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The Water Cooler, Scuttlebutt, Chit Chat Thread

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The Water Cooler, Scuttlebutt, Chit Chat Thread

Old 06-28-19, 08:55 PM
  #3876  
Doge
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Originally Posted by Hermes
It does not get much worse than alcohol and caffeine mixed with education and athletic performance. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker is a new book on sleep. He is a PhD Neuroscientist, former Harvard Professor and Professor at Berkeley. He is being sought for speaking engagements for companies and pro teams.

https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-...s%2C211&sr=8-1

Alcohol is really bad and of course sleeping pills are the worst. Caffeine affects the receptors that make us tired and caffeine metabolism is individualistic for each of us.
I tend to think something provides a better result than nothing. The no sleep being better than some sensitive depends on the sedative. Sure, arrive a day early per hour of time change, but that is a luxury few have. So what to take? Or are you saying nothing? Not normally an option that results in poor results.

Last edited by Doge; 06-28-19 at 09:19 PM.
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Old 06-28-19, 11:53 PM
  #3877  
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Originally Posted by Doge
I tend to think something provides a better result than nothing. The no sleep being better than some sensitive depends on the sedative. Sure, arrive a day early per hour of time change, but that is a luxury few have. So what to take? Or are you saying nothing? Not normally an option that results in poor results.
The subject matter is understandable but complicated to the point that one has to read the book to get the entire picture. One first has to understand, in some detail, the difference between sedative induced sleep and natural sleep. The next step is the ramifications of using drugs to induce sleep and the impact on the brain.

It is not as simple as wouldn't some sedative based sleep be better than nothing.
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Old 06-29-19, 04:41 AM
  #3878  
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I think I have mentioned before that I am an insomniac. (I have a medical diagnosis as such from a neurologist.) I spent the last year going through sleep therapy to work to alter my behaviors that affect sleep to improve the quality and quantity of sleep. My neurologist suggested the behavior change therapy over medication because my body will eventually adapt to the medication and become ineffective.

Alcohol is great for putting you to sleep, but not keeping you asleep through the night.
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Old 06-29-19, 09:11 AM
  #3879  
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
...
Alcohol is great for putting you to sleep, but not keeping you asleep through the night.
No argument from me that the non competitive person can be healthier than the tuned elite one.

For a competitive traveling athlete changing times zone with minimal time to adapt and wanting max (legal) performance may come at some cost to sleep, brain and overall health.

I was listening to one of those blogs (Rogan I think) who had some guy on stating that it was healthier doing the TdF on banned PEDs (to a controlled level) than not due to the toll on the body.
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Old 06-30-19, 10:44 PM
  #3880  
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Originally Posted by ridethecliche
Figured I'd ask on here...

I have an decade or so old CAAD9 that I really haven't used in a while. I'm hoping to get on something a bit more comfort oriented since I don't plan to race again... thinking something like a synapse. AFAIK, the DA and 105 stuff on the CAAD9 are pretty solid. Should I just hunt for a used frame and move things over or just take a hit on the bike and sell things and buy something used locally or on ebay?

I've built a few bikes back in the day so I'm not worried about wrenching a bit. I could also possibly swap the parts onto a vintage Trek 760 that I have and just ride that. It's currently an SS/FG setup but.... hasn't really been ridden in millennia. Neither of them have :/

Might be a bit hard during residency, but I'd really like to get back out on the road if possible.
Dude!

Can you fit wider tires on the CAAD9?

Otherwise you could get a softer frame, Synapse or similar. An old school carbon frame (glued/lugs) would be super soft. Vitus (probably $$), original Specialized Epic? carbon frames (might be hard to find), etc. My Specialized was so soft it was a bit ridiculous.

The rare times I'm just tooling around I really like riding my slick tired mountain bike. It's old (I traded my TT bike for it forever ago), I put a closer ratio cassette on it, long stem, cut down bars, and clipless pedals. With 80 psi in the tires it's fun to ride, fast enough (rolled away from a return-from-retirement racer; that move prompted me to put 175s on my road bike), but no "go fast" pressure. I did put bar ends on it for a longer position, kind of like a wide aero.

My vote is find a 15-20 year old mtb on craigslist, adjust for fit, slick tires if you really want, and go ride.
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Old 07-01-19, 05:26 AM
  #3881  
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@ridethecliche - IIRC, I was running 25s on my CAAD9 until I sold it, and I ran Conti Gran Prix 28s too. That was with Open Pro rims, with wide rims you might run into issues with wide tires.
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Old 07-01-19, 06:51 AM
  #3882  
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28's and lower pressure seems like the cheapest thing to try. Since I've allowed myself to get out of shape, I've been doing a lot more riding on my late 80's/early 90's road bike (not that it matters but a Concorde Aquila with SLX tubing. It's got a CF fork (though steel steerer) from nashbar and takes 28's (though I'm currently riding 25's - veloflex master 25's at the moment), on wide rimes. It might just be the flex of the 63 cm frame under my fat, fat ass, but it feels super plush. The nice thing about steel from that era is that it wasn't as stiff as the modern steel (but isn't a complete noodle), quill stems allow a lot of height adjustability, and the spacing fits modern wheels/groupsets - I've completely accepted my current fitness and am running a campy centaur triple.

I have also a schwinn voyager frameset (somewhat less agressive, slightly more upright, sports touring frameset that with cantilever brakes that can fit 38's with fenders - sort of like a modern endurance/allroads frame) from that era that I keep meaning to build back up in hopes of starting commuting again and losing some of my gut, but I keep putting it off as I dislike building wheels and I have 2 wheelsets that I need to put together - rims on my steel road bike are about worn out and I have a really nice dynamo front hub waiting for the commuter bike.

About 10-15 years ago, prices for decent steel road bikes from that era spiked through the roof, but they seem to have come back down a bit - but good ones require a bit more looking. I don't think I spent more than $150 for either of my frames (the more recent was maybe 5 years ago), but all the little things like cables, tape, appropriate stem/seatposts easily doubled the price, so yeah wider rubber is a much cheaper first step.
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Old 07-01-19, 10:42 PM
  #3883  
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I'm just under the impression that the CAAD 9 is going to be too aggressive for me no matter what. I have a feeling I'd be much better served by something like a synapse.

I really do like that Trek 760 I have and I think it will definitely take 28's (I think it has some already). Perhaps a good first step might be to put that bike back into a geared setup and sell the CAAD 9 frame to get started? It's all steel though. No carbon fork etc. Pretty damn flexy 531P tubing.
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Old 07-02-19, 06:33 AM
  #3884  
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There's nothing wrong with shortening the reach and turning your stem up to get a less aggressive position on the bike.
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Old 07-02-19, 07:01 AM
  #3885  
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I'm debating selling or trading the cross bike. I like it, but I'd rather not run too short a stem to get it better. It's also a bit tall to mount/dismount.

Sometimes a good deal isn't so great, but it was a great price for a canti Crockett. But it's a size too big, for sure.

It's plenty comfy and capable for gravel, but in trying a few flying mounts and dismounts in the park above the house.......it seems to be hindrance.

I'd rather not attempt cross on an ill fitting bike.

That is today's thought. It might go, it might not.
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Old 07-02-19, 07:21 AM
  #3886  
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Is the saddle too high? The top tube height has little impact on the ability to mount and dismount for cross. If the saddle height is correct, finding a smaller frame will not address your mounting issues.
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Old 07-02-19, 09:09 AM
  #3887  
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Good point. You're pretty much clearing the saddle, not the top tube the way you get on. I hadn't considered that.

The saddle is good, but it's pretty low with not a ton of exposed tube.

I guess the biggest complaint is the reach, if I had one. I know, a stem, or maybe a bar......but the stem would need to go from a 100mm to like an 80mm. Is that too short? A stem is cheaper/easier than swapping bikes.
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Old 07-04-19, 04:26 PM
  #3888  
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Originally Posted by furiousferret
I believe @mattm used to.
Hey ff, did you go up Mount Baldy today? I think I read somewhere you were thinking about it. It was great, cloud cover/fog until about 3500 feet, then sun and cool temps the rest of the way. Lots of bikes but I didn't see anyone crash, unlike years past. I felt pretty good, retirement is awesome.

I think it's still closed to cars this weekend, if you feel like going up there.
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Old 07-04-19, 04:48 PM
  #3889  
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Originally Posted by big john
Hey ff, did you go up Mount Baldy today? I think I read somewhere you were thinking about it. It was great, cloud cover/fog until about 3500 feet, then sun and cool temps the rest of the way. Lots of bikes but I didn't see anyone crash, unlike years past. I felt pretty good, retirement is awesome.

I think it's still closed to cars this weekend, if you feel like going up there.
Yep! Went all the way to the ski lifts, but my time was 10 minutes slower than last year That fog was thick. I'm actually surprised about the crashing; many of those riders didn't have very good bike handling skills. The whole 'lets take up 90% of the road to chat' is was a bit worrisome as there was zero regard for descenders. https://www.strava.com/activities/2504844136/overview

How far did you go up?
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Old 07-04-19, 06:28 PM
  #3890  
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Originally Posted by furiousferret
Yep! Went all the way to the ski lifts, but my time was 10 minutes slower than last year That fog was thick. I'm actually surprised about the crashing; many of those riders didn't have very good bike handling skills. The whole 'lets take up 90% of the road to chat' is was a bit worrisome as there was zero regard for descenders. https://www.strava.com/activities/2504844136/overview

How far did you go up?
I just went to the village. I'm not going to the ski lifts until I feel a little more in shape, if ever again. A few of my friends went all the way up.

edit: that's a fast time!
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Old 07-05-19, 07:30 AM
  #3891  
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anyone else feel that vacations just get in the way of what you really like to do? We're in Maine but in an area that sucks for riding (there aren't even any strava segments) and being in the woods has annoying mosquitoes. I generally spend vacations looking forward to being back home, which is kind of a crappy mentality
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Old 07-06-19, 08:37 AM
  #3892  
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Be safe those of you in the So Cal. Sounds scary and maybe a bad one coming.
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Old 07-06-19, 09:00 AM
  #3893  
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I have not felt anything from either of the quakes. I live in San Diego so we may be too far away.
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Old 07-06-19, 04:09 PM
  #3894  
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Originally Posted by Hermes
I have not felt anything from either of the quakes. I live in San Diego so we may be too far away.

Last night's in San Clemente was very noticeable. Big roller, like being on a boat. It was long. Nothing shook too much, or creaked (live in a historical home). If you draw the radius from epicenter we are just a bit farther than LA.


The Newport Fault quake about '93 we really felt. That cracked the glass cover on a picture over our bed. No more pictures with glass covers after that.
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Old 07-06-19, 05:30 PM
  #3895  
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I went on the earthquake simulator at the California Academy of Science... that would be scary as hell in real life.
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Old 07-06-19, 08:21 PM
  #3896  
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Didn't feel either one. Was on Mt Baldy for the first and on the road in Los Angeles for the second. The earthquakes are in the middle of nowhere, its kind of disrespectful that the media is spinning it as LA earthquakes; its like 250 miles away.

Which my race next week is 2 miles from the epicenter; so I'm going under the assumption its going to be cancelled.
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Old 07-06-19, 10:18 PM
  #3897  
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I was on Mount Baldy on the bike for the first one, too. Didn't feel anything. Second one I was home and felt a little shaking.

In 1971 I was very near the epicenter of that quake. My bed was sliding around the room and I thought the house was coming down, but it didn't. Our block walls fell down, got a 2 inch crack in the garage floor, closet doors would swing open after that. My dad was shaving and it tossed him around. He grabbed the toilet seat and ripped it off of the toilet. All the usual stuff, dishes on the floor, refrigerator tipped over, etc. I think there were around 60 deaths, fewer than in the fires last year.

For the 1994 quake I was living in the mountains with my then wife, about 70 miles from the epicenter. Shook pretty bad but no damage there. Tried to go to work but the freeway had collapsed as did the shop where I worked. I think the damage in the area was in the billions.
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Old 07-08-19, 12:00 AM
  #3898  
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Originally Posted by topflightpro
There's nothing wrong with shortening the reach and turning your stem up to get a less aggressive position on the bike.

It's been 12 years and two back surgeries since I bought the CAAD9. I have no delusion that I'm going to race again. I'd rather get something more forgiving at this point so I don't dread getting on the bike.
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Old 07-08-19, 05:52 AM
  #3899  
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Originally Posted by ridethecliche
It's been 12 years and two back surgeries since I bought the CAAD9. I have no delusion that I'm going to race again. I'd rather get something more forgiving at this point so I don't dread getting on the bike.
In that case, look at one of the new gravel bike offerings. They are working in suspension systems and other tech to really make the ride more comfortable. It's to the point that I even saw one person comment that the bike industry is basically re-defining the XC industry.
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Old 07-09-19, 07:19 AM
  #3900  
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Dog tore what is essentially her ACL. It has a different name in dogs, but whatever. Nephew was throwing the ball for her and she came back limping. Nobody saw it happen. Can't really put any weight at all on it.

Probably going to have surgery, because otherwise the quality of life kind of sucks, and she's only 7, should have at least 6 years left I hope (Chocolate lab).

This spring has been absurd with money. Roof, pool stuff, bike stuff, bee removal, dental work, fridge, carpet, tree removals. It feels like we're bleeding money. I keep trying to remind myself (and my wife) that we're fortunate to be in the position where we can absorb all of that stuff, but it still sucks. Some of it was discretionary (bike) but the rest was basically necessary.
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