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Get Fit, Stay Fit, Feel Good - 2026
- Thread starter stangmx13
- Start date
littlebeast
i feel… motivated
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2008
- Location
- CA historical landmark #399
- Moto(s)
- the red witch + the green goblin
- Name
- hey you
on another note - great weather for the western states. it would have been brutal a week ago. heard early on that the record would likely be broken, and a lot were crediting the weather. RF is a zoo, but nothing like town. it was pandemonium. one of these days i’d love to go to the finish, but it’s so hard to pass up working at RF, so who knows.
We stayed until the top woman came in. The woman’s record was broken too.
on another note - great weather for the western states. it would have been brutal a week ago. heard early on that the record would likely be broken, and a lot were crediting the weather. RF is a zoo, but nothing like town. it was pandemonium. one of these days i’d love to go to the finish, but it’s so hard to pass up working at RF, so who knows.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
Damn Justin. 
stangmx13
not Stan
Ugh baby heads are the worst. Staying loose, comfortable, and fast on rocky descents is so hard.
Rough dirt can add a surprise to every gravel event. I hate it when I underestimate it. You can go into a race thinking you’ll do that rolling road at 15mph. But no, it’s chunky AF turning it into a 10mph slog.
. This is the main reason why tire choice and pressure is so important.You have your tire pressure dialed? IMO, even Silca’s tire pressure calculator is a tad high for the rear tire and way too high for the front.
Your race with the climbing at 75ft/mi is a solid gravel event these days. It’d be avg difficulty but the elevation and the chunk you described prob makes it more medium-hard.
@stangmx13, I have no idea if my tire pressure is correct. I do use the Silca calculator. It seemed like the small bumps rocks and roots are soaked up by my tires, it’s the big stuff that really beat me up. I know that my bike skills on shitty dirt roads are shit and it’s not something I ride very often so my body has nothing built up to deal with it.
Today I actually feel pretty darn good. My legs are a little heavy and my lower back is little sore and that’s about it. I cleaned up my bike, the drivetrain sounded like it was made of sandpaper after the race, and took it for a quick spin up the street. Again my legs felt a little heavy but I almost talked myself into a couple of laps around the lake.
Today I actually feel pretty darn good. My legs are a little heavy and my lower back is little sore and that’s about it. I cleaned up my bike, the drivetrain sounded like it was made of sandpaper after the race, and took it for a quick spin up the street. Again my legs felt a little heavy but I almost talked myself into a couple of laps around the lake.
stangmx13
not Stan
@Ridley
For the Silca calculator: I use the surface choice “Cat4 gravel” for all off road riding. For my current bike config, the calculator gives me 22/23psi. I prefer 20/23psi. When setting the pressure the morning of an event, I’ll do 19/22psi because the day’s heat raises pressure about 1psi.
However, all that depends on your pressure gauge’s accuracy. Bicycle gauges are often terrible. I have 5 gauges and they differ by 5psi at 25psi
. The single gauge I trust matches my moto gauge. That’s the one I’ve “calibrated” to my preferences. So feel free to try lower than Silca says. I tend to get one good impact bottoming onto my wheels per rocky ride. If it happens more than that, I’ve gone too low.
Wax chain with Squirt is the best way to keep the drivetrain nice with our dusty CA gravel riding. Hot wax and drip wax is best. But even drip wax alone is better than oil lube. It’s a process to get wax setup, but it’s worth it. My drivetrain hasn’t been noisy after a 100mi race in years.
That’s great you are feeling good and went for a short recovery ride. I think I can feel the diff even with a 10min ride the following day.
For the Silca calculator: I use the surface choice “Cat4 gravel” for all off road riding. For my current bike config, the calculator gives me 22/23psi. I prefer 20/23psi. When setting the pressure the morning of an event, I’ll do 19/22psi because the day’s heat raises pressure about 1psi.
However, all that depends on your pressure gauge’s accuracy. Bicycle gauges are often terrible. I have 5 gauges and they differ by 5psi at 25psi
. The single gauge I trust matches my moto gauge. That’s the one I’ve “calibrated” to my preferences. So feel free to try lower than Silca says. I tend to get one good impact bottoming onto my wheels per rocky ride. If it happens more than that, I’ve gone too low.Wax chain with Squirt is the best way to keep the drivetrain nice with our dusty CA gravel riding. Hot wax and drip wax is best. But even drip wax alone is better than oil lube. It’s a process to get wax setup, but it’s worth it. My drivetrain hasn’t been noisy after a 100mi race in years.
That’s great you are feeling good and went for a short recovery ride. I think I can feel the diff even with a 10min ride the following day.
@stangmx13, while cleaning my bike today I was asking my wife about the small crockpot and what happened to it during our move. I’m going to get setup for waxing.
Based on what you’re describing my tire pressure is way too high. I set mine at 30f/28r. I will probably be up in Truckee again soon to ride with my friend and will go lower on my pressure.
By the way, I hope you know how much you’re appreciated around here…taking the time to respond to all the questions we have about cycling. You are truly awesome.
Based on what you’re describing my tire pressure is way too high. I set mine at 30f/28r. I will probably be up in Truckee again soon to ride with my friend and will go lower on my pressure.
By the way, I hope you know how much you’re appreciated around here…taking the time to respond to all the questions we have about cycling. You are truly awesome.
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2002
- Location
- Walnut Creek
- Moto(s)
- Monica Sweetheart!!!!
- Name
- Berto
- BARF perks
- Barf Racer
I'm not sure why that's called "Bro Science", but guess it has to be called something. I'd think "Bro Science" has something to do with Bro splits. These threads were mostly about contributors programs, achievements, and progressions. Posts have been positive and encouraging for others, which made these threads a nice reprieve from other BARF threads that have been a bit more confrontational. Taking a position that posts here have a "proof of truth" standard, only invites the confrontation. Things have done well without it, and I haven't read posts where advice was given that could be considered a different level than the aggregate of posts here.
It seems you have a specific post in mind. I don't know which post this is. I'm here to read and encourage; not engage in what's truth and what's not. Those arguments don't build people up, they just confuse and divide. TRT is controversial here. This is news to me. I don't believe it's in good form to berate contributors who aren't contributing with malice, and instead describing their experience(s).
This thread has morphed into a bicycling thread, for the most part. Don't be surprised when posters may make contributions that hold different values from the bicycle community given the title of the thread.
stangmx13
not Stan
1. Since we are talking about HEALTH, IMO the standard for truth should scale with risk. If you don’t know the risk associated with promoting your experience or giving advice to someone else, perhaps you should overshoot the truth standard. With data.
2. The only value in misinformation - should it occur - comes from the correction afterwards. That’s confrontation. If someone wants to reduce confrontation, they could do the research beforehand and post it all. We’d all learn so much that way. Even “experiences” can present misinformation because it is promoting some idea or action, good or bad.
3. The primary value of biking in here is to be more healthy. Other topics fit if they share the same value.
Here’s one post I was thinking about. I gave Budman some cardio advice a while ago. When writing it, I seriously considered how much I knew about his health, his current fitness level, and whether or not such a workout could be harmful to him. I toned down my original idea to play it safe. And when he did change his workout, he only changed it partway to my eventual suggestion, likely making it even safer. But there was still some fucking risk there! There’s a somewhat similar risk when I post my absurd workouts - what if someone hurt themselves in trying to copy me. It’s not just entertainment for everyone.
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Sharxfan
Well-known member
I do believe that all the information presented in here is beneficial. Personal experiences can help a person decide whether something they were on the fence about may be right for them. Reading and researching online doesn't give you the full story and sometimes hearing what someone did or did not do may help. From what I have read on the BARFs I am pretty sure most people on here are not Bro-science people and will take anything said here and will adjust it for their personal use. I know there is no way I could hop on a bike and do half of what you and Ridley do but I can take tidbits of what you do and work them into my stuff ( if I could ride a bike safely around here). I don't bike but I do read all your posts because who knows when I may get some nugget of info that may be useful to me especially your hydration tips.
Same thing with SV's posts. Now I may not go to the levels he does with TRT but hearing about his experience does help and it is something to keep in mind when looking at something like that. Of course I would do it under the supervision of a medical professional and follow their advice. But if a high level of testosterone is what makes SV650 function where he wants then that is his journey and I won't cast stones.
I love all the stories and sharing that goes on in this thread and would hate to lose anyone that reads/contributes to the thread but I think we can all agree that we are all thinking rational adults and that any advice given on here is not medical advice or iron clad for all people. I mean we all rode motorcycles at one point so we know life entails risk but we should still enjoy it.
sorry for the long rambling post. back to your regulary scheduled thread.
Oh yeah an update. The Ohio daughter has been in town for the last week or so so the gym time got curtailed so I could spend time with her and her sister but she left me this morning to go back to Ohio
so I will be back to my regularly scheduled workout schedule. I think I will do 4 straight with no rest day this week as I missed last night and need to catch up.
stangmx13
not Stan
Theres zero chance we are all thinking rational adults all the time
My coach has me back on lifting 2x a week. The first workout this week was my standard 2x8 RPE3 exercises, mostly for maintenance. The second is 3x10 RPE5 which should produce some gains. It’s all still hip-adjacent single leg lifts like single leg deadlift and lateral lunges. I gotta fix this weakness I have in my left hip / left glute medius. And of course there’s Bulgarian split squat again.
My coach has me back on lifting 2x a week. The first workout this week was my standard 2x8 RPE3 exercises, mostly for maintenance. The second is 3x10 RPE5 which should produce some gains. It’s all still hip-adjacent single leg lifts like single leg deadlift and lateral lunges. I gotta fix this weakness I have in my left hip / left glute medius. And of course there’s Bulgarian split squat again.
Sharxfan
Well-known member
ugh hate squats. The barbell one I do hurts my messed up shoulders so I hold it farther down more on my trapezius and it seems to work for now but not sure how that will hold up with higher weights. right now still doing baby weights but it is increasing every session as I get used to it again so time will tell. If it gets too bad I can switch to dumbbell squats or something.Theres zero chance we are all thinking rational adults all the time
My coach has me back on lifting 2x a week. The first workout this week was my standard 2x8 RPE3 exercises, mostly for maintenance. The second is 3x10 RPE5 which should produce some gains. It’s all still hip-adjacent single leg lifts like single leg deadlift and lateral lunges. I gotta fix this weakness I have in my left hip / left glute medius. And of course there’s Bulgarian split squat again.
stangmx13
not Stan
Ya i like low-back squat way better than up on the trap. The form feels more natural for me.
Bulgarian Split Squat is great with "baby weights" because it fucking wrecks the quad. 135# for a regular Squat and 50# Bulgarian is the same RPE for me, and the amount of DOMS I get. The stabilizer muscle work feels different. But the one legged Bulgarian cant be bad for stabilizers.
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2002
- Location
- Walnut Creek
- Moto(s)
- Monica Sweetheart!!!!
- Name
- Berto
- BARF perks
- Barf Racer
I'll start with a universal reality; everyone gets something a little different from others out of reading a post. What they take with them is what they find value in, and may find useful, or discard it later. This goes for all posts across this board. The level to which one finds commitment to another's post is personal. WRT to "health", I don't believe there has been much (if any) specific health directives. Suggestions and ideas; sure. Again, this comports with other areas on BARF where riders give suggestions on bike sizes, gear, rides, etc. The level of expertise behind the screen name depends on the trust of the reader.
This thread has been about experiences and results from those experiences. We've all found different avenues to arrive at our optimum fitness programs (or on our journey still); that experience and lessons learned we pass on here. We also talk about our current trials and struggles. I wouldn't call this "health" advice being dished out. Setting a standard of "data" for some truth standard is irrelevant to most of the content posted. We're spitballing and taking in alternative plans and results to consider. Most are probably shelved and some are retained.
1. The risks are personal, like all things read and attempted. The risks are based on our own personal attributes and deficiencies. What one poster can tolerate, another may reject. Your message that the standard be one of arguable sources for standards as low as "try some pushups", is discordant with 50 year veterans in the medical field having diametric conclusions of the same data. If they can't settle on what "truth" is, then let readers research and they themselves settle on what truth they accept. After all, their results for taking another's advice will always be.....personal.
2. Misinformation implies the workout threads are about scientific debates/ corrections. This is a new standard that'll break the community support approach for others looking to get into shape, or up their workout game. The "correction" threads are exhausting and isolating. No thanks.
3. The biking sub-topic is fine here, but also encompasses biking successes in competition. That's a good thing; to celebrate success with fitness programs, but tearing into someone else's successes in their alternative sport of choice isn't in keeping with a community support thread.
That's all I got....
stangmx13
not Stan
Every reply moves the goalposts so far that this convo becomes more and more nonsensical. I hate this habit of yours and would love it if you could stay on topic a little better. I suspect that instead of understanding what I've typed and responding to that, you are responding to some made up implication. Please dont do that. I’m not trying to argue a new point every damn post - it’s generally the same one said in a diff way.
Your first two paragraphs seem to contradict each other. "Everyone gets something different" or "We don't talk about health". Can everyone decide for themselves or are you telling them that this thread isn't "health"? Obviously I think this thread is about health and needs to be treated with the care that deserves.
1. I think you didn't understand my point about "scaling standards with risk". Can you try again? Also maybe think about how "truth" is defined in health, especially with respect to disagreement between health pros.
2. There is plenty of scientific debate in this thread and it's working just fine based on the number of thumbs-up. There are a lot of linked studies and YT vids with sources in this thread. It's fine that you dont want confrontation. If someone calls you out for some nonsense, you can not reply. But it seems silly to limit everyone else to spare your feelings.
3. Whose non-biking success has been torn into? Was their success torn into because it wasn't bicycle-related? Link the posts plz. We can’t learn to do better without another confrontation.
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- Joined
- Jun 19, 2002
- Location
- Walnut Creek
- Moto(s)
- Monica Sweetheart!!!!
- Name
- Berto
- BARF perks
- Barf Racer
Rob, your request for data on any "health advice" provided is where the goal posts have been moved. That's your personal request; not a standard used here previously. The implication for a battle of the links is an anathema to how we have been posting previously. I understand you want to qualify statements others make as valid/ invalid based on links. IMO, that's an optional standard that will lead to division, based on differences of beliefs. This has been an enjoyable thread series. "Truth" checking others workout advice when there hasn't been a problem with what's been previously posted is inviting KSP like arguments.
No thanks.
No thanks.
Sharxfan
Well-known member
So got to the gym last night and it was empty. busted out my upper routine with no issue. upped weight on most exercises and man my shoulders were destroyed. it was so hard to keep my arms up they were just wiped. felt good like I am making progress. went up on my bench and will see how long it takes to get back to where I want to be.
SFMCjohn
13
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2010
- Location
- San Francisco, 94102
- Moto(s)
- KLR, K75s, TR7V, FXSB
- Name
- John A.
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- AMA #2917550
tl/dr: “now I’m the punchline to the joke” …
I’m continuing to struggle to settle into a new “feel good” routine, with the recent loss of my 40 hour work week structure. ustabee all I had to do was go to work, and I’d automatically get 12 to 14k steps and at least a 16 hour intermittent fast per five day work week.
hoping that if I stay intentional, that I’ll settle into some new routine, soon, and that I should be able to continue to prioritize consistent lifestyle elements/goals (avoiding calorie surpluses, eating “healthy”, staying on the low end of my BMI range, embracing “motion is medicine” daily).
looking in on this thread every day and checking in once in a while, for motivation and some small measure of accountability, has certainly been useful, ime.
anyway, we’ll see.
(regarding what some would style as “KSP like arguments”—since our last great purge our poli-sink has been a genteel tea party, and I’ve had to find my BARF-style argument fix in threads like this one, here in our KS. imagine that.
)
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