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!

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:(.