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Training by numbers

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  1. Baldcyclist
    Member

    I bought myself a WaHoo Kickr in November, and plugged my road bike which is gathering dust onto it. Have a garmin watch for HR, and signed up to Rouvy and did an FTP test (which hurt my ego more than my legs), and started doing winter training on the bike dialed into my numbers.

    I really did it to try and keep some fitness for hill walking - I don't do hills in adverse weather, so really no winter hiking for me.

    5 months of doing training plans to increase power and VO2 max for 3-4 hours a week, and my FTP has only gone up by 13W, and my cycling VO2 max hasn't moved. I have noticed my walking Vo2 max is up 5 points though, but cycling V02 max is 10 points lower than walking VO2 max.

    I went up my first wee hill of the year on Sunday, just West Lomond so small, and was blowing bubbles as I normally would on the uphill on my first walk of the year.

    Not saying it has been a wasted 5 months, and hopefully there will be cycling benefit - will find that out tommorow as cycling home from work. However it does seem (in my case) that he only good training for walking up hills, is walking up hills. Ochils or Pentlands next week, then back onto the big hills (weather permitting).

    Has anyone found online cylcle training usefull? Was my first experience of using power zones, or actually any structured training plan.

    Posted 1 week ago #

  2. Baldcyclist
    Member

    The other fun thing is I seem to have given myself tennis elbow, so the bike fit on road bike obviously not optimal, I've tried a shorter stem, and moving saddle closer to reduce reach, which has helped in terms of comfort on bike.
    Ironicaly it doesn't bother me when on bike, but it does the rest of the time which is a bit annoying!

    Posted 1 week ago #

  3. gembo
    Member

    I was up Beech Ave [the exponential] on the summer wieightlless bike last night. With some ease [though nt like my mad pal who went to Everest base camp by ascending and descending 124 times] but turned out was the NE wind.

    I think some people do maintain their summer fitness over winter on indoor training rigs. Thus coming to the summer you can maybe push on to next level on the actual road.

    Tennis elbow is odd. I gave myself Housemaids knee by cycling too far in a single day. But cured it by kneeling on the pus before a Norfolk holiday when i was switching off the sockets.

    Posted 1 week ago #

  4. amir
    Member

    Since I bought a smart trainer, I've done a lot of cycling indoors. Coupled with Zwift, it's very engaging, being both immersive and social. I love the racing, which I've never done outdoors. It's a real blessing just now, as I have Achilles problems from an antibiotic. The recovery will be slow and gradual, and having an indoor trainer gives me more control over what I do than outdoor cycling. It is a quicker more intense exercise, which fits in great with my current circumstances.

    Posted 6 days ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    Lecky bike is also a good training option.

    Just took one up a hill in Kent that was1:6 at the top. Survived.

    The roadies who caught me earlier then veered away on alternative route to avoid this hill - Cudham Hill if you are interested.

    Posted 6 days ago #

  6. mcairney
    Member

    @gembo it's a slippery slope (literally)- I was cursing the e-bike (presumably) commuter with a pannier who dropped me like a sack of tatties going up Faside last night!

    Sorry to hear about your achilles issues @amir. One of the main reasons I took up cycling was I suffered with achilles tendinopathy for years which made running any distance difficult/impossible (it turns out after finally getting an ultrasound on it I'd actually ruptured both of my Achilles at different points in the past).

    I've got an Elite turbo trainer which I bought with the noble intentions of using it during the winter but living in a small 2-bed flat means I have to assemble/disassemble it every time I want to use it. Between that and still preferring to ride outside even in the worst weather a Scottish winter can throw at me means I've used it twice. I do have the full gamut of measurements on my 'summer' bike (power meter, speed sensors, HR monitor)

    Posted 5 days ago #

  7. Baldcyclist
    Member

    I confess I have enjoyed the online training, the Rouvy app takes you to different places in the world.
    Rouvy managed to get a camera on one of the Tour of Spain stages in advance of the race, so that was quite engaging riding one of the tour stages complete with police outriders guiding the way, and a crowd at the side of the road.

    I'm torn on electric bikes, I had a look at bikes a few weeks ago - my MTB purchase last year has persauded me hybrid commuting bike is the way to go for my neck. The salesman on seeing an old fat person naturaly tried to guide me to electric, and I said maybe one day but despite appearances ny legs and lungs still work, albeit a bit slower than before. Electric would make the commute a whole lot easier/faster tbf, maybe one day, not yet.

    I didn't do my prommised cycle commute this week even though weather perfect to start again, procastination seems to be getting the better of me just now, my watch told me I hadn't slept well and that was enough to persuade me to get the train. Should get over that mental hurdle soon enough as promissed the boy an MTB ride on Saturday, so that should be enough to end procastinations.

    Another observed benefit of the indoor trainer, it just occured to me that no-one has tried to kill me over the winter. Every time I've been hit by a car, ar had an acident on the bike has been between the months of November and March. I think I am definately persauded that winter cycling for me should be off the road.

    Hope achilles fixes it's self soon @amir.

    Posted 5 days ago #

  8. amir
    Member

    Thanks. I've had tendonitis before, but this is longer lasting. Apparently the antibiotic disrupts the collagen production process, which weakens tendons. You can get ruptured up to 6 months later

    Posted 4 days ago #

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