Like all of Dylan’s videos, this is worth a watch start to finish. There’s nuance here that is difficult to summarize. What struck me more than the main point of the video (baking soda might improve performance, but there’s risk of GI issues when ingested, and topicals are an open question), is that AMP, a company that makes cycling products, decided that it was a good idea to use a known pathological…
Blog
March 2, 2020
Train indoors, ride outside
I get that not everyone will agree with me here, but I’ve found that I just can’t do structured training outside. Some of this is based on where I live, but most of it comes down to other factors that introduce variability. Which is bad because it makes the structure, less structured, and much of the value is in the structure. While it’s possible that what limits me doesn’t limit you, but…
News
February 28, 2020
Rubbee is a beautiful abomination
I have mixed feelings about electric bicycles. On the one hand, there is no feeling better than blowing by one (tri-bike passes are a close second). On the other, it can take a lot of work to blow by an electric bicycle… And that’s the beautiful thing about them, they widen what’s possible on a bike. Whether that’s expanding who you can ride with, the duration or terrain of your route, or…
Blog
February 27, 2020
In Defense Of Disc Brakes
Deep down we all know that disc brakes are technically superior. Now, there are rough edges in the current implementation, certainly for road disc, but that doesn’t change the fundamentals. There are plenty of use cases where rim brakes are just as good, but disc allows you to plan for peak. For e.g. I live in a flat place, but also like to travel to the mountains with my bike. Disc is…
News
February 26, 2020
Whoop, you had one job…
Buried in DC Rainmakers very thorough review of the Suunto 7, there’s an interesting tidbit around the quality of Whoop’s heart rate sensor, and it’s not great. To be fair the Suunto’s is even worse, but… Actually, there is no but. Getting heart rate that wrong, for either device is inexcusable… SMH…
Blog
February 26, 2020
Someone should tell Ted King that Vitamin C is making him slower…
I’m generally quite happy to let riders who are faster than me make all sorts of sub-optimal choices. Elbows out? Great! Resting on the downhill while rolling hills? Even better; rest now, pay later. But, this is a little different. First, I’ll never ride with Ted King, and even if I did, I would be so far back that it would be functionally equivalent. He’s F1, I’m doing doughnuts in the parking…
News
February 25, 2020
Strava surprises everyone by adding a useful feature
Hand to heart, the news that Strava added activity cropping to their mobile apps surprised on two fronts. First, I’ve never had to edit a activity, but I knew it was possible, and just assumed that it would be part of the mobile features set. Second, OMG, Strava actually added a feature that people would use. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh (unlikely), but after years of nothing, removing useful features, and…
News
February 25, 2020
GCN asks a stupid question, takes 8 minutes and 16 seconds to answer it
Of course you can climb on aero wheels, they just aren’t well suited to the task. It will be faster to use a lighter set (W/kg is king on the climbs); unless you’re fast. Then there’s a sweet spot (probably around 45-50mm). The real question should be “can you safely descend on aero wheels?”. Because when you’re screaming down the side of a mountain at 40-50mph, turn a corner, and get hit…
News
February 24, 2020
Can a rocker plate help with mechanical issues?
I don’t normally like to point towards company sponsored marketing content, but this post is very interesting. While obviously marketing in intent, it has nuance (i.e. they aren’t claiming that the Saris MP1 fixes everything) that is thought provoking. The fitter found that the plate’s motion “allows” the rider to reproduce mechanical issues with their form on the trainer, that would otherwise be hidden. Which in turn, makes it possible for them…
News
February 22, 2020
IQ² MTB Should, maybe, come in June/July 2020
Not quite two years ago, IQ² got enough people to back the [incredibly innovative, but alas, not sound from an engineering perspective] power meter dongle (?) designed to sit agnosticlly between the pedal and the crank. As a SPD rider, yes, even on the road, this seemed the perfect place to measure power; without the drawbacks of putting the power meter in a consumable pedal. Oh, and the price was perfect. Unfortunately,…