Remington

I am looking for advice on the pros and cons of back sweep handlebars. Is there any real benefit to fitting this type of handlebars to reduce the strain on wrists and hands. I did look at inner and outer bar ends but I am not in favor of them. I am currently riding a Trek dual sus trail bike. I find on long gravel rides my wrists take a beating and I am forced to rest my hands on top of the handlebar to reduce the strain on my wrists. Does the bike handling differ when riding techy terrain using back sweep handles Thanks

My wife is currently riding a small 2022 Trek top fuel 5. We are looking to upgrade. She has been riding her bike for two years now. She feels she is ready for an upgrade to a better bike. Our budget is around 60K to 65K. We were hoping to get one of the older trek bikes that were on sale, but a small frame is quite difficult to find. Which bike has the better specs in relation to price and warranty and components. We are not interested in any other brands other than these two. The other question is it worth the cost to spend more and get a carbon frame. Her bike is quite heavy, so she wants a lighter frame. We are all-rounder riders in terms of riding with a mix of technical off road and long-distance riding. I know each rider will have a different opinion on what is the best bike Any recommendations or advice would be very helpful in us making a final selection.

I wanted to give feedback on my original post I did the following I went for another bike fitting. Settings were same as original setting setup. The fitter changed my riding angle to a more aggressive position by lifting and moving my saddle to reduce the stress on my quads. 2. I changed to using Cadence Carbo. It has electrolytes in the formula 3. I revisited my nutrition on the ride. Drinking every 15 min and eating every 30 min even when I did not feel like it. I stuck with whole foods not gels I rode a 50km last week 1060m elevation gain This past weekend I did the same route except a 70km with 1530m elevation gain. It was insanely hot both rides well with the temperatures well into the upper 30s. No cramps what so ever on both rides. The strategy I have employed seems to be working. I will stick to the 70km route for now on a weekly basis until I feel stronger then add some distance and elevation. I cannot say that what I did will work for anyone else but its working for me. Thanks everyone for all the valuable advice and comments

I don't think its intentional. It depends on the ride. We do a lot of Zone 2 riding but I am now of the opinion looking back to when the cramping starts on my harder rides is when I spend a significant amount of time in zone 4. It depends on the route and elevation we do. Its going to be trial and error to determine the trigger points. If the bike fitting turns out to be correct and electrolytes and diet is on point then its all about riding harder than I have previously trained for hence conditioning. I was advised by a seasoned cyclist to keep doing that route. He said my rides will improve as I get used to the effort. My fitting is booked for tomorrow so it will be interesting to see if anything has changed

Will riding in zone 4 for a large portion of a ride be a contributing factor to muscle fatigue and then cramps as a result of muscle fatigue?

I have taken everyone advice to heart and have a bike setup booked for this week. I had my bike setup when I bought it 2 years ago. I have never changed any settings but I agree a revisit is a good starting point. I will reassess with another ride this weekend taking all the advice regarding hydration and nutrition and see if there is any improvement. Also taking into consideration a slower pace. I will plan a similar ride on the same route with the same elevation. Looking at the riding conditions this past weekend the average temperature was 28C and peaked at 37C. There are so many factors in play here but I do think the main culprit could be something has changed with the bike setup or my positioning. I don't know if my cleat position is not optimal. Since my original setup I bought new shoes and cleats but they were never setup on the current bike. The shop owner set them up on a jig. I never have had knee problems with the new cleats and shoes but anything is possible I will give feedback next week after my . Hopefully this can help someone else

Thanks for everyone input. I have received valuable take aways. I will try the bike fit option as well. Thanks for everyone's advice and help.

Close to 3 years. 3 to 4 times per week. Average distance +- 40km Weekends longer rides. Mixed technical, trails or tar

These are all solid points that you guys laid out. I rarely drink alcohol. As for the red meat we have cut down immensely and consume more legumes and white meat such as fish and chicken. but that was just for weight loss. Lighter on the bike the easier the hills. I will try the magnesium and see if helps but I also agree with Jewbacca I tend to overdo it. I still think I can do things when I was 18 years old, but I have a good many years on that. The elevation gain on our ride yesterday was mapped at 2000m yesterday, but I bailed at 1400m. I think shorter rides on that same route may also be the key to my success and then increase my distance gradually until I can go the full distance. Funnily enough on our ride yesterday my wife was like iron. she just kept riding through those conditions. As she said to me some days, she is strong and other days I am strong. For now, a 160km ride is out of my grasp. what I did not add in my original post was it was really hot and windy yesterday. Heat conditioning is also a challenge. I don't know of anyone who likes to ride in hot conditions unless they enjoy suffering more.

I know this subject has been discussed many times. I am curious what strategies you follow when it comes to getting cramps. The 50 km mark is where my cramps begin. I have tried 32GI cramp assault, rehidrate in my water, preloading with electrolytes the day before. I have also tried the salty snack route. I seem fine till about the 50km mark and then it starts. A suggestion from a friend was to try the 32GI rehydrate tablets. Another friend pointed out that it also could be conditioning. I'm not conditioned enough and need to slowly increase my exertion and distances. I have thought about salt tablets but not many people recommend it. I only ride a mountain bike and I usually try do a lot of elevation rides. Any suggestions would help a lot which I can experiment with to resolve this issue

Thanks for all the tips and feedback. This helps when navigating online stores and their level of services

Does anyone here have any experience buying online from Decathlon.

I found the Ergon to be the most comfortable saddle for me. I have ridden just over 6000 km on my saddle. It still looks brand new. As other people have posted you have to try various saddles till you find the right fit for you.

Thanks for the feedback. They have some nice specials at the moment.

Has anyone purchased from fox online SA. is the service good. Trust pilot shows poor reviews, but I think it may be for overseas. I don't want to part with my money and not receive my goods