Staminist Forums - Cycling Forum

Cycling Forum: Building new gravel bike Seraph GR201

Skye — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 19:43:06 -0600

Finally pulled the trigger on ordering a (TanTan) Seraph GR201 frame (same as Tideace Noah)... watch this space for build photos
I haven't really felt the need to upgrade, I ride on dirt roads and it's kind of fun being underbiked on my old CX bike.
But doing group rides I would have to go so much slower on 33mm tires and rim brakes, the new frame has clearance for up to 50mm (2.1 inch) tires.
Plus that huge downtube storage area looks great, instead of carrying a tool bottle I can actually use two water bottles for long rides.
Probably order some 9Velo gravel rims from Panda Podium, and finish it off with the new 13 speed Rival or Force XPLR AXS E1 groupset depending on budget ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: How to use Apple TV Picture-in-Picture With Zwift?

Skye — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:50:08 -0600

Found this neat tip for watching a movie or TV show when you're doing an endurance ride in Zwift.
Only works with some tvOS apps that support picture-in-picture (only Apple TV+ app as far as I can tell? Doesn't seem to be supported in Plex, Tubi, or YouTube)
BUT if you play videos on those apps from your phone or tablet and AirPlay them to your Apple TV, you do get the PiP icon so that's a nice workaround.

If you want to know why some tvOS apps support PiP and some don't, here's more info
https://forums.plex.tv/t/picture-in-picture-support-for-apple-tv/611639 ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Zone 2 Training and the time crunched cyclist

Skye — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 13:14:53 -0600

A fellow club member recently shared this video from Dr Iñigo San-Millán who is a doctor of endocrinology and metabolism as well as the coach of Tour de France winner and phenom Tadej Pogachar. In it he makes the case for the importance of Zone 2 base training, which I think has fallen out of favour somewhat in the last decade or so.

Like many other time crunched cyclists with other obligations, I have limited time to ride every week so I've been following the Sweet Spot training plans as recommended by TrainerRoad and many coaches (does TrainingPeaks favour Sweet Spot training as well? I haven't used it), with Base plans that progressively increase time spent just below 1 hour FTP. The theory being your fat-burning capacity is increased at the same time.
This seems to directly challenge that approach and argues that actually that time is better spent at maximum fat oxidization - the upper end of Zone 2, defined here as under 2.0 mmol/L - in order to improve the mitochondrial efficiency in your slow twitch muscle fibres. Not only does this increase your body's ability to break down, transport, and absorb fat in your slow twitch muscle fibres, it also improves the ability for those mitochondria to absorb lactate produced by glucose use (which there is always some, even in zone 2).
How to find your Zone 2 without access to blood lactate testing? The "conversation test" seems to be quite accurate, for me it seems to be a little below the transition from nose to mouth breathing but that will vary considerably from person to person. I would be very interested to get a metabolic lactate test done as a baseline as I'm currently in a barely above untrained state.

For me, I can feel when my power is slightly too high and getting into Zone 3 and my heart rate starts rising. This is what Dr San-Millán calls power to HR "decoupling" and is discussed more in the second video. This is also important for figuring out your duration, which is going to depend on your level of fitness. An untrained cyclist might need to start with 30 minutes where a pro is doing 3-4 hour or more Zone 2 rides. Ideally I think if you want to see improvements, you would want to do a zone 2 session long enough that you just start to see your heart rate decoupling (rising) compared to your steady state power output. Like anything else, you want to just nudge out of that comfort zone to trigger adaptations.

I've done a few of these sessions now and one immediately obvious benefit is you don't feel smashed after the workout and feel quite fresh the next day as well, which I think will make it easier to increase volume. I seem to be sleeping better too.
In previous years, I have often smashed myself on rides to "get the most out of it" with the result being I can't or don't want to ride for one or more days afterwards. This is counter-productive. In the videos Dr San-Millán points out that this kind of training will result in rapid increases in fitness - 50% gain in 6-8 weeks is not uncommon - but that your fitness will plateau without the increased mitochondrial efficiency that Zone 2 training provides. This has certainly been my experience struggling to get my FTP over 2.8 W/kg in previous years.
This isn't to say that high intensity training isn't important as well. The doctor says "you don't win races in Zone 2 or Zone 3" and that's true, and highlights the importance of identifying what you are training for. He recommends at least 3 or 4 Zone 2 rides per week (duration determined above), with some intensity intervals at the end of 1-2 of the sessions, then a long group ride or race on the weekend where you can do what you want or go all-out.
I want to do some casual club races, group rides, and a few granfondos this year, and I'm seriously rethinking the amount and structure of Zone 4 training I'm going to do. I'll post updates in this topic with the results as the year progresses. ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Freehub Compatibility

kyleiniowa — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 14:12:38 -0500

Does anyone know much about freehubs? Mine sounds a little gravelly and I'm worried new oil isn't going to fix it... I just got a new set of Vision Team 30s from Merlin Cycles so I'd like to keep these going. They're cheap, but I like them. Any tips???
THANKS! :) ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Sealed vs Cartridge Bearings

kyleiniowa — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 13:37:32 -0500

Hi All!
Discussion starter here...
Sealed or cartridge bearings??
A lot of different manufacturers are going to sealed it seems... Why does Shimano (quality products in my opinion) stick with the cartridge? Are their cartridge bearings better than others?
What do you do for maintenance on those and would that be a deal breaker or maker on a new wheelset for you?
Thanks!
Kyle ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Strava changes

Skye — Fri, 29 May 2020 11:47:41 -0500

What do you all think of Strava's change as of May 2020 to put almost all their features behind a paywall?
I was surprised to learn the company has never been profitable. As I would like all that data to be around a long time, I can see how it would be good if they at least broke even.
$5/month USD is a good price, I'm signing up (I let my Pro expire years ago). I get way more out of it than Zwift.
With the COVID-19 lockdown, there's not much else to do other than go for top 10 on segments around here!
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Radler, the cyclist's beer

Skye — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 15:29:24 -0500

Saw this on the back of a Bowen Island Easy Radler can and had to share
"Made popular in Germany when cycling, so a rider wouldn't end up in a ditch. We might call it a pacer"
At only 3.2% ABV that would make sense lol
Here's another version of the story:
"The 1922 legend goes…. an owner of a bar in Bavaria, short on his supply of beer, became threatened by a group of cyclists because they were thirsty from their travels. In distress, the bar owner mixed whatever beer he had with lemonade." ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Acclimate to hot weather, hot bath method

Skye — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:57:24 -0500

Good way to acclimate to heat without access to a sauna.
Tested on runners, don't see why it wouldn't work for cyclists too.
Beat the Heat – a hot bath after exercise boosts performance in the heat ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Homemade front fork stand for indoor trainer

Skye — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 14:53:47 -0500

Here are some photos of the compact front fork stand I made for my indoor trainer setup. There's nothing wrong with the front wheel riser blocks (I use the Kurt Kinetic one) but this takes up less room, and when I'm done with my session I just undo the quick release and swing my trainer bike up against the wall out of the way.
This cost me almost nothing because I had everything but the bike hitch already. If you are considering going out and buying axle stands just to do this, please do some research there's probably a product out there that would end up being cheaper. That said, the axle stand is nice because it's easy to adjust the height for simulating climbing. It's very stable, I do lots of out-of-the-saddle intervals and some short sprints and always felt solid (with my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainer).
Instructions: (photos attached below)
1. Take an axle stand (for a car) and attach a piece of flat metal stock to it. I had an old axle stand that had a hole in the middle, and some aluminum flat bar, so I bolted it through the middle and cranked it down so the aluminum deformed enough so the bolt head was lower and there was a flat surface to drill & bolt the bike hitch (see second photo side shot). Get creative, some superstrut or angle iron stock would also work, even easier if you can get someone to weld it to the axle stand. You just need something to bolt the fork mount to.
2. Attach your fork mount (I bought the cheapest used Delta Bike Hitch I could find on eBay) to whatever metal you attached to the axle stand
3. Cut a piece of plywood to size so the axle stand doesn't mark up your floors. I stuck some felt pads to the bottom for extra protection. You could easily screw the axle stand to the wood if you want extra stability.
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Cassette alignment between wheelsets

kyleiniowa — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 23:34:05 -0500

(Splitting this into it's own topic -S.)
Hi!
Love this build, it looks awesome!!
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm a bit of a new roadie, and curious. You mentioned here swapping out wheelsets, I'm assuming you have a cassette on each wheelset? How do you get the cassette in the exact same spot on both so you don't have to adjust your rear derailleur every time you swap wheelsets? Is there an easy way? I'm assuming there is a similar method to use the smart trainers with the cassette attached right to the drive of the unit also.
Thanks!!
Kyle ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Elevate for Strava

Skye — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 12:27:11 -0500

Check out this Chrome extension. It downloads all your strava activities from your Strava to your local computer and allows you to get all your stats for fitness, fatigue and form, and yearly or rolling training progression. And it also allows you to extract all the stats from your and your friends' activities. It's free and addictive!
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/elevate-for-strava/dhiaggccakkgdfcadnklkbljcgicpckn?hl=en ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: BC Cup Road Series 2019

Skye — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:52:55 -0500

Full schedule released:
https://cyclingbc.net/membership/disciplines/road/2019bccuproad/ ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Phil Gaimon tackles Vancouver's Triple Crown

Skye — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 13:52:42 -0500

RIP everyone's KOMs

https://www.strava.com/activities/1821339813[/strava]
[strava]https://www.strava.com/activities/1821947354[/strava]
[strava]https://www.strava.com/activities/1822125607 ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Road rash care with Tegaderm

Skye — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 16:41:37 -0500

Content warning: flesh wound photos
Had a weird accident on the weekend, rear wheel slipped out on a dry corner for no apparent reason. Hit the deck with my arm and hip pretty hard, got some good road rash. Got home and gave it a good rinse with soap in the shower (ouch) and made sure there was no debris stuck in the wound. Taped some gauze over it and put up my feet. Since I've been taking it easy, I had some time to research if there were any new products that might be better.
Found a recommendation for the Tegaderm product by 3M Nexcare, it's a a thin polymer waterproof transparent dressing that comes in various sizes (or a non-sterile roll) and acts as a second skin (alternatives Saniderm, Tielle, and Duoderm). Expensive but apparently you can leave it on for up to 4 days (unless there's excessive fluid buildup). This is some futuristic med tech...
Found it at the local drug store for a reasonable price, so I had a shower and dried off and applied a few pieces of Tegaderm over the wounds to see how it performs. It's supposed to be applied immediately after the injury which prevents a scab from forming at all, so I'll see how it does over
First impression: Feels like there's nothing there, and it's way more flexible. The range of movement with my arm is much better than gauze and tape. Application was easy, but I recommend reading the instructions or having a look at Youtube as there is definitely a technique. The adhesive seems to be very conforming around the edge and over the wound.

Very interested to see how it reacts when I go for a ride and start sweating, ease of removal, and how it heals up. I'll post updates as things progress. Now to fix the bike...
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: 32 tooth cassette compatibility

Skye — Sat, 22 Sep 2018 15:45:38 -0500

Discovered today my old Shimano Ultegra RD-6600 rear derailleur works fine with a SRAM PG-1070 11-32t cassette.
The B-screw is about 3/4 turned in, shifting is nice and smooth. Cheap 10 speed low gearing setup for CX or steep gravel roads.
(I couldn't get it to work on my Ultegra 6700 bike though, the cage looks slightly shorter)
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Aero at slow speeds

Skye — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 19:19:54 -0500

With most manufacturer test results recorded at 40 or 50 kph (this new thing saves X seconds!) I've always wondered if riding in an aero position made much difference at my slower pace (low 30s these days). Turns out Specialized tested exactly that in their wind tunnel recently:

I was surprised to learn that the "hoods vs drops" test at 50 kph and 20 kph yielded an almost identical time saving of 15% over a 40k distance.
I guess the change in wind sound is just a lot more noticeable when you're in an aero position at higher speeds.... ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: 10 speed vs 11 speed hub measurements

Skye — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 20:53:33 -0500

I recently needed to figure out if an unmarked hub was 11 speed compatible and found this chart.
Measured the body with my trusty calipers and it was a hair under 37mm, so it seems to be an 11 speed hub.
You can also see from this chart why the 1.8mm spacer is required for some 10 speed cassettes on an 11 speed hub. ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Continental Race vs Race Light tubes

Skye — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:34:39 -0500

Got a couple of new ContiTube Race 28 butyl tubes in the mail so I thought I'd throw them on the scale
Continental ContiTube Race 28 (700C) 700x20-25c, 60mm Presta (threaded) ... 104 grams
Continental ContiTube Race 28 (700C) Light 700x20-25c, 80mm Presta (non-threaded) ... 79 grams
Pretty big difference. I thought the 20mm longer stem would have added a fair big of weight, but there's a huge difference in the wall thickness between the Race 28 and the Race 28 Light as you can see in the photo. I'll probably put in the heavier tubes anyway for the added puncture protection, at least for now.
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Resuming training after a bad cold

Skye — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:33:10 -0500

Got a nasty cold last week, did some searching to try and find out when it was a good idea to start easing back into training. Found this:
Are you well enough to work out?
"We differentiate between 'above the neck' symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, watery eyes or a mild sore throat," says Wotherspoon, "and 'below the neck' ones, such as a cough, a congested or tight chest, an upset stomach, muscle aches or fever." If your symptoms are above the neck and you feel OK, it is fine to do a light work-out.
"Hard exercise compromises the immune system, allowing a virus to strengthen its hold," says Nieper. "The body is already under stress in fighting the infection, so piling on additional stress through vigorous exercise is counterproductive." Studies have found that a long, hard work-out can lower immunity for up to nine hours.
And if your symptoms are below the neck, give your work-out a miss regardless of how you feel, or how much you think you need to do it. Exercising with major cold symptoms, particularly a fever, will prolong your illness and can be dangerous.
"From a sports medicine point of view, there are no specific signals that you're ready to return," he says. "Once your symptoms have gone, try a gentle 10-minute work-out and see how it feels. If that's OK, gradually increase the challenge the next day, and again the day after. If you're still feeling fine, you can gradually work your way back to where you were." But, he warns, "don't try to make up for lost time. Push too hard, too soon, and you might end up back where you started."
My symptoms were definitely below the neck (hacking cough, aching/soreness) so I've been doing nothing for the past week. Just some lingering congestion now, going to try a very light 15 minute spin today on the trainer and see what happens. ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: How much TSS per week for a novice cyclist?

Skye — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 16:51:05 -0500

I was researching what general range I should be targeting for my weekly TSS (training load) and came across this great chart:
How To Plan Your Season with Training Stress Score
How much weekly TSS any particular person can tolerate depends a lot on your fitness level, recovery rate, what you're training for, etc
The basic coaching advice seems to boil down to ramping up your weekly TSS slowly and seeing if you can sustain that level for three weeks before taking an easy week to absorb the training and recharge before starting a new block at a slightly higher load.
Happy suffering!

^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Admin: New secure web server

Skye — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 17:35:12 -0600

The Staminist.com website is now SSL encrypted (https), all old links will automatically redirect to the new secure website.
Enjoy!
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Best aero positions

Skye — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 19:59:27 -0600

Was going through my saved photos and found this comparison of the efficiency of different aerodynamic positions on the bike.
I hope to be flexible enough to descend “back down” at some point, the rest seem pretty risky. I’m just happy to be in the drops at this point ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Am I over training?

Bernie — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 02:43:04 -0600

Hi Everyone:
I have a question about interval training and target heart rates. I am a 56-year old make. My weekly routine at the gym (6 days per week) is: 3 days of weights followed by 90 minutes on the bike, On the other 3 days I do 90 minutes of intense interval training. I use workouts that I used to do many years ago as a competitive rower:
Workout 1-10 minutes warm-up. 5 minutes hard and 5 minutes off. 5-minute warm down
Workout 2- 10 minute warm-up. 3 minutes hard and 3 minutes off. 5-minute warm down.
Workout 3. 10-minute warm-up. Pyramid. 1-3-5-7-5-3-1. 5-minute warm-down.
When I am doing the hard part of the intervals, my heart rate ranges on average between 120-145 bpm. I am basing my training range by the 220-age=max HR (60% and 80%)
I would like to know if I am over training? For example, when I do Workout #1, which is 90 minutes-warm-up/down, I am doing 75 minutes, or roughly 13 intervals (7 hard and 6 off), and the same for Workouts 2 &3, where after subtracting the warm-up/down, I am doing intervals for 75 minutes. Is this too much. Also, I am not sure if I am going to hard during the in-between period of the interval. I remember when I did these workouts in rowing, after the intense 5-minute piece, we would relax and "row it out" to wind down and go easy for the 5 minutes, trying to recover and allow our HR to go down. For my cycling workouts, I am riding at a 70% max HR range on the "off" pieces and riding at around 75-80% (250-140 bpm) on the hard portion of the interval.
On the three days I do weights, I spend about 45-minutes to complete 3 circuits of machines and free weights, not pausing, but going from one exercise to another without pausing. After when I ride the bike for 90 minutes, I am riding at a steady pace, at around 125 bpm.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Sincerely
Bernie ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Sticky coating on new chains

Skye — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:44:30 -0600

I've been buying SRAM chains for a while and they seem to always come pre-lubricated with a very sticky coating. Apparently on SRAM chains it's a type of wax, traditionally a blend of paraffin wax and beeswax, with some kerosene usually added to thin it for application, and makes an excellent lube.
Sheldon Brown's advice:
This factory [chain] lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the fact.
Some people make the mistake of deliberately removing this superior lubricant. Don't do this!
However if your chain came coated with heavy packing grease, you might want to wash that off with a chain cleaner and apply wet lube.
I've been putting a little solvent on a cloth and wiping some of the coating off the outside (only) of the links with a few backspins. Definitely not a chain wash or a soak, making sure to leave the factory lube/wax on the internal parts.
More info found on the interwebs:

Quote

The "goop" on SRAM chains is GLEITMO, an expensive and decently long lasting lube. Don't wipe it off. Shimano and other brands use corrosion inhibitor for packing and that can be removed.

^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Jagwire brake cable ends

Skye — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:59:57 -0600

Building up my new bike with a Jagwire Road Pro Complete Kit and the brake cables are double-ended, very nearly identical with one slightly smaller diameter marked "CC" and the other more rounded on top marked "CS".
After a bit of research, discovered that the smaller, flatter, CC end is for Campagnolo, and can be cut off if you're installing for Shimano/SRAM as I am
Likewise, the shifter cable end fittings are double ended, the slightly larger ends are stamped "JC" and are for Shimano/SRAM, and the slightly smaller ends are stamped "C" and appear to be for Campagnolo.
Here's some measurements I found, which match up pretty closely with my Jagwire kit:

 Brake cable end fittings: Shimano/SRAM "mushroom cap" diameter: 0.238" (6.05 mm) Shimano/SRAM "shank" diameter: 0.140" (3.56 mm) Campagnolo "mushroom cap" diameter: 0.214" (5.44 mm) Campagnolo "shank" diameter: 0.138" (3.51 mm) Shifter cable end fittings: Shimano/SRAM end barrel diameter: 0.173" (4.39 mm) Campagnolo end barrel diameter: 0.159" (4.04 mm)

Just thought that might be useful info for someone else in the future!
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Research Study: Health Related Quality of Life Male Athletes

es15535 — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 16:24:18 -0600

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H6DLWQN ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: North Vancouver mountain bike trails open again

Skye — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 17:51:20 -0500

Big win for the Vancouver MTB community!
Seymour trail users given OK to access CMHC land
Hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers can get back onto the trails passing through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) land on Mount Seymour, about two weeks after 'no trespassing' signs suddenly popped up.
One of the organizations that manages and maintains the trail network on Seymour, the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA), met with CMHC on Thursday to discuss the trail closures and how the land would be managed in the future.
North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Jane Thornthwaite posted a note on social media announcing that CMHC and the province, which jointly own the 644-acre piece of land, were prepared to allow trail users back into the area.
The note reminds trail users that people using the land, "do so entirely at their own risk, and that the owners are not responsible for any damage or loss to property, or personal injury."
https://twitter.com/jthornthwaite/status/792058489602396160 ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Replacing front wheel on trainer setup?

Skye — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 11:28:15 -0500

In my endless quest to make my trainer setup as small as possible in my tiny apartment, I was thinking the other day that it would make sense to have some sort of stand that replaces the entire front wheel/riser block and attaches directly to the forks with a QR skewer. If it's adjustable height that would be even better, you could hop off and move it up to simulate a climb, instead of sticking old textbooks under the riser and trying to get it level.
I intend to continue using my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine at the back, although a direct drive trainer would also reduce space. So the front fork stand has to be free-standing, not attached to some rear wheel system like some of the old trainer photos below.
Unfortunately, the only trainer front wheel replacement stands I can find are for rollers. Anyone know if such a product exists? I suppose I could always make one next year.... I've been meaning to learn how to weld?
Skye ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Master's racing vs Elite Cat 1/2/3

Skye — Sat, 16 Jul 2016 16:50:18 -0500

Saw this interesting topic on Facebook and thought I'd repost it here as it contains some really well thought out arguments from guys with a LOT of racing experience in Canada and the USA. Names and details edited for privacy.

Quote
Michael
Real question: Why does Master's racing exist in cycling? I'm curious to hear if/how people find it adds value to their experience as opposed to just racing Cat 3 or Cat 1/2/

Quote
Graham
For me Michael it's the difference between racing and being pack fodder. Masters racing when done properly allows fast, safe, and exciting racing for guys who have families/mortgages/careers etc and can't/won't take the risks necessary to compete at the elite level. It also means I can be competitive amongst my peer group on 10-15 hrs a week of training. Although there are races when I race elite I'd rather race masters if it was possible. As a life long cat 2 racer I can say that when I take a masters start now I know it will be safe/respectful/challenging and super fun. Can't say the same for racing pro/1/2. That's a level I'm not interested in- other than a Tuesday niter/spring series.

Quote
Poopaye
It seems that event organizers are striving to fill categories before thinking of the logistics. Mixing 3/4. In a big race is a bad idea. Having cat 1/2 mixing in with masters is also a mismatch. For the event organizer it comes down to numbers, but the mix is not particularly safe or fair to the athlete. IMO

Quote
Brett
As someone who's raced at the upper echelon of the sport I can say that the Masters experience is far different than Elite. The speed is 1-2km/h slower, the attacks while difficult aren't as prolonged, and there is time for recovery for an aging body. When you couple this with a career, and other life priorities such as kids it's fun to go out in a semi-competitive environment and have fun. Racing with other M1/2/3 racers who've proven themselves over the years ensures that we all go home and to work on Monday. Elite racing is another breed. In Elite racing you have to be prepared to go into every corner willing to accept the risks and be able to get yourself out of sticky situations. In Master's racing time and space are just a little more prevalent and if you aren't a douche and know how to ride your bike I'm going to give you that wheel. As we age our bodies change and while some of us can still rip it w/ the pro's at 50kph for an hour most don't want to, they'd rather take it one notch back, have some fun, drink beer afterwards and tell fish stories.
As for fixing the system for the aging athlete only - I think it's very easy. If you are over 35 you are automatically issued a Master's license. You work your way up the category system racing other Master's. If you think you can hold your own with the elites at Nationals or are on a team where entry into UCI events are on the program then you are issued an Elite License. Many other countries adopt this approach and it seems to work. In the USA you can race both Masters and Elites in one day - Masters for your Age/cat (ie. M35+Cat1/2/3) and then Elite 1 or 2. Imagine if we implemented such a system up North? We'd offer race organizers another stream of revenue without having to find additional bodies.
Locally, we place the Elite and Master 1/2/3 in the same fields at smaller events such as Spring Series but as the season builds and the fields increase (theoretically) at Premier Series Events we leave it to the discretion of the organizer and PSO to build out Masters categories. Offering Premier Series Jersey's for Elite 1/2/3, Masters 1/2/3 35+, and Masters 55+ 3/4/5. No more M30+, M40+, M50+ -- the majority of the fast guys are 45-55 anyhow.

What do you think about Masters racing in general and how it mixes with Elite racing in North America? Add your comments below.
One final thought:
"The money and support that elite racing needs comes directly from masters races, their companies, and their business networks. Arthur Silber (aka Silber Pro Cycling) is a financial planner/investor. His most lucrative demographic is the 45-55 year old successful high income earner. Ironman triathlon has it figured out. The age group with the most discretionary income and the most competitive non-pro race times are 45-55. BC Superweek is the perfect place to add some key Masters events in order to bring exposure and new sponsors/companies/networks. In the US the 35+ Masters racing is thriving. This is the single biggest racing demographic in North America and will increase entry fees for organizers and bring new sponsorship dollars to the races" ^ CLICK TO REPLY

Cycling Forum: Typical range for saddle to handlebar drop?

Skye — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 22:51:32 -0500

Feeling inspired by the slightly more relaxed geometry of the endurance bike I just tested, I'm messing around with the reach and drop to my handlebars again. I'm currently pretty stretched out, back angle is almost 45 degrees on the tops.
Before I spend money on another stem, I thought I'd get as close as possible with what I've got by simply flipping and slamming my current +-17 deg 100mm stem (removing a 10mm spacer on the steerer tube). Seat/saddle stayed in the same position.
The result of flipping and lower my stem?
Saddle tip to center of handlebar tops = down 1cm (handlebars closer)
Drop (height difference) from top of saddle to top of bars = down 4cm (handlebars raised)
Now the front axle is just peeking out in front of the bar tops when I'm on the tops, the axle is just behind when on the hoods, and well behind in the drops, which is closer to ideal, although that's a big change in the saddle to bars drop.
I was curious what a "normal" vs "pro" saddle to handlebar drop height would be, so I did some searching.
Here are a sample of the answers I found... a wide variety of opinion:

Typical range for saddle to handlebar drop - Survey -2 to -8 inches (-5 cm to -20 cm) level with the saddle for recreational riding (zero) level or slightly below the saddle, and use the drops more -10 cm typical (max?) -5 to -10cm for fast non-pros whatever is optimal for TT power delivery in the drops (hip angle) -6 inches (-15cm) for the super flexible, even more for pros Lemond fit system rule of thumb max 3" (8 cm)

My saddle to handlebar drop went from -11cm to -7cm when I flipped the stem, my ideal is probably somewhere in that range - time on the road will certainly tell. While I do like the look of a horizontal slammed stem, there's also the fact to consider that you can actually bend your elbows in the drops if you want to get more aero (like in the old days) and that I could stand to do a lot more stretching (also true) ^ CLICK TO REPLY