GRX 822RD on 11 Speed bike

Having a 1x mountain bike, I always considered a one-by for the gravel bike as well, but the range on available systems was somehow limited, as I use the bike also for some road riding, so the 11-42 range available on the GRX 11 speed was a no-go. (New post coming up with the "science" of 1x).

With the launch of GRX 12 speed, the rear-derailleur was "updated" (basically it's a M8100 mountain bike derailleur with a tweak on cable pull), which means a 10-51 cassette was possible.

Upgrading to GRX 12 speed would however be... expensive, as it would be necessary to replace shifters (super expensive), wheel hub to microspline, basically with the exception of the chainset, everything.

With the launch of the Deore 11-51 11 speed cassette, this made things very tempting.

Basically all information out there is that using the 12spd rear derraileur on a 11 system would NOT WORK.

However, I saw a youtube video of a guy claiming it DOES work.

Looking at the comments, most of the people that tried it mention it does not work, however I had to try.

Got a 50% deal on the RD, the cassette can always be used for the mountain bike, so let's go.
Installation was simple enough, but ... spend some time trying to get the thing to work, to the point it "almost" works, but not.
I can get about 9 of the 11 speeds to work correctly, but it misaligns with each click of the lever, so ... basically a different pull-ratio. Close, but no cigar.

After some time tweaking it, it looked good on the stand.

Took it out for a ride and... nah.
The 13t cog clicks and jumps, and the 51 and 45 "tick" and I had to constantly hold the lever on a steep ramp so it would not jump out of the '51.

After a bit more investigation, I was about to give up.

Found another video, and the concerns are true, it does NOT WORK.

However, the guy on this video (thank you thank you thank you) mentions that moving the cable pinch bolt, seemed to help, but there is a "knob" on the way...

  

basically this protrusion

Removing that, one can pinch the cable BELOW the bolt, so it gives it like a 5mm longer lever of action for the same cable pulled. This should be enough to move the derailleur the extra bit it needs to shift an 11 speed cassette. ( The spacing of cogs on 11 speed is slightly larger than 12 speeds, so it all makes sense).

I grabbed the dremmel, and cut it off, grinded it to make it smooth so the cable does not fray, and gave it a try.

There it is. Not the best of jobs, but smooth enough :)

Cable now clamps below the bolt. (Yes, it is too short, but I didn't want to get a new cable in just for the experiment. I'll just superglue the end so it does not fray and run it till it breaks.)

Testing it and ....

IT WORKS !!!! Much better and easier to index, limit bolts could be set as normal. Everything like it was "meant" to be.

Testing it, I was afraid that coming down from the 51 was a tad slow ... maybe it was just from the video with the guy that did not cut the tab, or just my impression, but it was a concern.

I took the bike out for a "proper" gravel ride and it is AMAZING !!! All the gears work, no clicking, no noise, no need to hold the lever for 51, it was brilliant !!! 

Riding 1x on gravel is how it should. I had no issues with the difference between gears, but not needing to change at the front and be concerned in what gear I was at the back, was I crosschaining, etc etc 

It is just nicer to just click + or - and done.

This is kind of a "destructive" mod, but I highly recommend it. Going 1x on gravel is worth it, but without at least an 11-51 your range will be lacking.

The only "proper" alternative I see to this, would be the GRX812 + M8000 cages, but the GRX822 RD looks badass !

(Or running the new 12 speed groupset all together, but I mean, alternative to people who already have an 11 speed GRX and up to mullet it up).

Now I'll just put some nail polish, or touch up paint or whatever there and here we go !

Maybe when it's time to replace the cable I'll scratch a groove there ... 

But it seems to be working fine now, I don't want to jinx it.

If you try it, let me know how it went !

POWER controlled RGB leds for indoor cycling

 Following up on the SMART'ER fan project, I decided to add some lights.

On several occasions, I got fixated by the single LED in the fan, indicating the HR zone, so I though it would be cool to add some RGB LEDs to the pain cave setup (like a Tacx Neo).

This is how it looks like :

Pretty awesome, no??

I now just need to decide on the placement, for now I like the floor lightning, but it can be set anywhere. I am also considering the space within the KICKR climb triangle.

But basically, imagination is the limit here.

What would you need to build one for yourself ? 

Pretty simple ! 

Following on the FAN project, you need the same controller (or another one of them), and same procedure to install things on the PC to program it.

https://randomnerdtutorials.com/installing-the-esp32-board-in-arduino-ide-windows-instructions/

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32826540261.html

or preferably the M5Stack one ( slightly more expensive).

https://shop.m5stack.com/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit

Then you also need and RGB led strip that uses the ws2812b chip.

(Cheapest and most used).

https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/32682015405.html

You can get any size you want, if it is going on the floor, I recommend the IP67 waterproof one, so sweat is not an issue.

Then you need a 5V source ( power bank, phone charger, whatever), wiring is simple.

Connect 5V to ESP32 and to LED strip power pins.

Connect one GPIO from the ESP32 to the "Data" input of the LED Strip.

(Take note of the GPIO pin number, you are going to need to put that in the code, as well as the number of LEDS in your strip).

and ... DONE !!!

(In the future I might consider connection this to the same controller that is on the FAN, as the ESP32 can connect to multiple bluetooth devices at the same time, but as ESP32 devices are cheap, this way you can put this wherever you like, even on the ceiling or using a ws2812b mirror ball. )

Things to note : You need a powermeter, or power source for this. (You can adjust the code for any other parameter, speed, cadence, heart-rate, but the code is setup for power)

The KICKR'18 and newer support 3 Bluetooth connections at the same time, so no issues there.

You can connect it to the LEDs and to the training app you use. 

Some new powermeters also support 3 connections, otherwise, you will need to use ANT+ to connect to your PC, as BTLE will be taken by the leds.

Or, if you have a powermeter on your bike, connect the LEDs to that, and the trainer to the PC/App.

In the code, I am making sure the connection is to a specific device address, that is because I also have a STRYD pod, and the leds were connecting to it instead of the KICKR, as it also has the power capability.

You need to find the address for your powermeter, you can do a bluetooth search with your phone (or open the wahoo fitness app and search for it, and copy paste to the code).

Another option, is to remove that part of the code and the POWER LED will connect to any available cycling power device.

Details are in the readme file.

https://github.com/pauloserra81/powerleds

Smart Fan for indoor cycling

If you cycle indoors, whether you like ZWIFT, RGT, Rouvy, or The Sufferfest / Wahoo SYSTM you know one of the most important thing is ventilation!

You do need one or more big fans, preferably with a remote.

As in the winter, in a cold pain cave, you need to warm up before turning on the fan, otherwise it is not very pleasant.

I use a big cheap generic box store fan, that has plenty of cooling power, but no remote. So I was warming up in a hoodie with the fan on, before taking it off when warm enough.

There was also the question about the fan speed, it has 3 available speeds. Which one to choose ? 

Depending on the workout and what interval it could be too much or too little, so that was the motivation for getting some smartness into the fan.

A bit of online searching, and I found my new friend, a device called ESP32 ! It is a single chip microprocessor that has built in Bluetooth and WiFi.

So basically, you can build stuff and control them wirelessly. It also has lots of GPIO (general purpose) pins for you to connect whatever.

It has everything you need to program it (just connect to a PC with an USB cable), the software to compile the code and program it is FREE, and it has libraries and examples for lots of stuff.

Additionally it is VERY cheap.

To get things setup so you can program it, here is a link to one of the nicest tutorials out there.

https://randomnerdtutorials.com/installing-the-esp32-board-in-arduino-ide-windows-instructions/

One you get that going, lets go over the electrical part.

The generic fan has 3 speeds, so 3 buttons on it, each connect the power supply to a different wire.

What we need are some relays to perform the power connections, based on the controller signals

I got a 4 channel solid state relay board for arduino (5V controllable) on Aliexpress.

(Just take note if your board is HIGH or LOW enable, mine is HIGH enable, if you get a LOW one you need to update the code).

That's all the schematic you need.

Wire one GPIO for each of the fan speeds to the relay board (take note of the GPIO number).

Get a 5V supply (I used an old mobile phone charger), replace the fan switches with the relays, and bob's your uncle.

Here's the fan during testing.

Here it is with the box closed, and the ESP32 left out, as it could not fit.

It is for the better, as it should help BT reception to have the antenna out.

I then found a nicer/smaller ESP32 module, which is the M5Stack ATOM.

https://shop.m5stack.com/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit

This has a much nicer look to it, and has an RGB led, so I set that according to the HR zone you are in.

(Like in the above youtube video).

It also has a button you can use. I set it up so that you can toggle between bluetooth control and manual speed, in case you want to use the fan as a "normal" fan with a fixed speed.

This should be all you need to build one for yourself : 

Relay board:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000115910334.html

ESP32:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32826540261.html

or preferably the M5Stack one ( slightly more expensive).

https://shop.m5stack.com/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit

Source code for this :

https://github.com/pauloserra81/smartbtlefan/tree/main

Check the README file, on what you need to adjust to your case.

If you have any questions on this, or found a bug in the code and know how to fix it, let me know !

Chain Waxing, if you're not doing it, you should !

I have been using wax on my bikes chains for a long time now. 

It has great advantages, does not attract dirt, it is much simpler to clean (no need to degrease or use petrol/chemical degreasers), it is eco-friendly and also makes your drivetrain run smoother (faster) and for longer.

What I have been using so far, is a form of emulsified wax, or liquid wax in a bottle.

I have used Squirt lube and quite like it, with two minor issues.

1- It needs a lot of application, it wears out fast, so you need to apply it often. It is not a big issue, as opposite to what happens when you use oils, you don't need a full clean/degrase before re-applying. Just wipe down with a cloth (or old t-shirt in my case) and you are good to go.

Drawback, is it gets a bit expensive if you are doing a lot of hours on the bike.

2 - The wax (GUNK) buildup that happens on the rear pulley wheels. As this is an emulsified wax, it is always very soft, so you see a few drips here in there of black dots (wax mixed with road grime). 

When you put an outdoor bike on a trainer, you see the black wax dots that dripped on the floor.

It is easy to clean though, just a rag and you're done. It is not oily or greasy, so it comes out very well.

In any case, I am moving to the NEXT STEP of drivetrain nerdiness, CHAIN WAXING !!!

I saw a deal on AbsoluteBlack's GraphenWax at 50% off, so pre-ordered it.

Very nice box, with what look like chocolate squares. The wax is mixed with graphene and other stuff to make it faster, and is mentioned to be very pliable.

(Other considerations where Molten Speed Wax and Silca's secret wax, but this was on a discount). 

Now, how to use this ?

Armed with the knowledge of youtube (absolute black has it's own videos, as does Silca) and this great guide with all you need to know:

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/08/how-to-wax-a-chain-an-endless-faq/

I purchased a cheap slow cooker, and an infrared thermometer (aliexpress).

As my chain was already using Squirt, no need to go through extensive degreasing (to remove factory lube). In any case, the same applies. Stick the chain in a bottle with degreaser, shake shake shake, leave it there half an hour, shake shake shake, done.

You can then let it dry, or pass it through denatured alcohol, otherwise known as methylated spirits to get it ready for waxing.

In my case, I just did the same as for re-waxing, boiled water, pour it over chain, wax melts, comes out with gunk. Scrub a bit with soap with needed (I used dish washing soap and a small brush). Rinse again with hot water, done.

Get an old spoke, bend it like a hanger and here is a clean chain ready to get waxed.

2 liter crockpot ! Cheapest thing I could find. Set it to '2' or "medium".

Wax takes a bit of time to melt, this is a SLOW COOKER remember ?

Initially I was planning to use a rice cooker, but it is not a good idea. It warms up too fast and that can burn the wax a bit, making it less smooooth.

AbsoluteBlack mentions the wax melts at about 70 degrees, but they recommend waxing the chain from 90 to 100 degress, so that it gets properly into the chain.

This is where the AliExpress thermometer comes in !!Dip you chain in, and move it around. Leave it for a couple of minutes, stir again.

After that you are done. Take chain out and hang to dry. You can remove excess from the sides as that is not needed (otherwise it will flake off in the first use, so no biggy anyway).

Hang it to dry above the pot, so it drips back into the pot, and you can use the same wax for a loooonnnnggggggg time. I weighted it to get about 5 grams of wax on the chain. The box has 340grams of wax, and the waxing interval is about 1000km ( or 600 if you ride in wet mucky conditions).

So, a box of wax should be good for 40 to 68.0000kms.

Ok... not that much, as you always need enough so that the chain is completely submerged, but you get the point.

Here is the chain waxed and ready to go on the bike !!

At this point it is stiff as a board, but you just need to run it through your fingers or a round pipe to break the wax and ready to go.

First run on the indoor trainer, I saw some very small flaking on the bike chain stay. Other than that, super smooth, super clean and very dry.

I did the complete Tour of Sufferlandria on it (post coming soon) and it went flawlessly.

Chain performance was super smooth. I tried to get an idea of the claimed friction improvements and watt savings ( up to 7Watts they mention), but that is within tolerances of powermeters, so it is hard to prove.

In any case, I ran the bike and compared the data from the crank powermeter and the KICKR powermeter (at the hub) and it seemed like the difference between them was smaller than usual.

Usually crank reads a bit higher, about 10W (depends on cadence and load), but now it seemed to be more around a 5W difference.

Again, this can be caused by almost anything from temperature variations, to battery level on the 4iiii powermeter to wear on the trainer bearings, so take that with a pinch of salt.

I can for sure claim it was not any worse than with Squirt.

Regarding cost, it is a very cost effective solution if you factor in all the details.

The slow cooker costed 22€ (It is good for at least the 2 years warranty period).

GraphenWax is 30€ (Tour de france winning lube, so this is a premium product, still not that expensive).
Thermometer 7€.
So, 60€ gets you lube and appliances for 40.000km's, and you always have a nice clean and fast drivetrain.

Durability claims that you get at least double the life out of a chain than using oils.
You don't need to waste money and the environment on degreasers and toxic chemicals.

More time riding your bike, less time cleaning it.

The whole process was super easy, and the results are amazing. Super super clean, no need to worry about getting a calf tattoo, or getting your car dirty if you put the bike in.

If you are not waxing your chain, you should !

The Sufferfest - Knighthood Quest

 Having everything cancelled, I needed a challenge to get me motivated.

I have been considering doing a Knighthood Quest for The Sufferfest for a while now...

For those that are unfamiliar with it, you can achieve Knighthood in Sufferlandria by completing 10 workouts back to back (from a list of valid workouts). 

More info on the link below.
https://thesufferfest.com/pages/knights-of-sufferlandria

Going through the rules for the challenge number one alone got me thinking I MUST DO IT.

In addition to this, there is no Knight from my country, so I have the opportunity to have the forever glory of being the first Knight with Portuguese nationality. 

There are some training plans for it, and other sources of information, where you gradually built from 3 back to back workouts, to 5, than 7, etc ...

I did not do any of that, as I though that if I do 7 workouts back to back, I might as well do the remaining 3 and get it over with !

I also did not pay much attention to preparation, as I had previously done 24+ Hour rides in real life.

(In hindsight it was not a good idea).

I was just searching for a time slot to do it. Hence opportunity shows itself, as the family was out for a day.

I finished off work at 6 p.m., turned on the trainer, grabbed whatever food was available from the kitchen, got dressed (double bib strategy), chamois cream, shoes and started at 6:13 p.m.

I setup the bike next to the bedroom windows, with a big a$$ fan in front, the bathroom close by to fill up water bottles between videos, and the bed tempting me to quit and go for some ZZzzzZZ at every step.

Workout list was :

Attacker

There is no try

Power station

A very dark place

The omnium

The wretched

The best thing in the world

Revolver

Do as your told

G.o.a.t.

From the rules, you are allowed a max 10 minute break between videos (less is fine), so I kind of planned to do a break every other video to fill up bottles and get it done faster. (Another bad idea).

First two videos went fine, so fine that I just filled up bottles and got going with #3, less than 1 minute break. I eat on the bike, on warmups and cool-downs, so no time wasted there.

Another small break (the computer is away from the bike, so I need to get out to change videos) and on with A.V.D.P., so far so good, I was in a good mood, even posted a picture of my ridding buddy that collapsed during AVDP.

4 videos done, 3:40 passed, all was good*ish.

I was getting an issue with the saddle (it's a new*ish saddle -another not so good idea), so I got use of the 10 minute break to get it a little bit further back, taking care to mark the current position in case I didn't like it and wanted to revert to where it was.

Set up an 8 minute timer, to have time to go to the PC and get the video starting.

Bottles re-fill and done.

Onwards with The OMNIUM, man what a fun workout !!! It was my first time doing it, and it is amazing ! Maybe got a bit carried away with it ... But it was fun !

It was also the "halfway" mark, as it was video number 5 out of 10.

And it all went downhill from here ...

I was getting sick of only eating sweet stuff ( Bananas, nougat bars, sweet isotonic drink ...) so used the break to go to the kitchen and grab some expired (no mold, all good) hot dog buns (just the bun, nothing in it). 

It was the best expired hot dog bun with nothing in it I ever had !!

Back at it with a happier stomach, as the bun seemed to soak up the sugar that was making me a bit nauseous. The Wretched exactly illustrated how I was feeling, but the worst was yet to come.

From this moment on, I was making full use of the 10 minutes to lie down, as I was completely cooked.

My cadence was stuck at around 80 rpm, even when trying to ramp it up to meet the workout targets, it was a struggle to get over 90.

My heart rate was high for the power produced. I was riding at reduced intensity, but heart rate was the same as when doing the workout at 100%.

I was also beginning to zone out from time to time, like pedaling in my sleep or out-of-body experience. ERG mode kept me in check for the workout, but my mind was wondering back to a very dark place (and not the workout this time).

It was also after 1 a.m. at this point, so a lot could be going on.

I was feeling a big bonk, so grabbed a bag of marshmallows. There was some concern about the sugar making me nauseous again, but I needed the energy.

After devouring it, I swear that the marshmallow cartoon guy was talking to me, and saying come on, go to sleep, the bed is right there ! I was really considering "why am I doing this", "what have I done to deserve this" and other similar toughts.

Posted the progress on the Sufferlandria Facebook group and got some encouragement from fellow Sufferlandrians, it was a real good moral booster for the last 3 workouts.

Every workout I was only trying to reach the half-way point, than thinking it is almost done, less than half to go.

Taking full advantage of the allowed 10 minutes every chance I got(8 minute buzzer not to overdo it).

The feeling was like pedaling in quick sand (not that I have ever pedaled in quick sand, but it felt like I think it would be to do it).

It was REALLY hard, I was feeling dehydrated, but drinking would make me a bit nauseous, so I had to balance it to drinking/eating the max I could hold in the stomach.

Heart rate was still high, like the target at 100% but intensity was reduced... I checked with my headunit (I was also recording the ride with my headunit using the power-meter as source of data instead of the Wahoo Kickr trainer connected to The Sufferfest App).

The two sources of power are usually in line, but I noticed that my trainer decided it would increase the ERG target and under-report power... Geeeezzzz, thanks KICKR ! As it was not hard enough...

(Or perhaps GvA took control of it ...)

Not sure if it was due to the trainer heating considerably, the powermeter data was showing higher power than the trainer, and my legs were definitely feeling it.

The last videos I lowered the intensity factor a bit on the app to align things (and survive), I dropped it another 5% or so.

When I finally reached the point of 9 down 1 to go, I got resuscitated. It is like the feeling of being able to see the finish line. I got right at it (did not use the full break) and was excited that I was going to make it !!!

G.O.A.T. is one of my favorite videos as well, so all good. 

Counting down the minutes to it ending, with 15 minutes remaining, it was like seeing the "last 5km" sign on a race !!! 

It was finally over! It was a lot of fun, until it wasn't.

Grabbed a towel (I was feeling chills from bonking), and captured a completely empty/broken face moment for posterity. Shared the workouts and went to take a hot bath.

It was now 3 a.m. I am eating leftover lasagna.

Saved the workout, combined them into a single Strava activity, filled in the form to get the quest validated from the Minions, and now all is left is to wait to see if it is recognized as worthy.

... and it went downhill from there...

 On the last post, I was stoked about how training was going, progress was seen, iei...

And F%CK ...

Got stuck after that, results got stuck in a sort of a "fitness" plateau, then motivation went down, then training got derailed, get hunger got up... 

Back into being a pig.

Now, had big hopes for 2021, and a big list of goals and things to aim for...

It lasted about a week, 2021 is so far not better than 2020, so...not sure.

Still decided to write this about it, to record thoughts for posterity.

I said this like 2 million times before, but this is going to be it ! Turning point.

Daddy Pig WILL get fit, and will get ready to enjoy life more when we are free from this pandemic.

There is a sense of "lost time" when we are locked in trying to stay safe, so, it makes sense for this to be a good time to use in getting healthy and fit instead.

So, here is my public announcement that this time is for real ! Going to start doing as I say, as I generally have pretty solid advice.

I am sticking with "The Sufferfest" and Wahoo Fitness as it is by far the best training platform, as it is not boring, and it has some of the best training science to back it up!

More to follow regarding goals and plans when I find my mental strength back.

Be safe !

Update

 Some updates regarding how training is going...

I keep using The Sufferfest and indoor rides due to pandemic reasons.

ISLAGIATT is one of my "favorites" and it pops up from time to time.

This time it popped up during a recovery week, so coaches set it at a reduced intensity.

Nevertheless, there was still some interesting data from this !

After completing the session (which felt very "recovery" and nice) I searched for the previous effort with the most similar power numbers.

I found a workout from April 2nd, 140W vs 143W average, close enough !

Now, the difference in effort 117 bpm vs 143bpm !!!

WOW, this felt amazing. As this is exactly the kind of improvements I was wishing for. I am not going to win any races (or even start a race), so what I am really focused in comfort and sustainability for long rides at endurance effort, so I can do what I enjoy, which is long gravel/adventure rides. 

Very happy to see something happening with the effort that is being put into training, also a good proof that the training system WORKS !

Gravelling

 Completed the gravel build, time for some small solo rides for mental sanity reasons.

Here are some random pics (please notice duck and headset cap)

12 Things that cross your mind when climbing

1. Did I forgot to shift down?
Everytime the road points up, we take a peak at the chainring to make sure we are in the little one ... (1x can skip this step and go straight to number 2).
Of course we are in the little ring... and cassette is almost at the top usually, leading to ...

2. Sh%t… out of gears!
Middle of the climb, legs burning, the despair of realizing we are out of gears ...
Easiest gear available, still we hopefully keep clicking the lever in hope of a miracle by the gear fairy.

3. Just look to the top !…
Focus on the goal they say !!! We think about looking at the top of the climb in search for that extra motivation, only to find there is none ...

4. Screw it ... I'll just look down…
I just don't even want to look at all that's missing ... I'll just Froome it and look at my stem..

5. Surely I am in Overtraining !
Here we are entering excuse making land ...
When the legs ache, surely we have worked our selfs too hard !

6. Slow the f%ck down!
Everyone has a friend that does that... Flys up the hill, then turns around and comes back to taunt us.
Just makes us want to remove the chainring and slit his throat with it.

7. He's juicing!
Or has a hidden motor ...

8. Are my brakes rubbing?
Surely that is why I am suffering so much ...

9. Flat tire ?
(repeat) Surely that is why I am suffering so much ...

10. Will this ever end ????
When you are 10 hairpins in and they just keep coming...

11. Why did I eat the last piece of cake ? Why didn't I train ?Self-aware moment of deep realization coming !

12. What am I doing here?
Classic one !!! When this hits you, if a someone showed up with 50 bucks, you would sell the bike, helmet, GPS, shoes, shorts, just to make it stop.

13. At the TOP ! WOOOHOOOOO, I made it ! Best feeling in the world, time to BOMB DOWNHILL !

Who Dares ?

So, another training video repeated itself, I wanted to take the opportunity to take a look a the data, as I did previously with the ISLAGIATT session.

The Sufferfest: Who Dares from The Sufferfest on Vimeo.

This is the data from April first

This from May 24th

What can we make of this data? How can it be useful to keep a training diary ?

Let me break it down for you. In this session, the same targets, same efforts are required.
What we are now reviewing is what was the metabolic cost for it.

Regarding the session, we can see that on April I was able to do  155/179W average/NP.
Yesterday's session was 158/182W, so basically the same, but a slight improvement.
It is basically due to not cracking so much on recovery period, or just hitting/sustaining the targets better, but still very close. Only a 400 virtual meters difference for almost an hour.

Regarding on the metabolic cost, we can simply look at heart rate,we have an average of 146bpm vs 136 now. This is a massive improvement !!
Max heart rate is similar, so basically the improvement is due to recovering faster, i.e. heart rate dropping faster after the intense stuff.

Training peaks also has some nice metrics, which are "aerobic decoupling" and Efficiency factor.

This are the ones that tell the whole story !!
Efficiency factor jumped from 1,23 to 1.34, and aerobic decoupling from 4% to 2,77% !!

What this means, is that there is an improvement in my aerobic fitness !!!
Which is exactly what I wanted to improve, due to it being my weakness.

In April, some results were already appearing, as the Pw:Hr was under 5%, but now it is almost half of that !

I think I am on the good way to improve my sustained effort weakness !
(Which kind of led me down a path of a dilema, but I am preparing a post just for that later).

Below the description for Aerobic Decoupling and EF.

Aerobic Decoupling (Pw:Hr And Pa:HR) And Efficiency Factor (EF)

Efficiency factor (EF) is the ratio of Normalized Power to heart rate (cycling) or Normalized Graded Pace to heart rate (running) for a given activity.  An increase in this value for steady-state, aerobic endurance intensity rides may indicate an improvement in aerobic fitness.

Aerobic Decoupling compares the Efficiency factor from the first half of an activity to the second half. A smaller change in EF (less than 5%) from the first half to the second half may indicate improving aerobic endurance.

P.S. I normally use "Golden Cheetah for this kind of analysis, but the computer I have it installed is now permanently connected to the trainer/TV, so I take printouts of whatever web based software I find to illustrate the point).

Gravel build - frame bolts

One thing that was bothering my OCD, was the chrome bolts that came with the frame.

The bolts are on the frame luggage mounts. For a rear rack as well as low-rider fork mounts.
(For bikepacking, etc)

The sight of chrome bits shining on a matte black frame, just ... NO.

I considered simply removing, but that would leave holes and the thread exposed to water, mud, dirt, which is also not good.
I measured them, and they are M5x0.8mm bolts, so they can be easily replaced.

Here are the replacement, black button head screws.

As they are just to plug the hole, they can be shorter. When/if installing racks I will just use the bolts that come with the rack.

Total weight weenie saving was 20 grams ( there are 10 of these ) and my OCD is well rested.

 Much better on the fork.

As well as the rear stays.

I used disc rotor bolts, so if I lose one due to vibrations/cobbles, I have plenty of replacements on the bike, which can be useful for multi-day long trips.
They also fit cleats, which is very helpful as loosing a cleat bolt can leave you walking.

Gravel build - BLING

Just to show GOLD chain, because .... BLING.

I degrease the chain completely when new (place in a bottle full of degreaser for half an hour, rinse well) then wax it.
Wax lubricants do not attract dirt, so it is always GOLD and SHINY !

It is also biodegradable and you can clean it with water and soap. So you will never need to degrease your chain again or leave you with calf prints or difficult to remove oil stains on your clothes.
It has also been tested to be the FASTER lube, so, less friction.

This means using wax based chain lube is a WIN WIN WIN decision.

I use this (in case you want to sponsor me).

As it is completely dry, you can also use it on cleats, cables, or other interfaces.

Gravel build - Cable routing

Here is the plan

Cables enter the frame on the down tube, gear cables go to under the bottom bracket, where there is a cable guide, and the up to the front mech, or straight inside the chainstay for the rear mech.

For the rear brake, housing (or hose if you run hydros) runs inside the frame, above the bottom bracket area in to the chainstay. Housing exists the chainstay near the brake caliper.

There are some stories on how internal cable routing is the bogey man, and hard to install/service etc, but if you take some care, no rush, and do it properly it is a good thing.
Looks nicer, and cables are not so exposed to the elements, mud, sweat, so they keep running well for longer.

Nice things to have
1 - Install cable liners ! Makes everything smoother, cables are protected from corrosion, they do not contact other parts and only move inside the liner.
So, less friction, no wear on cable guides.
BONUS : When you want to replace the cable, just feed it into the liner, no fishing needed.
2 - For housing/hoses inside frame, use dampening foam,otherwise it will rattlle.
Bare cables are always stretched, so they do not rattle (as much), but housing WILL make mind altering knock knock knock noises on rough surfaces.
3 - Magnetism is awesome. Have difficulties routing cables and inners inside the frame? Use a magnet.

 Jagwire liner, it has an endcap, so just plug that to your housing, and liner goes in the frame.

Do not forget to run the liner through the frame port before inserting.

The centerpiece for internal housing, the area under the bottom bracket. The frameset came with 2 guides, one for 1x drivetrain, and this for 2x. It also has a nice screw-on cover for this area.

 Liner coming out on the front mech area. Rubber grommet to keep water/mud ingress limited.

 Rear mech cable exit.

 Brake Housing inside the foam liner.

 Here is the brake housing exiting the frame (inside the foam)

Cable port installed, connected to caliper.

Rear mech cable exits on the top of the chainstay. Add another bit of housing and DONE !

(Notice the GOLD chain, because... BLING ! )

(Also notice the adhesive protection on top of the chain stay, to protect from chain slap).

Trim cables to size, place anti-fray caps (or super-glue) and we are almost done !

(We will need to index gears, center brakes, etc, but I will do that with the bike on the stand as it is much easier that way).