My LBS was holding an end-of-season floor sale and I picked up this BMC Teammachine SLR Two for a great price! Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed drivetrain, I swapped the stock tires for my 65mm enve foundation wheels with Vittoria corsa pros.

Hello! Are there any supplements or tips that you have found to work well for post ride recovery? I am usually fine after the majority of my rides, but on my big days (75-100+ miles) I really struggle after. I have a horrible time sleeping and barely get any rest. The following day I feel sort of similar to a hangover. I know this is probably linked to fueling/hydration during the ride and I am trying to get better at that. Thanks for the input!

I feel like I’m going crazy.

I’m a very recreational, overweight cyclist (in my 30s). I’m able to ride 15mph usually and my rides at 20-40 mile. I ride a few times a month, summer months only (there’s winter here). So, yes very … mediocre cyclist 😅

I recently got into zwift and I cannot believe how difficult it is. I use the kickr core 2, with the zwift click. And it feels like the resistance is INSANELY high, no matter what I do, for the W I’m putting out.

I did a FTP ramp test and it’s pretty embarrassing - I couldn’t move my legs anymore after I took a break at the 210W level. The result was an embarrassing 114 W.

So I admit there’s a lot of work to do here, and I recognize that. But I still don’t understand how harder it feels compared to the real world. I feel like the resistance is so high and if I shift the gear down, my cadence goes up and it’s more comfortable but my avatar slows down. The amount of effort I’m putting in (that I feel on my legs), versus the W output and the speed does not seem to make any sense to me when I compare it to my IRL speed and effort.

A few things

1. I have googled all the things, asked ChatGPT, looked at forums and I can’t find an explanation for this
2. it’s my first time getting power data as I do not have it when I ride outside
3. the bike seems to be properly set up
4. ERG off except for the FTP test.

So…. Do I just suck, is zwift THAT much harder? Or, is there something wrong with my set up, my chain, my bike, anything? I feel like everybody says you’re much faster virtually than IRL but it’s the complete opposite for me. Even flats, just to reach speeds of 17-19mph, I literally feel like I’m pushing so hard in my legs and giving it my all. IRL does not feel nearly as hard.

Help a (demoralized) girl out please!

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My first half century woohooo. I'm so happy.

It was so sunny and I came back home around 1pm. Riding through this heat, traffic and dust wasn't enjoyable but I do love the fact that I didn't give up. Coconut water and palm juice kept me going 💪🏻 will push my limits more next time.

P.S.

I can't find any lady cyclists in my area or any mixed cycling groups. I just hope I don't get discouraged and leave cycling. So I'm using this group to share my progress here in the hope of interacting with more amazing lady cyclists. I love cycling so much.

Here's my strava if anyone would like to connect -

https://strava.app.link/ggky19XBf7b

Drop your strava accounts too. 😄

Doing a Century ride Sunday in N England and temps are dropping to lowest of the season so far. Calling for a high of 52, so it will be in the 40’s (starting at 7 am😬). I am nervous about gear. I did 67 mi in the 50’s I believe it was a few weeks ago and was fine, but 40’s is different. Will I need shoe covers? My face covered? Need to switch to long-fingered gloves? My bottoms are ~ 3/4 length (“knickers” from Terry, I do not like the chamois but it is what I have), was going to do a long-sleeved base layer w/ vest. Any input appreciated! I need to up my gear game but this is only 3 days away:(.

Phew!

Hi all, I’m Mercy, a founder in Ottawa building a winter commuter jacket for one problem: you sweat on the climb, then freeze at the red light.

The prototype has:

• a windproof front
• a laser-perforated, vented back
• pit zips you can work with gloves on

I have three male testers riding it this winter. What I don’t have yet is a woman. The fit has to be checked on women’s bodies before anything goes to production, and I won’t guess at that.

What’s involved

• Ride in it for your normal winter commute or rides.
• Fill in a short ride log after rides (about 2 minutes).
• Do a fit check and answer a few questions at the end.
• You keep the jacket in exchange for honest feedback, good or bad.

Who I’m looking for

• You rode a bicycle outdoors last January and February. Human-powered only, so no e-bikes or motorbikes.
• You wear one of the open sizes: XS, S or L.
• You can be anywhere with a real winter. Ottawa is a bonus but not required.

To apply, fill in this short form: https://forms.gle/Q5xQXdfL1ACjVDDp6

Or comment or DM me with:

1. Roughly how many days a week you actually rode last January and February
2. Your city
3. Your chest measurement, taken over a t-shirt only

This is a prototype, so I’m not promising a temperature rating. Finding out what works is the whole point. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Mercy

Female student here. The past two years I’ve been living a sedentary lifestyle as schools been my priority. As of recently, I’ve definitely felt the effect this has had on my body and I’m determined to get my health and confidence back.

I’m planning to do indoor cycling 3 times a week, 1 full body circuit workout class and a plank everyday. I’m particularly interested to know what people’s thoughts are for cycling or if they have any advice in general before starting. Thanks!

Anyone in the Milwaukee WI area that thinking of doing either the Mishigami or Mini-gami this year? I’m hoping to find training/planning buddies or a maybe a partner for the pairs category. I live in Milwaukee.

Dates for this year haven’t been announced yet.

https://www.midwestultracycling.com/mishigami

Hi. Any feed back appreciated. I’m 5’2. This bike is a 49.

Issues: my hands get numb. I started having right knee pain below my patella while peddling. Pelvic pain. I also feel really stretched when I’m on the hoods.

Also. I’m super new to road biking. I use to ride on my trek marlin size small.

I’m am just concerned that this might be too big? I’m still on the window of returning it.

Thank you.

Hi folks, I'm looking to upgrade my tires for some touring and light gravel riding along with my casual 20 mile road rides. The roads here are fairly rough but fine with my current tires- but anytime I'm on gravel or packed dirt, especially uphill, I lose grip. I'd like to open up some more routes for myself! I'd also like to get into some short tours (not hotels ...campgrounds) so weight on the bike is also a consideration.

I'm not prioritizing speed, but rather durability on mixed terrain. I currently have 32mm on my and could go up to 35mm. I'm sticking with tubes for now.

I have a $100 gift card for REI so I'm looking at 4 choices that would work for my specifications, but I'm having trouble deciding between them and I'd love any advice from this community!

My comparison table of the available tires is in the 2nd photo.

All this said, I'm kind of intimidated to take my Trek 520 more legitimately off-road at some point...

​

Hi everyone!

I recently got a Windhorse W4B e-bike, but I’m finding the seat and handlebar grips very uncomfortable.

The original seat is extremely hard and causes pain, even after a short ride. The handlebar grips are also causing a lot of pain in my hands.

Could you please suggest:

A comfortable, cushioned female bike seat that would fit the Windhorse W4B? I’m looking for something wide and soft enough for daily commuting.

Comfortable handlebar grips that reduce pressure and pain in the hands, especially during longer rides.

Any specific brands or models that you have personally tried and would recommend?

I’ll mainly be using the e-bike for my son’s school drop-off and pick-up in Dubai, so comfort is very important to me.

Hi! I’m petite (5’2”, 27” inseam) and struggling to find a triathlon bike that fits because most XS frames have horizontal top tubes with too much standover height. I’m looking for a long-term bike for Ironman training and racing.

I’m deciding between:

• Canyon 3XS youth road bike: Fits me, but has 650c wheels.
• Specialized 2XS road bike: Sloped top tube that may fit, with 700c wheels.

Does 650c vs. 700c matter for triathlons/Ironmans? Which is better long-term, and can I switch from 650c to 700c later?

Would love your advice!

hi i'm 5 feet 2 with a 27.5 inch inseam, which translates to not fitting most 3XS bikes bc the standover height is too high for me. I would love to have a nice triathlon bike (eg cervelo, canyon, etc) however if I am spending more than 5k on a bike, would def want the bike to fit me well.

am i better off building my own bike? a lot of the older cannondale tt or liv smallest size bikes have a big standover height (larger than my inseam height). would appreciate any insight.

i was thinking of buying a 38 cm frame overseas and build my bike from there

what are some brands that have triathlon bikes for petite women. I'm 5 feet 2 with 27 inch inseam (p long torso lol - even 44 cm frame bikes have a tall standover height for me).I recently found out I am 3XS for canyon, which they do not make bikes for those sizes.

What are some bike brands that I can buy for a NEW triathlon bike? I've heard:

- Liv

- quickpro

- anything else?

any women out here who is 5 feet 2 in with a 27 inch inseam?

i recently found out I have disproportionally short legs that makes me XXXS. Unfortunately, this limits my facebook marketplace deals and most bikes. I'm planning to buy a road bike that is 44 cm. eventually, when i buy my triathlon bike, I will have to buy XXS or build my own bike.

Any advice? what companies offer 3XS or 2XS bikes?

I'm thinking of canyon aeromax 2XS but havent found anything else

I have a spinal injury on my tail bone that causes me severe pain when I am on an upright bike. I want to train on the recumbent bike and possibly weight training in preparation for having back surgery then transitioning to outdoor cycling. I would love any advice or shared experiences.

A Non binary baddie on their period does their first century! That baddie was me!!! 💛🤍💜🖤

I fell off my bike three times and only got one scrape thankfully. I only learned how to clip in back in June and I picked it up in an afternoon and don't clip in often. Only mechanical of the day was i got got one flat, we didn't find anything in the tube patched it and kept rolling. Lots of photos of my adventures

Stats: route was loop from +to home, left at 9:30a got back 1:46a.

Time elapsed 16h 20m Average speed 9.0 mph

Moving time 11h 14m Max speed 29.9 mph

Got my first ever carbon bike after riding a 14kg aluminium frame commuter for the last 8 years.

This baby is from marketplace, a 13 year old pinarello. Anything is an upgrade!

I have yet to bite the bullet to purchase clip in shoes - frankly I’m too scared at this point, maybe after Christmas. I have been riding with plain sneakers on the small pedals 🫠

My first impressions is a feeling of ‘nakedness’. With such thin tires I can feel every tiny little stick, pavement crack, a swear even a blade of grass hahaha! Also, hills are obviously significantly easier!!!

All that’s left is to watch a million YouTube videos on learning how to hell to ride clipped in. I learnt to ride a bike as an adult at 20 years old, so feeling okay at learning a new skill in my late twenties.

Has anyone come across bibs that only have pockets on the back (and not the side cargo pockets - I've seen plenty of those)? I tried a pair with side pockets and they were kind of tight/uncomfortable in the top corners of the pockets where they attach to the bibs, and one size up would have been too big.