Old Fool in Lycra

[Derny Driver]

Mate you are a dead set legend! And that bike is awesome. I have a nice Sydney built frame with a set of superbe pro ready to go on. And you are right about the superbe stuff. Brake blocks, pedals and stuff are only available in superbe.

[foo on patrol]

Good stuff Nemo.

Foo

[nemo57]

Hey, thanks, lads.
Now, having only done about 110k since last Sunday, I can feel myself running to fat ... How is it that this safety-bicycling thing gets ahold of you?
Gotta find another challenge ... maybe the 300 round the bay next year, that includes a lot more of the climbing that I do not enjoy, or say 100 km return to Frankston on a dragster or the kid's single-speed '60s Hillman ... I'm even having thoughts of the peaks challenge, not next year, but maybe 2020 when I'm 63. But that wd probably force me to give up the gaspers, if they don't get me first. Choices, choices ...
This thread will probably go pretty quiet for a while now, as decisions are made, strategies plotted and miles suffered, but you can be assured that you've helped me greatly thus far.

[10speedsemiracer]

What if you were to take up membership in one of the very good clubs in our area? Blackburn Cycling Club (founded by the late great George Robinson) are still going strong and host regular events. May also give you an excuse to build up a SunTour/Hillman track bike if you felt like doing some roundie-roundies

[10speedsemiracer]

But in reference to what you've experienced with a decrease in riding, I can empathise fully. I find that I need to ride daily to ward off the accumulated effects of too many years of sport during an era when things like injury management were poorly understood. I can't do distance any more but can still do sprints.

[nemo57]

Now here's a thing I don't understand.
I got meself a heart rate monitor for Christmas, and the results indicate that I'm not overdoing things - typically average 110-120 and haven't ever got much over 140 bpm.
Today did my first century since last October, with bugger-all climbing in it, fine weather, not above 30º, not a lot of wind (though even 20kph headwind knocks a good 4 kph off my speed). The heart certainly wasn't working hard at 109 bpm average. Consumed 2 litres + gels and jerky en route. And I've been averaging well over 600km every month throughout the past 8 months. And I am certainly not fast, even by the standards of the old devils I see pounding up and down Kew Boulevard. Or especially by the standards of the GIRL who was doing it 6 times to my 2 yesterday ...
So how come the legs hurt so much? Everything below the waist was screaming at me the last 10-15 km today. Seems to me it's not a matter of getting O2 into the muscles, or my heart rate would be much higher. It's something else.
I recall reading somewhere here - maybe it was Derny D - that it takes 3 years to make a cyclist. But crikey!

[g-boaf]

Now here's a thing I don't understand.
I got meself a heart rate monitor for Christmas, and the results indicate that I'm not overdoing things - typically average 110-120 and haven't ever got much over 140 bpm.
Today did my first century since last October, with bugger-all climbing in it, fine weather, not above 30º, not a lot of wind (though even 20kph headwind knocks a good 4 kph off my speed). The heart certainly wasn't working hard at 109 bpm average. Consumed 2 litres + gels and jerky en route. And I've been averaging well over 600km every month throughout the past 8 months. And I am certainly not fast, even by the standards of the old devils I see pounding up and down Kew Boulevard. Or especially by the standards of the GIRL who was doing it 6 times to my 2 yesterday ...
So how come the legs hurt so much? Everything below the waist was screaming at me the last 10-15 km today. Seems to me it's not a matter of getting O2 into the muscles, or my heart rate would be much higher. It's something else.
I recall reading somewhere here - maybe it was Derny D - that it takes 3 years to make a cyclist. But crikey!

It's multiple things, it's getting the base fitness, cardio, losing weight, etc. Then it's muscle strength and there is also speed skills/bike handling. Someone who can handle the bike well may be able to keep a higher average speed through cornering and descending prowess or even just tucking down and getting more aero when the winds aren't in their favour.

600km in a month you say? It's not that much really. More riding really does help, trust me on that. If you can pick up a bit more kms, it will help a lot.

[nemo57]

Thanks. I somehow doubt that I'll get to the sort of distances you're covering (in about the same sort of time I'm devoting to it!) but I get your point. I've lost 12kg - but very little of that in the past 4 months. (And if I recall, you've stripped off about 1/3 of your body weight over a few years - wow.)
Strength is sadly lacking, especially when I think of what I was capable of - oh - 40 years ago. At least I'm not injuring myself from going too hard ...

[foo on patrol]

If you can only do 600klms a month, think about how, you do your rides! Incorporate more efforts into them by riding inclines at a harder rate and doing 5-10klm efforts.

Foo

[g-boaf]

Thanks. I somehow doubt that I'll get to the sort of distances you're covering (in about the same sort of time I'm devoting to it!) but I get your point. I've lost 12kg - but very little of that in the past 4 months. (And if I recall, you've stripped off about 1/3 of your body weight over a few years - wow.)
Strength is sadly lacking, especially when I think of what I was capable of - oh - 40 years ago. At least I'm not injuring myself from going too hard ...

foo above has some good points if you don’t have the time to ride more, but with the consideration that you don’t want to injure yourself.

But even just another few hundred kms will really help you.

[nemo57]

Thanks for all that: I've been doing as advised.
And today took the new 1976 track weapon onto Brunswick velodrome. Did efforts over the furlong. Stopped when I felt sick.

[foo on patrol]

Foo