In this issue of Ask a Pro, Diane answers the question:
How do I determine my optimal weight?

A: Everyone has a different body physiology as well as different cycling goals: your genetic makeup affects your ability to lose and gain weight and to gain lean muscle mass. However, your body weight, lean muscle mass, body-fat percentage, body-mass distribution, and body-fat distribution all play a big role in your performance on the bike.

Swooped up by a passing cycling group, Leona Emberson experiences her first time riding in a pack. She listens to the cyclists’ chatter, feels the increasing speed from drafting and delights in being part of it. Leona is nearly blind yet she was riding a tandem in the annual Cycle for Sight last summer.

While bike shops may share your passion for cycling, sometimes they seem more interested in your wallet than your ride. Especially if you’re a beginner, you might be easily convinced to buy products you don’t need. Being an informed, regular customer will help you get the best from your bike shop.

XX2i Optics, from R.A.C.E., the same company that sells Rudy Project, are performance-class sports sunglasses sold at value prices. The France1 Dual Pro Sunglass Kit comes with two pairs of sunglasses, one white gloss frame and the other demi tortoise, both with brown lenses, plus 3 spare lenses: clear, yellow, and orange. These multisport glasses are suitable for running, cycling, or any sport where you need glasses to stay put and not fog up.

Have you ever ruined your cycling gear because you didn’t know how to clean it properly? Everything from your bicycle to your cycling shoes needs to be properly cleaned in order to maintain it and extend its use. Cycling gear is becoming increasingly high-tech, including the fabric that shorts and jerseys are made of. Throw them in the wrong kind of wash with the wrong kind of detergent and you could soon be shelling out $100 to $150 for another pair.

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Using brown rice noodles and coconut milk instead of butter, cream, Parmesan and Romano cheese makes this dish much healthier, while still thrilling your tastebuds and leaving you feeling full and satisfied.

Riding with a friend or a group with varying abilities can be frustrating. You might share a passion for cycling but your abilities might be mismatched. Whether you want to ride with a slower partner or join a faster group, here are some tips to get you on level ground.

In Peru, roads criss-cross the cordillera, snaking their way around high passes of over 5,000 meters. The vast altiplano, Bolivia’s desolate wind-swept plain, has an average altitude of 3,750 meters (12,300 feet).

And here I was huffing and puffing at a mere 2,000 meters. It hardly boded well for the rest of our Andean tour that I was already feeling the adverse affects of altitude.