The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

Last summer I tried to ride from San Diego to Las Cruces, New Mexico. I wrecked on day one. It was random. A freak accident. The kind of thing you can’t plan for and can’t really explain. But it stopped the tour before it even began. For the first time in my life, I didn’t finish a cycling tour. And that sticks with you. Why I’m Not Riding RAGBRAI For a while, I thought I’d pivot. Maybe I’d ride RAGBRAI. Maybe Oklahoma Freewheel. Maybe something organized. Structured. Safer. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized something simple: I’m not a group rider. I don’t thrive in crowds, chaos, and “event energy.” I’m a plodder. I ride steady. I ride alone. I like long stretches of quiet road and the rhythm of my own cadence. That’s not rebellion — it’s temperament. Why the Mississippi River I live in th...

Last Updated: February 14, 2026 Before I bought the Garmin Varia, I searched the exact question you’re probably searching right now: Does the Garmin Varia work with Wahoo bike computers? I didn’t find much that felt clear or real-world. So here’s my straight answer after riding with it: Quick Answer: Yes — the Garmin Varia radar works with Wahoo bike computers (including the Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT). Once paired, your Wahoo shows a left-side radar strip(You can put it on the right side if you prefer) and car icons that move as vehicles approach from behind. It gives you earlier awareness than a mirror alone, especially on quiet roads where you can lose focus. Why I Wanted This Answer Before I Bought One For years I relied on my Take-A-Look mirror . I bought mine in 2014 and I’ve worn it on every ride since. And yes — it made me safer. But I noticed something uncomfortable: sometimes I’d lose focus. Not because I’m careless — be...

Last Updated: February 2026 Quick Take: Cycling gloves wear out faster than almost any other piece of gear I own. After decades of riding, I’ve learned that budget gloves often perform just as well as expensive ones — and they wear out at about the same rate. I’ve ridden more than 155,000 road miles. Over the years I’ve owned premium cycling gloves and budget pairs. And here’s what surprised me: They wore out in about the same amount of time. That realization changed how I buy gloves forever. Why Cycling Gloves Wear Out So Fast The palm of your glove absorbs: Constant road vibration Brake pressure and grip force Sweat and salt Friction against bar tape Impact in the event of a fall That contact area gets worked every single mile. Helmets last years. Shoes last seasons. Bib shorts rotate. Gloves? If you ride consistently, one year is normal. The Gloves I Actually Wear 🔥 My Current Pair (Budget, Proven) HTZPLOO Cycling Gloves These are t...

Losing Weight Is Really Quite Simple If You Ride a Bicycle Quick Take: The “simple” part isn’t magic — it’s math. Ride your bike most days, track what you eat, and weigh yourself daily. Keep a small, steady calorie deficit and let the miles do their work. People ask how I lost weight and expect a secret. Here it is: I ride my bike, I track what I eat, and I don’t lie to myself about the numbers. No detox teas, no 30-day gimmicks. Just honest math and miles. If you’re over 60 and want results you can actually keep, this is the straightforward way. The Method (No Hype, Just What Works) Ride 5–6 days per week. Mix easy spins with a couple of longer or hillier rides. Consistency beats hero days. Maintain a small, steady deficit. Rough target: 300–500 kcal/day. Big deficits backfire for older riders. Weigh in daily. Daily data, weekly average. Don’t let a single spike mess with your head. Track food honestly. Eyeballing servings is how progress stalls. Measure,...

Last updated: February 2026 Quick Take: I personally ride a Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT and love it — but a lot of riders don’t want to spend $350 on a bike computer. This post explains why I keep getting asked about a $100 alternative, and why the COOSPO CS600 is the one that comes up most often. I’ve been riding long enough to know two things can be true at the same time: Some gear is absolutely worth paying premium prices for. Not everyone wants — or needs — to spend that kind of money. I fall firmly into the first camp. I personally ride a Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT . It’s about $350, and for me, it’s worth every dollar. It’s simple, reliable, easy to read, and it has never let me down. But here’s the reality. Why I’m Writing About This at All A lot of people contact me. Emails. Comments. Messages. And the question usually sounds something like this: “I want a real bike computer — with navigation — but I just can’t justify spending $350.” That’s a fair concern. N...

Last Updated: February 2026 Two Cycling Safety Tools I Trust at 70 (Mirror + Radar) I’ve ridden a long time. And the older I get, the more I care about one thing: awareness . Some cycling “safety” advice is vague. This post isn’t. It’s two tools that solve the same problem in different ways: what’s coming up behind you . Quick Take If you ride roads with distracted drivers, the two most meaningful upgrades you can make are a rearview mirror and a rear-facing radar . One helps you see what’s back there. The other helps you know what’s coming—before it’s close. Why I Prioritize “What’s Behind Me” Most scary moments on a bike aren’t potholes or climbs. It’s the sudden realization that a car is right there—close, fast, and sometimes unpredictable. I can’t control traffic. But I can control how much warning I get—and how ca...

Last updated February 2026 💡 Quick Take: A fluke accident ended my bicycle tour just 34 miles in. Instead of quitting, I adjusted the plan, changed how I trained, and finished the year stronger than I started it. This is what adaptation actually looks like on the bike — and why setbacks don’t have to define the season. Last summer, I was riding high on anticipation. I had trained for a full year to complete a self-supported bicycle tour from San Diego to Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was meant to be the next-to-last chapter in my coast-to-coast cycling journey — one more long stretch of road before the final piece fell into place. Thirty-four miles into the ride, it was over. A microfiber towel caught in my derailleur. A fluke. One of those things you never plan for and still struggle to explain afterward. The bike was destroyed, and the tour I had spent a year preparing for ended before it ever truly began. That part hurt more than the crash itself...