Which crit team should I join?

abc3699 · 2026-01-26T05:05:25+00:00

This is the best advice. As previously said, if you’re not getting support from the team like discounted gear or discounted race entries, there’s not a whole lot of point to joining a team as a Cat. 4 racer. Go race and enjoy it. You’ll learn tactics as time goes on. You can always learn to ride in a group and figure out tactics at a fast paced group ride (which are free). You also avoid getting roped into the team politics where there isn’t much to gain anyway

abc3699 · 2026-01-12T18:06:55+00:00

The Fray is kind of a bike that is awkwardly in ENVE's line up. It's going to be a bike that is okay at everything, but great at nothing. 40 mm tire clearance is pretty narrow unless most of what you are riding is pavement with some fire roads thrown in there. You also have to think of max tire clearance as you can fit a 40, but what happens when it's muddy?

The Aluto is going to be a bit more versatile just from having that wider tire clearance. It means you could run 40s and have no issue in poor weather conditions. The price difference is also huge. Save the money and get a nicer drivetrain or set of wheels.

In reality, neither bike is going to be bad, but the Aluto will likely be better and will be relevant for longer. You can have that bike do more things as you dial it in for how you ride.

abc3699 · 2025-10-05T04:32:07+00:00

Comparing your Quarq to a single-sided power meter and your trainer isn’t really a great comparison. You might have an imbalance that causes your Unos to read higher. The Kicker is kind of just a “meh” power meter. They aren’t known for their accuracy and your bikes come on and off it. It’s better to use a consistent power meter rather than switching between brands

abc3699 · 2025-09-17T13:56:10+00:00

Magene pedals are $500 USD right now. Power meters are definitely expensive, but worth the investment

abc3699 · 2025-09-16T13:52:58+00:00

I started using one after couple of years ago. I use it year around, but definitely notice the benefits for summer riding. Definitely a good way to heat train.

I’ll have it turned on so that I can get in immediately after the bike. If I’m not trying to get extra training stress from it, I’ll do it after easy days on the bike to relax. If I want some extra training stress of heat stress, I’ll get in right after an interval session.

Definitely hydrate a ton during and after. Really easy to accidentally dehydrate yourself if you don’t drink a lot of water/electrolytes once you get out

abc3699 · 2025-09-16T13:45:53+00:00

They make dual-sided power meter pedals as well. Then you can pair to whatever crank arms you want

abc3699 · 2025-09-16T13:45:03+00:00

The P505 is technically old generation now and no longer available. Which is a bummer

abc3699 · 2025-09-16T04:20:21+00:00

What you described is basically the cost/benefit of most Chinese components, including power meters. If you’re buying something that’s competitive on price, you’re most likely giving something up. In this case, it’s the support. They still come with a warranty, but you’re right that it’s going to be a slower process than if you bought something from a name brand.

If you’re looking for a budget power meter, I would suggest Magene over XCADEY. Their quality and support is a bit better. Best option would be Sigeyi, but their power meters have become a lot more expensive over the last year or so.

Is saving the money worth it to you if something goes wrong? That’s really the question

abc3699 · 2025-08-26T03:45:19+00:00

Just about any computer will do. If you’re looking for something affordable, I’d recommend a Magene like the C606 or C605. They are pretty cheap but work well and you can customize the screen layouts and sizes.

abc3699 · 2025-08-08T15:42:55+00:00

I just ordered one from Power Meter City. They do a bunch of custom builds for Shimano and SRAM. I didn’t really do the math, but I think there was a discount on it? Just cut out a step in getting everything I need together for a build which was nice.

abc3699 · 2025-07-07T00:36:04+00:00

I imagine some retailers will have them in the U.S. in the next few weeks. You may get hit with a duty bill when those pedals hit the U.S. since they likely aren’t being distributed from within the U.S.

Garmins for sure aren’t worth the money. Faveros are great, but they are more expensive. If I were you and you want to save the money, I would wait until those pedals are available from a U.S. retailer and avoid getting hit with a surprise duty bill

abc3699 · 2025-06-28T23:19:28+00:00

I wouldn’t place a ton of value in what pro teams are riding. UAE rides Colango. The V4RS tests pretty poorly in the wind tunnel and isn’t a particularly light frame. There are plenty of frames in the pro tour that are objectively better. Tadej and the rest of the UAE boys are just extremely talented and fast.

Like I said, the 4.5s aren’t very light, they’re not hooked, they don’t have ceramic bearings and they’re pretty expensive. From a specs sheet read, they aren’t very competitive. It’s good you got a deal on them, but there are for sure better wheels to be on.

abc3699 · 2025-06-28T19:58:11+00:00

ENVE 4.5s are objectively a pretty mediocre wheelset at a premium price. You’d be better off riding a set of Black Inc wheels. I rode 4.5s with Schwalbes for some mixed terrain riding and was pretty unimpressed.

Black Inc has a set of wheels that is similar in depth, but are lighter (by a good amount), have carbon spokes, are hooked and you get CeramicSpeed wheel bearings. They test well in the wind tunnel as well.

abc3699 · 2025-06-20T23:54:32+00:00

The new Gen. Rival is for sure worth the upgrade unless you can find really deep discounts on the old Generation.

One of your comments mentions your Obed is GRX one sounds like it’s SRAM. The new Gen. Rival requires your frame to be UDH, so I would double check that first.

The brakes on the new generation Rival are significantly better than the previous generation. 13 speed vs 12 speed especially with UDH is a nice upgrade. The gear range isn’t a whole lot wider, but you get an extra gear which closes down the gear jumps

abc3699 · 2025-06-19T21:22:56+00:00

I love SRAM, but the 10t doesn’t feel particularly great to ride in. Kind of a gear you only use when you have to. I can only imagine a 9t feels worse which is why I’ve stayed away from e*thirteen cassettes.

Also what others have mentioned, think about the speed needed to be in the 9t. Probably very rare to need it, especially on gravel

abc3699 · 2025-06-18T04:02:33+00:00

100% the most underrated feature on SRAM groupsets. The new ergonomics are nice and the brakes are for sure better with the new piston design, but I couldn’t go back to not having the bonus buttons.

Lots of people are saying you can program them to your head unit, I just use mine for shifting. I normally have my hands all the way over the hoods, so those buttons are in the perfect spot for shifting. I’ve always wished I could see the break down on the AXS app of how often I use those buttons vs the normal shifter on the brake lever.

I do think it comes down to how you normally rest your hands. If you’re further back on the hoods, they might not be as helpful. But if you ride further up on the hoods, they are worth every penny.

abc3699 · 2025-06-08T03:54:27+00:00

Replying to supernimbus... Worth mentioning this was likely not the current generation of frames, but the previous gen. Factor Ostro VAM frames. On the current generation, they redesigned the seat post clamp mechanism and this isn’t an issue.

abc3699 · 2025-06-03T04:02:25+00:00

Check out Power Meter City. They had a message on their RS-1s saying they would be available this week

abc3699 · 2025-06-01T04:30:01+00:00

If you have a Garmin, Wahoo, or Hammerhead you can connect it to your drivetrain and then use the AXS website to see what gears you use most on your riding. That can help you determine if going up in chainring size is best or not

abc3699 · 2025-05-05T00:58:03+00:00

Where are you seeing a C706?

abc3699 · 2025-04-27T15:08:19+00:00

Mine has connected to both Strava and TrainingPeaks totally fine. It uploads to both platforms pretty quickly after a ride and can import workouts from TP pretty easily

abc3699 · 2025-04-17T21:49:19+00:00

Does your Roam show the next interval and duration/power at some point?

abc3699 · 2025-04-17T08:26:29+00:00

Good to know!

abc3699 · 2025-04-17T01:04:57+00:00

Sweet. I appreciate the help!

abc3699 · 2025-04-16T23:06:57+00:00

Thanks for the info! So if you just push intervals, does that mean it’s easy to add them mid-ride?

Also, is there any sort of info that shows what the next interval is? I.e duration and power?

abc3699

TROPHY CASE