All focus is on his departure, but if I ran into him tomorrow I would ask him why he stayed onboard for so long. Lot of friction between marketing and science, cannot imagine that to be a fun position to be in as a science-minded coach.
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It’s funny you say this…I was on the verge of saying the only way the TR statement made any kind of sense was to view it as an underhanded, disingenuous marketing device.
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This is the same group of people (at least some of them) who use the TrainerRoad forum to trash/bash TrainerRoad … which is akin letting someone play with their dog in your yard but don’t pick up the poop.
Respect is a foreign concept to the internet 
My guess is that someone who only thinks they have to respect their boss or their father probably doesn’t show much respect to them either.
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Whilst further speculation here would be a faux pas, you may get good mileage with that on the meme thread… 
From someone who will always smile when they see Boxley, Brasted, Birling or Bluebell appear on their workout list, thanks for everything, all the best for the future. I hope you’re having a beer somewhere 
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I’ve huge respect for the TR team and their open approach to interacting with their user base on this forum.
I think that whatever has happened here though, it would be best to just close this thread, to avoid pointless speculation. Kudos for keeping it going so long already but it’s pointless now.
Just one thing I’d like to highlight for users of this forum, is that not all contributors have TR’s best interests at heart. I know this for certain because a user PM’d me some time back to induce me to try out their competing software. When I reported to TR, they looked into user’s PMs and seems they had done the same on a number of occasions.
I know it’s easy to find conspiracy theories on the net, but I would guess at least some competitors are not above using this forum to throw mud/shade at TR.
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You’ll be missed and I hope you have a happy life doing whatever you end up doing.
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What should we do with those Reddit threads then? Any speculation on Twitter or Facebook? Should we silence those people who are unaware of the Chad’s wish too? That’s the reality every public figure has to face, especially if they choose not to be completely transparent.
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2 big problems here: First is that the announcement was done very poorly. As I said in a post regarding the podcast they could have easily BSed a reason to cancel, did so and then come out with a well worded and respectful letter regarding what happened. If there isn’t much they can say they still could have said it better. Cooler heads could have talked Nate back from his rather terse “I fired Chad[sic]” message before the podcast. Likewise considering it took going back 2-3 podcasts to find the last one Chad was invited to I doubt it would have been noticed that he missed yet another before the news came out. The how of this was a complete miss.
Second and my biggest concern going forward is who are they going to get to manage the training aspects of the eponymous Trainerroad. Sure they have AI but that’s based on current training models and is only as good as the data they feed it. Should they decide to rethink SSB2 MV i.e. threshold base who can we trust to do it properly? This is akin to Wahoo system or whatever it’s called losing Neal Henderson. If Nate can’t be bothered to make a better send off for his former master of training plans it would certainly behoove him to announce that he has hired or is looking for a new sports scientist to fill that role to manage the workouts and training plans.
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Is there a reason that anyone here SHOULD have trainerroads best interests at heart? Trainerroad is a company, not a person or family, and should only looked at for what it can provide us.
The individuals that make up the company are a different story.
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It was made in jest, but you’re right, perhaps it was a little harsh. Ultimately, as stated, I hold a trainer road subscription literally to support the podcast, and I just thought the communication should have been better or there shouldn’t have been any until more details could be provided. Apologies if it came across poorly, I truly have zero issue with either of them and Jonathan in particular adds a lot to the podcast as well, it was just a number to see my favorite part of the podcast disappear. All the best.
I’m pretty sure Jonathan Lee is a certified USA cycling coach, Fwiw
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The big difference is that we’re all here discussing it on the TR forum. They’re letting us all talk and complain about this very big and weird thing that happened to this company that we all interact with. We’re their guests here, and I think that puts a some responsibility on our shoulders to be respectful here. If people really want to engage in wild speculation (believe me, I’ve done my fair share over here), then the other platforms are the place to do it. Not here. We’ve been asked not to.
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Upvoting because I understand the sentiment and it’s a valid one, but to play devils advocate, they have been a pretty good example of how you can run a company and not be solely about profit maximization. I thought what they have done (and are still doing) with the legacy pricing/option to stay in a lower price tier wasn’t actually necessary and it was done out of good faith. Compared to their competitors (cough cough Zwift), I think TR has done a phenomenal job of engaging with their users and listening to feedback. Just my two cents.
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Oh yea I dont disagree. I mean I’m a bit torn on the legacy pricing thing, but I’m paying a subscription fee so obviously I feel they’re somewhere on the posotive end of the value spectrum.
That said…I’m not sure we have any real amount of information to go off of to gauge whether they’re all about maximizing profit over other considerations.
I will say though, that seeing multiple big faces of the company leave/get forced out/whatever is a red flag to me. High turnover suggests something is off generally.
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I simply don’t see it as if we’re some kind of guests who need to take our shoes off, bow, and ask for permission to speak our minds. I didn’t find anything disrespectful in speculations, they are what they are - NOT CLAIMS.
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Sure. we’re not at some dinner party or whatever, but the mods here give us a pretty long leash. Still, if enough people ignore/break the forum guidelines often enough, this fine resource for training tips and other bike-related chat might be shut down. I’d hate for that to happen.
I actually agree that the post in question was mostly fine! It was one of the saner takes on what might have happened. Had it and the replies come in before Chad asked us all to but the breaks on speculation, I think it would have been a fine contribution. But it didn’t.
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“Chad asked us all”
Let me reply half-jokingly with another Godfather reference: ‘Can’t do it, Sally’…
For the time being, no deep dives - just shallow wades full of bro science and life experiences from the homies!
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Why is it so unpopular these days to show restraint out of respect for other people? There’s real people out there behind this very blindingly white and red screen (Hey, can we get dark mode?). And I’m not taking any sides, just trying to imagine we’re all having a beer together. After a really fun bike ride.
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