new bicycle choices
- Thread starter Rockmeister
- Start date
My best over 50 FTP was 302. I had a coach at the time and the test nearly killed me. I was 75kg.
I'm almost 63. The last test I did was in November and was 245. It will be a little higher now. Best news of all is I'm now down to 70kg.
I've always fancied doing a tri as I spent many years as a decent club runner (sub 6 min mile pace for longer stuff) but my swimming ability is at the 'I probably won't drown' level.
SteveG
pfm Member
I've also fancied doing a Tri as I'm reasonably quick on the bike and not too awful a runner (I've done a half marathon a year or so back and I'm a circa 25 minute 5K runner) but am really not a good swimmer. I've been thinking about joining the local Tri club here in Edinburgh as I've seen them doing swimming practice in the evenings in one of the reservoirs in the hills above my house and it looks fun.
SteveG
pfm Member
I'm a similar weight and height so we'd probably get on well on bike rides. I was a runner back in my schools days as well - never quite managed to break our 100m record but did hold the hurdles and long jump records for a few years, and did race up to regional level at a few events.
Most of my exercise at the moment is walking with my new dog though. Haven't tried cycling with him yet but it'd be fantastic if I can go on mountain bike rides with him. Had a brief check to see what it was like running with him and he seemed to love that, so looking forward to that.
Marky-Mark
pfm Member
That's just fine! ... I imagine you see a lot more of what's going on around you than digital readouts and a spinning crank. You might even talk to people as you encounter them! There's something to be said for biking to enjoy the air, people and scenery. Or at least as some balance to all the competitiveness. I know I feel better after a mix of the two rather than ending a ride only to enter a few numbers into a cycling log hoping an average ticks up a notch.
SteveG
pfm Member
I'm not competitive which is why I often go on the bronze club rides rather than the silver ones. There is still a little bit of racing up climbs and stuff but nothing serious, and most of the ride is done at a sedate place. Our silver rides are also not bad, although the pace is quite a bit higher.
Marky-Mark
pfm Member
I live in a small unincorporated town. There's one bike shop, and that's primarily due to a designated US bike route that winds in and around the town. So I stop in there every so often and chat with the owner. He tries to organize events but finds it difficult because so much of the bike culture is competitive or already clubbed-up. He says kids are becoming more interested, but adults shy away from it, and he thinks it's from the emphasis on showing off one's fitness. Plus, most of those riders fix and upgrade their own bikes and have no need for a shop. They buy their stuff online anyway. It's really a shame because part of his vision when he opened was to create a hub for people to meet and organize rides or make riding buddies ... that sort of thing.
I do see the club riders occasionally on the route, but it's primarily single riders on expensive bikes draped in designer bike wear flexing their quads. Not exactly a social event.
I do see the club riders occasionally on the route, but it's primarily single riders on expensive bikes draped in designer bike wear flexing their quads. Not exactly a social event.