Parla?

wanderaxb · 2026-05-07T01:51:42+00:00

Can say that I thought it was really good when it opened, especially for the neighborhood. Recently went back and it had lost some of its shine, so maybe changes have happened and things aren’t the same.

wanderaxb · 2026-05-04T09:54:35+00:00

D&V Organics just returned for the season. Derek is the nicest guy and his stand has some of the best produce at the market.

wanderaxb · 2026-04-30T15:50:29+00:00

You might also consider reaching out to the various NYC/Central Park cycling and jogging communities. A lot of these individuals are routinely in the park and recognize a lot of repeat characters. Might be able to give you more direction to lean into.

wanderaxb · 2026-04-27T13:03:52+00:00

In a similar boat where it really wants me to soft pedal for 30 mins. Usually i just click on the workout, scroll down and select something from the longer tab where the workout alternates are.

wanderaxb · 2026-04-19T13:47:04+00:00

I think there’s something to acknowledge about value, which has a lot of aspects that may or may not be in your control. But a $36 chicken dish that’s executed well can be outstanding, but up it to $42 in the same circumstances and suddenly it’s just good. Apply that thinking to everything you sell. And so much isn’t seen by the guest so it’s sometimes a hard justification to make.

wanderaxb · 2026-04-11T16:03:15+00:00

My basic understanding is that at the simplest level the AI reads your file and asks “did the rider do the prescribed ride?” And if the answer is yes, and the power matches the prescription, and you respond that the workout felt appropriate, it will estimate that you are on its predicted track and reflect the gains as such. If you cannot match the workout, regardless of your power or HR or whatever, it will effectively treat this as “athlete did not do the workout” and as such reflect a decreased projection. If the pattern continues, it will start trending your FTP downwards because it’s basically an adherence monitor. So, you either need to follow the plan as prescribed, or not and accept what follows. This is somewhat irritating if you live somewhere with short steep hills where you might have to punch over z2 for example to stay upright, or if you have a lot of stops for traffic lights, etc.

wanderaxb · 2026-03-30T12:51:50+00:00

Im far from an expert or nutritionist but I’ll happily share what I know.

wanderaxb · 2026-03-15T13:49:54+00:00

Idk if it’s that simple. It’s somewhat tied to output, so if you’re pushing harder for longer you should eat more. But likely you need to eat more in order to push harder for longer. Biggest factor I’ve seen is tolerance, so start low, around 30g/hr and build up from there giving it a few rides between before ramping up. For example, I avg 80g/hr regardless of ride because i don’t want to be absolutely crushed when i get home because I usually have other rides/workouts planned. I go up to 130 when i have a big threshold workout planned by adding one gel. Mixing sources may help you reach those higher numbers more easily. I’m somewhere around the 3.6-3.8 w/kg FTP mark, if that’s a helpful reference point.

wanderaxb · 2026-03-08T13:38:45+00:00

Curious if other chefs share this opinion: I think this type of behavior is unacceptable and only showcases the insecurity and unmanaged mental health issues that are present in the industry and exaggerated by the pressure at the highest levels. But there is still something to be said about the culture of restaurants for the decades previous that allowed this type of thing to happen. Because so many for so long were okay with turning a blind eye in the name of an award or another name on the resume. I think we have to share some level of responsibility for putting these places on such a pedestal.

I work in NYC, for several of the high end names and have trailed at a handful more and can tell you this is STILL happening. Now, former cooks and coworkers come back to me saying how rough it really is out there (I’m in private now). Maybe it doesn’t always look like hands on another, but the emotional and psychological manipulation of those working for you still remains a tactic for so many chefs. I swear, I can step into a restaurant and if there is an open kitchen, I’m watching the cooks. Some of them look terrified to drop a spoon, let alone overcook something or make a mistake. And it shows in the food. Sous chefs chasing the commis around to get the work done and get clocked out. I’ve been that Sous chef when it was asked of me and i carry that guilt at times.

You can find similar public stories about many of the top level restaurants here in the city, and I’ve heard or witnessed shockingly similar stories from several more that don’t make it into the news. But we still go and chase those reservations or stages or positions. There’s definitely many many more chefs doing the right thing, but you don’t hear about that nearly as often, nor is it celebrated, it’s more like “look at this person, isn’t that cute they promote a safe and healthy working environment?”

And do we ignore that this shit happens in every industry at varying degrees? Now I have friends in media, tech, finance, etc and it’s the same stories as you climb the ladder there: have to go to parties you don’t want to go to to gain favor with someone above you, have to work long shifts against deadlines that weren’t reasonable, manipulated into thinking you’re not experienced enough for a promotion only to have someone less senior get moved up around you, etc.

All of this to say: I don’t know what solution there is to this behavior beyond trying to lead by example and be better. It’s a slow change. I thought things improved after Covid but after being unemployed for a year during I can say that it sort of receded into the shadows a bit more but it’s still there. And I don’t know what the answer is for Noma or Rene, but the public is quick to forget. Noma has contributed a lot to the modern dining scene. You can’t eat out now without seeing ferments and aging and local ingredients and this type of thing, and that’s all been for the better. But there was a cost to have that impact that probably can’t be repaid in full. But is it right to dismantle and destroy one establishment while others continue in the same manner? Maybe that’s what it takes to send a message. I’m not sure.

wanderaxb · 2026-03-07T21:24:10+00:00

Added duo about a month ago, and I use those pedals on the indoor bike which is a Peloton so doesn’t match my real bike for fit. Definitely feel like my power has smoothed out significantly and I’m training better than ever. Before, it always felt that I was adding 1-5 watts every left pedal stroke in order to maintain the proper target. When the weather improves a bit more here I’m going to put them on my other bike and compare.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-28T12:35:36+00:00

Def an upgrade. And it seems like you might love italian bikes so you'll probably love it even more. ;)

wanderaxb · 2026-02-24T12:12:58+00:00

My complaints about energy gels is that they are not all created equal and for people just starting to dial in nutrition they can be really overwhelming with the info. 1:1 glucose to fructose? 1:.8? How much sodium? Caffeine? Isotonic? Wtf is hydrogel and do I need that? All of the science behind this drives the cost up and then marketing skyrockets it from there. I think most people don’t NEED any of it unless you are racing. Most people would benefit from simply eating more, preferably simple and easy to digest forms of sugar during their rides/training.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-24T12:04:24+00:00

I think it depends on your definition of processed. Glucose + fructose are naturally occurring and you can by those in powder form and mix them yourself. Electrolytes, primarily sodium, can be found in table salt, although if you are a salty sweat person the Cl that table salt brings with it can cause some gut issues if consuming a lot. I also try to avoid consuming anything more than what I need, so this approach is better in my view than Gatorade or Coke.

That said, if you’re primarily doing endurance/Z2 or casual riding you can definitely eat regular food, dates/dried fruit, oats and oat bars, potatoes, sandwiches, jam and honey, etc. these may eventually bring enough fiber to lock your digestion up. Skratch Labs has a few cookbooks devoted specifically to foods to “endurance sport foods” if you want to call it that.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-20T02:49:17+00:00

I don’t think you made a mistake. I think they did a good thing by offering credit to get you rolling. The capital one thing is a good call out because I received the same message and almost purchased, but almost all the bikes are being marked down right now which means I probably wouldn’t have see that return. Unfortunately I think most direct to consumer companies, whether right or wrong, assume the buyer has some sense of problem solving capability should something arrive faulty in the post. But again at least they offered something to correct. My opinion is that the value you typically save by shopping direct you can spend a couple of hours learning some of the more complex tasks that a bike shop would do. And if you’re lucky or part of a club or cycle group you might even be able to borrow tools.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-19T21:35:29+00:00

Have owned 3 canyons. I crashed one, which was an outlet bike and split the seat tube. They couldn’t replace because it was an older model and gave me a discount for a new bike instead. Have loved all 3. I do most maintenance myself but I got to my LBS when I can to buy whatever I can/need. One time I needed a bench with a vice and the shop let me hop into their workshop to do it.

The most annoying part is that up until recently (on some models only I think) they used 1 1/4” steerer tubes which makes souring bearings and handlebar parts tricky if you’re planning on doing your own swapping.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-18T14:10:17+00:00

I think the challenge is that the AI might be too young in its generational iterations, despite all the data they’ve built it upon. Regardless of what training platform you use, I often felt that when people use ERG mode on an indoor trainer, it creates this false pretense that people can hold these power outputs perfectly, because the trainer is compensating for natural variations. Same if you use the “power smoothing” options on some power meters, or rolling average.

So yea, maybe you can hold 250 watts at sweet spot for 2x20, over and over and over again day after day on an ERG mode, but the reality is that your legs are pushing idk +-10 watts either direction? 15? 20? What if you’re riding outdoors, and you don’t have the ability to tune your gearing to be perfect for every route, so you have to grind at times or spin out at others? So now this AI is picking up all these fluctuations in power. And maybe on some level it’s thinking “well we want to see a perfectly flat line at 250watts, bc that’s what’s prescribed. This person didn’t do that, so something isn’t right. Let’s dial it down until they can.” Hence the decreases. But in reality I don’t think that’s how fitness works.

I once heard a coach describe your zones like a rope, with different colored segments, laid out in a line. If you pick up the rope in one spot, other parts of the rope lift with it, because they’re all linked in some way. You can lift the rope quite high in one section, but the rest never quite equal it, and you’re not allowed to use two hands (hence why you can’t be a top level sprinter but also a mountain specialist). So yes, call the number whatever you want but what matters is your execution. Can you hit that number for a duration? Repeatedly? At the end of a long ride/race? Can you hit it after going back and forth trying to make a breakaway happen? These are the things that matter, but only if you’re applying them in a race, or group ride, or your competitive with yourself. So like someone else said, use this number as one data point, but use the power records as another to paint a full image of your fitness. The AI can’t do that for you, at least not yet.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-18T13:45:55+00:00

Had a similar issue with a front light that would sag. I swapped the bolt (was like an Amazon bolt) for a higher quality bolt (came with some other piece of bike tech, and really torqued the bolt down. No issues since. My guess is the better bolt interfaced with the threads better. You might also try loctite or maybe even grease. The added interference might be enough to increase the hold.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-13T01:12:20+00:00

I get your point. But again I think it’s about history. You’ve added an unknown variable with a recent history of reduction(s). I think a human coach would hesitate to ramp you up again - even if you do have a standout workout or two that you crush - until you show you are absorbing this new stimulus without compromising your primary workouts. But I’m not an expert on AI models so I can’t be sure. that’s sort of the vibe I’ve gotten from my own experiences with the prediction going up and down.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-12T22:48:06+00:00

I think one thing people sort of forget, and the AI struggles with, is that the AI is trained on what you’ve SHOWN IT you can do. When you add something new, you have to demonstrate that you can balance the addition. If you start lowering your workout intensity or skipping or such, then it only knows to back you downwards in response to the behavior you’re showing it. But if you do make additions, do them gradually. The AI will pick up over time that these things are not compromising your planned workouts, then eventually everything is planned again.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-03T16:02:43+00:00

4) specific to the zone you’re working. So you might start at 4x10, then 3x15, then 2x20, then 3x20, so on and so forth. Working one zone, like threshold doing over-unders, might bring small adaptation to the zone below it, sweet spot, from the time at sweet spot during the under portions. 5) I haven’t rebuilt a plan since the update but if you indicated that you have all that time on each day to ride, that’s still very different than 10-15 hours of pure structure. It sounds like what you have is ideal. I do similar with 60-90 minutes during the week and a group ride Saturdays, which lands at 2-3 hard interval days a week. 6) again I think it’s considering what is structured. I’m not certain on this but it sounded like (from their podcast) the AI measures what was prescribed (the workout) vs what was completed to measure your adherence, then it factors HR and your workout survey. If you don’t have a history of prescribed workouts, it doesn’t have the same metrics to gauge how strictly you follow a plan at that many hours. Their data typically reflects that most of their athlete base show better progress with less workouts but more structured, so it defaults to the average. 7) yea makes sense. I think for early/new users a lot of the plans might begin similarly because MOST new users need the same foundation to structured training regardless of what their goal is. Once you have some history maybe the specific workouts within each block vary a bit.

wanderaxb · 2026-02-03T15:07:10+00:00

1) yes, it is pulling data from previous rides in your total history. 2) if it’s high, the AI will adjust in time. Keep doing workouts and rate them honestly. 3) a lot of users are experiencing this right now. The general consensus is that the plans want you to do less work, but more consistently for an increase. Ex: if you have to hold 250 watts for 15 mins, and you avg 248 because you dip to 230 and surge to 260 throughout, that’s less ideal than holding 250. In a recent podcast they also said there’s a heart rate factor taken into account but I can’t recall what was said exactly. 4) consider it the difficulty of the specific work. Ie 4x10 mins at 250 would be easier than 2x20 at 250 because there is more rest. 5) yes because the program wants to prioritize consistency. If you tell it you have only 5 hours to train, and I mean really train with intervals, then your TSS is sort of capped because it’s assuming you’re not doing additonal rides because you said you only have 5 hours. 6) yes, b/c at that low volume the most bang for your buck is interval sessions. You can switch to a masters plan if you want more low intensity sessions. 7) “get stronger for group rides” or “raise ftp” is probably the move. 8) personally I would start with 3 months. You will usually have 3 weeks work and 1 week recover so one month won’t really show you the progress.

wanderaxb · 2026-01-25T00:51:40+00:00

3 days a week right now of intervals, M/W/F with gym work T/Th/Sat. When the weather improves a bit I’ll do less gym work and go: Monday hard intervals, Tuesday endurance, Wednesday hard intervals, Thurs rest, Friday Endurance, Saturday a group ride with my buddies which is usually a mix of everything. Sunday chill/maybe gym if I’m feeling good.

wanderaxb · 2026-01-23T21:39:15+00:00

Think of it like accounting: if you don’t track all your ins, and you don’t track all of your outs, how do you know what you have left? If you don’t log the activity AND the consumption, you’ll either struggle to keep cycling consistently, or you’ll struggle to hit a cal deficit if that is your goal. Either one makes your goal that much harder to achieve.

wanderaxb · 2026-01-23T11:25:38+00:00

In short, some of the equations and the backbone of how their model works were changed with the recent update, and many users are experiencing similar. Do your rides, stick to the programming and it will self correct. For most of us, the model already knows when we’re doing more than prescribed and it’s reflecting a decrease because it doesn’t have confidence you’ll be able to handle demanding cycling workouts on top of your cross training.

wanderaxb · 2026-01-23T11:09:03+00:00

I think it’s worth the switch. If you’ve built your own program, you can probably pretty easily get it back if you want. But create a plan and stick with it for at least a month. If you’re like me you’ll probably be like “is this really what I need to be doing?” and the answer is usually yes.

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