u/OneStrength7166

I have been so frustrated lately...
Finally dialed my nutrition, fueling, sleep, recovery, got a power meter, been hitting those centuries twice a week, 80km rides without a single brake and with almost no coasting, variability index 1.01, L/R power balance 50/50, but my butt is my only blocker.

Tried 6 saddles now and stopped at spec power comp, but it's not perfect. After 80km the pain starts kicking in so hard I have to stop and take a break.

I am ordering fizik argo, fizik aliente, selle novus and ryet ultimate right now. Gonna spend all of my money that was left for a new endurance bike just on the saddles. Better to have one perfectly dialed bike than 4 which can't let me finish a century without tears in my eyes and reconsidering all of my life choices.

My life has finally become fulfilling. I used to chase money, work a lot, always consider what other people think about me. Now I don't remember when I took my last day off or called in sick. I used to be tired at work all the time, but lately my life battery is always full.

Now all I care about is next 1-2 days weather forecast to plan my rides. I am slowly distancing myself from my colleagues at work and even my friends as they seem to only enjoy going out for a drink. I feel like I cant afford to miss a day off my weekend to hungover, sorry.

There is no better feeling than finishing your century on sunday, coming back home and seeing my girls barely finishing their breakfast.

I have tried basic tt bars on my endurance bike, but with 20mm spacers they are a bit too low and I am too cramped. I have to buy a new set.

Do you often use your TT bars? I have been riding around for some time and saw a few riders with TT bars installed but never anyone actually using them.

How do you setup them? Buy a model with lots of rise or try to reduce drop to the minimum by putting spacers and flipping your stem?

I have just recently started extending my rides to over 100km but always did 3-4 short stops to stretch but today i wanted to see How long I can go without stopping. I also coasted only for around 2min total and the rest was constant torque. I averaged 28.6kph / 17.8mph solo.
Its insane How much harder and taxing on my body it was.
Got so much more respect now for all ultra cyclists.

I have Tried all bikes, all types of riding and I feel like i finally understand what cycling is about.
Its about finding what gives you the most joy and makes you Think about it all day while at work.
Two spectrums are cadence and constant torque on a road bike and offroad on an mtb bike.
Gravel absolutely sucks offroad. Yes there are those moments you see on tiktok but Mostly it’s a glorified suffering. On the other side road cycling is very distilled and needs nearly perfect condiitons. Smooth termac, little traffic, every road works and detours suck the joy out.
However a gravel bike with a good slick tires can handle worst tarmac, detours and even some offroad if there is no other way.
Absolute perfection.

Serious question, dont want to upset anyone or anything of sort.
I am 36M, have been riding a bike for only last 2 years and a road bike for a year. Never seen any road cyclists because I live and ride my car in the center of a large city. Only met commuters so I am self taught.

When I stop at a red light or a train crossing I let every car pass me by waving and smiling. They mostly even thank me as they pass me. It costs me literally around 30 sec and they might look upon cyclists in a nicer way in the future.
However once I started using strava and met more cyclists they do the very opposite and every time they would go all the way to the front of the line to block the traffic once the train is gone or there is a green light. I could clearly feel the frustration of the drivers as they would pass them using washers or at a dangerously close distance.

So I am wondering am I the only one letting cars pass me and is that incorrect? What's the point of moving all the way to the start of the line unless it's a very short green light?

My car broke down and I am considering ditching it entirely. My work commute is only 4km / 12min so I was considering going all in and getting a fat bike with spiked tires for winter. I already have winter clothing from my road bike and can just take a bus during worst weather. My commute is like 750m of tarmac and the rest is gravel/forest.

I bought PM pedals and my tq is around 69% and pedal smoothness around 24%. Asked AI but it told me that I should aim for bigger numbers and train my pedalling technique, but it already feels really smooth and when I actually pay attention to pedalling my HR goes up for the same power and everything just feel awkward.

I did a bikefit, tried a lot of different saddles but to no avail. Been cycling for 2 years, starting with 15km rides. Now after 2 years after 100km my ass is super sore.
Since I remember I had issues with my sit bones and sitting on any type of stiff surface like wood logs, benches etc was uncomfortable and I could feel my sitbones getting sore quickly.

I am desperate because this is the one last thing that sucks enjoyment out of my long rides.

I used to stick to 3 basic routes and ride them all the time and got bored quickly, but after discovering strava premium I almost never repeat my routes but rather constantly remix them.
I love it when I can discover new cool segments in my area and then try to always include them in a brand new remix. Especially when I ride my road bike and find some amazing premium gravel I try to memorize where it was and then ride it the next day.

The only thing I dont like about it is constant use of GPS unit insead of just enjoying my views.

I have 3 bikes, one for each type of sport and thought I would be switching them equally, but it's the contrary. When I am riding a road bike I can't stop thinking about road cycling and after I finish my ride I am like 'holy shit that was amazing' and feel unseasy about gravel and mtb. Then after a week or so I switch to mtb or gravel and feel f... amazing and can't stop feeling uneasy about the other two.

Do you also experience it? Or is it the opposite to you and when you ride a road bike you can't wait to switch and vice versa?

I have finally matched sweat evaporation with water intake so I did not have to stop to pee. Just constant pedalling, constant torque for 150minutes. Not a single stop. After 30min I had hit that switch that made me feel one with my bike. A complete tunnel vision and focus.
Trance-like sensation. Completely different that my usual rides.

it's insane how much more tiring on both my body and mind it was compared to an 80km ride with a few stops, but not in a bad way.
Now I see ultra cyclists as inhuman machines and have even more respect towards them.

I have 3 bikes (2x gravel 1x road bike) and I don't remember the last time all 3 were fully fitted and race ready. There is always SOMETHING. This one gear not changing, one loose screw, tire suddenly losing pressure or last night I spent two hours trying to figure out why I could not clip in my new PW pedals.

During rides, especially gravel there is always this one stick hitting your deraileur and you have to stop to micro adjust.

How I hate all of this. It sucks out all the fun from cycling. I love freedom and those rides without a single stop.

I am an introvert with social anxiety and ADHD. Before I ever show a new skill to the outside world I have to train it for months alone, also before talking to someone I think of all possible scenarios and rehearse them.
After few months of training, getting a bike fit I am finally getting ready to meet new people. I don't want to do group rides yet. Just find a few nice dudes, explore best bike routes around and share the joy of cycling.

Do you have any advice?
How often do people stop? Are they chill about cycling? What are the most common mileages I have to be prepared for? Is there a cycling etiquette for riding with a friend?

I am seeing lots of clip on tt bars installed by roadies in my area, but only once someone actually use them.

I have finished building an all road endurance bike and was thinking about getting a tt bar but its really expensive.

My regular after work rides were around 60km so quick 2 hours + 30min of warmup before. Now after a bike fit, better fueling and a installing a power meter I did my first 100k and it finally felt relatively easy... however my whole body was sore, especially neck and shoulders, also my butt got hit really hard.
I have finished the ride within 3,5hours and it was constant torque, not coasting, no pauses.
I just feel like after getting a bike fit changed the rules of the game. Much less coasting, constant torque, I feel planted on my saddle and almost never pedal out of it.
It's like I am one with my machine, 100% focused on the ride.

Got any tips? Or I just have to grind my teeth untill my body adapts to longer rides?

I am not depressed or rather don't feel like it, but on the weekends, before the long rides I just can't help but stare at my bikes in my garage, sitting in a full kit with cleats on, without any willpower to push myself that extra inch to get on the bike and ride.

After 20min of cycling I feel immense joy, but the struggle to start is real. My wife always makes fun of me when she finds out I am still in a garage after 90min of leaving the house.