Longer ride for me is typically 2 hours right now so the suggestions make perfect sense. I typically go out with 1 water bottle and 2-3 gels.

For location, we moved to Central Florida a few years ago and I live in a town called Clermont. Thankfully, Clermont has a great biking community and I could go 50+ miles on a few area trails without having to get on any roads.

JoeOlson said:

---

Any recommendations for longer ride fueling? I've been taking gels, but I know some people add mixes to their drinks.

---

up to about ~2 hours, i just take water. Over that and I'll start carrying calories, but I tend to eat solids on the bike. Not a fan of liquid calories or gels when riding.

My thoughts:

• Research Diamondback's discounts. They are famous for steep corporate discounts and codes floating around the internet. You can pick up a full carbon frame/fork and Ultegra (disc) for sub $2k.
• Park the power meter. Spend it on a Kickr Snap or Direto. Power meter and structured workouts through ERG. Ride ADZ to your climbing hearts content.
• HR in the real world. Wahoo or Garmin computer. If you do want a PM, I love my Assioma Duos. They're so easy to swap between bikes.
• Gravel + 2 wheel set ups is become a norm. Firms like Open are building full carbon with road geo and the ability to squeeze 40mm (on 700C) and loads of attachment points.

JoeOlson said:

---

Any recommendations for longer ride fueling? I've been taking gels, but I know some people add mixes to their drinks.

---

Tailwind for electrolytes.

Gels, Haribo and Stroopwaffles if you want to be a stereotype (I am). Then add a donut or gas station burrito stop ever 3 hours - because you deserve it.

RangerRick9211 said:

---

JoeOlson said:

---

Any recommendations for longer ride fueling? I've been taking gels, but I know some people add mixes to their drinks.

---

Tailwind for electrolytes.

Gels, Haribo and Stroopwaffles if you want to be a stereotype (I am). Then add a donut or gas station burrito stop ever 3 hours - because you deserve it.

---

Nah, when you get to the 3 hour point, you have earned a popsicle from the gas station.

txags92 said:

---

RangerRick9211 said:

---

JoeOlson said:

---

Any recommendations for longer ride fueling? I've been taking gels, but I know some people add mixes to their drinks.

---

Tailwind for electrolytes.

Gels, Haribo and Stroopwaffles if you want to be a stereotype (I am). Then add a donut or gas station burrito stop ever 3 hours - because you deserve it.

---

Nah, when you get to the 3 hour point, you have earned a popsicle from the gas station.

---

i'm going with popsicle too...especially in texas.

For those 3-5 hour rides it was usually a Clif bar and maybe a banana along with water and some electrolyte mix. Post ride was usually an obnoxious amount of chocolate milk.

Also, one you go power, you never go back. No more HR drift. You either have the power or you don't.

Only if I'm riding across Iowa.

for the RAGBRAI reference!

Any recommendations for Jerseys? I have a few cheap ones that I got on Amazon that are pretty baggy and don't always hold my phone.

I have a Lululemon jersey that I found on sale a few months back (assume it's discontinued at this point) that I really like. Particularly because it has zippers in the back for keys and loose items.

Most of mine are primal.

Thanks for the lead. They have a 25% off deal as well (on top of clearance) if anyone is looking for something.

CLUB38VIP

I got a great deal on a PowerPod powermeter.

Yes it's a strange device and I don't expect it to have the best accuracy, but it's one of the only power meters compatible with my single speed and it *seems* to be working.

A strange calibration, but it does seem somewhat accurate. Goes to 0 when I'm freewheeling and spikes when I climb. Tons of power needed to climb with a single speed.

Funny

My bike is alloy. I was planning on a pretty substantial upgrade this year because I liked the Ms150 and Bike Round the Bay so much. Probably haven't even ridden 250 miles on the road this "season"

Back to the topic at hand, I personally would make the investment, but I would t make such an investment that I didn't understand what I was paying for, if that makes any sense.

Does that apply to all TA users. I might be interested next year depending on how things shake out over the coming 6-12 months

ATM9000 said:

---

wealeat09 said:

---

I'm basically a cycling noob. I've had a single speed Retrospec Harper for a few years, but haven't done much more than the occasional workout mixed in with come light commuting.

It's a super cheap bike but I've started to put in some mileage on it in the last few months and I've started to look at spending some money to get something that would allow me to do routes with more elevation gain. Obviously a single speed is a killer on hills.

I've been averaging about 15 mph on my single speed with about 500 feet of gain over 10 miles or so, which I feel like is pretty solid. I really just want to get faster (I already have) and be able to cover more mileage in a shorter amount of time.

Anyway, I wanted to give some background before I asked what should my next steps be? I'm averaging well over 50 miles a week and want to do much more.

I'm in East Dallas, so I do the White Rock look often. I've thought about a gravel bike so I could do the Trinity Levee and expand my riding options but I'm keeping my options open.

I know I want a power meter. Thinking pedals. And a new bike.

Hoping I can get to a better level without spending over $2,000.

And I know right now is a horrible time to try to buy a bike, but I want to decide now so I can at least get into the queue. I also plan on going to some bike shops in the area, but I figured I'd launch a trial balloon here.

Thanks in advance.

---

Have really gotten into biking the last year or so.

If you are getting into improved speed and endurance, I'm not sure why you'd put much emphasis on a power meter at this point and not put your money into just getting something with a carbon frame and a higher grade drivetrain.

When I upgraded to a carbon frame from alloy and got a better drivetrain, I got both faster and was able to maintain speed longer by I'd say 20-25% on average overnight. Power meter will help you track it, but it is not going to improve any of your numbers. Go get a power meter later if you are trying to become an elite cyclist or something.

---

Can others comment on the idea that you can get 20-25% improvement by simply getting better bike? I'm in process of buying a new bike and I wonder if I shouldn't have done it sooner to capture that equipment related boost in performance.

If you are 25% faster on a new bike, your old one's brakes were engaged.

SteveA said:

---

If you are 25% faster on a new bike, your old one's brakes were engaged.

---

I got demonstrably faster immediately when I went to a lighter bike... 25% might be an exaggeration. But what isn't is investing my money in a comfortable bike improved my training immensely in that it was easier to stay on it longer and my endurance improved immensely. I'd much rather have those impacts if $2-300 bought me those things over a power meter.

I know it's different, but I had a massive jump when I just switched to SPD-SL pedals & shoes. Depending on how you're starting, I can see the bike making a similar difference (I probably gained 1-2 mph w/ the bike upgrade and another 2-3 w/ the shoes). Currently riding a 2019 Giant Defy Advanced 3 (nice, but not insanely high end) and typically end up ~17-20 mph average depending on distance and elevation.

AggieOO said:

---

forgot to mention, I bought through Bikesonline.com %A0I ordered on a wednesday afternoon and had the bike on saturday. %A0It was partially assembled. %A0I just had to mount the handlebars, seat, pedals, and put the wheels on. %A0Everything else was done.

Polygon's direct website is sold out of almost everything.

---

I'm very close to pulling the trigger on this bike from Bikes Online:%A0https://www.bikesonline.com/2019-polygon-strattos-s5-shimano-105-22-speed-road

Anyone have any thoughts? Seems like a fantastic deal for Shimano 105 and I've decided I'm not getting any less than that.

I figure this would be a great entry level road bike for me to cut my teeth on without too pricey of an investment if my fervor wears off.

Looks like a pretty solid build for the price. Can't comment too much on their road bikes, but I'm still loving the mountain bike I got from Polygon.

Canyon bikes? Anyone have any experience with them? I'm looking to get a high end Roadlite. It's their flat bar, hybrid/city bike. Carbon fiber. Thanks in advance.

wealeat09 said:

---

AggieOO said:

---

forgot to mention, I bought through Bikesonline.com %A0I ordered on a wednesday afternoon and had the bike on saturday. %A0It was partially assembled. %A0I just had to mount the handlebars, seat, pedals, and put the wheels on. %A0Everything else was done.

Polygon's direct website is sold out of almost everything.

---

I'm very close to pulling the trigger on this bike from Bikes Online:%A0https://www.bikesonline.com/2019-polygon-strattos-s5-shimano-105-22-speed-road

Anyone have any thoughts? Seems like a fantastic deal for Shimano 105 and I've decided I'm not getting any less than that.

I figure this would be a great entry level road bike for me to cut my teeth on without too pricey of an investment if my fervor wears off.

---

Well, I went ahead and ordered it.

Supposed to ship on August 14th. I'm super excited.

If it turns out to be a lemon, I'm blaming you!

congrats! Hopefully you are as happy with it as I have been with mine!

fyi - you'll likely need some minor adjustments on the derailleur(s) when you get it. I rode the MTB around the neighborhood a couple times, and it was fine, but as soon as I hit the trails and put some stress on it, the chain started "skipping." Those new cables stretch, but there should be enough room on the barrel adjusters to easily work out any issues. If you don't know how to do it, a quick search on youtube will show you.

Congrats on the new bike!

Since this thread has been maintaining traction I'd figure I'd ask here vs starting a new one.

I have tubeless tires. Saturday before my ride I accidentally removed the valve stem on my rear tire when airing it up. It obviously deflated. And a couple drops of sealant leaked out at a couple different points around the tire. I put the stem back in and aired it up, thought all was good. Around mile 15 of my ride the back tire was almost completely flat so I filled it up and rode back home.

Do I need to just add more sealant? Do I need to remove the sealant in the tire first? New to this, and want to avoid a bike shop and their long waits.

did the tire go flat again after you got home? If not, you should be good to go. If so...

I'd be more apt to think you didn't get the valve core back in right and air is leaking there. Or maybe the valve core is broken.

re: adding sealant. depends on how much sealant was in there. If it was only a few drops, highly unlikely you need to add unless it has been a long time since anything has been put it.

It did go flat again.

It's been a couple months, not long. I went ahead and added a little bit more sealant, like an ounce. But like you said, hopefully the valve core wasn't seated properly and just doing that again fixed it.

Fedup said:

---

Canyon bikes? Anyone have any experience with them? I'm looking to get a high end Roadlite. It's their flat bar, hybrid/city bike. Carbon fiber. Thanks in advance.

---

I don't have any direct personal experience, but Canyon is a good reputable brand that makes good bikes. My question would be what are you planning to use the bike for and is there a specific reason you are going for the flat bar versus a standard road bike? If you are just looking for a bike to tool around town and ride short rides, the flat bar will be great, but you don't really have any reason to need the carbon fiber model and could save a bunch of money going with the aluminum frame model. The aluminum model will be more durable and has the same component group. If you have any interest in longer rides or think you might eventually want to work up to centuries or something like the MS150, do yourself a favor and get a regular road bike. The flat bar will give you fewer hand positions to switch to during the ride and puts more pressure on the ulnar nerves. My wife rode a flat bar bike in her first MS150 and developed ulnar neuropathy (also called cyclist's palsy). It was about 3-4 weeks after the MS150 before she could feel anything in a couple of her fingers.

txags92 said:

---

Fedup said:

---

Canyon bikes? Anyone have any experience with them? I'm looking to get a high end Roadlite. It's their flat bar, hybrid/city bike. Carbon fiber. Thanks in advance.

---

I don't have any direct personal experience, but Canyon is a good reputable brand that makes good bikes. My question would be what are you planning to use the bike for and is there a specific reason you are going for the flat bar versus a standard road bike? If you are just looking for a bike to tool around town and ride short rides, the flat bar will be great, but you don't really have any reason to need the carbon fiber model and could save a bunch of money going with the aluminum frame model. The aluminum model will be more durable and has the same component group. If you have any interest in longer rides or think you might eventually want to work up to centuries or something like the MS150, do yourself a favor and get a regular road bike. The flat bar will give you fewer hand positions to switch to during the ride and puts more pressure on the ulnar nerves. My wife rode a flat bar bike in her first MS150 and developed ulnar neuropathy (also called cyclist's palsy). It was about 3-4 weeks after the MS150 before she could feel anything in a couple of her fingers.

---

My single speed only has a flat bar. I'm starting to notice my cubital tunnel syndrome acting up because you can only adjust your hands a few different ways on the flat bar.

I'm excited to have more options soon.

Have had an Ultimate CL 8.0 Disc for about 3 years. Love it to death. Great value for the price. Think I paid about $3800 and would equate it to a $6-7K bike at your local bike shop (Trek, BMC, etc).

txags92 said:

---

Fedup said:

---

Canyon bikes? Anyone have any experience with them? I'm looking to get a high end Roadlite. It's their flat bar, hybrid/city bike. Carbon fiber. Thanks in advance.

---

I don't have any direct personal experience, but Canyon is a good reputable brand that makes good bikes. My question would be what are you planning to use the bike for and is there a specific reason you are going for the flat bar versus a standard road bike? If you are just looking for a bike to tool around town and ride short rides, the flat bar will be great, but you don't really have any reason to need the carbon fiber model and could save a bunch of money going with the aluminum frame model. The aluminum model will be more durable and has the same component group. If you have any interest in longer rides or think you might eventually want to work up to centuries or something like the MS150, do yourself a favor and get a regular road bike. The flat bar will give you fewer hand positions to switch to during the ride and puts more pressure on the ulnar nerves. My wife rode a flat bar bike in her first MS150 and developed ulnar neuropathy (also called cyclist's palsy). It was about 3-4 weeks after the MS150 before she could feel anything in a couple of her fingers.

---

I rode a road bike years ago when I honestly didn't ride as much as I do now. I ride an old hybrid with flat bar and I just don't want to be down in the 'drops' with a road bike. Thus my desire to go flat bar. I'm probably looking to buy more bike than I'll ever need or use since I'm not a top end cyclist but I'd rather spend more and be happier than go smaller and regret the purchase.

yukmonkey said:

---

Have had an Ultimate CL 8.0 Disc for about 3 years. Love it to death. Great value for the price. Think I paid about $3800 and would equate it to a $6-7K bike at your local bike shop (Trek, BMC, etc).

---

Appreciate the feedback