Just want to say that you help me a lot. I just finished HIM Santa Cruz and am on my way to my first IM California. I've used Maurten, Clif Bloks, Clif Bars... a lot but for 6+ hour on the bike, I need to come up with something more convenient. I'm glad to find out about your video and Tailwind. I'll buy one and see how it goes. Thank you again.
Good video. I use Gu Roctaine. I use liquid nutrition as well on the bike and straight water on the run with gels every 20 mins. See you in Chatty next week.
Roctane is real solid stuff. I can't handle more than 2 or 3 of the Roctane in a row, but I had one at mile... ~22 of a marathon this year right when I felt the wheels starting to come off and it snapped me right back to reality. I actually bought two today to stuff in my run special needs! See you soon!
Thanks for posting this! I’m doing IM Chattanooga this year and had 2 questions. (1) You said you did a 3x concentration of Tailwind but also said 3 scoops in a water bottle. 3 scoops is only 300 calories. Shouldn’t it be 9 scoops in a water bottle to get 900 calories (300 cal/hr)? (2) What did you do for the run? Did you carry Tailwind powder and mix it with water at aid stations?
Heyo! You'll love Chatt, it's a super fun race. Happy to help! Sorry for being confusing, I shouldn't have said "bottle" as it implied the rear water bottle-I was referring to the BTA torpedo bottle. So yes, 1x (3 scoops/300cals) in the torpedo, 3x (9scoops/900) in the rear BTS. The front and rear were non-caffeinated, and then my bottle with another 3x concentrate at special needs was caffeinated. That was the plan, anyway. Reality was that I got distracted and ended up not taking in the planned calories, which didn't set me up well for the run. Ended up being a bit underfueled. The plan on the run was essentially to live off course nutrition (gels and such) and it was okay. There are so many aid stations it's pretty easy. That said, I'd probably put 3 or so gels in my shorts just to make sure I've got them. I have gotten a lot better about fueling for 12+ hours lately with my two 50s; gels (Gu) work pretty darn well for me.
No stopping necessary, just grab and go. Pop the top before the aid, couple firm squirts in, toss the bottle in the trash zone, add the tailwind and reseal. All one handed, nothing too stressful.
Hi Justin, I appreciate your videos! In fact I find myself revisiting videos such as this... specifically because after using Maurten which requires a very specific mix, I was looking for something more practical such as your tailwind concentrate... could you please confirm exactly how you mixed it in what size bottle? Have you used tailwind for the run as well or use on course nutrition? Thanks so much in advance!!!
Awesome, totally get it. I actually used Maurten for the first time at STG (on course, ha. I have a pretty iron stomach. It seemed to work fine for me, but yikes it's expensive.) I mix the concentrated bottle for three hours and mark off 1/3s with a sharpie. Each hour, I squirt 1/3 of the bottle into the BTA bottle and fill the rest with water. I have found that 300-325cals/hour works well for me up to 6 hours, starting on caffeinated and moving into non-caff. Tailwind caffeinated has a LOT of caffeine in it; I don't think anyone could do 6 hours of it. I did my standard intake of it for a training century once; around the 4ish hour mark, I was feeling WEIRD. Very, very caffeinated. You could probably start non-caff and move into caff too (which might be smarter actually.) Anyway, each scoop of Tailwind is 100 cals, so it's basically 9 and a bit scoops into a bottle. Essentially, I call this a triple concentrate (referring to the amount of calories per bottle-- 900 is 3x my hourly intake, so it's good for 3 hours.) The size of the bottle you concentrate in shouldn't matter a ton as long as it's 21 or 24oz, because you're diluting it with a bunch more water into your BTA. Typically on the run I dial my nutrition back a lot. I have a higher HR running than cycling, so I can't take in as much. I prefer fruit as much as possible. Hope that helps!
Justin, I've been cycling for about 35yrs and I'm coming back to road after a 10yr break. I'm taking the dive into Ironman Triathlons and picking up a Specialized Shiv in a few weeks. After having ridden road for 25yrs I'm curious. I notice it's not real "mainstream" for people to put shift/brake levers on the "bull horn" bars. Obviously that's what I'm used to and most comfortable with when out of the saddle or climbing. Any reason most people don't seem to do that?
Oh hell yeah, welcome back. :D You’ve been riding longer than I’ve been alive, so bear that in mind and we’ll both be on the same page. I’m sure you’ve forgotten more about riding than I’ve learned. Congrats on the move into IM; I ‘just rode’ a lot, but IM is just fun overall. The Shiv is a sweet bike. I remember wanting one of those for YEARS while I was in college and was happy to afford dinner. So I am not *positive* on this one, but I think I can provide a bit of conjecture mixed with knowledge that’ll at least get you in the right area. Broadly, yeah, I know what you’re talking about. You definitely don’t see brakes on the bullhorns // bullhorn shaped bars anymore. If we step back from tri bikes and look at road bikes, it took until 1990 with the Shimano STI to even have dual purpose brakes/shifters on road bikes. I wouldn’t be too surprised if DT shifters on tri bikes are a straight carryover from how it was done on road bikes, with bullhorns being the ‘well the arms have to go somewhere’ solution. Downtube shifters were also much easier from a tech standpoint. Originally, you basically had friction shifters (vs indexed shifters), and when they’re on the downtime, there’s almost no bends or difficult routing. By going into the aerobar, it’s a more complex route for the cable. They also let you ‘trim’ your derailleurs at any time (though it could be argued they also required you to nail your shifts each time too, so meh.) So that said, there are some big positives of having the shifters on the end of the aerobat. Typically, you’re gonna spend a much bigger proportion of your time in the aerobar position than on the extension, and when you’re in that position, your hands are resting right on the shifters; nice. When you *need* to get on your brakes, you’re probably about to turn, and then being on the extensions gives you more stability anyway. If you are always having to lift an arm in or out of aero just to shift, that increases the likelihood of a wobble and or a veer and or a potential crash in a tight group setting (more likely in a race.) So that said, what should you do? Well one, pay little attention to what ‘most’ people do. Most cyclists don’t really understand the ‘why’ behind their actions, and most triathletes are a bit less understanding of cycling than most cyclists, imo. No judgement there, of course, it just is what it is. I see a lot of ‘odd’ cycling choices in transition; to each their own. For you though, it wouldn’t surprise me if you feel that way. I haven’t ridden a bike with bullhorns, but just having seen them, I think a bike with bullhorns is closer to a road bike on the hoods than a tri bike is ever going to feel when riding on the extensions. Tri bikes aren’t really ever meant to be ridden out of the saddle, dancing up a climb while really forward over the bike. You *can,* sure, but that’s not where they’re most stable. You see a lot of triathletes who sit up and grab the baseball extension in the mids, as if they were riding the tops while climbing seated in a road bike. It’s much more comfortable. Generally, I think it’s a matter of prioritization and optimization: You’ll spend 98%+ of your miles and time in aero and taking advantage of the easy shifting. You can stay in aero and reach for either brake with one arm to feather your speed, or you can fully leave aero and really get on your brakes if need be. That, vs constantly in and out of aero with one arm while shifting and having your hands close to brakes that don’t get used that often. There’s probably some aero gains by minimizing that frontal bar area too, but I don’t put too much concern in those few seconds, though. It all adds up though, I guess. Anyway, bit of a ramble, but I hope that at least gets you broadly closer!
JustinDoesTriathlon I really appreciate the detailed answer. Yea I’m thinking I’ll stick with trail racing for a while. Been really running the past 3 years and now I have a better idea about form, nutrition and my body. I swam in college for 3 years and my coach was a former Olympian, so I have a food grasp on that as well. My nutritionist is a multiple full Ironman finisher, so this is going to be a fun journey.
Got a question! I recently got my Felt IA14 and I don't know whether I should cut the carbon steerer tube or put those carbon spacers on it! Have you cut yours?
So mine came precut (got the bike used.) I would say somewhere between "don't bother" and "the only possible difference would be negative." So pros, people on the internet don't say "cut your steerer" and it looks a tiny bit sleeker. Cons, depending on where you are in your fit range, you might end up wanting that 5mm higher at some point. If you sell the bike in the future, maybe that person will. It's really not a big deal either way tbh. To me cutting it sorta feels like solving a problem that doesn't really exist. That said, while you're digging around in that area, make sure that the clamps that actually clamp to the aero extensions say V3 on them. V2 had some breakage issues (and a friend I follow on Insta had them break on him.) If yours are V3 you're good; V2 you can get free replacement through your LBS.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Thank you for your input! And yeah, I thought about all cons, however as we french people ain't that tall, I don't think selling it would be problematic - even though I don't plan to - considering I'm 5ft9 tall and the average height here is 5ft7. I'mma make sure to keep extra 5mm! Btw my aerobar extension brackets are completely fucked as the screws are stuck inside, so I gotta cut those and get replacement brackets
Thanks! It was in after effects but honestly I couldn't explain it well to save my life. Basically it's a bunch of video and text keyframed to move in and out. Sorry I am terrible at explaining lol
been watching your videos and want to get a Felt 1A, what size do you? is their website measurements correct? i am 5'10" 32 inseam which means i would ride a 54 per felt.
I can't speak to the website specifically, but I'm 6ft 0" with relatively long legs for my height and I'm on a Large. The bike fits me, but if anything it's a bit small. My *suspicion* is that sounds about right for you, but you'd really have to get a fitter to know for sure, because your range-of-motion and proportionality really affect sizing.
Not sure if you've already made a purchase, but I'm the same height and inseam and went with a 54. In hindsight, I wish I had gone with the 56. I have the aerobars extended up 40mm and the seat tube up high. It's an extremely adjustable bike, but a 56 would've been better for me.
Came here for a bike review, stayed for the great ideas! You sir have my subscription!
Well thanks! Just happy to hopefully help. :)
ditto, i learned more about nutrition than I did the bike. Thank you Justin
Just want to say that you help me a lot. I just finished HIM Santa Cruz and am on my way to my first IM California. I've used Maurten, Clif Bloks, Clif Bars... a lot but for 6+ hour on the bike, I need to come up with something more convenient. I'm glad to find out about your video and Tailwind. I'll buy one and see how it goes. Thank you again.
Just found this one on grave yard tonigh good watch, hope your winter training is going good buddy
Very helpful - especially about the fueling decisions.
This man deserves a million subs
I'm just here to hopefully help out a little bit. 🙂
Great series - good luck Justin.
Really appreciate it. 🙂
Good video. I use Gu Roctaine. I use liquid nutrition as well on the bike and straight water on the run with gels every 20 mins. See you in Chatty next week.
Roctane is real solid stuff. I can't handle more than 2 or 3 of the Roctane in a row, but I had one at mile... ~22 of a marathon this year right when I felt the wheels starting to come off and it snapped me right back to reality. I actually bought two today to stuff in my run special needs!
See you soon!
Are you coming to Juneau for IMAK?
Thanks for posting this! I’m doing IM Chattanooga this year and had 2 questions. (1) You said you did a 3x concentration of Tailwind but also said 3 scoops in a water bottle. 3 scoops is only 300 calories. Shouldn’t it be 9 scoops in a water bottle to get 900 calories (300 cal/hr)? (2) What did you do for the run? Did you carry Tailwind powder and mix it with water at aid stations?
Heyo! You'll love Chatt, it's a super fun race. Happy to help! Sorry for being confusing, I shouldn't have said "bottle" as it implied the rear water bottle-I was referring to the BTA torpedo bottle. So yes, 1x (3 scoops/300cals) in the torpedo, 3x (9scoops/900) in the rear BTS. The front and rear were non-caffeinated, and then my bottle with another 3x concentrate at special needs was caffeinated. That was the plan, anyway. Reality was that I got distracted and ended up not taking in the planned calories, which didn't set me up well for the run. Ended up being a bit underfueled. The plan on the run was essentially to live off course nutrition (gels and such) and it was okay. There are so many aid stations it's pretty easy. That said, I'd probably put 3 or so gels in my shorts just to make sure I've got them. I have gotten a lot better about fueling for 12+ hours lately with my two 50s; gels (Gu) work pretty darn well for me.
Were you able to refill the Torpedo while riding or did you come to a complete stop at the aid station to refill?
No stopping necessary, just grab and go. Pop the top before the aid, couple firm squirts in, toss the bottle in the trash zone, add the tailwind and reseal. All one handed, nothing too stressful.
Did your bike have mounting screws for the rear storage box?
Where I can find That bottle holder?
Hi Justin, I appreciate your videos! In fact I find myself revisiting videos such as this... specifically because after using Maurten which requires a very specific mix, I was looking for something more practical such as your tailwind concentrate... could you please confirm exactly how you mixed it in what size bottle? Have you used tailwind for the run as well or use on course nutrition? Thanks so much in advance!!!
Awesome, totally get it. I actually used Maurten for the first time at STG (on course, ha. I have a pretty iron stomach. It seemed to work fine for me, but yikes it's expensive.) I mix the concentrated bottle for three hours and mark off 1/3s with a sharpie. Each hour, I squirt 1/3 of the bottle into the BTA bottle and fill the rest with water. I have found that 300-325cals/hour works well for me up to 6 hours, starting on caffeinated and moving into non-caff. Tailwind caffeinated has a LOT of caffeine in it; I don't think anyone could do 6 hours of it. I did my standard intake of it for a training century once; around the 4ish hour mark, I was feeling WEIRD. Very, very caffeinated. You could probably start non-caff and move into caff too (which might be smarter actually.) Anyway, each scoop of Tailwind is 100 cals, so it's basically 9 and a bit scoops into a bottle. Essentially, I call this a triple concentrate (referring to the amount of calories per bottle-- 900 is 3x my hourly intake, so it's good for 3 hours.) The size of the bottle you concentrate in shouldn't matter a ton as long as it's 21 or 24oz, because you're diluting it with a bunch more water into your BTA. Typically on the run I dial my nutrition back a lot. I have a higher HR running than cycling, so I can't take in as much. I prefer fruit as much as possible. Hope that helps!
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Thank you very much for your reply!
Justin, I've been cycling for about 35yrs and I'm coming back to road after a 10yr break. I'm taking the dive into Ironman Triathlons and picking up a Specialized Shiv in a few weeks. After having ridden road for 25yrs I'm curious. I notice it's not real "mainstream" for people to put shift/brake levers on the "bull horn" bars. Obviously that's what I'm used to and most comfortable with when out of the saddle or climbing.
Any reason most people don't seem to do that?
Oh hell yeah, welcome back. :D
You’ve been riding longer than I’ve been alive, so bear that in mind and we’ll both be on the same page. I’m sure you’ve forgotten more about riding than I’ve learned. Congrats on the move into IM; I ‘just rode’ a lot, but IM is just fun overall. The Shiv is a sweet bike. I remember wanting one of those for YEARS while I was in college and was happy to afford dinner.
So I am not *positive* on this one, but I think I can provide a bit of conjecture mixed with knowledge that’ll at least get you in the right area. Broadly, yeah, I know what you’re talking about. You definitely don’t see brakes on the bullhorns // bullhorn shaped bars anymore. If we step back from tri bikes and look at road bikes, it took until 1990 with the Shimano STI to even have dual purpose brakes/shifters on road bikes. I wouldn’t be too surprised if DT shifters on tri bikes are a straight carryover from how it was done on road bikes, with bullhorns being the ‘well the arms have to go somewhere’ solution.
Downtube shifters were also much easier from a tech standpoint. Originally, you basically had friction shifters (vs indexed shifters), and when they’re on the downtime, there’s almost no bends or difficult routing. By going into the aerobar, it’s a more complex route for the cable. They also let you ‘trim’ your derailleurs at any time (though it could be argued they also required you to nail your shifts each time too, so meh.)
So that said, there are some big positives of having the shifters on the end of the aerobat. Typically, you’re gonna spend a much bigger proportion of your time in the aerobar position than on the extension, and when you’re in that position, your hands are resting right on the shifters; nice. When you *need* to get on your brakes, you’re probably about to turn, and then being on the extensions gives you more stability anyway. If you are always having to lift an arm in or out of aero just to shift, that increases the likelihood of a wobble and or a veer and or a potential crash in a tight group setting (more likely in a race.)
So that said, what should you do? Well one, pay little attention to what ‘most’ people do. Most cyclists don’t really understand the ‘why’ behind their actions, and most triathletes are a bit less understanding of cycling than most cyclists, imo. No judgement there, of course, it just is what it is. I see a lot of ‘odd’ cycling choices in transition; to each their own. For you though, it wouldn’t surprise me if you feel that way. I haven’t ridden a bike with bullhorns, but just having seen them, I think a bike with bullhorns is closer to a road bike on the hoods than a tri bike is ever going to feel when riding on the extensions. Tri bikes aren’t really ever meant to be ridden out of the saddle, dancing up a climb while really forward over the bike. You *can,* sure, but that’s not where they’re most stable. You see a lot of triathletes who sit up and grab the baseball extension in the mids, as if they were riding the tops while climbing seated in a road bike. It’s much more comfortable. Generally, I think it’s a matter of prioritization and optimization: You’ll spend 98%+ of your miles and time in aero and taking advantage of the easy shifting. You can stay in aero and reach for either brake with one arm to feather your speed, or you can fully leave aero and really get on your brakes if need be. That, vs constantly in and out of aero with one arm while shifting and having your hands close to brakes that don’t get used that often. There’s probably some aero gains by minimizing that frontal bar area too, but I don’t put too much concern in those few seconds, though. It all adds up though, I guess.
Anyway, bit of a ramble, but I hope that at least gets you broadly closer!
JustinDoesTriathlon I really appreciate the detailed answer.
Yea I’m thinking I’ll stick with trail racing for a while. Been really running the past 3 years and now I have a better idea about form, nutrition and my body. I swam in college for 3 years and my coach was a former Olympian, so I have a food grasp on that as well. My nutritionist is a multiple full Ironman finisher, so this is going to be a fun journey.
Justin great video I’m interested in the bike fit can you share a video of that thank you
Will do! Pretty busy at the moment but I'll definitely add it to the list. 👍 Cheers
JustinDoesTriathlon
Thank you Tony
Would 28mm tires fit? I’m all about comfort for training, and I might buy a very similar felt bike as my first tri bike!
I've got 25s on my (older) model. The new disc models are confirmed up to 28mm! That would be a cush ride, and a hell of a first tt bike!
Got a question!
I recently got my Felt IA14 and I don't know whether I should cut the carbon steerer tube or put those carbon spacers on it! Have you cut yours?
So mine came precut (got the bike used.) I would say somewhere between "don't bother" and "the only possible difference would be negative." So pros, people on the internet don't say "cut your steerer" and it looks a tiny bit sleeker. Cons, depending on where you are in your fit range, you might end up wanting that 5mm higher at some point. If you sell the bike in the future, maybe that person will. It's really not a big deal either way tbh. To me cutting it sorta feels like solving a problem that doesn't really exist. That said, while you're digging around in that area, make sure that the clamps that actually clamp to the aero extensions say V3 on them. V2 had some breakage issues (and a friend I follow on Insta had them break on him.) If yours are V3 you're good; V2 you can get free replacement through your LBS.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Thank you for your input! And yeah, I thought about all cons, however as we french people ain't that tall, I don't think selling it would be problematic - even though I don't plan to - considering I'm 5ft9 tall and the average height here is 5ft7. I'mma make sure to keep extra 5mm! Btw my aerobar extension brackets are completely fucked as the screws are stuck inside, so I gotta cut those and get replacement brackets
Hey man! That’s a great intro! How’d you make it?
Thanks! It was in after effects but honestly I couldn't explain it well to save my life. Basically it's a bunch of video and text keyframed to move in and out. Sorry I am terrible at explaining lol
been watching your videos and want to get a Felt 1A, what size do you? is their website measurements correct? i am 5'10" 32 inseam which means i would ride a 54 per felt.
I can't speak to the website specifically, but I'm 6ft 0" with relatively long legs for my height and I'm on a Large. The bike fits me, but if anything it's a bit small. My *suspicion* is that sounds about right for you, but you'd really have to get a fitter to know for sure, because your range-of-motion and proportionality really affect sizing.
Not sure if you've already made a purchase, but I'm the same height and inseam and went with a 54. In hindsight, I wish I had gone with the 56. I have the aerobars extended up 40mm and the seat tube up high. It's an extremely adjustable bike, but a 56 would've been better for me.
what size is it
Large (56 I think)
@@JustinDoesTriathlon the bicycle is beautiful
Thank you! I'm a big fan. 😍🚴🚴🚴 Was out riding today on my roadie and saw another IA. They just look so good on the move.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon I have always liked this bicycle a lot