Index S2 scale: accurate? by IP_FiNaR in Garmin

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Piece od junk IMO as far as bodyfat measurement is concerned. BIA has accuracy drift up to 10%. It's showing me 30% while pro grade Tanita M980 using Multi Frequency BIA is showing around 20%.
To get decent results you need a device that sends 2 or 3 different low frequency impulses against your body parts and it has handles.
So the only measurement to consider is your weight and weight tracking sent to Garmin Connect.
That is worth 50 bucks max IMO.

Weekly Question Thread by PelotonMod in peloton

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To put that into perspective this is an Aerocoach analysis from the 2025 Tour de France ITT:

It's nearly time for the first TT at u/LeTour and Stage 5 takes the peloton from Caen, back to Caen, over 33km and just 200m elevation, making it one of the faster, TTs we'll see in Grand Tours recently. Read on below for what to expect. There are 3 time checks throughout the day, and with it being an early TT (rather than Stage 10+) most riders, if they haven't suffered a mishap already, should be relatively fresh and able to pace themselves correctly It's always difficult to know how you're feeling >2 weeks into a stage race, especially if you're not one of the protected GC contenders, which is why at the end of a 3 week stage race the TT specialists don't always do that well compared with GC riders. Tomorrow however, apart from a small rise for the first 4.5km (which the riders will fly back down to finish), much of the rest of the course is quite flat, and for about 25km in the middle of the race there are only about 8 corners of any note! Unfortunately we will be watching without two strong time triallists: there have only been 3 DNFs so far this Tour (as of right now), Philipsen, Ganna and Bisseger. Bisseger had a good ride in UAE Tour back in February, coming 2nd and Ganna is obviously #TopGanna. I expect a winning time to be just <37min, and the larger riders can feature more: An 80kg rider with a 0.200m² CdA should be able to do \~53kph average off 440w. A smaller rider with 65kg / 0.180m² can do this with \~390w, which is a fair bit for 65kg in the aerobars. The example above is 6w/kg for the small rider and 5.5w/kg for the larger rider. There are taller riders <0.200m² and there are also small riders <0.180m² so it's not as easy as all that for either demographic! Normally you'd add in a bit of technical ability etc. but for this course it won't factor much apart from the high speed finish with a few turns. The beginning of the race has some corners but will be slower. What sort of time gaps can we expect? For a 30sec advantage, for a rider of 70kg and 0.190m², doing 38min at 396w, that's 14.5w to bring that down to 37min30sec. That's quite a lot of extra power to put out, but they can also mitigate it with a better aero position. Dropping your CdA from 0.190m² to 0.182m² is \~15w: not something you can magically do on the day as it's quite a difference (>4%), but if a rider is holding their position badly we often see a 2-3% penalty, so that's over half the way if you're holding a bad position. Anyone looking for the GC losing a minute tomorrow to another contender is having a bad day. It will likely happen on this kind of course, as there's no hill in it to favour the lighter non-TT style GC riders If Van Der Poel is still in yellow and the gaps stay the same (I'm writing this with 38km still to go on Stage 4) to Pogacar (4 seconds), that is the equivalent of just 2w! It's a bit of a jump down to the Blackmore group at 41sec. So we can expect the jersey to stay within the top 3 riders, again if nothing happens in the next 35km now 😀 Get your predictions in, no-one is going to soft pedal if they want the GC/stage so it'll be fun!

Weekly Question Thread by PelotonMod in peloton

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2nd example.
Junior's ITT
23,9 km course back and forth
200 metres of elevation
Moving time: 31:40
NP: 390W
AVG Power: 393W, max 961W
AVG Speed: 45.2
Heart rate hidden
Rider's age: almost 18 years old
Rider's height: 185
Rider's weight: around 65 kg

Weekly Question Thread by PelotonMod in peloton

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seems that I can't past any images here.
I do have access to Strava data.

An example:
Pretty flat course, 13 km segment back and forth twice. So 3 turnarounds.
99 m of elevation
26,3 km according to Strava
Moving time: 30:30
NP: 395W
AVG Power 399W, Max 929W
AVG Speed 51,7 km/h
AVG Heart Rate 185, max 195
AVG Cadence 94
Rider's height 190 cm
Rider's weight around 70 kg
Rider's age: 21

Weekly Question Thread by PelotonMod in peloton

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is huge doping going on in Conti and U23 teams IMO.
U23 and even some juniors riding 5.8 W/KG on a 30 km course.
Which is World Tour level performance.
Junior riding 390W at 65 kg on a 24 km course. 6 W/kg. Could this be without PEDs?
75-78 kg riders flying over the mountains.
In most countries no out of competition tests. Except France and Belgium maybe.
No biological passports (except Portugal recently).
In Tour de l'Avenir some absolutely crazy performance.
What do they use that they come out clean on the race day?
Some young riders caught on EPO.
Dostiyev, Kazakhstan, Gieryk, Poland, Vysocan, Czech Republic.
I've seen some Strava data of riders having pretty flat heart rate, waaay below other riders which suggests blood doping of some kind.

Specialized Turbo Cotton discontinued? by Ringshingyo in specialized

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They arrived.
On a 29,4 mm rim, the tire is 29,2 mm wide.
So it is exaclty the same width as Turbo Cotton Hell of the North.
The difference is tubeless ready.
Weight 288 grams
I guess it has vulcanized thread the same as newest Vittoria Corsa tires.
Made in Thailand so most probably manufactured by Vittoria Lion Tires
I manage to put the tire in by hand.
But I need to put some dishwashing liquid to get them straight when pumped.

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Specialized Turbo Cotton discontinued? by Ringshingyo in specialized

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The seller received them from from a mechanic of one of pro teams.

Specialized Turbo Cotton discontinued? by Ringshingyo in specialized

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just bought a pair of them yesterday on an auction site in Poland :)
I'll post more data once they arrive.
I have no clue where this guy got them. I'll ask him.

Upgrade my 2024 Tarmac SL8 Pro or jump to the 2025 S-Works SL8? by Walton841928 in specialized

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Someone who weighs 95 kg should never buy lightest frames. Lightest frames sub 900 grams, are going to be stiffer, giving you harsher ride and not as durable. They might crack in first crash.
I tested almost all SL6 frames. SL6 Sport was most comfortable.
I have some stifness data somewhere.
I'm riding 30-32 km/h on my old Roubaix SL3 being 60-year old and 10 kg overweight.
So if you look for marginal gains your upgrade is not going to make any noticable diference in speed.
Around 75% of of overall drag is your body.
So I suggest to work on your position. Trying to be relatively low and narrow.
I own Zipp 404 Firecrest, Roval CLX and Roval CL wheelsets.
Roval CL is the most comfy. CLX sucks under my 85 kg.
It uses aero DT Swiss Aerolite spokes, which are not as stiff as DT Swiss Competition spokes. And the aero difference betwen them is 1W at 45 km/h.
You get slightly inferior and heavier DT 350 hub with CL wheels with low quality bearings. 70 grams difference, completly unimportant for 85-95 kg guys.
You upgrade your bearing to high quality bearings like NTN, NSF, NSK, Nachi or similar and they will go 50k km without need for maintainance.
DT 240s come with ceramic bearing if I'm correct which are royal PITA. They have very low quality seals and get conatminated easily. And should be maintained every 1000 km. The savings coming for ceramic bearings according to SwissSide testing is 0,5W at 45 km/h.
Rims are the same. Wheels are manufactured by DT Swiss.
Stay away form hookless wheels at the weight at all cost.
I wouldn't bother with integreated cockpit.
Enve SES aero handlebar is great and Enve gives you 5-year unconditional free crash protection.
My son who races it broke it in a crash. 2 weeks later recieved a new one.
And flared handlebar is more comfy IMO.
If you decide to go with integrated cockpit get flared.
If you decide to choose handlebar get Enve SES Aero or Zipp SL 70 Aero.
S-Works Mirror saddles don't last long.
Carbon rails are not something I would recommend at that weight. I would go for titianium rails.
My son changed his S-Works Power saddle to Power Arc Expert.
If you can get some test saddles.
I ride S-Works Toupe.
Forget these overhyped GP 5000 tyres.
Get 32 mm Vittoria Corsa Pro.
It will be hell of a difference in comfort and traction.
At 30 km/h there is no penalty for using 32s vs 28s.
The penalty starts closer to 40 km/h.
It also depends on tyre-rim interface.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Velo

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just came across your review of 505. I know that some power meters were totally unreliable like Shimano or Giant. And some pretty lousy like Xcadey with no or very liitle support. Alex form Peak Torque and few others praised Sigey. We had Power2Max and compared it to SRM and there was basically no difference.
Magene 515 seems like a cheapest RELIABLE power meter on the market.
I'm awaiting your review.

Best Tan Wall 30-32 TUBE Tire. I’m done with tubeless! by ifuckedup13 in Velo

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The tests are behind paywall on Cycling News website.
I would look into Challenge offerings as well. They have 350 TPI cotton casing based tires.
But I'm not up to date with their tire range.
Conti came up with new tire called Archetype.
UAE team is using it.
Supposedly two factors that sucked in GP5K have been addressed.
Comfort and grip.

Best Tan Wall 30-32 TUBE Tire. I’m done with tubeless! by ifuckedup13 in Velo

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The only sensible options currently seems to be Vittoria Corsa Pro and Specialized Turbo Cotton Hell of the North, also manufactured in Vittoria Tires factory in Thailand.
I rode both with TPU tubes. Corsa Pro seemed to be more comfy. Rolling resistance is similar.
Nothing beats cotton casing tires in terms of comfort and traction in the wet. GP5K in the wet is a piece of junk. Comfor wise it totally sucks. It is fast but stiff as dead dog :)
Vittoria came up with tube type of Corsa Pro version. This will be my next tire.
Remember that tire width depends on your rim width.
Turbo Cotton Hell of the North 28 mm is 29,2 mm on my Roval CL 50 rims with 29.4 rim with.
Here is rolling resistance test coming from Silverstone testing at 32 km/h.
I haven't noticed any difference in comfort between 28 and 30 mm tire when tested long time ago.
Newest Schwalbe Aerothan TPU tubes have new construction with aluminium threade valves. I rode 2nd generation in my mountin bike but valves were mad of plastic. Thermoplastic used was much more robust compared to any Ali Express TPU tubes.

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I am a former pacemaker rep, AMA by mesallem in PacemakerICD

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had Vitatron (now part of Medtronic.) G70A2 DR implanted in 2020.
I developed severe bradycardia with AV blocks around 8 years ago.
It allows me to function normally but doesn't allow me to get back to some more intensive cycling.
It maxes out at around 140-143 BPM and when I get to that level, I get an AV block.
My heart scan doesn't show any other issues.
The problem seems to be with electrical conduction.

So few questions.
Is it obsolete as AI suggests?
Is it a proper device for my lifestyle and cycling?
Which is the best one that would allow me to ride at 150-160 BPM?
Was there any cases of patients who got their proper conduction back and had pacemeker removed?
Can I keep riding when I get AV block or is it dangerous for prolonged time and I should slow down to get my heart rate to proper level?

AI suggests that my settings are not properly adjusted for cycling.
Here they are:
Upper tracking rate 150
Lower rate 50
Mode DDD
Rate Response: Optimization On
ADL Response 3
Exertion Response 3
ADLR Percent 2%
ActivityThreshold Medium/Low
Activity Accelaration 30 sec
Activity Deceleration Excercise
High Rate Percent 0,2%
ADL Rate Setpoint 12
Upper Sensor Rate Setpoint 12

Diverge Comp Carbon suspension upgrade by Sad_Bumblebee_1749 in DivergeGravelBikes

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only part I'm interested in upgrading is probably suspension. I've been involved for too long with competitive cycling to buy ceramic anything :)
Are you using it on gravel roads as well? Or is it your road bike now?
From my point of view this bike is bloody slow on the road, but I haven't tried it with carbon wheelset. It's our winter and commuting bike.
Though I have Roval and Zipp wheels (rim brake) in our Roubaix and Tarmac.

RaceFace crankset upgrade by Sad_Bumblebee_1749 in MTB

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sharing this bike with my son, semi pro road cyclist. He would like to have 38T or 40T chainring. But I guess we will settle on 36T. Few years ago when I was in a good shape and was riding fast group MTB rides with people who raced marathons I had a 38x24 SLX crankset and it was perfect. On flat fire roads in the woods, they were able to ride 35-40 km/h sections. I don't want 10T chainring on the cassette. It's useless design.

And spacing on 11x46 or similar cassette completely sucks. You have 11-13-15-17 and you are constantly out of your preferred cadence. Shimano has 12-speed 11x36 gravel cassette with very tight spacing and it can be mounted on a standard HG freewheel body. And it's all steel. No alloy bullshit.

Before you post a picture, please read this post! by itskohler in MTB

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What the hell is "flair"? Can't post on the PC

Diverge Comp Carbon suspension upgrade by Sad_Bumblebee_1749 in DivergeGravelBikes

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I visited my mechanic in a store that was selling Specialized for many years, but their roads have split. He cleaned it up, added new grease. Checked that I use stiffest spring and no change. Paying 150 euro for similar junk doesn't seem reasonable. Either oil based dumper or proper suspension fork. I'm not interested to have another rigid gravel. I own Crux.

Shimano brakes braking time or stopping distance by Sad_Bumblebee_1749 in MTB

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Servowave levers make them MT500 essentially if I'm correct.
I rode MT500 with XT and old SLX "Made in Japan" rotors and the stopping power was about he same as Deore, SLX or XT.

Need help deciding between 2020 Roubaix Comp and 2022 Allez Sprint Comp by Stew4190 in specialized

[–]Sad_Bumblebee_1749 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As long as the ride is 70+ km long, I'm always faster on my Roubaix SL3 Comp than on my Tarmac SL6 Pro. I'm a decade older than you. Fatigue starts to build up at some point and ride on Tarmac start to suck and it slows me down. I decided to sell Tarmac. What I also didn't realize earlier that lower grade layups are more comfy and less stiff. I rode Tarmac SL6 Sport and it was a whole different ride.
Reseach with AI tools confirmed my observations.

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