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Do You Road Bike?

The creation of mini cokes was amazing for cycling. The good races usually have them at SAG stops and they fit in pockets well.

Power meters are down to ~$300 if you send in your crank arm - cheap in the cycling world :laughing. That's so much better than the days when they were $800+ for single-sided. Mine has been a game changer for my riding as it proved that my ability to accurately perceive exertion is atrocious. And it showed that I yo-yo my effort/power a TON without seeing that number. However, I STILL wouldn't recommend them for a beginner. Spend that $$ on food or a Strava subscription instead.
 
Glad to here Power meters are getting more accessible. Toys are cool but the budget is slim. I use the free version of strava. I keep an eye on the avg power numbers but I realize that's not really too meaningful.

Sounds like the best bang for the buck would be to subscribe to Strava and pick up the best Garmin watch and strap I can afford. It would be really cool to input my swim data into Strava.

FWIW I'm really into geeking out on strava data and seeing how yall ride. I'm not ashamed to post up screen shots of my rides. Don't be shy guys! :laughing

Thanks for all the input guys. I feel like I'm ready to lean into biking data and smarter training. :thumbup
 
Mike95060 said:
Glad to here Power meters are getting more accessible. Toys are cool but the budget is slim. I use the free version of strava. I keep an eye on the avg power numbers but I realize that's not really too meaningful.

Sounds like the best bang for the buck would be to subscribe to Strava and pick up the best Garmin watch and strap I can afford. It would be really cool to input my swim data into Strava.

FWIW I'm really into geeking out on strava data and seeing how yall ride. I'm not ashamed to post up screen shots of my rides. Don't be shy guys! :laughing

Thanks for all the input guys. I feel like I'm ready to lean into biking data and smarter training. :thumbup
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My Garmin Fenix 5X is my daily wear watch.
 
Tally has a NICE mountain bike! It's near exactly what I would build if i wanted to go crazy on a new bike.
 
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Speaking of new bikes... this popped up and I've been drooling. But I really don't need a new gravel bike. But an aero gravel bike would be so cool!

https://factorbikes.com/products/ostro-gravel/
OG_White_1100x700.jpg
 
Don't subscribe to Strava without a power meter, is not really worth it. As stated, powermeters are much more affordable than they used to be. I have 2 P2M's and a Quarq because i spend money on questionable purchases 🤪. But yes, heart rate and perceived exertion are a great way to get started.
I'm still recovering from a nasty back injury so I'm not logging a ton of miles but - https://www.strava.com/athletes/216521
 
Tally Whacker said:
My concern with aero gravel bikes is comfort. Aero road bikes tend towards the stiffer rides, and that is the opposite of what you want for gravel.
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Ya, reviews already say it is stiff. That profiled seat post isn't helping at all and it can't be swapped. I wonder if it really matters on 40C+ tires though.

Tally Whacker said:
Which one? The Yeety?
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Ya that's the first one I saw on your Strava photos. XX1, XTR rotors, Enve, high end Fox incl the dropper, Quarq Power. I don't know anything about that frame, but it looks solid.
 
Mike95060 said:
How do you guys feel about a dropper post on a gravel bike? I think I would be into it.
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As an old-school mountain biker, I don’t see the need. Then again, I’ve never had any problem getting off the saddle on 73degree seat-tubed bikes. Modern mountain bikes need droppers because of the steep seat tube angles- when you stand out of the saddle, it’s still right there bumping your butt. Slacker angles mean that when you stand, you’re well clear of the saddle.

I can roll some ludicrously steep stuff high-posting my hardtails, but if I tried that on my Yeti I’d get bumped over the bars.


I talked to a guy that had a very short travel dropper that was set so the low height was his default pedaling height but the raised extension put him in an extended-leg position for better seated climbing power. I thought that was interesting, but it would only work if you habitually run your gravel bike saddle lower than your road bike.


Now, another interesting use case for droppers on gravel and especially road bikes is to be able to tuck into a more aero position for long, fast descents. In fact, in the pro road scene in Europe a guy used a dropper on his road bike and won a race this last season thanks to being able to tuck harder on the downhills.
 
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stangmx13 said:
Ya, reviews already say it is stiff. That profiled seat post isn't helping at all and it can't be swapped. I wonder if it really matters on 40C+ tires though.
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You run 40s and the aero doesn’t matter, either…


stangmx13 said:
Ya that's the first one I saw on your Strava photos. XX1, XTR rotors, Enve, high end Fox incl the dropper, Quarq Power. I don't know anything about that frame, but it looks solid.
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It’s not that solid. It bends up and down in the middle.
 
^ I saw the news about Euro guys using a dropper on a road bike to tuck. Makes sense to me. UCI to outlaw it in 3...2.... :laughing
 
Mike95060 said:
How do you guys feel about a dropper post on a gravel bike? I think I would be into it.
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There are descents on my gravel races where it would add speed and comfort. Descending at speed on a chunky road on a gravel bike is challenging. You want to be on the drops for max control. But it takes a lot of flexibility to do that AND have your butt back. The saddle is in the way more because your torso is lower IMO. I feel like a dropper would make that position more comfortable, which means I could do it better and for longer. And all that would mean more speed.

However, most gravel riders won't be doing chunky descents at speed. They'll descend smooth gravel roads on the hoods with their butt hovering. So I don't really see it catching on as much as it has with MTB. Plus gravel riders are way more weight-weenie that MTBers because of the road roots.

Tally Whacker said:
You run 40s and the aero doesn’t matter, either…
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An aero bike with 40C will always be faster than a non-aero bike with 40C. And the watt savings from the integrated cockpit and the seat post for example are better than marginal at race speeds - likely larger than the change from good tire to great tire.
 
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There are times when I think about putting a dropper on mine, but it's not a regular enough occurrence to actually do it. It's usually only going to be an issue when slow rolling drops, easy solution is to just send it ;-)
The one trail feature that does make me want one is steep off camber switchbacks, 20%-30% stuff. It's the combo of steep and off camber that makes it hard to get my body back and off the side of the bike.
 
rcb78 said:
There are times when I think about putting a dropper on mine, but it's not a regular enough occurrence to actually do it. It's usually only going to be an issue when slow rolling drops, easy solution is to just send it ;-)
The one trail feature that does make me want one is steep off camber switchbacks, 20%-30% stuff. It's the combo of steep and off camber that makes it hard to get my body back and off the side of the bike.
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You run into these situations often on your gravel bike?
 
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