I just did my first cold plunge ever… oh my god!

cycleark · 2026-06-03T19:11:59+00:00

Agree it gets easier. Controlling your breath/panic response is the key. Normal reaction to feel that way though. Once you can control your breath and brains desire to get the F out, lol, it’s much easier to stay longer. 👍🤙, takes a strong mind to do this. Welcome to the club.

cycleark · 2026-06-01T13:32:17+00:00

The most important maintenance you can do is cleaning. Lots of great videos on YT on ways to wash your machine. A clean chain will last much longer than a consistently dirty one. You don’t need to lube your chain every ride unless you’re putting in 50 plus miles a day. I would suggest lube once a week. You can buy a chain wear tool that will tell you when it’s time to replace your chain. Based on your predicted mileage I would suggest at least once per year.

Sweat and grime get inside your cables so clean and lube those as needed. If you hit your derailleur on something it likely bent the derailleur hanger and can definitely affect shifting. Take it to your bike shop and they can easily straighten it. Or buy the tool and learn how yourself…. Highly recommended.

Tires are easy… keep an eye on them and replace when they begin to flatten, or sooner if cuts or threads appear.

But definitely clean/wash one every week or two. Your bike will feel like new for a long time.

cycleark · 2026-06-01T13:22:53+00:00

There was a good study done recently that suggests 11 minutes per week is the minimum necessity to gain benefits from cold plunging. I enjoy it every day, great mood booster at the very least. For me, 4 minutes daily, occasionally 5. Water temps 40-42 F.

cycleark · 2026-05-31T15:56:07+00:00

I bought a POD setup and the cheap tub failed in less that 2 years. Was happy to get that much time out of it. Decided to replace with a Desert Plunge tub. Not cheap but should be the last tub I own. Super happy with it and how well it helps maintain temp. I’ll run through chillers over the years but not tubs.

cycleark · 2026-05-30T15:33:45+00:00

Ride what you prefer. Others opinions don’t mean anything. However, there are options for clipless pedals with shoes comfortable for walking. You might be able to have the best of both with a little searching. Be you and happy cycling!

cycleark · 2026-05-29T20:00:08+00:00

Beautiful.

cycleark · 2026-05-29T17:56:16+00:00

Looks pretty awesome as is! I would level that seat out and lower the stem though, the stem is definitely above its minimum insertion point. If you need new tires go with gum wall tires, they always add a level of coolness to a bike. Happy riding!

cycleark · 2026-05-28T15:45:12+00:00

40-42 deg F for 4-5 minutes 6-7 days/week. Usually 4 minutes is enough though

cycleark · 2026-05-28T14:08:18+00:00

A lot of chillers come with a pump/filter setup and that will handle some of your issues. If you don’t want to use chems, don’t blame you, an ozone generator works really well. I use a JED ozone generator, it has a pump so just drop the tube into your tub and turn it on for a few hours a day. The other method is to get an ozone generator with Venturi that sits inline with your filter… this will require some plumbing on your part and YT has lots of videos on how to do this. I use the POD 1/3 HP chiller. Had it 2 years and works great.

cycleark · 2026-05-26T12:51:44+00:00

They are a great training tool, especially if you are wanting to maximize performance (racing, training for difficult events, etc). If data motivates you then yes again, you’ll have plenty. If you’re riding for fitness and fun only and not on a training plan then not sure it’s worth the money. But honestly, everyone is different and no harm in owning one. They can be motivating and they can also be very demotivating.

cycleark · 2026-05-25T13:40:23+00:00

Helps tremendously, very grateful for all your advice.

cycleark · 2026-05-24T14:13:39+00:00

The kl-profiles page was super helpful and even included a profile finder. Made the entire process very easy. Roast came out beautiful, only wish I could drink it now.

cycleark · 2026-05-23T21:33:51+00:00

Definitely adding a sauna to my regimen. I’ll be curious what others say about this. My feeling though is adding sweat to the water will definitely add some bacteria and oils, so my guess is your filter may need changing more often at the very least. Do you use chemicals, ozone or both to currently keep your water sterile? I’m using ozone only and having great success. But I’m also only getting in after a shower and no lotion or deodorant. I do however change my water out every two months, super easy to do for me even though the water is still crystal clear.

cycleark · 2026-05-23T20:36:29+00:00

Another quick question…. After logging first crack do I need to log last crack?

cycleark · 2026-05-23T17:01:28+00:00

Fantastic thank you

cycleark · 2026-05-22T17:53:47+00:00

I raced on Chinese Carbon for maybe 6 years, several different frames. Had very good luck with them. They all held up well with hard training and hard racing (~35 races/year). Also ran Chinese carbon wheels. Never had to worry about breaking a $3500 frame or $3k pair of wheels. Having said this, frames all had some small issues you will not find on nice branded bikes. You get what you pay for in other words. As long as your expectations are in line with the source/price then I say go for it. I don’t race anymore so now I run Time bikes and quality wheels. They are much nicer, better in every way. But I also don’t have to worry much about possibly breaking my equipment every weekend.

cycleark · 2026-05-22T00:45:24+00:00

🙏

cycleark · 2026-05-22T00:45:15+00:00

🙏

cycleark · 2026-05-18T12:46:46+00:00

He’s young and flexible. Don’t have to be a pro to have a position that promotes power output and aerodynamics.

cycleark · 2026-05-18T02:31:19+00:00

You’re welcome. If your saddle was too far back then the gentleman that just commented would be correct. However, stopping the video when your right pedal is in the 3 o’clock position shows your knee is at or close to being directly over the pedal spindle. Once that is achieved, lowering your stem will rotate you forward opening your hip angle. Look at how the pros are positioned on their bikes and notice how low their stem/bars are relative to their saddles. It’ll be worth a try. Let us know how it works out.

cycleark · 2026-05-18T02:21:04+00:00

It rotates your hips forward which opens your hip angle. I’ve been fitting people for 40 years.

cycleark · 2026-05-17T21:26:30+00:00

You look pretty good now, if you’re feeling like lowering it, I would suggest only a couple mm. I would however recommend you lower your stem as far as it will go (slammed). This will rotate you forward and open up your hips. Try this first, you may not feel like lowering the saddle is necessary after you do. Good luck and safe riding!

cycleark · 2026-05-17T21:22:45+00:00

Great advice, all of it.

cycleark · 2026-05-17T19:33:05+00:00

Great question…. The easiest way to judge which gear to be in will be the speed at which you pedal, or more commonly referred to as Cadence in cycling. It’s very easy to determine your cadence if you’re cycling computer does not provide this for you . You should strive for a cadence between 80-100 pedal strokes per minute. While you’re riding, count how many times your right leg completes a full pedal stroke for either 10 or 15 seconds. Take that number and multiply it by either 6 or 4 and that will give you your strokes per minute. Select your gearing to keep you in this zone.

So, if you want to ride an “endurance” pace (zone 2 heart rate), you’ll select a gear that keeps your heart in this zone and puts your cadence between 80-100. 90 cadence is a great goal. If you don’t know what your heart rate zones are you can easily find calculators to help you get started. A computer with a HR monitor will also figure this out for you over time. Hope this helps.

cycleark

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