Velo: Reddit for competitive cyclists

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/highrouleur on 2023-10-06 15:38:42.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/Fragomeli on 2023-10-05 16:46:56.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/jonathanrcrain on 2023-10-03 22:00:15.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/Pizzocan on 2023-10-02 19:24:17.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/fallenedge on 2023-10-02 08:53:02.

Training via heart rate (and accounting for recovery, condition, cardiac drift) is very popular in running, but not in cycling. You could say that's due to the proliferation of power meters in cycling. Is that the whole story? How come Zone2 heart rate is generally lower for cycling than running? The explanation is that running uses more muscles. But how does that impact on aerobic adaptations of the heart and lungs, since they do not know whether you are cycling or running. I gather that zone2 adaptations are both cardiovascular and also in the muscles, but surely, the different stress on the heart (given the differing heart rates) would drive different levels of adaptations?

A typical running training plan would involve a LOT less hours per week. I understand that to be limited by your muscles/tendons in running as it is such an impact movement - i.e. the reduced volume is only due to injury prevention. Does that mean that there are a lot more cardiovascular adaptations for typical runners if they subject their heart and lungs to more volume via a few more hours of added zone2 work swimming/cycling?

Even down to the single workout. I have heard on trainerroad that a zone2 workout should be at least 45mins-1hr, if not at least 1.5hrs, since adaptations only begin at 45mins? If I apply that principle to running, does that mean an easy run 45mins and below are similarly useless?

I am not trying to drive a point anywhere, just trying to learn the physiological mechanisms of why.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/arsenalastronaut on 2023-09-28 06:04:25.

So, I love the idea of cyclocross. More friendly than road. Shorter races. Way smaller chance of a severe crash. The people are truly truly awesome.

The problem is, I'm terrible at cross racing, and can't seem to get into it.

I'm alright on the road. Like, a mid pack Cat 4.

Cross, I'm literally behind all the men and women, and most of the kids, in a "fun race." I was actually decent last year, when I was practicing a lot. I did my first race of the year this week, and was basically dead last.

I find some parts of it really hard for some reason

• It takes a bit of vigor to go hard into an off camber turn, etc. Especially when jostling for position. I just don't have that aggression.
• Even if it's just falling onto grass, I'm very risk averse in cross. I don't know why.
• Practice is actually required to even be decent, and that kind of practice isn't as fun as road rides (for me).
• Tire choice and pressure matters.
• It is at the end of the road season, where burnout is higher.

Probably sounds like a lot of rambling, but not sure if it's just me! I'm wondering if I should do something differently. But also no point forcing something I'm not enjoying!

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/Junk-Miles on 2023-09-27 21:45:43.

Curious if anybody else likes to supertuck on their normal rides. Now that it’s banned in races pretty much everywhere.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/kosmonaut_hurlant_ on 2023-09-27 14:51:18.

Been watching some training vids specific to runners, and they basically equate low HR training to some guy named Phil Maffetone who apparently "came up" with this sort of thing only about 15 years ago, then in the cycling world we have Seiler with "polarized" which sounds effectively the same (majority of training is at or below aerobic max, with intervals (runners call it speedwork), and now guys like San Millan sort of playing semantics to brand this way of training as something of his own.... How far back to "base building" go? I would think it's an extremely old way of training, going back at least 50 maybe even 100 years? All of this stuff is laid out in Friel's book which was first published in the mid 90s.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/yesracoons on 2023-09-27 11:18:48.

For those that didn’t go through this research rabbit hole themselves.

One major downside of the Assioma (Look style) cleats is that they kind of wear faster. Well in case you didn’t know Assiomas use Xpedo Thrust cleats. Which are also the exact same as Wellgo RC-7. These cleats are sometimes around $5 shipped on Ali.

If you’re looking for an Assioma cleat direct match non-power pedal there’s the:

Wellgo / Xpedo XRF07MC

which also comes with two sets of cleats (0/6 deg), around $45. I’ve been using these for a long time now on a secondary road bike and they’ve been great.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/nickobec on 2023-09-27 05:23:42.

Started weight training a two years back out of choice to improve my riding/racing and necessity I have osteopenia.

Managed to overtrain badly twice, first time didn't realise the cause, the second time I did, but too late.

Just coming back from second overtraining + injury + illness and don't want it to happen again.

Problem is Training Peaks and Intervals.ICU give me more training stress for the 5 minute ride to and from the gym, than a weight session.

It takes my body longer to recover from moderate legs day ie 3 RIR for 5x5 squats or RDL (alternate) 3x12 single legged leg presses 3x12 leg curls or extensions (depending on primary exercise squat = curl, RDL = extensions) 3 sets of calve raises, than it does from a 40:20 day 3 sets of 10 at upper end of VO2max.

Generally only do 2 hard days a week, interval training + legs, usually followed by a rest or very light endurance ride day. 2 days a week of endurance + upper body days and 2 rest days a week.

So looking for advice on how to manage my fatigue? I have started tracking the RPE of weights sessions, and assigning load equal to that of equivalent bike training session, but is there a better way?

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/ikolp0987 on 2023-09-27 04:19:23.

I'm a woman (late 20s) who got into cycling a few months ago, and I love it! I've found that a couple times when I pass middle aged men on climbs, they'll make jokes, comments, or occasionally ask to race me to the top. I don't mind this and have found it to be fun, but I was wondering, is asking random people to race to the top of a climb a common thing?

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/FreshCause7875 on 2023-09-26 21:20:01.

Full disclosure--I was a really good soccer and tennis player as a youth. Decent at golf as well. Was also really into running and played tons of pond hockey. But I found cycling at 15 and it ruined all of them for me. It was the end-all-be-all of endurance sports and indeed all sports entirely.

Maybe because it is something it is never really touted to me*: an extreme sport.*

Some recent posts here and what happened at Gran Fondo nationals got me thinking about this. I've raced since I was 15. Here's my tally: two serious concussions from crashes, one that put me out of commission for a year and when I had to go part-time at work for several months. Countless other crashes with other lesser injuries. My best friend's father got hit and killed by a drunk driver while training in the Midwest. A good friend was hit in the Alpine Gran Fondo and is now paralyzed from the waist down. I've been hit by a van and sideswiped by a car. I've raced against guys who are no longer with us because of crashes or being hit by drunk drivers.

Is it all worth it, though? For me? 1000% yes. My life is a shadow of itself without the sport. I can't wait to race next year, even though I'm still doing B Masters races. I have an addictive personality and am (probably) a recovering alcoholic. My extended family springs from generations of trauma and abuse. Maybe that speaks to why I do this.

But I wonder--am I just continuing the trauma by participating in this sport? What gives? Is bike racing an extreme sport?

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/mattyrain on 2023-09-26 18:59:11.

44M, beginner road racer with a couple of races under his belt, decent power but overweight (5'11" tall and I currently weigh 195lbs @ 24% body fat - there's a skinny guy under the blubber). Ideal race weight would be 165-170.

I ride an older alloy rim brake bike with 10-speed 105 groupset and stock alloy wheels. 25mm Conti GP5000 S TRs with latex tubes. Bike is in fine shape but racing on rough pavement, I can tell that my ride is way harsher than that of my fellow racers on nicer carbon bikes with carbon wheels. I struggle to put power down on bad pavement, even if I run lower pressures (80-85 PSI)

Budget is tight as I work a rather low end job right now. Saving 5k+ for a new bike would take a long time, hence my inclination to look for a used set of carbon wheels instead.

So my question is - how much would decent carbon wheels improve the alloy bike's behavior over rough pavement? Would losing the extra weight be more of a factor?

Open to all suggestions, even mild fat shaming/ribbing.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/Driftwood17 on 2023-09-26 06:03:43.

Aside from Garmin’s calculation, or icu intervals, how do you know you’re improving your VO2 Max?

Is it higher power at a similar HR over time? Or is it Similar power but a steady decrease in HR over time?

The reason I ask is I’m not sure how much more power I can generate. My best mid season climbs were 1hr at 343w, 400w for 10 mins, and 7 min at 445w. I don’t see much more than that? My Garmin VO2 max was 62, icu was 65.

How can I train for longer climbs to improve from here

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/prescripti0n on 2023-09-26 00:52:20.

Ignoring the obvious answer to get on trainerroad, would I be better off to select two workouts a week e.g. wringer/gorby and then just log lots of base mileage?

I am not training for any particular race, I’m mostly just to make some not-quite-noobie anymore gains

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/spingus on 2023-09-26 00:13:54.

I promised an update on my speed wobble situation so here it is!

For those who don’t care to click the original thread, we’re working with a brand new Cervelo S5 equipped with the latest Dura-Ace (relevant) including C50 deep section wheels.

I’ll give the answer first and then address all the other advice I checked out 😊

• Multiple bolts were under-torqued in the cockpit
• The free-hub was facocked. My mechanic called Shimano to ask for advice, they asked “is this the new stuff? “ yes. They sent us a brand new complete wheel.

Now the bike is mechanically sorted, I can better process its feedback –how it behaves in the wind, over bumps etc.

The bike has different kind of movement downhill now that seems mostly about the wind. I can work with that.

As I learn this bike I found that /u/mendip_wallfish who has the same model, gave excellent advice:

Take a bit of time to get used to it and relax more would be my advice

I now have the lightest of touches on the bars and control mainly through the saddle. If you will, it’s all about pussy control Still have work to do but it’s a lot better than it was!

Advice offered in the original thread and results:

• Headset/Stem bolts: multiple bolts were indeed under torqued
• Thigh squeeze top tube: mixed results. Before the mechanicals were addressed, no effect. After? I can make the bike wiggle on command with stability.
• Listen to the Marginal gains podcast: interesting tech info but unhelpful in their suggestion to have a new bike day since this IS a new bike
• Wheel balance: Brand new wheels, brand new fork/rear dropouts –alignment is not the issue
• Deep section wheels more prone to it: yes, along with the aerodynamic frame this is a contributing factor in the wind.
• More weight on front of wheel: OMG no. abort abort abort! –this introduced a lot more instability and the feeling I would dump it at any moment.
• Speed wobbles happen, such is life/Get a new bike: I do not accept that. I have ridden at very high speed on my older bike with no wobble. I doubt this bike would win all three grand tours if it was so bad on descents. This is a solvable problem.
• Short stem: Already had a through professional bike fit.
• Tire pressure too low: I varied through the recommended pressures, no change.

Overall this was a fun exercise to solve the problem. Now I can focus on becoming a better rider with my steeply upgraded equipment! <3

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/slooshx on 2023-09-25 10:54:03.

my heart rate zones

my power zones

intervals.icu has auto-detected my ftp to be 173 watts

If about 50% of the time im above z2 power, is my ftp set too low?

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/Lupulmic on 2023-09-26 00:42:53.

I’m a dedicated road cyclist who loves training, racing, and tackling challenging hills. I’m a willing to relocate to any major U.S. city that offers both great training routes and plenty of climbing opportunities while also being safe for cyclists. Weather wise, I’m totally fine with being on a turbo trainer during the winter months as well.

Do you have any recommendations for cities that would best suit competitive road cyclists ? Whether it’s scenic routes, varied terrain, or a vibrant cycling community, interested to hear your insights.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/LorianArks on 2023-09-25 18:41:32.

Had a crash and now have a small fracture in the lower hand and a plaster cast. Doctor prescribed it for 3 weeks. It is the 8th day without cycling and I‘m going up the walls. What can I do to prevent detraining except doing long walks? I trained over 10h/week and don‘t want to loose my progress I made this summer (2nd full training year). The only thing preventing me from going on a long run is the fear of the sweat destroying the cast or the smell afterwards. Only good thing is the last session where the accident happened was an 13h ride and I needed recovery anyway. What are my options? Should I try small runs (5k) when it is cold outside (10-14 degrees)? ChatGPT suggested swimming, lol.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/car1os on 2023-09-25 14:13:51.

Hello, I have been riding for a little bit less than 3 years. I have done several 100 miles rides and 1 ride 160 miles. But my FTP is low. I’m about 2.5 w/kg. What exercises and training programs do you recommend to improve my FTP? How long does it usually take to see big changes? I’m in my late 40s.

Thanks!

Edit 1: 5 sec power: 951 (I think this is just a glitch) 1 minute: 347 5 minutes: 239 10 minutes: 224 20 minutes: 210 60 minutes: 187

FTP is set at 194 Watts Current Weight: 162 lbs/ 73 kgs

This year I followed mostly what Garmin recommended. I think it helped me to be able to achieve my longest ride.

Starting now with trainer road. My concern is that it doesn’t include any very long rides.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/RichieRicch on 2023-09-25 14:49:32.

Hi all, I’m 30M and have been riding for 6ish years. This year was the first year I used TR for a number of months. The previous 5 years was group rides, no intervals, and no Z2. My FTP spiked from 240 to 292, the only structure I had was riding TR with a ride or two outdoors during the week (no structure). Currently weighing at 180 (10lb overweight, just returned from vacation). I have been off the bike for just over two weeks now. I don’t race, only fast group rides on Saturdays with a lot of climbing. Usually 50-80 miles with 5-8K feet.

I do 2-3 organized events a year, usually a Fondo with 10k in elevation.

I travel frequently with work, especially now that the year is winding down. I’ll be gone 2-3 days every week until the first week of December. December & January I have zero travel. Two months to really put some serious time in. I averaged right around 10H/Week for the majority part of the year with a few breaks sprinkled in. February - May is usually 2 nights away during the week, every other week.

I’d like to get more serious with a structured plan but don’t know where to start. What should I be doing for October & November? Then when December & January rolls around, I have all the time in the world to put time in. I want to be faster on the climbs here in SoCal & mainly put the hurt on my group. I plan on getting serious with my diet this fall to lose this vacation fat, hoping to get back down to 165.

I see so much information online and in this sub, I just don’t know exactly where to start. Happy to pick up any books or even look into coaching if that’s what’s suggested. I have a PM and HRM. I felt some gains this year and my group joked that I was on EPO. The happiness I got from dropping everyone was unmatched, how do I keep that going?

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/No_Brilliant_5955 on 2023-09-25 14:26:30.

It’s the second time this year i taper for an A race after a few months of intense training (10/15h a week) and the second time i fall sick. A bad cold with a sore throat and chill. Both times I still raced and did pretty good but I’m starting to see a pattern here.

So I’m wondering if there’s such a thing and what are people tips and tricks to avoid that.

note: I live in a tropical country with no winter.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/cornflakes34 on 2023-09-25 13:11:02.

Did a 110km loop yesterday with about 850M of elevation with normalized power or 204W, I am 90kg probably sitting around 14% bf.

In my first bottle I had a carb mix of about 90-100G of carbs (Gatorade + carb powder) which I drank over 90mins, I also had a packet of Scratch gummies (40g). Then at the coffee stop I had a pastry (butter tart, a Canadian delicacy).

All in probably in the realm of 180G of carbs for 4 hours. Garmin says the ride burnt 2980kcal's (I have a Stages power meter).

I had about 2L of liquid over 4 hours and admittedly I also ended up cramping. So at a minimum I know I probably need more liquids + electrolytes as my kit was basically caked in salt at the end of the ride.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/Educational-Device93 on 2023-09-25 10:01:10.

Before I make the drive all the way to the bike fitter, just wanted to see if anyone had an opinion on this situation. It's reddit so I figured this was the best place for one.

Saw a bike fitter who uses the Shimano cycling dynamic system. The result was a straight seat post, longer stem, raising the saddle height, cleats as far back as they will go, and maxing out my old toupe saddle rails so that it was as far forward as possible.

I even tried to buy a new saddle and he wouldn't sell one to me because the prologo saddles he carried didn't have long enough rails to have the saddle as far forward as he wanted. He said the frame was the correct size.

Then my cycling coach saw the new setup and was pretty fired up and said that it's a terrible position. His rational was if the saddle was further back and lower I would engage the glutes and hamstrings more. The coach said this was an extreme fit for even a TT bike with aero bars and that it wouldnt even be UCI legal because how far forward the seat was over the BB (not that I'm racing in UCI events).

The fit felt like an improvement over my own trail and error fit, but I did notice the seat height was probably too high because I was pointing my toes and the stroke was a little choppy.

So I went ahead and lower the seat a couple mm and brought the saddle back a mm. The pedaling stroke smoothed out, which felt great, but then I started getting some upper back pain and knee pain. Probably because I would then need to change the cleat and stem as well.

The bike fitter was a bit of a drive away, and he's hard to schedule with, but I want to go back and get re fit for the issues.

So while I wait for the appointment, I was wondering if anyone else has some wisdom to share about a saddle that is extremely far forward?

I realize bike fit is just as much a personal opinion as it is a scientific one, but I will say that saddle was noticably further forward then anyone I see riding.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/velo by /u/prescripti0n on 2023-09-25 00:51:58.

Recently I had two rides >100km with a similar average heart rate ~150 BPM but one had an IF factor of 0.56 and the other 0.76. Rides with an IF factor below 0.75 are generally considered as a recovery ride. Yet my heart rate of 150 BPM is solidly between Z2 and Z3 for me. As such, from a heart rate standpoint these would be closer to endurance/tempo rides.

Both rides had a similar Kj output and so I'm trying to understand how much I should be consuming in terms of calories or carbs using this data.

I typically eat about 60g/h, but based off my power data I range between 350-450Kj so that means I'm eating about 54-69% of that back in carbs.

A lot of information floating around recommend food intake based on

1. % of Kj output or
2. no. grams of carbs / hour.

Which one do I use?

Some recommend to replace 20-30% of Kj for Z2 rides or 50% for Z3 while others say you should eat x amount of carbs per hour. Surely a small rider eating 120g/h would be overeating compared to a large rider given they burn calories at a much higher rate.

I'm also a bit confused because at low intensities, only about 20-30% of carbs are being used for energy but at higher intensities it's almost 100% carbs? Do I replace only those carbs that I am burning or also the fat amounts to replenish my glycogen stores?

Also when using power to determine fueling, would this not be affected by aerobic decoupling? The power output at the start of a long ride is rarely the same at equal heart rates by the end.

tldr; my question is how do I use the information I have to know how much I should be eating and not just blindly following a 120g/h rule if I won't even be close to burning that amount?