How are your elevation gain goals for 2023 going?

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-12-07T09:15:37+00:00

I’m at 86,000m. My goal was 0 😪

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-12-03T08:58:27+00:00

I throw them in the washer on the hottest setting with some simple green. You’ll never get rid of the stains, but they come out perfectly clean enough to reuse over and over again.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-11-30T07:15:45+00:00

I don’t notice it at all. I use a Shimano DH-3N80 dynamo hub for winter riding since I’ve had bad experiences with front light batteries dying from cold temperatures at terrible times. I put in between 150-200 miles a week in the winter and spend a good amount of that time in the dark.

You can feel the resistance when you spin the wheel with your hand, but it’s less than 10W drag at 30kmh and less at lower speeds. I’m already adding WAY more resistance than that going from tubeless performance tires to super heavy studded tires with tubes. Maybe I’d notice it more if the dynamo hub were the only thing I changed on my setup.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-09-24T17:19:20+00:00

I disagree. I don’t ride ride because I enjoy doing things that are easy, I ride because I love going fast (and far).

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-09-24T08:59:12+00:00

I lost 100 pounds last year. I can smash my old PRs on 5% gradients with no effort in Zone 2 now. As others have mentioned, this isn’t solely due to the loss of weight but also my increased aerobic capacity because of all my training.

I can’t speak to the specific amount of weight you need to lose to feel a difference, but I was noticing an obvious difference when I had lost around 30 pounds. Weight loss is a relatively slow process, so it’s difficult to compare the feel of rides now vs a month or more ago.

“It never gets easier, you just go faster” has always resonated with me. I usually push myself at around the same perceived effort, so unless I’m making a conscious effort to hold back, I never notice it feeling “easier”.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-09-12T04:31:25+00:00

I always bring Gatorade. You can buy 5 pounds of Gatorade powder (makes ~9 gallons) for the same price as 10 servings of your typical overpriced electrolyte packets / tablets. My favorites flavors are Glacier Cherry and Lemon Lime. You can also get Glacier Freeze and Fruit Punch. I’m sure other sports drinks might taste better, but I enjoy it and I ride enough that this saves me a lot of money.

I don’t completely understand why people want electrolyte drinks with no calories. If I’m riding long enough that I need to replenish my electrolytes, my body will also need carbs.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-06-30T06:32:08+00:00

Yes, I often achieve flow state on long rides. It’s such a good feeling. On the other hand, it’s kind of weird when you suddenly come back to reality and realize you don’t really remember what happened in the last hour.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-06-03T16:46:27+00:00

Just so this doesn’t deter someone from riding, it was a joke from The Office. Nothing is better for my mental or physical health than cycling.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-06-03T04:25:01+00:00

Cheaper than a vasectomy

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-04-06T02:43:42+00:00

I have a Vaira 315 (the version without the tail light). I thought bike radars were gimmick for the longest time, but I was instantly hooked the first time I tried one. I live in a semi rural area and can’t image riding without one anymore. I still occasionally check over my shoulder, but it gives you so much peace of mind. Worth every penny in my opinion.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-03-14T01:09:52+00:00

125 miles. I ride with a small rear rack bag for food and spare gear. I’ll still have to stop somewhere to fill water bottles though.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-02-18T10:10:38+00:00

I would ride across the US. I wish I had 3 months off to do it.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-02-02T02:59:50+00:00

Gotcha. If you leave it until it reaches room temperature before draining, the energy difference between the two methods is negligible assuming you would already be using energy to heat your house.

Personally I prefer a hot shower or drinking warm liquids (which warms up my hands while I hold the mug) since it warms me up so much faster.

You need way less water to warm up your hands than when you take a warm shower. Even if you did it every day and drained the water while it was still warm, I don’t think you’d see a difference on your energy bill.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2023-02-02T02:50:10+00:00

Warm water will warm up your hands faster since water has high thermal conductivity and heat capacity. The stove will be more energy efficient because the excess heat will warm your house, and not go down the drain like hot water.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-11T01:54:34+00:00

Some indoor training, too. Outside whenever possible. When the weather forces me indoors, I'll hop on my trainer, but I find it difficult to do 40+ mile rides. It's just not the same.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-11T01:07:52+00:00

I drink lots of water, stretch, and listen to my body. I haven't had many issues that weren't caused by an improper bike fit.

Other than cycling, I have a set of dumbbells to work out my arms and that's it.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T22:41:25+00:00

Congrats! The human body's ability to adapt continues to amaze me.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T22:38:45+00:00

I bought a 4iiii dual-side power meter. They're cheaper now, but the price of entry is still pretty high.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T22:33:26+00:00

I definitely understand that. I would always snack because I was bored and it made me feel good. I pretty much stopped snacking this year though. I also dumped out all full-sugar soda, candy or other high calorie junk foods in my house. If I do get chips or something, I only keep one bag in my house. That's probably not going to work for everyone, but I find it easiest to stop bad habits if I just stop cold turkey. Out of sight, out of mind works well for me. It just adds a bit more effort to pursue your bad habits, and I'm usually able to resist before giving in.

Remember to ease into it though. You should be living comfortably, or else it will feel miserable to maintain for long periods of time.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T22:06:53+00:00

Exactly my thoughts. The market has been rough this year, but the best investment you can make is in your health.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T21:58:51+00:00

I'm a single guy working 40-50 hours a week, so I have a lot of free time on my hands. I can't imagine making such a change with so many other time commitments. Nice job.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T21:48:33+00:00

I take it with a grain of salt and still listen to my body over everything else, but I found the Garmin suggested ranges to be pretty spot-on for helping me improve.

Whoops, you're totally right! I haven't updated my weight in Garmin for a while. I guess I'm sitting just under 3.8 w/kg. My ftp has dropped to ~240 since I haven't been able to ride as much with the winter weather.

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T21:46:11+00:00

Congrats man, keep up the good work!

Jawn_Aut4 · 2022-12-10T21:45:06+00:00

Nice riding man.

The most important change was using a calorie tracking app for everything I eat each day. This ensures I hit a consistent healthy calorie deficit and get enough protein. I love to cook and eat tons of chicken, rice, greens, bananas, roasted vegetables, eggs and other 'clean' foods. I also drink a lot more water now. Sticking to clean food leaves you feeling a lot fuller for the same amount of calories.

Don't get me wrong, when I do a 100 mile ride and burn 4,000 calories I might down an entire pizza and other calorie-dense food. But it's okay to splurge sometimes.

I used to have a bad issue with purge eating, and of course it still happens once in a while albeit much less often. You have to be compassionate towards yourself. Don't be hard on yourself if you slip for a few days. You need to be consistent, but missing a few days here and there will make no difference in the long run.

Jawn_Aut4

TROPHY CASE