I’m not sure this post will go anywhere meaningful, but I’ll start it anyway and see what happens.

I’ve been reading Joe Friel’s ‘Fast After Fifty’ recently because I’m decidedly not fast anymore and more and more ‘after fifty’. There’s a whole section on how we shouldn’t be eating a high-carb diet anymore for performance. Now the way to go is high fat (he’s a Paleo guy)! This got me thinking of all the changes I’ve seen in my short time as a MAMIL. Remember these, for example?

Compressions socks were de rigueur back when I did my first Haute Route in 2013. After each stage you’d see guys walking around in them in town and even at dinner. They might work, but I haven’t seen this look in many years…thank goodness.

Here’s another oldie but a goodie.

Okay, this one I still use, but not for its intended purpose. Recall that these light base layers were meant to wick sweat away on hot days. They were everywhere in the pro peloton for a few years. Then, they were gone. I am not much of a scientist, but I never understood how adding one more layer to what you were wearing could make you cooler. I wore them, though!

In the last decade or two basic training concepts have been turned on their heads as well, although I think this could be science based and not just fashion. If you haven’t been around a training program in a while, you might not recognize the recommended sessions inside. Gone are long, slow distance workouts (the famous ‘fat-burning’ ones), replaced by HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or something similarly named. Basically, the idea these days is ‘go hard or go home’. Having done my share of both (my natural inclination is ‘slow’), I can say that interval training works, even if it hurts more.

Here’s another one that people can get very excited about – tire width.

When I started training with purpose in 2011 I was riding 23mm tires. I still run them on the Colnago because my fork clearance doesn’t allow 25s, but I’ve gone over to 25mm for the Bianchi. But that’s nothing these days! Lots of riders are on 28s now and I know a couple of people who ride 30mm and over. The science on this one makes my brain hurt, so I’m not even going to attempt it. Suffice to say, bigger is better (except for weight) is the latest trend in road tires.

What did I miss?