patentcad

After a week on Optygen I am feeling better. Very fast Nyack Ride today (the first half was 26-32mph, some Cat 2 from hell comes out, busts balls for the first 20 miles and then disappears) and I was surprised at how good I felt, particularly after I rode 115 miles (mostly solo) just yesterday. Today I finished the ride 50-100 meters off the wheels of two guys @ the Hook Mtn. hilltop finish who would have been in a different zip code from me 4 weeks ago. The group I would have ridden that climb with earlier this year was out of sight behind me. That seems like progress.

But here's the problem with assessing the efficacy of a supplement like Optygen: do I feel better because I'm on Optygen, because of all this training, because I THINK I should be able ride harder now that I'm taking Optygen (placebo effect) or all of the above?

I don't know. I don't particularly care. I'm riding better so I'll stick with the program. As I have observed before, the Placebo Effect RULES.

bdcheung

I feel the same way about my Q-Rings

GuitarWizard

Ok....so, the moral of the story here is, get Q-Rings AND Optygen, and one will become superman on the bike.

Score.

bdcheung

i'm not so sure about that, GW. Optygen didn't work for me, but Q-Rings did. So did training more. But I think the latter of the three will work for just about anyone.

GuitarWizard

Yeah....well, I figured 2 placebo effects + training more = kicking ass. A win-win situation, really.

TheKillerPenguin

My impressions of optygen...

Recovery seems a bit faster, and I definitely feel much more awake all the time. Perhaps slightly easier to breathe when climbing, but I don't know if that's for real or not. I don't ride with any sort of computer, so I can't really say.

Also, it's only been a week. I'll finish off the bottle and see what my impressions are then.

patentcad

It would be far more entertaining if you'd do the same with a bottle of Tequiia and THEN post your impressions.

The moral of the story is: if you're getting faster at all you should be happy.

dmotoguy

I took my first dose yesterday when my bottle came in the mail, I wanted to see if I could feel it in my race today.. So i didnt really go by the instructions and took it at ~3:00pm, I couldnt get so sleep until 3:30am or so and I've never had any issues with that.. so.. today I woke up, took another 6 pills.. drove to the race, felt better than I ever have.. and got 5th in the field sprint.. this is after getting dropped halfway through a crit on friday..

My take on this:
15% Placebo
5% optygen
80% Confidence (due to placebo)

I'll probably get another bottle after this one, or maybe try Ep-No for a bottle.. then see which I like more.. etc..

patentcad

That works out to be 95% Placebo.

dmotoguy

true true.. so I guess that is a whole hell of a lot of placebo.. or maybe it really works well.

El Diablo Rojo

Goody another Patencad thread about a thread already started. Will we get a new one every day? I'm giddy with excitement.

smoke

don't pick on p-cad. he's old and feeble-minded. have some respect for your elders

FrankBattle 

Not many try it and report no improvement. Let me rephrase, I haven't seen anyone try it and report no improvement.

But I am sure they are out there ..

For me, it works. Seems like it does for most on here also. I'm just saying.

Snuffleupagus

Ah, but do we have quantifiable data to back anything up?

Everyone and their mom has a power meter...I'd like to see some before/during/after numbers, rather than just "I think I felt better."

patentcad

Actually you are drunk with spite and self-impressed to a degree only possible in Texas. You fit right in here.

Snuffleupagus

Stop flirting you two.

patentcad

Are we not bike weenies? Aren't redundant and seemingly pointless threads the very lifeforce of BF?

FrankBattle 

Sorry, I don't race.

Before Optygen (+Training) 38.9 mile jaunt time: 2:05
After Optygen+Training 38.9 mile jaunt time: 1:45

*shrug*

I am a lab rat, but I do eat and train hard. But was doing that before Optygen.

*big shrug*

I only ride to eat. My numbers are purely to personally monitor my progress. Anectdotally, "he kept up with one of the region's top racers" says a riding buddy to my wife at work ..

~* going to grab another piece of bbq pork ribeye *~

El Diablo Rojo

Spite? Self-impressed? No you misunderstand, I'm enthralled with your daily threads about how your Zipps actually roll. Or now your new report about how you and Optygen are becoming one. Tomorrow will be a new thread on the Zipp/Optygen combo that has made you realize that A) your Zipps continue to actually roll and B) Optygen makes you feel better. Then we can expect the the Six13/Zipp/Optygen trifecta. I can't wait.

I'm glad that you think enough of us to continually start a new thread every time you break wind. Me self-impressed...nah, I can't hold a candle to you my friend...

roadwarrior

Actually, I still think he'll spring for the SRM crankset...

patentcad

Incorrect.

On a brighter note, if you could somehow manage to redirect the personal attacks and pointless vitriol into cycling you could probably succeed Dick Pound some day. If you don't like my threads print them out on your state-of-the-art $99 inkjet and wipe your ass with them.

GuitarWizard

"I must say Phil, the guys got panache"

El Diablo Rojo

Aw now you've gone and hurt my feelings...just when I thought we were getting close you say something like this....BTW what makes you think I haven't used your drivel for TP?

patentcad

I naturally presumed that someone with your mentality wasn't familar with civilities like TP. Hence my suggestion.

UT_Dude

Calm down...