I think it depends on the format. A crit and 16km TT racer might find a benefit. 5 lbs for more peaks watts will be beneficial in some instances, especially flatter courses.
I think most need to qualify what kind of endurance are we talking about? A GT rider doing multiple 100 mile days in a row? Someone doing a 16 mile TT, once a week for a 6 week TT series, or a crit racer who does 1 or 2 a month, over a 3-4 month period?
Not every cyclist is training for 4hr + events.
I also created an account just to comment here. I have been googling side effects for creatine and most results say there arent any, and that creatine causing muscle cramps is a myth. Well I can tell you that its not. I have been lifting weights on and off for 15 years. Throughout this period i have used creatine several times. And the effects have been major, both positive and negative. I gained weight and strength, which i thought was great. But I also started experiencing intense stiffness in my calves, and especially the front (Tibialis anterior). I recognize so well the sensation you are describing. It is not exactly cramping, it just gets extremely stiff and pumped, to the extent where it is almost unbearable. Almost like it is burning and feels like it is about to explode. I have NEVER felt anything like this when I am not on creatine(the only thing coming close is the sensation you can get in your lower arms when climbing really hard as mentioned above). But when I start taking it, especially the ones where you have a āloadingā periode where you take a lot the first week - the leg stiffnes comes almost instantly, within a couple days. Walking fast (like you have a bus to catch) for 5 minutes is all it takes to trigger it for me. It is the calves that are the worst for me, but i can also feel it in my lower back. Sometimes I have tried to go for a run, and had to stop after one mile because my lower back was so tense and stiff I just couldnt continue. When I stop taking it, these effects stop after a week or so. I had a period without weight lifting for 3-4 years before starting again. I decided to start taking creatin, since i remembered having good results a few years back. And the calf stiffness returned instantly. I had not felt this kind of stiffness for years. It is so obviously linked to the creatin for me, anyone trying to tell me different can fu*k off 
I am not saying it is like this for everyone, it clearly isnt. But I know for sure that the creatine is doing this for me and my body. Why is another question.
I got some as I primarily lifted over the winter. I canāt say that it really had any effect for me one way or another except that when I stopped taking it, I quickly lost 3 or 4 pounds and no discernible decrease in performance.
How long did it take for the weight to drop back off?
Maybe a couple of weeks. I wasnāt paying close attention to weight at the time. But no longer than 2
@Dr_Alex_Harrison - with regard to the muscular hydration: Iām currently training for the BC Bike Race in July 2024, and have started on creatine about 2 months ago - the most obvious benefit I currently feel is faster recovery after races (and my legs donāt hurt half as much as before using creatine)
The 2023 BCBR race saw some very hot and dry conditions (>30 degs. C) so I was wondering if I should stay on the creatine in order to benefit hydration and reduce opportunity for cramps?
I could also stop taking creatine a few weeks before the event and drop a little weight but Iām kinda favouring staying on it - what would be your (or other creatine users) opinion? thanks!
I donāt eat animal products so use creatine. Iāve really enjoyed it and gained a lot of muscle (with gym).
Also it is purported to have positive cognitive effects.
First off donāt bother trying to load it. Start with 5 g a day, especially at your size as itās unlikely youāll need more.
There isnāt any evidence that creatine helps endurance efforts in hot conditions. But there is no evidence that it hurts, either! One thing creatine definitely does for me is suck ~5lbs of fluid into my muscles so in a climby race like BCBR thatās one thing to consider.
If you want a protocol that definitely helps endurance performance on a hot day, consider the greenleaf/sims hyper-hydration protocol (previously discussed on this forum). That is something that has helped me a lot in the past.
There are some studies on hyperhydration with creatine and glycerol.
Combining Cr and Gly is effective in reducing thermal and cardiovascular strain during exercise in the heat without negatively impacting on RE [running economy].
However I have not looked in to this further, but it is something Iām looking in to. Iām also currently on a maintenance dose of about 5g/day. My goal is a very long gran fondo in the summer. Do the potential benefits of hyper hydration outweigh the possibly very slight weight increase.
thanks Iāll check that out
āCreatine supplementation has a negative effect on VO2max, regardless of the characteristics of training, supplementation, or population characteristicsā
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(21):4855-4866.
From a research perspective, I think itās very hard to make a case either way. Itās unlikely to have much positive effect on cramping (other than through basic fatigue reduction via more work capacity), and also limited effect on weight. I know, boring, right?
I donāt have the full text but I think these authors looked at:
"Where VO2max also was reported pre- and post-exercise intervention, how does VO2max change, with or without creatine, during any exercise intervention?
I imagine that most of the exercise interventions were not aerobic because most research on creatine is not aerobic training. Itās resistance training specifically examining changes in strength and hypertrophy, mostly.
Iād expect VO2max increases (if any) to be slightly smaller during a resistance training intervention with creatine, than without, because VO2max is usually reported as a function of bodyweight.
Since itās well established that hypertrophy is greater during creatine supplementation, (an increase in the denominator) it could be expected that the increase in VO2max reported would be smaller when creatine is consumed.
no worries, thanks for the reply, think Iāll keep taking it anyway as Iāve not noticed any significant weight increase (though at the same time Iāve been reducing fat in my diet and according to my Garmin Index scales, I seem to have dropped a few % off my body fat)
For me as a 55 year old, I noticed that I recovered better once I started supplementing with creatine. It also may have helped with strength gains in the gym. As an older athlete, the recovery aspect is enough for me to keep taking creatine plus it is a legal supplement for racing XC, road, and CX.
Sounds good, like myself being 54 and doing gym training as well as mountain bike racing, definitely helps with recovery and strength