at ease knowing your race bike is tucked in safely at home!

5. Meatier tires for fewer flats.

A mountain bike or at least a cyclocross bike is nice for winter weather. These bikes have wider, tougher tires, so you should experience fewer flats. And changing flats really, really sucks in the winter!

6. You still accomplish a tough workout.

On a heavier bike, you can still put out the same number of watts (power) as your workout calls for, but you’ll go much slower thanks to the extra weight and rolling resistance. And as I mentioned, slower speeds are warmer and safer! It’s a win-win.

Do you have a beater bike for your winter rides? Let me know in the comments!

Photo: tandemracer

Today’s question is about waterproof garments for riding and commuting in bad weather, especially at this time of year when darkness falls early…

Hi Coach Levi. I’m a father of two and an English teacher living in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. I commute in the evenings by bicycle. I’m curious if you could recommend a reputable American company that produces very visible, waterproof and durable rainwear? I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Wet Willie

Hi Willie,

Thanks for the email. You’re actually not the first English teacher from Japan that has written in! Perhaps my website is popular there?

Anyway… I can’t give you all the answers to this question, because:

1. I’m usually out training or racing rather than commuting, so I don’t mind getting soaked.
2. I simply don’t keep up to date on every cycling clothing option that comes out every year.

But I’ll start by saying that as far as I know, no one beats Gore Tex when it comes to combining superb waterproof qualities and breathability. And that’s a big reason why a cycling jacket made with Gore Tex is typically going to cost $200-400.

Jackets with eVent fabric are supposed to be nice, too, with some people liking them more than Gore Tex. I have never worn eVent or seen it in action, but one of the products with it is this REI Shuksan jacket. It’s a hiking jacket but it might give you some ideas.

The one company that I never forget when it comes to rain wear is Showers Pass. They make quite a few jackets, and the one I always read about is their $120 Double Century jacket.

Speaking of Showers Pass, eVent, and REI, here is the Showers Pass Elite jacket. It uses eVent technology and is sold at REI.

Showers Pass is based in Portland, Oregon and I see they have one dealer listed in Japan. Considering the wet conditions in the Pacific Northwest, they should know what they’re doing!

Aside from those pointers, I’m not sure of any jackets that are extremely popular and well-regarded. Assos is probably a good example, but they’re not an American company. For further reading I suggest turning to the masses at RoadBikeReview in their jackets and vest review section.

Lastly, the good news is that most every waterproof cycling jacket today is going to be available in a high visibility color and will include reflective stripes somewhere.

Hope that helps you find something good, and hopefully you’re doing alright over there!

Today’s question is about the downsides of sticking with a classic bike like a 1986 Lotus Excelle when getting into faster group rides that involve pacelines with riders on new bikes…

Hey Coach,

I’m in good shape at 60, & very recently rediscovered my 10 speed Lotus Excelle racing bike from 1986, my local bike shop put on new 27 x 1-1/4″ tires, and now I am currently riding solo for an hour a couple of times a week on a 3 mile oval to just get used to shifting gears, etc., and I ride weekly with local bike shop 13 mile flat/rolling rides (1 hr.)

Beginning next spring, I seek to participate in any of the plentiful rides sponsored by local bike clubs, all levels (but most of the guided rides are in the 15 mph range/ 30 miles, too much for me now). I’m told by the membership guy at one of the local bike clubs that with the new bike technology, the club rides over the past decade have just been getting longer and faster, and that I will have to consider an upgrade of bikes if I’m going to pursue riding…

But since I’ve only begun riding (I have lived in an urban area outside of NYC since I bought that Lotus and have to put the bike in the car for an 8 mile ride to get to points suitable for starting a ride… so I’ve rarely rode the bike) I’m not about to invest in equipment or clothes until I’m convinced I will continue to ride.

But I can see, while on my solo practice rides at a local popular 3 mile oval as well as the bike shop rides I have participated in, that while I’m on rolling descending hills, I can’t keep up cadence, there are only 6 gears in rear, and that I get passed by bikers who keep their cadence and really fly away from me, I could see how I could be a “problem” in a paceline at 14/15 mph rides…

in your opinion, what are the downsides, in terms of paceline rides, to my keeping the Lotus? (I’ll get to my 3 speed Rudge from 1960 another time)

Thanks,
Louis Lotus

Hey Louis,

I think it’s great you’re getting back into riding on a nice classic Lotus, not to mention getting in on the group rides where people are probably riding expensive, super light bikes.

I’m the last person to recommend a new bike in situations like this, so I would recommend keeping the Lotus. I’ll admit that a new bike would probably be lighter, feel better, and give you a more comfortable ride, but that doesn’t mean it will solve all your problems.

I also bet you have room to improve your cycling fitness, considering you “very recently” got back to riding. Especially if you’re in good shape otherwise, just give yourself some time to adapt to riding, and I bet you’ll speed up a little bit on your own. It can also take months or years to get comfortable at a variety of cadences, so cut yourself some slack – efficient riding takes a high amount of skill.

So here’s the downside as I see it… You have 6 gears, compared to the 9 or 10 cog choices you’d have on a new bike. As you noticed, you’ll have less options to find a comfortable cadence for any given situation. One gear might be a little high, but if you shift, the next lower gear might be a little low. This means you’ll have to get used to sometimes pedaling faster than you want and sometimes pushing harder than you want, in order to maintain a certain speed in a paceline. This should become less of a problem over time, though.

There are probably some other little problems if you want to nit-pick. The downtube shifters, for example – it will take you a little longer to shift than someone who has shift levers at their fingertips at all times.

Now, let’s talk about descending these rolling hills.

You’re spinning out your highest gear on descents when people pass you, so the issue is your top speed. That can be part low gearing, part not being used to spinning the pedals at 120rpm, and part aerodynamics and drafting. So having a bigger gear to go to doesn’t always solve the problem. Your big chainring is probably 52t and your smallest cog is probably 13 or 14t. A newer bike would give you an extra gear or two to help get you going faster, but if people are getting away from you on descents, a lot of that is actually skill and tactics, rather than gearing.

Having a higher gear or two will help, but you’re just delaying the inevitable. (I’ve had that same problem.) They might be group rides, but quite a few racing tactics still apply.

A big one is using the draft on the downhills. You probably know that the higher the speed, the more the draft helps. So going downhill, it is very easy to pass someone by staying in their draft and then swinging out at the last second. So for you, getting a good draft and spending most of your time in the paceline rather than at the front, should be all you need to do.

I’m not sure if you’ve been in a true paceline on this hill or just happened to be out there with others, but descending in a group usually involves lots of passing and/or braking. So you might find that actually being on the group ride makes it easier for you to keep up. And really, the people in these rides shouldn’t be trying to drop you, especially not on a downhill.

Overall, I definitely think you can go further with your current bike before investing in a new one. If you fall in love with riding, by all means, get a better bike, but more riding and practicing your drafting can go a long way!

Today’s question is about finding the easiest road pedal to unclip from…

Hi Levi. i was wondering what pedal is it easiest to disengage from. i’m currently using look keo sprint pedals and even in the lowest setting i still have a hard time specially with emergency stops. thanks!

-Disenragement

Hi Dis,

I use the Look Keo Sprint myself and love them. Most road pedals out there (Look Keo, Shimano SPD-SL, Time, etc.) are going to give you a similar release.

My #1 piece of advice here for anyone having trouble with clipping in or out: Practice!

Of course, make sure your shoes and cleats are set up properly. If you are using worn out or damaged cleats, you’re bound to have unnecessary problems!

But to answer your question…

I’ve heard that the Look Keo Classic pedals have an easier release, as they’re cheaper and aimed at beginners. I haven’t used them myself so I can’t say if it’s a worthwhile switch.

What might be worthwhile is trying the Speedplay pedals. Speedplay Zero pedals are rumored to be some of the easier pedals to engage and disengage from. You can even get a Speedplay “Light Action” pedal designed to be extra easy to use.

Speedplays can be a great choice, especially for a new rider who hasn’t adapted to a different style of system. Just be careful if you switch from Look pedals, because the way you move your foot to clip in is slightly different.

Finally, if you want to get a much easier entry/release, switch to a mountain bike cleat, such as Shimano SPD or Crank Bros Eggbeater cleats. You can get road-style pedals that use these cleats, so you get the ease of clipping in and out, but retain the larger platform of a road pedal.

Example pedals include the Shimano A530 and the Crank Brothers Quattro, although it seems the Quattro is discontinued these days. You might not have much choice there, but I’ve used the Shimano A530 on a friend’s bike before and they worked fine.

Want to continue researching pedals? Check out the pedals section at RoadBikeReview.com.

Today’s question is about a tendonitis issue from cycling and what could be causing it…

I am have a tendonitis issue with my right ankle. I have a Specialized Tarmac, Carbon shoes and ride with zero speed plays…any ideas??

Thanks,
Tender Timmy

Hi Timmy,

I don’t have any personal experience with this, but generally, ankle issues like Achilles tendonitis are caused by poor pedaling form (which could be a physiological or a bike fit issue.)

If you were having problems with both ankles, then I’d think it was most likely your pedaling style. (I answered a question earlier this year about shin splints from riding, and that was caused by poor pedaling form.) It could also be from a basic bike fit issue such as having your saddle too high or your cleats too far forward.

But, since it is only one ankle, it leads me to believe the issue stems from poor bike fit in a less noticeable way. That could be anything from a single misaligned cleat to an undiagnosed leg length discrepancy.

My plan of action would be two things:

1. Get checked out by a sports therapist, especially one familiar with runners and cyclists, to see if there is something they can do. They should be able to check you out for leg length discrepancies and any muscle imbalances that could be changing the mechanics of your right leg.

They may also be able to help out with some sort of massage, stretching, or special exercises to ease the pain you’ve experienced thus far.

2. Get a bike fit from a qualified professional that has the knowledge and equipment to do a good job. This will probably cost $250-350, but it is much, much better than the typical $50 bike fit at the average shop.

A good fitter will fully analyze your pedaling mechanics, so they will be able to diagnose any leg length discrepancies and account for them.

Hopefully you get this resolved!

[Continued below...]

I got this response:

Thank you for your response. I do have a leg length issue.. I will look for a sports therapist.

For anyone else out there with some sort of pain like this, I highly suggest getting a good bike fitting and/or seeing a knowledgeable sports therapist. I can assure you, it’s better to spend the money and get it fixed now, rather than deal with it and end up not being able to ride!