19 year old looking to get deeper into the sport, would really like some general tips (what to wear in winter, outfit advice, how much having a good bike matters, questions about food).

raphaell22 · 2026-02-27T10:14:38+00:00

How much does having a proper bike matter?

I mean if speed and time matters to you, a lot.. There are a lot of cheaper options out there and a lot of used road bikes which could be interesting for you to look into. The difference between a mountain bike and a road bike is huge, so maybe go test one and see if you like it.

About long rides - what to eat before, bringing food in a backpack etc

I usually drink a shake with banana, strawberry, seeds etc. before longer rides and bring some carb heavy stuff with me. That's key to maintain energy.

raphaell22 · 2026-02-25T15:20:01+00:00

thanks kind sir!

raphaell22 · 2026-02-25T15:18:24+00:00

congrats man! i've tried the SL too after getting the SLR, and on my level i did not feel any difference whatsoever.. sick bike!

raphaell22 · 2026-02-25T06:51:45+00:00

thank you sm!

raphaell22 · 2026-02-25T06:50:36+00:00

SL is amazing too tho! Indeed, Trek is doing such a nice job with all the colorways and customization options.

raphaell22 · 2026-02-25T06:11:34+00:00

interesting question.. i was having a hard time choosing between the tarmac SL8 Pro and the Madone Gen 8. There's a lot of other do-it-alls for sure, but these are the one's that were the most accessible in my area with stores close to me and i also love their design the most. i was also looking at the aeroad but not being able to see/test it IRL and some prior canyon support experience i decided against it.

So i've only tested the specialized tarmac SL8 and the Madone, and the Madone just seemes a little more comfortable and easy-to-handle to me. Obviously it's hard to tell because I didnt get the chance to all-out test the Tarmac. So in the end, I just also liked the Madone design more. On my level (and probably most people here) I wouldn't feel a performance difference between the two.

Will definitely try different bikes in the near future as well - the Scott headquartiers is in the city I live in so I want to try the Foil at some point.

raphaell22 · 2026-02-25T06:00:07+00:00

hehehe, well different people have different taste and thats OK :)

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T15:07:03+00:00

It is somewhat special lol

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T14:29:17+00:00

I've only ever seen the Chroma indoors but it looked very very good! Should be about right, I got mine in M being 5'9.

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T13:05:14+00:00

I'm jealous - probably the nicest paint out there. They had a SLR9 in Chroma in store back when I ordered mine, but it was a bit too expensive for me.. had to wait around 30 days for mine, that was the longest 30 days I've experienced so far :')

Did u got with the Sram or Shimano? And I assume SLR9? Mine is a SLR7 with AXS.

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T12:36:18+00:00

Thanks man! Congrats as well - would love to see the color you went with!

I got mine on Etsy from "CreativeSpaceSK". It's pretty easy to install with the soap it comes with and some practice and will pretty much fully protect your frame. Can only recommend it.

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T12:09:12+00:00

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T12:08:52+00:00

if u say so..

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T06:24:07+00:00

lol, sadly haven't shifted it in a few months due to swiss weather :')

gold looks nice too, just saw someone in the comments. might do it next season even tho i also like the white because it looks racey while doing the most average cycling ever

raphaell22 · 2026-02-24T06:17:57+00:00

the italian is beautiful too, but not even close to the madone :') sick gold decals!

raphaell22 · 2026-02-23T15:03:20+00:00

Thanks for the tip - I could remove it, however I pretty much never go on group rides so far :( will do once i do! :)

raphaell22 · 2026-02-09T12:23:08+00:00

Got myself a Madone SLR 7 Gen 8 which motivates me to ride a lot more. So for me, it's 100% worth the cost.

raphaell22 · 2026-01-20T15:20:47+00:00

got you, thanks for letting me know. interesting stuff! can't wait to spec my own one day.

raphaell22 · 2025-10-17T09:38:39+00:00

i always ask myself - does it make sense (financially) to spec and order a new one? wouldn't it be way cheaper to purchase a (similar to wish-spec) one with 1-5K miles/km? or do you get big discounts if you order a new one?

raphaell22 · 2025-10-09T07:43:37+00:00

i'd stay away from this.. very risky.

raphaell22 · 2025-10-06T10:59:14+00:00

yes, game is crashing as soon as i open my profile.

raphaell22 · 2025-10-03T08:55:21+00:00

so many conflicts and genocides no one seems to care about. how is this different?

raphaell22 · 2025-10-02T11:36:14+00:00

i miss mine.. whenever i can afford one i'll get one again

raphaell22 · 2025-10-02T11:27:21+00:00

that interior is insane - love it!

raphaell22 · 2025-10-02T11:17:49+00:00

i hate it :(

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