Bleach necessary to rid lurking bacteria and viruses in clothes washer. Recent investigative work by acclaimed environmental microbiologist Charles Gerba found that 60 percent of washing machines tested had significant levels of coliform bacteria, including the presence of diarrhea-causing E-coli.

This is the time of year for many cyclists to reach their top training volumes. For some, though, the added time on the bike can be stressful on the tissues that come in contact with the saddle, often bringing on tenderness and painful sores.

Yes, it's true, spinners are winners. Look at Lance Armstrong, his cadence in the last couple of Tour De France races looked to be over 110 RPM's at times. In the mountain stages, and in the TT's he was not only flying down (and up) the road, but he was flying his pedals around like the wind too. But is that all you need to win races, a high cadence?

Summer may be over, but there is still a lot of hot weather riding to be done. PCN training correspondent Stephen Cheung, a Ph.D. and published authority on physiology and performance, looks at the benefits of pre-cooling your body prior to hot weather training.

By Bruce Ketchum Pre-event activity, or warm-up, is an integral part of most cyclists’ preparation for competition. Each has his or her own unique routine to follow in order to be mentally and physically prepared for the event. Some find a warm-up essential in order to perform at their very best, while others don’t bother with one and jump into races with seeming ease.