Save Time at Unbound Gravel, Fat Adaptation, and More - Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 420

[@Critracer]

The timing of this every Thursday is perfect I drive two hours every Thursday to go do some criterium racing in Austin

[@TrainerRoad]

Go strong, James!

[@irvhh143]

It seems like a trend, at least from the channels, to spend 2 or 3 months prepping for a top tier event. This probably makes sense in this era of scientific training. But, the lack of competitive events results in poor logistics, bike handling, pack tactics, and in-race bike maintenance. Videos by Lionel Sanders and LC Barkley show them losing time because of bottle cage malfunctions. And, others losing time because they can't make the tri-bike go around corners. Sure, if you live on the north shore, you can go trail riding several times a week. For most of us, living in the city, there are only 2 to 3 trips to the mountains each month. Crit racing isn't MTB or Gravel, but it is 100% better than a stationary bike for skills. And, it's relatively cheap, 2k $ for a 10 speed.

[@pandatactical4530]

You should definitely be excited about unbound. I rode the 100 on the Lauf Seigla (UDH) first time this year and that ride will change you for sure. Gives you a whole new perspective.

[@TrainerRoad]

Thanks, Panda! Compliance is key on such a long day on that course, I reckon. - Jonathan

[@pandatactical4530]

@@TrainerRoad Believe it or not I ran 50mm Maxxis Ramblers and although they picked up alot of mud at the 10mile mark (everyone did!) once i got through there I was glad to have them.

[@skibmbp]

Grass was heavily used where possible. On the XL course we literally had big rocks under waist high grass (would guess that was the case in other places on the course) that you would run into in the dark...LOL Pushing your bike on the road would instantly clog the wheels where you could not push it any more so you just had to be in the long grass even with the added obstacles.

[@TrainerRoad]

That sounds "entertaining" 🙃. Good on'ya for taking on the XL!!!

[@divyampatel2511]

That was me for the Charlevoic GP (typo of "Div" not "deep" ) ! I crashed out on stage 1 and broke a collarbone. Now waiting for a surgery. All you recovery tips never came in handy lol. I'll now have to look up some "how to comback from an injury" episodes.

[@skibmbp]

Johnathon good luck next year at Unbound. I have done the 200 and 270 miles of the XL. Mud/no mud, heat or rain you will enjoy the experience. You just can't put that much love of cycling in one place and not have fun! PS Steamboat Gravel is more fun...LOL

[@ΘάνατοςΧορτοφάγος]

500 DNF from a short section at 16 km in is not acceptable. Doing unbound is a big deal in terms of preparation, cost, etc.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

It's a big deal, people should also be prepared for DNFs because this race has always had a lot of DNFs.

[@asun3630]

Sofia is dope and has more than earned her place and opinion in the sport. I see it happen to so many pro woman! From Seagrave , Emily Batty, etc…haters are gonna hate , Sofia won cape epic umm need I say more. As a cyclist I value her opinion and I am so proud of her achievements and shinning in a male dominated sport. Tough women rock!!!

[@lucienbisson]

17:11 Lets look into this! 40mm EXO Ramblers test at about 30w rolling resistance per tire on BRR, Conti Terra speed 45mm at about 20w. That’s 20w total savings, if you are at all fast at puncture repair you might be better off rolling faster? It’s worth noting Jarno also found the Contis to be more puncture resistant…

[@barrowsworm1226]

I prefer G-one RS for both RR and puncture resistance vs. Terra Speed. For Unbound, if it is going to be dry, I would be tempted to go for 45s. Of course Keegan is a Maxxis athlete, so his choices are a bit limited.

[@mnbv5555cxz]

For people who are not diabetic - are there any data on what your blood glucose levels should be during hard or long rides? With the advent of CGMs there must be information out there about this. Is taking in 100g of carbs/hour and putting out (pick a number of watts) for (pick a duration) going to result in a fairly constant blood glucose level? and what level should we target (if we had a CGM to play around with :) ).

[@oliveoil2x]

Hope you feel better soon, Jon. Nice podcast.

[@joaquinpadilla6244]

Go Campy Ekar! I had no issues on the 200 mud and all.

[@jonathanlong3356]

At Unbound, why have the elites start before everyone but have them sprinting to the line with other categories in the way? Thoughts?

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

Americans have no idea how bicycle racing works. If it is a flat race no matter how long the distance, it will come down to a sprint, and Kansas is a pancake.

[@Richz2]

Top marks to Ivy for staying awake while Jonathan was talking watts saving....

[@whatsuphonkycat]

this is a great comment 😂

[@TrainerRoad]

THINKING ABOUT BURRITOS AND DISASSOCIATING

[@pjbeattie1]

For the sake of clarity, the comparison of 1 pound and 1 watt time gain at the beginning is a 50% increase, not a 150% increase. Still a huge difference to be sure, just not quite 150% big. Cheers and thanks for a great episode!

[@MrMattie725]

Having a two hour walking section is unacceptable in a bike race. If that's the standard these days, you might as well let a toddler draw the route on a map with a crayon. People pay 300 bucks, they expect a route that can be ridden, even for a gravel race.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

Cyclocross has muddy sections and hurdle jump things, and stairs. Gravel is equal to anything that is not paved.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

In other words for those fees they should also add those silly hurdle jump cyclocross things.

[@donaldmorrill1636]

I like your zero science theory! I have played around with diet and fasted riding before I discovered your podcast. I can ride zone 2 for one to two hrs fasted. I cannot ride punchy single-track climbs fasted. Carb up for hard rides and save calories for recovery rides by skipping carbs, but not protein and fat.

[@TrainerRoad]

Yes! Everybody's different, gotta find what works and makes you FEEL best on the bike. We can all be scientists haha.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

I think what helped that was the advent of power meters, helped people find out that some people could throw down more watts per kilo when they were above 18.8 BMI.

[@keepingtherubberdown5715]

So I did Unbound before it was unbound. But back in 2015 they had similar weather and I made it 8 miles, snapped my chain, ripped off my derailleur and had to walk / skateboard my bike back to town. Got to a bike shop got a new derailleur and chain and then went back out.. I contemplated quitting as my race expectations were smashed due to weather. But, I finished as the cut off time is 20 some hours.. So instead of an 11 hr I race was hoping for, I was out 16. I think weather it part of the unknown. What would have happened if the rain came 20 minutes after the start. Still same issue. And lastly, I had always thought that as pro's came into events like this they would push to change the dynamic. The point is all inclusive in gravel. They already start at the front and that is fine. But, just go with it.. I understand Sophia but, I feel she does not want to embrace gravel as it is and as it was meant to be. The more they push for change the more I stop following them and the events. As it is, the cost has blown up.. I stopped doing anything lifetime as the fees are outrages now. I look for the events that are not in the main view nowadays. Keep up the great convo and videos.

[@sofiagomezvillafane5660]

Hi, big difference if the rain came down 20 minutes before the start and the conditions changed without them knowing, but that wasn't the case. At the end of the day the race organizers just should have not mentioned anything about a re-route and just warned everyone to be prepared. I agree with you that the LifeTime fees are outrageous and that is why I am asking them to do more and better for your experience. To your point of feeling like I do not embrace gravel as it is and as it was meant to be. From my very first gravel race, I have always advocated for a split between the pro and the amateurs as I believe that the pro field should not take away from the experience that the amateur fields have. I personally believe the "spirit of gravel" applies to the ethos of the event and the amateur field experience. When you add a professional field to it, we are there to do race our bikes and do our jobs which is the exact opposite of what the amateurs are there for so a different standard of rules to me makes sense to apply -- just like they did with marathon running races. I am a huge advocate for the women to have their own race without any interference of any men. It is the 21st century and I am having to fight/advocate to have the same opportunity and race experience that the pro men do. That mud section at mile 11 served as a selection maker for the elite men so of course they are pumped on it, but for the women it completely shattered our race apart and sprinkled us throughout the back end of the pro men's field making the purpose of the separate start ("The staggered elite rider start will give better visibility for the women") completely worthless. Had there not been a mud section I think the peloton would have waited to really make any moves until the front of the amateur field caught up to us because what's the incentive on attacking and dropping riders when the riders that are dropped will likely get picked up by a faster moving group and will be able to recover while closing the gap to the leaders. So do I have to wait until next year for the above scenario to play out for the organizers to realize that staggered start only works without no drafting from other category; therefore waiting until 2025 for the women to maybe have their own race? I am also one of the riders that benefits hugely from the mixed start as I am quite comfortable in that peloton and can make some selections that the majority of the women can't (Unbound 22 is a perfect example) but here I am advocating to get rid of one of my biggest advantages to give the entire pro women's peloton the race experience that they deserved.

[@roleypup]

13:25... Shaved legs WILL save you nine minutes if they're covered in mud, because that's about how long it'll take to painlessly remove 12 hours' worth of caked-on mud from hairy legs so that your significant other or parent will let you in the house or their car.

[@YannickLB]

In my opinion, there's a very rare situation in wich fasted training can work. But stars have to align. I tested this myself a couple times as a certified personal trainer with almost 2 decades of experience and science based knowledge on nutrition and how the body works. 1 thing should be said firstly! No you won't be able to do peak performance, and you have to be carefull doing this methode. It's only meant for base training blocks for a couple days because you can't reach this state of fasting in just a couple hours. It takes 1 to 2 days before you're fully fasted (including your glycogen storage). I did a waterfast for 5 days, meaning I only drank water and took electrolytes for 5 days straight. In this situation the only fuel your body has, is your bodyfat, and it works perfectly fine as an energy source. But it's a slow burn. And you should respect that limitation by not going over base HR when cycling. And you REALLY need plenty of water and electrolytes. I can't stress this enough. But the benefits are that you feel actually amazing since you will never bonk at that point. You can go on for days on the bike and really build a good base fundation and lose some weight in the process without spending any money. Riding on an empty stomach is not the same. It sucks, and it will hinder your performance and overall feeling. That said.. It's pretty hard to find the right moment to do all this without compromizing certain things in life at that moment.

[@ΘάνατοςΧορτοφάγος]

Oof. New SRAM transmission ❤

[@TrainerRoad]

🤌 Being able to shift under load had to have been helpful in that mud section.

[@mnbv5555cxz]

YES! a Rochester CX shoutout....mud :)

[@TrainerRoad]

A wild ride for sure haha!

[@AH-hp5si]

8’ repeats at 130% FTP seems like an odd shaped power curve.

[@pjbeattie1]

Also, I dont think aero bars are allowed for pro’s at Unbound Jonathon. Unless you would go as an amateur I guess? And you can hose off all the mud so the gains would come back after any mud section once cleaned off….. just food for thought…

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

If aero bars aren’t allowed can you ride in rider position 11k ? “Puppy paws?” If no then you can see why aero bars were banned.

[@pjbeattie1]

@@aethylwulfeiii6502 as I understand it, the rule says nothing can be clamped to your bars, which means aero bars but also means head unit mounts!! Lol. I guess some guys had gravel bars with welded on pre-fab “aero bars” and yes almost everyone rides in Sphinx or Puppy Paws for aero gains. It’s just so stupid. Then they allow for large pit crews and pressure washers making it even more exclusive to only the top pros. Not sure how that reconciles with the Spirit of Gravel?? Basically it’s all Cherry Picked by Peter Stetna to be whatever he wants it seems?

[@tonykonvalin9959]

Sounds like when you ever talk about Fat Adaption you tend to lump everyone in the Keto Camp, even if not verbalized that way, but there are other ways. I do fat adaption but by far do not avoid carbs when needed. Most workouts are fasted but will do some hard workouts and race with carbs as needed but just less than most. There is more and more science supporting this approach - the right fuel for the effort. This does not mean you have to ride super slow to use fat but work to up your fat utilization at harder efforts. Not sure if you have but check out Vespa/OFM and SFuels with Dan Plews as both utilize carbs as needed but would be considered low carb by most. Both also race with carbs as needed. Just want to make sure you understand that there is more to Fat Adaption than Keto as I would even agree that for most performance is hindered by KETO. But would also add that if one has some metabolic issue where KETO is the tool needed to correct it then avoiding carbs may be needed.

[@chrisivey4461]

Revel rover has UDH

[@StephanieLuff]

Ivy is a treasure 🫶

[@TrainerRoad]

Aw shucks thanks Stephanie! :)

[@bcrooks7321]

@22:09 , nope, equality. Women and men race together on the same day.

[@ΘάνατοςΧορτοφάγος]

Fasted rides...🤦 Its 2023, stop it

[@ianroyvillanueva5100]

Anyone else peeved how Jonathan pronounces “stronger” “longer” and all the “ng” words without the hard g 😂 stop making strongr happen

[@ericleszkowicz898]

I like it tough for the pros but if you want amateur cyclist to come out and have like a 30-50% DNF after an hour of riding after investing time and money to be there - that isn’t sustainable for the amateurs.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

Practice running a 5k carrying a bicycle I guess.