There are worse places for a Friday morning recovery ride!
by Brian Maslach
I’ve been lucky to spend a lot of time cycling in San Diego lately, with its endless sunshine, ocean views, and a thriving cycling scene. As long as you avoid rush hour traffic, there’s not much to dislike. Still, being here has made me realize just how spoiled I’ve been with the abundance of mountain biking back home in Colorado Springs. Living on the west side of the Springs means you’re usually within a few miles of incredible trail systems. That’s not quite the case in San Diego. I’ve found some fun trails (like Black Mountain Open Space Park), but they all require a drive from where I’m staying.
As a result, I’ve shifted gears--literally--and started doing more road cycling in San Diego than I have since my racing days. Unsurprisingly, the road scene here is huge and competitive. It’s common to see riders in national champion jerseys on local training rides. The first few weeks were humbling: after years of mountain-bike-focused training, my fitness for high-speed road riding had definitely faded.
Rebuilding Speed and Power
To rebuild, I reached out to the last (and best) cycling coach I’ve worked with to create a structured training plan. His advice? Mix in short, high-intensity intervals throughout my weekly rides to recondition my body for fast accelerations. These intense but manageable workouts are already paying off. I can feel my power coming back, and my endurance improving, on longer rides.
Tweaking My Setup for Aero Efficiency
Along the way, I realized my bike setup wasn’t helping. I sold my last dedicated road bike (a Specialized Tarmac SL4) years ago and have been using my custom Mosaic GT-1 AR (All-Road) for everything from light gravel to long pavement rides. It’s a stunning titanium bike with perfect welds and a smooth ride, but it’s not the most aerodynamic machine when the goal is maximum speed.
Since a brand-new aero road bike isn’t in the cards right now, I decided to optimize what I have. Step one was adjusting my bike fit for aerodynamics, rotating my position forward, raising my saddle slightly, and installing a longer 110mm Zipp Service Course SL stem (thanks to my friend Keven Lee at Master Mechanics). The new position feels surprisingly comfortable, with only minor soreness as my body adapts. Now I'm curious whether a 120mm stem might work even better.
I’m also making it a point to ride in the drops more often. This is a small change that can save 14–20 watts at 28 mph. It’s a reminder that aero gains often come more from the rider than the bike or other equipment.
The Next Upgrades: Aero Helmet and Wheels
Now that my fit feels dialed in, I’m looking at affordable aero upgrades. First on the list: an aerodynamic helmet. Since a rider’s body is the biggest source of drag, the right helmet can offer big gains for a fraction of the cost of deep-section wheels. I’ve been eyeing the Specialized S-Works Evade 3, which consistently ranks among the top aerodynamic road helmets, and Specialized helmets have fit me well in the past. I’m curious to see if this is still the case, as well as whether potentially reduced ventilation will have this heavy sweater even more drenched!
As for wheels, my current Knight TLA 35 carbon wheelset (built with DT Swiss 240 hubs) has been great. It has handled everything I've thrown at it without any issues. These wheels are relatively light for climbing, stable in gusty crosswinds, and they've been bombproof, but they are not as fast on flat and rolling terrain as deeper carbon wheels. This has me yearning for an upgrade. The Reserve 57/64 Turbulent Aero hoops are well rated and look like a good value, although they are still far from inexpensive.
I should chase down the Shimano Di2 gremlins I've been dealing with before buying wheels, however. Fast wheels don't help much when a bike doesn't shift reliably. My Ultegra 11-speed groupset has a lot of miles and I'm hoping a little attention, and possibly new electrical wires and/or a junction box, will keep it going for a few more years.
I also plan to switch back to road pedals and shoes by sending my SRM X-Power MTB pedals to SRM to have their new road pedal bodies installed. These are small changes, but together they’ll help me maximize efficiency and comfort on fast road rides.
Your Turn
Have you worked on improving your aero efficiency or bike fit for road cycling? What upgrades or changes made the biggest difference for you: fit, gear, or training? I’d love to get your thoughts in the comments below.
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