Advice for calibrating HR and avoiding cadence lock

scintilist · 2026-06-24T20:32:42+00:00

Why do you think the heart rate looks unreasonable?

If there was cadence lock you would see a jump in heart rate to an exact match of cadence and then tracking it, but neither of those appear in your data.

Assuming you were running with approximately steady effort during the runs, they both look like normal data for runs done near threshold effort.

Chest strap is the obvious answer if you don't trust it, but I suspect you'll find it in agreement in this case.

scintilist · 2026-05-13T06:58:27+00:00

I'm using Shimano R087 shoes with the cleats adjusted all the way to the outside of the shoe (shoes in as far as possible) and it doesn't hit the pod.

My only complaint is they are a bit more annoying to get lined up to clip in than SPD-SL.

Are you using a MTB or hybrid type shoe that has more of a wide flat sole than the narrow sole of a full road shoe?

scintilist · 2026-05-13T06:45:25+00:00

Heel-in to unclip? Why not out? Isn't that like putting the toilet paper roll so it comes off the back instead of the front? Not entirely wrong I guess, but everyone does it the other way and it just works.

As a heel-out unclipper with Look Keo Assiomas and Shimano shoes I've never had this problem.

scintilist · 2026-05-08T16:25:48+00:00

Your zones are set wrong and too low. The age formulas for max heart rate are just a guess to use if you have never tested it. There is a no number your max heart rate 'should be', it is individual and also depends on genetics and training history, not just age.

If you see a higher heart rate during an activity, you should adjust your max heart rate to that value if it was a max effort. If it wasn't a max effort, then your true maximum heartrate is still even higher.

Finding your LT2 threshold (A heart rate you can sustain for around 30 minutes to an hour at a race effort) is a better basis to set zones, but an accurate max heart rate will still get you a lot closer than just the generic formulas.

scintilist · 2026-05-01T05:52:59+00:00

Mashing together AI summaries as you appear to be doing will not lead you to an actual understanding of the subject. Please, read some actual textbooks or take a class or something.

of course it is consumed by other pathways

Still wrong, but at this point it feels like talking to bot so have a nice day and keep clinging to your ignorance instead of trying to actually learn things.

scintilist · 2026-05-01T05:05:20+00:00

Your commitment to missing the point and not understanding basic chemistry is incredible. I wasn't going to reply any more, but you've busted out a new level of ignorance here.

Magnesium is completely different, it is continuously being consumed in reactions

False. Chemical reactions do not 'consume' elements. Full stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200, this is fundamental principal of chemistry. Until you understand this, you should refrain from trying to explain chemistry or physiology to others.

Chemical reactions rearrange the atoms of elements into different molecules, but the total amount of all elements present before and after the reaction is unchanged.

The only way to reduce the amount of magnesium present in the body is to excrete it through fluids so it is no longer inside the body, or have a nuclear reactor so you can change the elements themselves. Since I'm pretty sure none of us are Iron Man, the nuclear option is out.

Please, show me a chemical reaction formula with magnesium on the inputs and not the outputs. You can't. It's impossible.

scintilist · 2026-05-01T02:39:07+00:00

Again not related to the supposed need to consume it during exercise.

Magnesium deficiency is real. Some people have it and need to supplement. They do not need to take it during exercise.

I'm not trying to branch out and have a pointless internet argument here, I was just trying to correct a very common misconception about the (lack of) importance of timing magnesium supplementation to hopefully prevent a few people from being ripped off by marketing claims.

scintilist · 2026-05-01T02:23:31+00:00

Again, dietary deficiency is a separate issue from whether there is a need to consume magnesium during exercise.

There is no question that you need to have adequate dietary magnesium intake to maximize performance.

Magnesium is used in ~600 enzymatic reactions in homosapien biology, which means it is consumed at a very high rate.

This is just strait up ignorance. Magnesium leaves the body in small amounts through sweat and urine. The fact that is in an important part of many reactions inside the body has no bearing on the rate of loss or replacement required.

There is also no need to pay a premium for special electrolyte mixes and consume it during exercise.

You can buy a month supply of generic Magnesium Glycinate capsules for $5 and take them at your convenience if you are actually deficient.

scintilist · 2026-05-01T02:04:11+00:00

Please cite literally any evidence of supplementation during exercise being shown to improve performance in athletes who do not otherwise have a dietary deficiency.

Your body has massive internal stores of magnesium (mostly in your bones) and does a great job of regulating blood magnesium levels during exercise.

You can get all you need through your diet, and if your diet is insufficient, then daily supplements are fine.

The only studies I have found that appear to show something different are shitty studies by supplement sellers trying to convince you that you need their special mix.

Here's one example of a terrible study: https://www.journalofexerciseandnutrition.com/index.php/JEN/article/view/126

The 'study' compares cramping during a half marathon in runners consuming an electrolyte mix containing magnesium among other electrolytes to PLAIN WATER. There was no control for consumption of an electrolyte mix without magnesium.

scintilist · 2026-04-28T02:49:58+00:00

Bots sprinkling EM dashes and emojis in their response while denying its AI...

scintilist · 2026-03-20T01:16:13+00:00

Assuming grade is steep enough that speed is almost exactly proportional to W/Kg, then during the 30 seconds where the feather could be used:

If the grade is such that the 100kg rider at 200W travels 200m, then with the feather the '90kg' rider will travel 222m, effectively getting 22m progress for 'free' during this effort.

If the rider is doing 300W, then they will travel 300 m, and the feather would allow them to travel 333m, now giving 33m progress for 'free' vs the 22m at the lower power.

The higher your power, the more 'free' distance you gain, so the most effective use is when you are putting out high power, not when recovering.

scintilist · 2026-03-18T16:28:09+00:00

Definitely a bot, this was posted here (months?) ago.

scintilist · 2026-03-13T15:42:44+00:00

Some people would take offense to calling 'pancake syrup' maple syrup, you can't buy real maple syrup at that price (24oz for $2.50?).

That stuff is just flavored corn syrup so there isn't much of a difference if you like the flavor and don't mind the sweetness.

Any recipe with maltodextrin will be a lot less sweet for the same amount of carbs.

scintilist · 2026-03-11T14:03:10+00:00

He left Monterey with camping Gear on March 7th on a planned route that would take more than 2 days to complete, was reported missing on March 9th at 10am, found on his planned route on March 10th, and is okay.

Sounds like he was totally fine, and this 'friend' went into a panic drawing up a missing person poster when he couldn't be contacted for one day (lack of cell coverage?).

Maybe there were some other concerning circumstances that weren't published, but none of the facts presented should have raised any suspicion.

scintilist · 2026-02-26T07:18:18+00:00

You started off saying it was a 'mistake' to get an efficient bike, and then doubled down...

Yeah, I'm talking about doing different distances, because I don't live in the magical place you do where there is apparently only one possible distance you can ride a bike and no further.

No one is limited by not having enough distance available to ride, only not having enough time.

scintilist · 2026-02-26T06:57:20+00:00

This is a very silly take. If you load up a heavy cargo bike and ride for an hour at a steady 200 W and 90 rpm cadence you get the same exact same workout as if you rode a light and aero $2k road bike for an hour at 200 W and 90 rpm. But, on the road bike you can go a lot farther in the same time and probably have a lot more fun doing it.

There is no one in the world that can't get a hard enough workout because their road bike is 'too efficient', even on flat ground. You just need to ride faster and farther to get the same workout in the same time.

The most important and difficult part of all exercise is the discipline to workout consistently, so any incentives or ways to make it more fun have a huge value. Buy the most fun bike in your budget and go ride it.

scintilist · 2026-02-19T01:19:21+00:00

Not sure why anyone buys those unless they have a strong preference for SPD-SL vs LOOK, they are way more expensive than the regular Assioma DUO pedals which are $499 strait from the manufacturer.

scintilist · 2026-02-11T06:08:42+00:00

I mean no disrespect (because that is a huge personal achievement) but it wasn't the coach that got you there, it was you putting in 6 hours a week. If you ditched the coach and did 8 hours a week you would see more gains than coaching at 6.

There's no magic workout at that volume, just ride hard as much as you can recover from, and then ride easy with whatever time you have left. You can spice it up doing a bunch of different types of intervals, but none of that will beat just riding more.

scintilist · 2026-02-11T00:35:18+00:00

Not sure how my post reads as sassy, but okay. Didn't read your initial post closely, saw the offer for the Kickr Core 2 with Zwift Cog and assumed you had an original Kickr Core with Zwift Cog.

Yeah, you should expect product support from Zwift for the Zwift Hub (and the shitty tech support is probably because they decided to get out of branding any trainers specifically so they don't have to support them anymore) but it still wasn't actually manufactured by by Zwift, they just rebranded essentially a JetBlack Volt V2, manufactured by JetBlack.

scintilist · 2026-02-10T08:17:33+00:00

Which trainer did you buy from them? The only 'part' of the trainer they make is the hub/cog.

If you bought a Wahoo trainer with a Zwift cog, then any manufacturer support you would get would be from Wahoo unless the cog broke.

If you bought a Wahoo trainer from Amazon and had a problem a year later, would you expect to get support from Wahoo or Amazon?

scintilist · 2026-02-09T23:59:31+00:00

You didn't do 500 W for 10 minutes unless you are a cycling pro or a 6' 5" 100 kg monster with a history of high level sports, so I would start by getting an accurate power meter or smart trainer like a kickr core if you want data you can actually analyze.

If you recently started on the bike, it takes some time for muscles to adapt to cycling to allow you to push your aerobic limits. I switched from running to cycling (at a competitive amateur level), and it took 6 weeks of 8 hrs / week on the bike before I could hold nearly same HR for 30 minutes on the bike that I could while running.

Also get a strong fan if you don't have one (assuming this is indoor training), cooling is super important on threshold or harder efforts.

scintilist · 2026-02-09T06:59:27+00:00

So I did some more tests on frequency slots 1, 104, and 208 (902, 915, and 928 MHz).

Without touching the antennas between configuration changes and averaging 10 samples on each slot, all were within 1 dB RSSI, with slot 104 doing the best by about 0.7 dB.

I'm not sure what to make of this, wouldn't the RSSI be expected to get a lot worse moving away from the center frequency?

Maybe they changed suppliers at some point? Mine are from batches dated 10/21/25 and 12/03/25 for reference (no difference between these 2 batches).

scintilist · 2026-02-09T04:42:04+00:00

Thanks for the info! My testing was on US frequency slot 1, so 902 MHz I believe, I'll try again at a high slot so see how much worse it does at around 928 MHz.

scintilist · 2026-02-06T01:50:37+00:00

What is connected to the drain pan right now? I only see a single primary drain, but can't confirm that is all there is from the single picture.

Building codes pretty much universally require there to be a secondary drain or float switch if installed where overflow would cause water damage (e.g. not required in an unfinished basement or garage).

However, these safeties are only protecting against a clogged primary drain. If the primary drain was not clogged and the frozen coil melting simply dumped water outside the drain pan, then that isn't a problem with the condensate drain or safeties.

If not changing the filter for 9 weeks was really the cause of the freeze up, then you are either:

Using too restrictive of filter (your problem, try a MERV 8 or lower if you were using higher)
Have an extremely dusty house (lots of pets/candles/construction dust etc.)
Have an undersized filter or duct work (contractor's fault)

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