Issue 61. Crashing Hurts

Fulgaz lives on, Zipps new tech, BWR Arizona, Best Protein Powders, MAAPs global takeover, and more...

Mar 07, 2025

👋 Good morning and happy Friday. I’m Scott and feel free to reach me here.

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Crashing Hurts…

Christmas, Thanksgiving, and last Saturday—my top three days of the year!

Why?

Because the first week of March means one thing: this killer, fully-supported group ride led by the Austin (and global) powerhouse that is NVDM Coaching.

It’s the best day. Multiple pace groups, open North Austin roads, and then of course, a 65-and 100-mile option. Obviously, I was in for the full century.

But, as always, the Bike Gods keep receipts and after two crash free years of staying upright, my debt came due.

The week started strong. I’d crushed a 55-mile ride midweek with some heavy hitters and now, I was leading the A Group 100-miler, feeling myself, feeling my training. All because Unbound Gravel XL is looming (350 miles—ok let me puke thinking about it).

Mile 8, 12, 16 all go smooth, and then, at mile 18: WHOMP. Loose gravel, hard left turn at 15 mph. Scott. Meet ground.

Fast-forward: my head bounces off the asphalt like a basketball—once, twice, three, four times. Hands shredded (should’ve worn gloves), shoulder and hip bleeding, bibs ripped. My bike? Fell on the “cheap side” (non-derailleur, small wins), but my front wheel’s sideways, and my AXS shifters are shaved off.

Support rolls up (shoutout to Coach Natasha, Julz, Mike & Mechanic Floyd), and 35 minutes later, I’m back in action. Did I Larry limp dick home? Nope. I put in 72.5 miles and even caught five people.

Not the day I wanted, but the one I got.

Grateful for helmets (RIP to my Oakley ARO7), grateful for support, and grateful my wife didn’t have to come scrape me off the road.

But seriously, anyone have a helmet connect? I’m in the market.

As always, keep riding.

The Biz

FulGaz Pushes On: Last month we highlighted IRONMAN sold off FulGaz to Rouvy who said they were sunsetting the platform. But not so fast. In quite the heel turn, this long winded email to FulGaz users highlights that the platform will remain so long as the community and users keep paying. No seriously, the email is really straightforward and says that. So if you were bummed and havent yet cancelled, fret not because you can continue to hop on and use the service. Read more…

Oakley and Cinelli: Oakley and Cinelli have joined forces to create two sets of cycling sunglasses that reflect their shared passion for “exploring both nature and self”. Both of the new glasses feature Oakley’s Prizm lenses, which help enhance contrast on road surfaces. The Latch Panel Cinelli glasses have Prizm Road Black lenses and the Eye Jacket Redux glasses have Prizm grey lenses. This is the first collaboration between Cinelli and Oakley, and it was launched with retired pro cyclist Taylor Phinney. Through my lens… these are just, aight. Could have been better. Read more…

Zipp Unveils Integrated Tire Pressure Sensor: Well sort of. It was spotted on Tom Pidcock’s Scott Foil bike. The wheels apparently feature a Quarq Tyrewiz tyre pressure sensor built into the rim at the valve. The Tyrewiz gives a rider live tire pressure data on their bike computer, giving the rider an indication if pressure is being lost (or not). While this may sound like a small tech insight for a pro, it could enable them to get a quicker change from their team car, or to dispel any doubts about a slow flat or tubeless leak. Read more…

Canyon Launches MyCanyon: The new program allows for a special selection of paint, component customization, and best of all, a custom stem length which was a huge headache for users. Available only on the Canyon Aeroad (for now), other models could get added in 2026. The paint jobs? Those are curated paint schemes from high-profile artists Elena Salmistraro and Felipe Pantone and if you’re in the US, lucky you. You can create and order your One-of-One bike today. The German bike brand more certainly seems to be taking a page from high end super cars or Trek’s own ProjectOne offering. Create custom that feels more luxury. Charge more money. Read more…

Dope Photos

Meanwhile

Other happenings in the world of endurance.

BWR Arizona: Gravel season is officially here and some things never change. Like ice melting, orrrr Keegan Swenson and Sofia Gomez Villafañe winning in Arizona. Because that is exactly what happened and god damnit, I am getting a little sick and tired of these two predictably winning week in and week out. that’s right, the power couple have now won three in a row with Swenson beating Russell Finsterwald by 3 seconds, and Villafañe winning by 21 minutes. SHEESH! Read more…

IRONMAN New Zealand: After setting the world’s fastest women’s age-group time at IRONMAN Western Australia in 2023 and then grabbing wins at IM Australia and IM Malaysia, and a 5th place finish at IM Lake Placid, one would say Australia’s Regan Hollioake is feeling a bit spicy. Rightfully so as she captured IM New Zealand this weekend, winning the first race of the season and surpassing the legendary Jocelyn McCauley 11km into the run. From there, it was her race to win as she hammered out a blistering 3:06:02 marathon to finish in 8:51:30. On the men’s side, it was New Zealand’s own Mike Phillips winning in 7:45:47, shattering the course record. Read more…

2025 Iditarod Trail Invitational 350: Ultra-endurance athlete Lael Wilcox needs no introduction. She has many top-place race finishes under her belt, including wins and records at the Tour Divide, Arizona Trail, Hope 1000, Unbound Gravel, Silk Road Mountain Race, Cohutta Cat, and more. Most recently, she set a new women’s record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe after riding 18,130 miles in 108 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes. Add the Iditarod Invitational to the list. Though new to the winter racing s ene, Wilcox finished in 2 days, 11 hours, and 19 minutes, becoming the first woman and fifth overall to finish this years race. Read more…

Best Protein Powders for Triathletes: Triathletes, runners, and cyclists need roughly 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight so when it comes to choosing the best protein powder, there are a lot of factors to consider: plant-based vs. whey vs. egg protein, taste, nutrient quality, and more. The folks at Triathlete magazine selected the best for you to try if you’re in the market for something new. Read more…

Advice from Top Kona AG Athlete: The 2024 Kona age-group (45-49) champion, Donald Brooks talks about balance and getting through training, life, and work to achieve your goals. He goes into flexibility and if you want to be at the top like him, that flexibility is always in flux but dedication can take you very very far. “You don’t need to be doing 20+ hour training weeks to undertake a full distance triathlon,” says Donald. “A simple routine of 5-7 sessions a week would be sufficient.” Read more…

MAAP Goes Global: Honestly my favorite cycling brand for years and years but always one of the bigger pains to get being based in Australia. So I was happy to see the brand is expanding with stores globally. Solid read if you’re into founder stories. Read more…