It’s been more than 5 years that I started cycling and commuting regularly and it is time to discuss some more of my unpopular opinions and choices. This time I joined a beautiful ride arranged by The SYN club in Kent, beautiful flowing rolling terrain with a couple of steeper hills.
As usual I am wearing a kit courtesy of Siroko Cycling, M7 long sleeve jersey in L: if you wish to shop for Siroko kit you can use my code FEDE1275 for an extra 10% discount or access their website through my direct link and the discount would be automatically added. Thank you!
Extra 10% Siroko Cycling link: https://srko.co/fede1275
The Winspace Lun Hyper R45 wheels on my Canyon Aeroad were also provided to me. You can use my code FEDERICO10 at Winspace – www.winspace.cc – this would grant a 10% off discount for all products, frames, wheels, handlebars, over $500 and can be stacked on top of existing deals.
Let me know your unusual cycling choices!
Thank you for watching,
Federico
41 Comments
Maybe you like savoury to supply you with salt? I am also a tube person (TPU). But I must say I have improved a lot since I got a power meter. Durianrider always used to bang on about that.
Where are the youth riders these days,its just middle aged minted people in London ,we need some council estate kids riding ,a bit of grit and knarl.
A great video. And like you, I still chase the dream. 69 this summer and fortunate that I still love riding my race geometry SW Aethos and can hold my own on the hills. I just love riding a nice bike. They talk more about healthspan now, than lifespan, and doing what we do is a good way of achieving this.
To add, I drop a hydration tab into my water, use shammy cream (it’s antibacterial), I’ve embraced disc brakes and use a power meter. 😅
But our sport is good in that you can use what you like. And of course being so much older, I’m not worried about what people think.
Great jersey btw. Chapeau.
105 di2 bike never even got on it yet in 5 months since I brought it 😢
Carb mix n electrolyte products , save your money guys and stop feeding on the BS , water , salt , goo salt lije celtic or himsalayan is plenty , pinch of salt , as for carb , sugar is adequate , hehe
Agree fully Ferdi
I’m 48 I remember a time when you could buy a dura ace rim brake bike for under $8000. I still ride a rim brake bike I feel more connected to it. On 25c tyres and TPU tubes. I wear a Garmin watch to record my rides. I too ride by feel and I manage to equally divide my zone 2-3-4 depending on the ride. I used to have power meters etc. I become to obsessed with data now it’s only HR and feel.
I’ve had many high end DB bikes and most lack that “je ne sais quoi” when you look closely some of the build quality is shocking. I can’t see them lasting more than a few years.
That with the big DB and thick profile wheels makes for an interesting experience in cross winds.
Disc Rub on the front when putting down the power it’s not for me. Plus most weigh over 7.5kg there just too heavy.
The younger kids love them it’s all they know. One thing DB are good for is very steep descents. You can brake later and don’t worry about melting your carbon rims. Though I always use an alloy rim brake track, shallow wheels and ceramic bearings…..
As for fuel I love a carb/hydro mix on the long days. Shorter rides just electrolyte tabs.
Salt/mag tabs if hot as I’m down under.
We are all too busy trying to be the fastest strongest who has the biggest balls contest in cycling. Just ride keep it consistent and you’ll be ahead of the pack on the group rides.
I have been searching for a rim brake canyon ultimate 😢
Fully agree with you Federico, except the hidration & the chamois cream; especially for rides longer than 150min… do try, at least once, the electrolytes and any sort of chamois cream … I promise you will feel the difference
What's your preferred method of fueling?
Wish the SYN Clothing was a bit cheaper. In terms of color they are great. Sticking to Siroko instead 👍🏻
I swung over to Mr Horner's advice on cham cream. Noxzema. Defo a diy application, as it can fizz if it touches the wrong parts🤟
Interesting video Federico, I don’t see them as unpopular opinions, just opinions and choices that’s all.
"Subscribed to your only fans" lol 😂😆…. I actually share most of your choices, rim brakes, no power meter, however I do need some electrolytes 💪🏽…
My drink is electrolyte mix with whatever fruit juice in the fridge and a dash of apple cider. The sour taste of apple cider to balance the sweetness from the fruit juice.
Hi from Australia. I agree with all your comments though i changed to elecric gears. Easier to change gears on the very cold mornings.
I went back to rim brake after a Tarmac sl7. Rim brake so easy to strip down and rebuild and super light, for now I won’t be changing any time soon!
Honestly, chamois cream is essential here in my country in summer if you go for ride more than 50KM in weather temp. reach 50 celcius!!!
Yesterday (on a 5 hour ride) I did 40g carbs (sugar water in my bottle) per hour. That was the most energized ride I've ever done. I finished the ride, and felt FRESH. That was the first time I ever focused on measured carbs during the ride, and it was BY FAR the best performance on the bike of my entire life (I'm 37 years old)… For every ride longer than 2 hours, I will do this exact same technique from now on. It's night and day difference.
Been riding for 30 years. No to power meters. Yes to narrower tires (23-25mm), rim brake and mechanical drivetrains. If riding with only one bottle, I use it for water only and have energy bars and sometimes candy. If riding with two bottles then one bottle is only water and the other has an energy mix ie. liquid calories and vitamins.
Carrying a bottle with only water is useful to spray on yourself if it's hot outside or if you crash and need to clean off a wound – or if you change a tube and want to rince your hands.
Love your vids to see the London scene. Disc for mtb & gravel, rims fine for road – lighter weight is best.
Welcome to Kent . Thank you for represnting the post 50 gang
I can't stand compact chain sets. Bring back the 52/42 combo, the drop down means you don't have to pedal like a lunatic and change up three gears on the back.
Now own a bike with an integrated one piece bar/stem. Looks really nice but also complicates bikefit and doesn't add much value for my personal use. Next bike will definitely have an old fashioned stem/bar again
You are not unpopular, you are just a boomer XD
Great questions, really enjoyed. Thanks.
Firm believer in riding whatever and however makes you happy.
Those hills you found in Kent are my home roads and I just find the stopping power of disc brakes, especially in poorer conditions, to be a greater peace of mind. I had an off a few years back where I went through a car windscreen and so my confidence on the descents took a bit of a hit, disc brakes give me a little boost in that area.
I’m a man of advancing years myself, I turn 48 in May, but I’m nowhere near your fitness level. I think we just need to find the joy in riding, without trying to break ourselves doing it. Keeping up with the youngsters is getting harder and my eyes are constantly being drawn to e-bikes! 😂
77 yo in Oz. Rim brakes +9velo +tpu + conti 5000. 155mm x 30/46 crankset . Gets me 26kph average. Loving it.
Two self imposed rules I've stuck with are no batteries on the bike – so no electronic shifting or even a computer and the second one is if the feet touch the ground it doesn't count so riding 90 miles with 3 coffee stops is really 3 x 30miles rides. Trends wise I ride 32c on my gravel bike but can't see me going over 28c for a road bike, cranks 172.5mm is fine for everything, prefer SPD and Time pedals for their float and not squeaking, rims v disk I'm fine with either – Swiss Stop Blue pads worth the extra spend for sure. Regardless what Bikefit James says I still love my Airone saddles and hoard them from eBay.
For me the best bike is: Rim brakes, Mechanical groupset, no integrated cables through the handlebar, bar and stem combo, no proprietary fork, 25mm clincher tyres, threaded BB, round seatpost 27.2 or 31.6. crank based powermeter, lighter than 7kg. In my experience this is the best bike a person can get. Easy to service, high performance, lightweight, no unnecessary headaches, can find replacement parts very easy.
Titanium/mechanical/rim brakes/25c rubber/no power meter/no butt cream/coconut water = enjoy the ride! Great video!
Am 58 doing my best first ride tomorrow been off the bike for 4 weeks 🤔🙏🏿
I'm with you my friend. I am 56 and still love mechanical group sets, and rim brakes. Clincher tires and tubes too please!
same no chamois cream not yet any ways
the guy with the dogma f rim brake must feel amazing with a bike like that, absolute perfection
riding on feel makes possible to enjoy cycling more…. I was device- obsessed but fortunately I healed. Nowadays I can ride slower than few years ago but also faster when needed. just listen to your heart and have a good time on your bike!
Your buddy there with an un clipped helmet, quite annoying. Rim brakes and all that ok 🙂
I'm totally with you Federico, regarding the compulsion to continually go with latest, greatest technology, which is obviously never ending. Last year, I sent my 28 year old Marinoni Columbus steel frame back to them in Montreal to have it repainted with my own colour instructions and it came out even better than I had imagined. Metallic deep blue with metallic silver stays and chromed forks. I also decided to upgrade my old 8 speed Athena and luckily, Campagnolo was still making the silver version of the mechanical 11 speed Centaur. I also upgraded my Mavic wheels to Campy's Sirocco rim brakes, now running 28s. Couldn't be happier, the bike looks and rides beautifully and it gets compliments all the time. This type of set up is so easy, no batterly changes or charging, no messy tire sealants or disc brake fluids, so easy to maintain.
❤❤❤
I built up a CAAD 4 with a kineckt suspension stem,Specialized hover bar, a beatbox dampening seat post, had the bike shop build me some wheels with a cheap 38mm deep section aluminum set of rims, Cheap China 1x crank set 165mm paired with sora 9 speed with flat pedals, 46t w- 11-34. I wear ride concept mountain bike shoes with flat pedals. The bike weighs 23lbs with pedals, GPS, bottel cage, and large seat bag. The bike is still pretty fast. Not as fast as my carbon bike, but I really like riding it, and being able to wear the same shoes to go do other things after the ride is nice. I ride what I enjoy, and could care less what all the cool kids are doing.
Loving your no nonsense approach Federico, who cares if it's unpopular if it works for you keep on carrying on!
Being of the (ahem 🙄) Third Age, 😆 I don’t find my 1990s choices unpopular. They are just period-specific style statements. 😉😂 Hey, that tech is still amazingly modern compared to what we had in the ‘60s, when I first started riding…