What’s your favourite “marginal gain”?

It seems like we all have things we do to improve beyond training and position. What do you do that works? I know for me it’s definitely not compression socks. Keen to hear your tips and insights.

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For me its definitely compression recovery socks :wink:

I also know core stability work like Pilates would probably give me a MUCH bigger boost than any fancy wheels, aero socks, etc. and yet I still don’t do it.

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Keeping my legs up.
During hard trainingblocks my left hamstring starts to hurt when I sit down for long hours after a workout.
But if I put my feet up on a chair it doesn’t happen, so you’ll usually find me with my feet up high.

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Pooping before a ride.

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A plank before bed daily and BeetElite before a hard workout or race.

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Waxed chains.

I avoid them for a long time, they are a pain-in-the-ass to prep…but man, when they are fresh they are amazing.

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This. This by far.
Close second: PR lotion, air relax space boots.

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Coffee brewed extra strong, with a bunch of extra sugar, which I then ice down and drink as my energy drink during particularly hard workouts. If I’m really dreading a workout, I’ll have a cup before I start, and then sip on another one during the ride.

If I’m planning being right on the edge of failure or not, I want to feel like I’ve done everything I can to help get through it.

I normally drink my coffee without anything to sweeten it. But I’ll sugar it up for energy drink mode. Seems to help.

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Sudafed pills. Absolutely works. Clears up the sinuses, increases the heartrate, and I’ve physically measured 5-10% strength increase in the gym.

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I meant for racing. I don’t get long enough with two kids to actually use compression recovery :sweat_smile:

Zipp Service Course products are good…the 100mm stem is about 135g, bars are around 250g. Not super light stuff by any means but you can get the pair for under $100 in most cases. Hard to find a lighter combo for that price.

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I definitely do a good dose of coffee pre-ride but hadn’t considered during

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Same- I make my own cold brew. It’s super easy, tastes better IMO (less bitter) and supposedly has a higher caffeine content. I do 2 tablespoons of coarse grounds to 8 oz of water in a French press (can make it stronger or even make concentrate if you’d like), refrigerate overnight and then filter the next day. Especially nice when the weather gets warm!

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I’ve switched to Wend wax on the road bike. LOVE IT!

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Not if you are not racing a sanctioned race.

Doping is doping no matter what.
Don’t lie to yourself.
You are a free person and can choose how to live your own life. If you make the choice to take banned substances you should also make the choice not to compete in “clean” competitions.
Don’t lie to others.

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Getting enough sleep. Such an easy answer, but a challenge to actually do.

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Just because you don’t get caught doesn’t mean it’s not cheating.

To answer the original question though, favorite marginal gain for me has been caffeine before races. Certainly the most impactful I feel like.

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I couldn’t even ride in a straight line after a Sudafed pill so this is probably not a good general purpose recommendation.

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Get your tire pressure right. This is harder than you think, and the fast feeling is counter intuitive.

When I get my tire pressure dialed – and it is different for every bike, and if you’ve lost more than 5-7 lbs. you’ll need to re-adjust – is the best thing I can do to get a bit faster with very little effort.

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