JayLow

Tuis interview with the absolute unit of a Matt Beers not only covers stunning ftp numbers, but also the struggles of the larger riders to feed (and hydrate): Felt vindicated when he expressed how challenging it is for larger riders to maintain themselves during a long, high intensity effort.

That consumption rate feels super high. I believe it but man, I can't imagine consuming that much. I did a couple of IM70.3s (~6 hour time, so nothing too fast), and my feeding protocol was 1 unit every 45 min (I weigh 95kg). Where 1 unit is about 100cal, equating to one farbar, or one bottle of sports drink. That never caused me to bonk. When I ate more, or substituted some water for sports drink, that's when the GI distress happened. Maybe insufficient carbs is the reason why my performance is top 20% at best? (apart from training volume, because I struggle to achieve more than 8 hours per week consistently)

Conventional male. Age 34.9 Height 192cm Weight 96kg (was 92kg for a decade and then mysteriously jumped to 96kg this year) Size 11.5 stompers 50cm femur Size XL Titan Cypher 120 Size 61 Fuji Roubaix Overeater, underdrinker.

Me too, please...

I tried IndieVelo out for the first time yesterday (Cape of storms), and it's almost indistinguishable from Zwift. Mainly less features and gamification, but perfectly viable as a free virtual training app. To me, it's the perfect solution - I cycle indoors less than 20x per year so I am too cheap to pay R300 a month for a subscription (on top of gym fees, bike maintenance, events, nutrition, permits, kit, etc, etc)

Took my newly acquired (previously loved) Cypher 120 Carbon Expert for a jaunt in the Bottelary Hills this morning. Feels good to finally join the Titan, carbon, and progressive geometry clubs in one fell swoop! Will need to make some setup tweaks, but I do feel I struck pay dirt on this one!

Interesting topic! Struggling to find unbiased sources for this, took a couple of minutes to get this one from Time: https://time.com/5581326/plastic-particles-in-bottled-water/ Highlights Microplastics are everywhere Causal link between (almost all consumer) plastics and negative health effects not established. There's enough to worry about, I am not going to put plastic onto that list.

There seems to be no strong evidence that suggests a causal relationship between whey protein and acne. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-whey-protein-cause-acne#whey-protein-acne

This reminds of when I learned that milk is a great alternative to sports drinks for endurance hydration. Would not be lekker if the camelbak became sour on a hot day in the mountains...

A quick google search shows that this is a myth, it drops in the short term but normalises again in the long term. The levels in your body will be lower (because you are not supplementing), but your body will not stop making it.

Anyone had some experience at pharmacies that they want to share?

Yea I use a combo of c/g and purity, I prefer higher purity because I want to avoid "fillers" but I will try this PSN for sure. Will set aside principles for price.

Woah PSN is hella cheap! Quite low purity at 67% for the whey, but at 25c/g it's almost half the cost of my current preferred brand, so I can 'stomache' the 10% of carb filler they have in there (probably to make it taste better)...

Golly! 6kg of creatine is 3 orders of magnitude above recommendations - talk about shi*tting bricks! Agree on the fly by night, this is why I always read the label and try to find something with 75% protein or more. And then yes, if one could bottle up the effects of 30min of consistent training per day you would build a business worth trillions. But the hard yards is not sexy. A sweaty, well-built influencer holding a shaker with the new hot supp on instagram is sexy. And you can consume media while consuming the supp - it's the dream! stress + REST = growth. (training + recovery = gains)

So true! Which is why you often find this kind of disclaimer on supps: "This unregistered medicine has not been evaluated for its quality, safety or intended use"

Supplementation is very subjective, unless it's medically prescribed or recommended because of high (10+ hours per week) training loads, so find what works for you but don't feel like you are missing out on performance. First, get enough sleep (not enough people understand how essential this is), then eat a balanced diet of whole foods (balanced is also quite subjective, depending on your own body), then train regularly, then start thinking about supps. Supps marketers makes it feel like you're missing out on optimal performance if you aren't taking their product, and it takes effort to shut down those voices.

This is a great example of one of those hyped up supplements with very little science backing it up. Currently most of the science is funded by the industry itself, and there aren't a lot of RCT human studies to back the claims. It's very expensive, and it might not even work, because it seems to get broken down into aminos in the GI system in any case. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/collagen/

Is the link not in my post? I thought I hyperlinked it. These are three links that should be in there: Science: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/workout-supplements/ Supp: https://www.takealot.com/my-wellness-superior-whey-3-3kg-vanilla/PLID91156647 Sanity: https://thegrowtheq.com/#:~:text=A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reviewed data from hundreds of clinical trials involving nearly a million people and found that 16 of the most popular supplements and eight of the most popular diets have virtually no benefit—and some even cause harm.

I only take whey protein and pure creatine monohydrate. These are two of the very few supplements with actual science backing its efficacy. My training load also isn't that high (only about 8 hours per week), so strictly speaking I don't need any supplementation if I eat a balanced diet. But I back the science of creatine and I enjoy snacking on protein shakes. I try to solve for purity and price, and I've found that My Wellness has an 75% purity whey product for under R0.40/g protein. Then I try to look for 500g pure creatine monohydrate for around R300. Some more of my beliefs. Unless medically prescribed, most supplements have no benefit, apart from placebo. Supplements should not take the place of the unsexy basics of consistently doing the right things (7+ hours sleep, balanced diet, community, strength, cardio, flexibility). Very keen to hear other hubbers knowledge on this subject, I know very little.

I have a couple of Powertap G3 power meters, and one of them has a battery drain issue. The powercap is cracked and I suspect some moisture got in, causing some corrosion-related issues. Couple of questions: does anyone know whether this is repairable and who could do it? Does anyone have a spare powercap for sale? The unit still works but it drains the battery in about two weeks. Workable fix is to remove the cap and battery after every ride, but this is, of course, a major hassle. I don't have the confidence and self belief to attempt repairs myself.

I used a Titan eTransporter for a 12km commute with about 100m of climbing. I weigh over 90kg and the bike carried me up a 5% incline with ease (~15km/h). Intensity was equivalent to a walk. Not a stroll, mind you, a walk - my HR almost reached zone 2 sometimes. I sweat a lot and with the ebike I did not, even in summer. Cruising speed on the flats is about 28 km/h. Range was about 40km so I just recharged it every evening, Mine also had a removable battery so theoretically you can get a spare to avoid being stuck. I would highly recommend that you consider a Titan eBike. Mine was a commuter (build for the Seapoint promenade), but they do have a nice hardtail option (Charge E 2) that can do some light mountain biking. Some more detailed comments and reviews in the thread below.

Yep, my screen stayed on but the motor cut out. It was just a minor wire connection or sensor issue that @Cyclelab Cwc resolved for no charge. Pedal assist 5 should help up to 25km/h (flat road) and cadence above 80. When cadence drops too low the motor also seems to drop out, which has to do with lack of torque, I think.

Trying to sell me some stans wheels at a too good to be true price

I reckon this is a good call. I have been very happy with my Titan since last winter. The battery on this one is smaller than my eTransporter Amsterdam (2600MAH vs 3200MAH), but I reckon the suspension fork will be a win. I would go for a Copenhagen if I could have a do over. The pedal assist hub drive can be "feathered" to give constant boost with almost zero effort if you get your gear ratios just right vs gradient. Maintaining 90 cadence puts the motor in the sweet spot.

Hi Chris! Thanks for asking. I am still super impressed with this bike. I've now put more than 1000km of commuting on it, which is about 50 commutes over the last 9 months or so, averaging more than once a week. It's amazing to cruise past stationary traffic at 28km/h at the start or end of a work day. That doesn't get old. Battery still lasts as per spec, and the 350W puff still keeps me sweatless (and I am a big perspirator). Except when the temp is 35'C, then no one will be sweatless. I am looking to sell it though, because I changed jobs about 5 months ago and now I no longer have to commute to an office, as the job is fully remote.