Not looking for a new frame, so much so that I had to go and look what is currently available. CS-041 looks tempting but I am too conservative regarding the frame geometry. Same applies to CS-MB01. I am not sure if I would trust those "elastomer shocks" or whatever you decide to call those inserts. So if somebody put a gun to my head and said I had to take one, I'd probably try my chances with the CS-887-SL.

I'm in Canada and never had to pay anything for all my carbon parts from China (frames, wheels, rims, ...). But paying in US $ makes up for that big time with currency change here.

I'm in Canada too and I find this hard to believe. I mean, no offence intended, but are you saying you never had to pay taxes and brockerage fees, if not duties, on expensive parts like frames and wheels? I know from personal experience that they don't charge you anything on cheap parts like seat post, handlebars or seats, but was sure they would not let a big price tag item slip by without getting their cut. If you can confirm that, that would be a game changing info for me. Thanks.

Well, after watching a GCN video where they ask the same question about Powermeters I get my answer.

Yeah, I watched that show too. More important though than the accuracy of your powermeter in absolute terms is its consistency. Of course, if the powermeter is absolutely accurate then it is consistent too. But even if it over- or underestimates your power it is still perfectly usable for training purposes as long as the error of measurement is always the same, and assuming your FTP has been established using a proper methodology AND the same (inaccurate) powermeter.

As an example, my FTP values are with a 99.9% certainty too high (4.75 W/kg, 356W) but I tested twice in two consecutive days and the results differ within the 10 Watts range. So that tells me where my power zones are and as long as I don't try to use them to compare myself to other people, whether in the real or the virtual world, the absolute numbers don't matter. Also, they make me feel quite warm and fuzzy inside looking on them. And I did not puke either and neither did I pass out after the test but sure was not too far from that point.

Also, structured training is a lot easier on the trainer where the big screen in front of you tells you what to do. I haven't found a good way to do HIIT (high intensity interval training) training outdoor. Ideally I'd like to take some of my Zwift FTP-building plan to outdoor rides, but I haven't found a tool to tell me the sequence of the workout while on the bike (apart from a sticky note and a timer). Any advice is appreciated.

Enjoy the Holiday!

Not sure about Zwift but you can get a mobile app from TrainerRoad (and possibly others) that you can use outdoors. Then you ONLY need a real powermeter, one that is Bluetooth capable so that it works with your phone (should not be a problem, most of them are dual BT/ANT+ these days AFAIK).

I've received my Elite Qubo Fluid on Saturday. The equipment is just as I thought: very quiet (the one thing I hear is the sound of my drivetrain, not the trainer), smooth ride. As a premium Strava subscriber I get 2 month free on Zwift. I like it for now. I did a 30 minutes ride on Saturday (rain all day long). It felt short. I did a 45 minutes FTP test on Sunday, felt short again (I wanted a point of reference to track my progress). I feel that 90 minutes ride should be no problem.
Zwift is a lot of fun, the 3D environment is just as good as a real video to me and it's so nice to see "real" virtual people.

The Trainer has no piece of electronics at all (pure fluid roller). I stay on the small ring and get enough range there. I pushed over 600W during the FTP test and can roll easy at 60W for warm up, always in a cadence that is appropriate. I don't need more then that, and if I ever do, I'll just get on the big chainring. That's why I have picked this trainer, you control the resistance through the speed (cadence and gear).

I am probably missing something so be patient with me but I thought Zwift was supposed to be used with so called "smart" trainers to get that close to reality riding feeling (resistance increasing when riding "uphill", decreasing on "downhill" and "drafting" behind other riders. I can't see how your setup could deliver that.
Also, and I am not trying to get into a discussion of "mine is bigger, no way yours so big!", but FTP of 600W seems to be a bit excessive. If I'm not confused Jens Voigt used to have one of 450W. Now, that might have been a full one hour FTP (I am not sure what testing method did you use but most people don't subscribe to the full 60 mins. of torture so I will work with an assumption it was 20 mins.) but even if that was the case and Jens' 20 to 60 minutes FTP drop-off was as high as 50W (unlikely), it would put his 20 min FTP at 500W. In other words yours seems to be 20% better than the former hour record holder's. To me it looks like your testing method might be flawed in a way that would seriously skew your Zwift experience. And don't get me wrong. I don't use Zwift and don't care about any leaderboards there either. Of course it is well possible that those 600W was just a typo and I've wasted my coffee break here.

And again 4.5$ cheaper. Yes, 65.5 USD for a pair of Titanium/Carbon road pedals that cost about 220€ in France. That was so low that I've just ordered them!
https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/discount-sale-costelo-Xpresso-12-Titan-Carbon-Pedals-Road-Bike-Pedals-Road-Bicycle-Parts-Pedal-lock/32666399964.html?detailNewVersion=&categoryId=122204

Hi SportingGoods,
Please let us know if you experience any problems with those pedals. That is, if you have a chance to use them over the winter. I will need a new pair for the next season and they look great, on the paper at least.

Thnx

All went quite well. I mean no crushes, injuries and such. Finished in 10:05 which was just a little bit disappointing as I was aiming for time under 10 hrs. I had one flat. A piece of wire got stuck in my rear tire causing an annoying slow leak. And I had a problem with my drinking system (a kink in the hose). If not those it could have been under 10 hours easily. However, poor downhill riding skills cost me at least 30 minutes I'd say so no reason to bitch about 5 minutes. I just felt like I was too far from home to take any risks that I could possibly avoid. Broken collar bone (or worse) would have made for a damn bad trip. Just for illustration, I was in the 502nd position overall at the Colombine aid station and finished 583rd (or something like that) and only 3 riders passed me on the uphill sections on the way back to the town that I did not catch and pass later on. On the other hand, I've been passed right and left on the downhill sections as if I was standing still. Also, I did carry too much water and food. Should have relied more on the aid stations. And my tires were a little too much on the slick side for the terrain. It looks like it had been quite a rainy summer down there and quite a few riders were saying that they did not remember the trails/roads being that rough. I personally found the Sugarloaf descend to be the harshest, though fatigue probably played some role in that. On the other hand, the feared Powerline descend was quite easy in my opinion, even from a roadie's point of view, although the traffic was still quite heavy there on the way out and the pace quite slow.
To wrap it up, it was quite hard. Not the hardest, physically speaking, day in my life but in the hardest let's say 15%. And those 5 minutes over 10 hours keep bugging me even if I play it cool (OCD, no doubt!) so I may try to go back at some point in the future to rectify that unfortunate situation. Maybe in 2 years when I will be 50 to take the advantage of being at the "young" end of my age group.

I wish "being fine" was all I need to be happy. Unfortunately, I am one of those ultracompetitive idiots who tend to push as hard as they can and sometimes harder. Which is what makes me worried. So I just keep telling myself that this is not really a race for me, only a challenge. Well, obviously. I am almost 50 and never was good enough to win a race of this magnitude anyway, even when younger. And I am not worried about the distance nor the climbing. The only thing that makes me wonder is the altitude. I've been higher in my life, significantly higher actually, so I think I know what to expect and how to handle it. But still, the acclimatization process is a rather unpredictable thing in my experience.

Oh, before I'm done with my rant, yes I am that guy with most elevation gain every week. That is mostly by default though. There is not piece af flat land in a 100 mile radius from where I live.