the video was perfect, thanks a lot I have a smart trainer since 2021 when I bought to train for my first half ironman and I NEVER joined any group rides or races and had no idea how to do it. Back when I bought the only think I did was specific training workouts that the coach uploaded on zwift 😄 Now that I don't have any specific monster goal and just train for fun I could experience some races or even group rides!
I don't think there is an issue with marginal gains adding up. It's about the cost-benefit relationship. If I pay $100 and get back $1,000, then it's a no-brainer, but the reality is no upgrade is going to give anyone a return in the multiples. I think most people need to think about it a bit more carefully before splurging if the upgrade is only going to make them a few seconds faster over a long distance, especially if they are not racing for podium places.
According to your numbers.... if I save 4 secods by investign 1 watt (on the 200 watt example) and assuming we keep it linear I would be saving 400 sec from 200 w vs 300 w. this do not make much sence...
@@EricAbbottTri my point exactly... so what you are saying is that the difference of puttin 200 vs 300 in a linear system is 400 sec, but since is not linear for the cuadratic term is much less than that... so, the real ttime difference between a guy putting 200 vs 300 watts is less than 400 sec, lets say 180 which means 3 min diference in a half distance. that dosent make sance....
Literally, putting your sunglasses OVER your helmet straps instead of under them confers a more significant gain than ceramic bearings (and yes, that’s been verified in a wind tunnel). Other things that have more benefit… shaving your arms and legs… 14x more benefit than oversized pulleys, tailoring your jerseys to get rid of the wind flapping on the shoulders, a helmet with fewer vents (which are ironically less expensive helmets).
These numbers mean nothing. Mentality is a huge factor in racing. A rider who has all the most expensive kit is likely going to perform better, even if the data shows the difference is negligible. Placebos work. I still buy the upgrades and I know they don't make much of a difference
"Literally" - I don't think that word means what you think it means. The data says they're a waste of money and pays for the marketing. If you can afford them because you like how they look then fine, just don't tell other people you bought them to save watts.
My road bike on 11th and I bought 12th 1cm different. Original was like as this video not even spinning. After I installed a new one my bike feels different. I believe most standard bike has those jockey wheels in it. I am super happy with upgrade. Your video theory is make sense 👍🏻
Dec 22 2023 I started not knowing any of this except seeing a top pro triathlete always ride a Tron bike which didnt understand why . Didnt know about the courses nothing. Im sharing this because at age 66 and a triathlete . My swimming has been the weakest of my 3. Well cycling now on Zwift , the cycling is my strongest behind running . Started as a runner in 1984 . Got 3 days max to go which means 48 days to get the Tron .
Great video! I'm one of those rare unicorns who can be in my own head with no music during a race. However some good metal or rock is great for a serious climb. Hope to see you out there one day.
What about really dirty drive terrains does it save more watts because During triatholon you sweat, you bike collects lot of dust? Or what about a gravel race when you are riding in verry rough and dusty conditions?
All this stuff is overrated, overhyped, and overpriced. In my opinion, if you are rich buy them or if you are a racing professional. Other than that, the rest of the mere mortal, don't waste your money. If you keep your drive train clean, that is all that matters.
4:15 100% agree! Doing 20/40 sec splits (from 175W to 380W) on a Saris Hammer (1st Gen model from like 2017) direct drive trainer is horrible. Weirdly for me it's the opposite of the spiral of death - the resistance doesn't increase fast enough during the 20-sec high power split and so when I put more power on the pedals to reach the 380W target, the flywheel spins like crazy and my cadence goes too high during the 40-sec recovery phase. This gets progressively worse on the next interval to the point where the flywheel is going so fast that I can't put any power at all on the pedals (without going at like 200 rpm lol). Totally disappointed on these trainers tbh
I bought a expensive Ceramic Speed bottom bracket and after about 500 miles it started to creak. After 1.5 k miles I took the crank off to inspect and there was some black substance around the bearings. I took the seals off the bearings and it looked like the bearings were disintegrating and they were very loose but still rolled smoothly but had a lot off play. Hambini was right when he said ceramic bottom brackets are sht. I put on a Dura Ace one. Rolls nice and I could buy 4 of them for the cost of a high end BB.
Sorry for your bad experience, I assume ceramic speed would issue a warranty for a bb failure with such a low milage. But you are correct that you can get several DA bb for that price
I already have a pretty fast PC that I put together over the past few years, probably more powerful than Zwift appears to need, but I am wondering if an AMD 8GB RX 6600-based GPU is fast enough, and whether it matter if I connect it to my 4k monitor via HDMI (1.2) or Displayport (2.0)?
An RX 6600 is fantastic. I used an GTX 1060 for a while and it was great. I use a basic HDMI over 1.2 and it works. Sounds like your setup will do very well running Zwift at 4k/30-60fps
@@EricAbbottTri I know that nVidia is heavily favored in the Zwift world as it is in many gaming circles, but I've always gone with AMD as I'm not a gamer, so hopefully it works well for me. I'll post here with a followup once I've had a chance to try it out a while. As of now though I don't even have a trainer yet!
I think you are underselling ERG mode - all you need to do is focus on keeping you're preferred cadence and the resistance will adjust to meet the workout intervals. So much more work to achieve the same effect without ERG mode, I use it for 99% of my workouts. Where I find it works less well is really short intervals like 10-20 secs, then it just doesn't keep up and those intervals end up being less hard than intended.
It depends on what you are looking to achieve. If you are riding for fitness then you are 100% correct. However, if you are training to race than learning to hold a steady power without any aid is a vital aspect of training. ERG mode only hurts your training if you are training to race
Agree. My Elite’s erg mode is great. I just need to focus on cadence and it does the rest. Yes, short intervals work better without it but for anything else erg is my choice. When racing I just pay attention to my ftp and time in zones. So I’m not bothered in replicating racing when training indoors
I'm just a tart and like how they look. For my standard of riding its just a waste of time but then there is the sparkly accessories to happiness ratio....😁😅
