u/sargassumcrab

Can someone comment about cyclist's diets now vs. the 1980s, or at least before 2000-2010?

If you compare cyclists back in the day they looked different. It's not just the kit or overall body fat. Riders had more muscle and looked older. They were just bigger. It's hard to imagine someone with Hinault's build ever winning a tour today, but he crushed everyone.

I know everything is more extreme now, there's better training, gearing is different, and I don't want to discuss what drugs people are/aren't dong. I'm just interested in diet, because it must have been a significant factor.

I'm thinking about getting 48 mm Compass extralight tires. I'm not sure how thin the casings are.

No thorns, but there are some sharp rocks. Some of the gravel here is rough exposed reef rock. The levee in the first picture is super smooth, but to get there you have to go over rougher service roads similar to the second picture. The picture doesn't really show the difference. Most of my everyday riding is rough pavement, so I want low rolling resistance.

The bike is my old one.