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Cycling log - random events in the day of a cyclist II

For max heart rate estimate use 220 minus your age. It's not super accurate I'm 48 and can reach 189.

My anaerobic threshold is about 165bpm
 
Thanks, all makes sense. Does resting HR have any effect on max HR?

Some of the more sophisticated max HR formula do use it (and those were better in my case than the basic 220 - age thing) although there isn't really a substitute for something like a ramp test.

I haven't done any proper training yet, so I'd like to see where I am in say 6 months time.

My issue is also weight, strangely it hasn't come down at all since I restarted cycling and I was on a steady rate of decline up until then. I haven't changed my diet either so the only conclusion I can come to is that perhaps I've put on a bit of muscle in the legs and it has offset any fat loss.

I've never found cycling all that helpful by itself for weight loss - certainly not compared to running. If I did more 1 hour max effort TT type rides it might though (as that's more like running for an hour for an HR perspective).
 
Resting HR is 52, the most I think I've ever seen on the bike is about 175-177 and it is my legs that give up long before anything else.
 
Resting HR is 52, the most I think I've ever seen on the bike is about 175-177 and it is my legs that give up long before anything else.

In that case I'd be tempted to work off 180 as a max HR. There is a lot of good info out there about things like training in Zone 2, tempo and threshold pace etc. that can be interesting. In my case it's been useful to know what sort of max HR I can sustain for various activities e.g. to help pace myself on a climb. I switched to a power meter and tend to use power rather than HR on the road bike, but on the mountain bike I'm back using HR (or in fact at the moment, mostly just going by feel rather than by numbers).
 
I'm 55, got a resting HR of 52, sometimes lower. That's measured in the morning, in bed, before getting up. Max these days I'm seeing on the bike is 172 but I don't really go for it up hills - try and keep it steady.. Maybe I should have a couple of balls out, hell for leather and see what happens.
 
This evening I decided to take my BFe out for a spin as I hadn't used it for a few weeks. It's what's regarded as a "hardcore" hardtail (and the question on WTF an old git like me is doing with one of those is legitimate and one I no longer have an answer to) which typically means big forks (chunky bolt-through Fox Talas in this case) and a bike that you rely on the front end coping with anything will ignored what the back end is doing. It's fun (especially at trail centres) but a bit heavier (29lbs in this case, compared to 25lbs or so on my Cotic Soul) so not a great climber although the Talas forks help.

The reason I took it out was actually more because it had more appropriate tyres for slippery mud although in practice it wasn't any quicker than the Soul shod with summer tyres. While it's a 1x10 bike it's also a bit old school with that as it has a cassette with one of the Hope extender cogs (basically you take away the 17t cog in the middle of the cassette, replacing it with a 40t at the low end) and while 1x10 with a 32t up front and an 11-40 on the back isn't terrible it struggles for high gears. I might switch it to one of the more modern cassette's but we will see.

170838442.Y1SD9hiv.bfe01.jpg
 
My issue is also weight, strangely it hasn't come down at all since I restarted cycling and I was on a steady rate of decline up until then. I haven't changed my diet either so the only conclusion I can come to is that perhaps I've put on a bit of muscle in the legs and it has offset any fat loss.

Two or three years ago I mentioned same to a friend, at the time I was doing 200 miles a week at a decent pace in prep for events later in the year and surprised the ramp up in miles hadn't had an effect on weight. He simply said ''intake''

He was right, in prep for an event in the Alps two years ago I decided I really wanted to take 3 or 4 kilo's off if I could. Only took about 6 weeks, simply stopped eating between meals occasionally only having a protein shake for lunch, not eating dessert and cutting the alcohol back to a couple of drinks a week - no beer :(

More recently having been very fit at the end of last summer I took a rest over the winter, near to no riding, eating and drinking = +7.5 kg come March

Took the same approach though not quiet so strict and not so many miles throughout this lockdown and shed the lot. Wasn't easy, the temptation to drink and eat is high but 10 weeks or so and I'm back down where I want to be

Good luck if some weight loss is what you're after
 
Two or three years ago I mentioned same to a friend, at the time I was doing 200 miles a week at a decent pace in prep for events later in the year and surprised the ramp up in miles hadn't had an effect on weight. He simply said ''intake''

He was right, in prep for an event in the Alps two years ago I decided I really wanted to take 3 or 4 kilo's off if I could. Only took about 6 weeks, simply stopped eating between meals occasionally only having a protein shake for lunch, not eating dessert and cutting the alcohol back to a couple of drinks a week - no beer :(

More recently having been very fit at the end of last summer I took a rest over the winter, near to no riding, eating and drinking = +7.5 kg come March

Took the same approach though not quiet so strict and not so many miles throughout this lockdown and shed the lot. Wasn't easy, the temptation to drink and eat is high but 10 weeks or so and I'm back down where I want to be

Good luck if some weight loss is what you're after

Yes I know how to lose weight, I dropped 5kg in about 8 weeks before I restarted cycling, my diet hasn't changed since then. The only thing that has changed is I've started cycling again.
 
Apologies if I misinterpreted your post, point was cycling of it's own won't necc lead to weight loss
 
Apologies if I misinterpreted your post, point was cycling of it's own won't necc lead to weight loss

I know that all too well from last time, I've countless years experience of exercise having no effect on weight. My point was that I was on a successful weight losing regime with no exercise, then started cycling on the same diet and the weight loss stopped.
 
Ah now gentlemen, the trick is to stick to about three pints of beer and a bottle of red a night but cut out bread, potatoes and rice. Have to agree though; cycling is a bit rubbish compared with running for weight loss. It is very much more time consuming for the same result.
Did the Askham fell race route this afternoon, my God! (1300 calories)
 
Just self timed (using my bike speedo) my local TT course (because they're limiting field size due to COVID and I didn't make the cut this week). Took 5 seconds off my PB on the hilly 7.8mile course and averaged 21.73mph (which is probably rubbish for some on here, but which is quite good for me). I'm quite happy considering I had nobody to chase or chasing me down, and I feel like 22mph is within reach.
 
I know that all too well from last time, I've countless years experience of exercise having no effect on weight. My point was that I was on a successful weight losing regime with no exercise, then started cycling on the same diet and the weight loss stopped.

Can't even blame cafe stops because they've all been shut since March.
 
I haven't ridden for a few days due to tweaking my back earlier in the week, although it seems ok now so should be back out tomorrow. I have now converted my ancient S-Works Enduro from a 2x9 setup to 1x11, using one of the new 11-51 cassettes that Shimano recently released. Previously the bike was using 9-speed dual-control shifters so as well as the drivetrain the brakes also needed replaced. I also shifted from an old Octalink XT chainset to a more modern HTII one, also XT. I wasn't thinking when I stuck the chainring on that though and ended up fitting a 32 which I think will turn out to be too low (32:51 is a very, very low gear!) but I'll try it tomorrow and see how I get on. I've got 34 and 36 chainrings I can change to if I need to.

One minor pain was that the Hope hub on the original rear wheel came apart when I was removing the cassette so I've had to switch to a spare one, which I think is a fair bit heavier. Despite that the bike has lost a bit of weight and is now bang on 29lbs (that's ready to ride, with pedals etc.) which isn't too bad for an old full-suspension bike that's got a reasonable amount of travel (and I've got the BETD link to extend it further although I've never felt the need to fit that so far). It's actually a touch lighter than my hardtail BFE.

I originally put the Enduro together for riding at trail centres, and did indeed ride it at quite a few of the Scottish ones over the years, and it should still be decent for that I think.
 
Laps in Regent's Park this morning, then on to Hyde Park. Long queues for the Zoo in Regents. Shorter queues for COVID 19 testing in the latter.
 


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