If you know me, you know I am a huge fan of all things cycling and endurance sports-related. My former swimming head coach and track coach, along with my My INTJ / Enneagram 5 personality type, makes a facts-gatherer, research-to-improve-performance type personality. I am always looking at the newest sports science academic studies to see what is being discovered.
So I thought, why not put out my findings publicly to help others. Hence, https://meatmotor.com.
Why the silly name?
Well, because in endurance sports, your body is the engine that makes you go. Most directly the muscles. Muscles are meat. So…. Meat Motor. (It’s funny to me, at least).
We decided with a silly name we needed an even goofier logo….
So far we have a crazy TDF Racing Schedule Challenge and reviews. The first distillation is coming around optimal cadence and why self-selected cadence is higher than optimal typically.
Check it out if that piques your interest. Thanks!
The goal: To have racers in the proper category and to drastically reduce sandbagging. Makes Zwift categories fairer and more fun.
Click to Enlarge.
So why not this? This would be a combo of current real-life road cycling scenarios of categories along with the current Zwift w/kg model.
First of all…the diagram looks complicated. For the end-user it is not. They just race hard and all this happens behind the scenes. The algorithm only offers users certain race categories (granted E open races still exist).
Here is how the initial model works in my brain:
Start everyone in D races.
But each D race has two sub-categories:
A “Permanent-D” aka D-1
“Pass-Through” D-PT.
Everyone starts in D-PT.
Zwift begins accruing power numbers through your first few races and watching your placement percentage.
If you place top 50% (or whatever % is the best division point) AND your power is above the D threshold w/kg in D-PT, you automatically move up to C-PT and cannot enter a D-1 race.
Once Zwift figures out you aren’t going to top 50% in the C-PT category and determines your race average w/kg is within C-PT category, you slide into semi-permanent C -1.
This process continues under the algorithm slots the rider into a semi-permanent category based on w/kg and placement percentage.
Riders would have to “fight” their way up to A (more like real cycling). But as they fought their way up, true “Permanent-C” riders wouldn’t have to see or race “pass-through” type riders. They’d have a purer race in their own semi-permanent category. This would make it much more fun and fair in these semi-permanent category races (aka no sandbaggers).
So basically you move up through the categories until Zwift finds where you really belong based on placings + power.
Drastically Reduces Sandbagging
The biggest benefit to this model is that sandbaggers would never be able to get into a semi-permanent category (-1) race below their abilities because they would be limited to higher categories. (The only cheat would be to ride at lower w/kg for like 30 days while also placement flopping in their current Pass Through Category on purpose. These flop efforts would get them placed in a lower-than-they should-be semi-permanent category. But even then, the moment they started winning in their lower-than-they-should-be semi-permanent category, they’d be moved back to Pass-Through races and blocked from their flop-gained category.)
Ability to Downgrade After Injury, Aging, Etc.
If over a 90-day period you don’t ever finish within a certain top % and fail to put out in your current category’s w/kg, you are offered the opportunity to down-categorize one level. But if you start getting top 10% finishes and your power goes back up above your downgraded category, you move back up a category and/or over to the PT sub-category of that category.
Taking a Stab at a Harder Race
If anyone wants to take a stab at a harder race, they can always enter a Pass-Through race at their current level. For example, a C-1 could enter a B-PT which would have some future B and A riders moving through. In this way, they could be challenged.
Allows for Rider Progress
We all want to get faster. If, over time, a rider started showing dominance in their semi-permanent category in terms of placement and wattage overages, they get nicely moved up into the next semi-permanent category of races and are barred from the current category.
Update post-race report: I pretty much did the Gatorade, Water, Gels + Endurolytes each hour, plus caffeine every 3 hours. One peanut butter and jelly every 3 hours and one mini-bean burrito halfway between those PB&Js (~1.5 hour after PBJ). No Cokes needed. No Cliff Bars.
Here is the nutrition for the 12 Hour Time Trial cycling race. I should burn between 7,000-8,000 calories. I also need to be putting in approximately 75 grams of carbs per hour.
I divide everything into 25 grams of carbohydrates units. Then simple eat three units per hour.
So what is the fuel of choice…
1.Hammer Gels
Cinnamon Apple and Vanilla to alternate. I will probably be putting two of these down every 1.5 hours for 50 Carbs. The MAIN fuel I use.
2. Cliff Bars
Mixed flavors. 1/2 a bar is a unit of 25 carbs.
3. Bean Burritos
After a while, sugary foods lose their appeal and I need a taste break and protein. Slap some refried beans and cheese between a flour tortilla. I eat these during the 5 or 10 minute breaks I take.
4. Coke
Mini-cans of Coca Cola for towards the end of the race for sugar push and/or if I get stomach issues during race I can slow and shift to this.
5. Hammer Endurolytes
Electrolytes and salts to prevent cramping. I take two per hour. Good stuff that I swear by.
6. Advil
I take two before the race. Two more at 3, 6, and 9 hours.
7. Jet Caffeine Pills
Caffeine is a proven supplement for endurance performance. These come in 100mg variety (rather than traditional 200) so I can take them more often for an even burn.
8. Gatorade
I’ve tried all the fancier sports drinks and I keep coming back to the ol’ skool standard. Alternate orange and citrus. Occasionally, I mix some Hammer Perpeteum in but I have to keep the mix low or I get stomach distress.
9. Water
Good old fashioned bottled water. Whatever brand is cheapest on the day I buy it. A bottle per hour with ice in my insulated cycling bottles.
10. Peanut Butter and Jelly on White Bread
Normally I don’t eat white bread but in the race it burns quicker, which is what I need.
11. Cashews
Some salt, and non-sweet fats and proteins. BOOM!
12. Salty Snacks
Pretzels and sweet potato chips. Again, for relief from the sweet gels that are the main staple.
It’s easier for me to eat if it’s cooler. Above 80ºF, and I have to start really focusing on making myself eat. If it’s under 70ºF, consequently I have to increase my focus on drinking.
Time to get REALLY busy. This clock is a reminder that the Bessie’s Creek Challenge 12-hour bike race is coming and every bit of training must be purposeful.I have some internal mileage goals. My publicly stated goal is to still be on the bike and pedaling at the end of 12 Hours for my first Ultra.
Note to self: Make the training hard so the race doesn’t seem so bad. Remember what Mike Tyson said: Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.
So I am crazy. I am planning on doing my first (and maybe last, but I know myself it won’t be) 12 hour time trial in April. “Why?,” asked one friend. Because it exists to be conquered.
My bike is a bit of a Frankenstein as 1) I don’t have a multi-million dollar sponsor and 2) my personal theory that “function is beauty” and always comes before aesthetics.
Not saying the steed looks bad, just going for affordable speed.
And an aero road bike set-up properly can be almost as fast as a truly optimized TT bike. Here is the data.
So What is the Ultra Bike Set-Up and Why Did I Pick It?
Getting geared up and ready. I have a Cannondale SuperSix that I love. I bought it used from a friend. He bought a new bike and then I think regretted the sale. Too late!
It is slowly getting tweaked out for time trialing. Here are the tweaks that have happened over several years.
Stages Power Meter.
Bought used on Ebay for $399.
A power meter uses tension to measure how much force I am putting against the pedals. Unlike a heart rate monitor, its measure is absolute (and unforgiving).
On a day I am riding with a tailwind and pumping out “incredible speeds” (for me) with a low heart rate, it keeps me honest. It tells me, “You are only pushing out 197 watts, Jordan, don’t get cocky.” It does help me pace myself and not blow up.
Redshift Aero Kit.
Bought new for $399. Birthday money.
Your number one enemy in cycling time trials is air. Pesky little, invisible air. But when you are riding into a headwind of 5 mph at 20 mph you now are riding against a 25 mph wind. Getting low and out of the wind is vital.
I could have bought an all new time trial bike, but Dave Ramsey and the fam might have had something to say about that (I have teenagers car insurance premiums to pay). Also, in case I get really crazy and start doing 24 hour TT or 500 miles rides, or yes RAAM, I want to be able to change positions between aero and road occasionally.
The Redshift system provides me the ability to ride in an aero-tuck into headwinds and slides the seat forward in this position to ensure all my leg angles are correct to generate the right amount of power. But when I get tired in a tailwind, need to climb a hill, etc. I can simply grab the seat and quickly lock it back into a traditional road position on the fly (while riding, even though they have to legally warn you not to do this, everyone does.)
Cobb Randee Saddle.
Bought $189. During Craig Fulk fitting.
My number one issue on super long rides is butt pain (there is honesty for you). I have a traditional nice Fizik road racing saddle but it isn’t cutting it for longer and longer rides. I kept getting sharp pain around my right sit bone.
I bought the Adamo Prologue (see below), but after multiple rides, it was slightly too wide for me at the front. I also did a high-end full fit with Craig Fulk at Dynamic Bike Fit. He has the Gebio systems where he pust this skin thin cover on your saddle and it actually measures pressure and center of gravity as you spin and spits it out like a weather radar. Red is bad. Blue is good. It offers a dynamic view.
The Adamo had a consistent red spot on right sitz bone that never unloaded. My center of gravity was also not ideal. Front left. We tried about five other saddles. The Cobb Randee won. No hotspots and much better center of gravity. Still adjusting but loving it so far.
IMS Adamo Prologue Saddle.
Bought Used $20. Consignment sale.
My number one issue on long rides is butt pain (there is honesty for you). I have a traditional nice Fizik road racing saddle but it isn’t cutting it for longer and longer rides. I kept getting sharp pain around my right sit bone.
I picked up an Adamo Prologue saddle for $20 (normally $189) at a consignment sell-off of an LBS that went bankrupt.
Boom! Butt heaven. On a recent 8 hour training ride, I got sore but no shooting pains and no saddle sores. My rear should break into the seat more before the race, as well. This seat is very non-traditional looking but works fabulously.
Wheel Selection for the Ultra
Wheel Weight and the Ultra Course
My first ultra is on a pancake flat course near Katy, TX.
In fact. to determine course difficulty I have invented a system to measure entire courses or 10 mile sections of a course as Jvals (Jordan values, cute eh?). I take the gross feet of vertical climb over the course and divide it by miles of course (I can do this section by section, too). I don’t count vertical descent feet anywhere in the equation. (Example 1700 ft rise divided by 50 miles = 34 Jval.)
This gives me a Jval number. The best (aka “worst”) climb I’ve ever done is a Category 2 up to McDonald Observatory in Alpine, TX. This had a Jval of 215. Most rolling hill rides around Fort Worth are in the Jval 40-50 range.
The Bessie’s Creek Challenge has a Jval of 9. Yes N-I-N-E. Flat and fast! I thought the Hotter Than Hell 100 was flat and it was Jval of 17.
I am a big guy at 6’4″ so this course fits my style of Jan Ulrich riding (slightly lower cadence at 87rpm when self-selected, slightly bigger gears). Since there is minimal climbing on most TT/ultra courses, aero is more important than weight.
I need fast wheels so here is what I have settled on after experimentation.
Rear Wheel Setup
$275 Total. $180 Used Ksyrium Wheel on Ebay/$90 New Aerojacket Disk Cover.
I bought a used Mavic Kyrsium Elite rear wheel for dirt cheap on Ebay $175. I am putting aerodisk jackets made by wheelbuilder.com on the wheel to give me a complete disk rear setup for $275 instead of the $1000+ for a full disk set-up. Their data is solid.
Running a Continental 4000s tire (tyre for you Brits). Going with a 25 width on rear to soften the ride a bit (and this width has less rolling resistance than a 21 or 23.)
This rear wheel set will give the low drag of wheel costing 5x as much at a less than my current training wheel weight as the Ksyrium’s are lightweight. (Not that is training wheel, not the things sticking out the side of little kids’ bikes, though I may need them late in the race.)
Font Wheel Setup
$424 Total. FloCyling.com Flo60.
For the front, I spent Christmas money and purchased a FLO60 deep dish. These wheels get great reviews and are affordable. The Flo guys are just cool with some of the best customer support in the biking biz.
Note: Rule of thumb is never run a deeper wheel on the front than the back or your front wheel can turn into a sail in crosswinds and you’ll “exit stage…ditch.” The 60 should allow me to take some heavier crosswinds and not give up much speed.
Catlike AeroShell Helmet
$40. Australian Ebay
I have a Catlike Mixino helmet which I bought several years ago. I live in Texas and summer rides are frequently at 100ºF+. Turns out Catlike makes an aeroshell to turn this ventilated monster into a more aero-helmet for CHEAP. Since my head position will change during an ultra there is no need for the “tail of death” type aero helmet. This will work fine.
Skinsuit?
$40 Ebay.
I am still debating this one.
“Loose kits sink ships.”
Perhaps the cheapest way to get free speed is a super tight fitting kit. My bibs of choice are the Pearl Izumi Elite or Pro level because the pad (aka chamois) works for me for extended times in the saddle. I have tried other brands and the cut isn’t right.
So the dilemma is to:
buy a $150+ Pearl Izumi skinsuit (last resort and I have to ride in BMC team labels, weird for me).
try this Garneau Skinsuit I found used for $37 I found on Ebay
to wear bibs I know work the tightest jersey i have.
Going to try #2 on long training ride then #3. If I keep at it, someday I’ll reward myself with #1.
So total Road Steed to Time Trial Steed Costs
(and I can shift it back to full road bike in <5 minutes).
$399 Stages Powermeter
$319 Redshift Aero System
$675 Wheel Combinations
$40 Aero Helmet
$20 Adamo Prologue Saddle
$40 Skinsuit
=$1,493 TOTAL UPGRADE COSTS
+$1200 Used Cannondale Supersix I already have.
=$2,693 TOTAL JORDAN AERO RIDE
New Time Trial Bike with these additional features?
$3,499 Cannondale Slice RS
$800 Stages Power Meter
$1,000 Full Carbon Disk Rear Wheel
$575 Zipp Front Wheel Carbon 60
$150 Pearl Izumi Skinsuit
$189 Adamo Prologue Saddle
$209 Catlike Cronos Aero Helmet
= $6,422 TOTAL NEW AERO RIDE
In Conclusion
So I am getting very close to the same aerodynamic drag coefficients for a built out Time Trial bike for 40% of the cost. If you consider I already owned the SuperSix, that goes up to a dramatic spend of only 23% of the cost of a new ride.
And I can go back to a traditional road bike setting for group rides in <5 minutes. All I have to do is:
Switch out wheels.
Pop off quick release aerobars
Make sure the Redshift seat stem is in back position
Heck, if I really want to revert, I can drop the standard carbon saddle post with Fizik saddle back in whose height is marked with a paint pen.
You can get a fast yet affordable bike setup for ultras if you are willing to do the savings work, shop Ebay, looks for deals and be patient.
Stay tuned to find out how this all turns out. I’m sure they’ll be some semi-humorous accounts coming soon.
