Cycling UK Forum

VinceLedge wrote: ↑4 Nov 2022, 12:59pm Sounds like you are reasonably fit on the bike and with 2.2w/kg you should be able to get up pretty much most hills just a fair amount slower than your riding buddy. An FTP of 250 is pretty good and you might find you are tiring yourself our keeping at his pace.
I am 62 as well and 80kg and 5'8" so similar size to you and now have an FTP of about 210W after 3 or 4 years of regular cycling. I use a smart turbo in winter or bad weather and this definitely helps increase power and fitness but not really endurance (I generally don't do more than an hour)
Don't worry about max heart rate as it is only an estimate and your breathing and legs will stop before you can get to a heart rate that will cause harm, unless you have some sort of pre-existing problem.
I cycle with a pal who us stronger than me and find the hills really hard when with him, however when cycling with the OH who is a bit slower than me I find the same hills really easy if I go up at her speed.

ossie wrote: ↑4 Nov 2022, 7:43pm Ive found Zwift and a smart trainer to be a complete revelation.

Hounslow to Canary Wharf

TheLastMan wrote: ↑4 Nov 2022, 7:56pm

VinceLedge wrote: ↑4 Nov 2022, 12:59pm Sounds like you are reasonably fit on the bike and with 2.2w/kg you should be able to get up pretty much most hills just a fair amount slower than your riding buddy. An FTP of 250 is pretty good and you might find you are tiring yourself our keeping at his pace.
I am 62 as well and 80kg and 5'8" so similar size to you and now have an FTP of about 210W after 3 or 4 years of regular cycling. I use a smart turbo in winter or bad weather and this definitely helps increase power and fitness but not really endurance (I generally don't do more than an hour)
Don't worry about max heart rate as it is only an estimate and your breathing and legs will stop before you can get to a heart rate that will cause harm, unless you have some sort of pre-existing problem.
I cycle with a pal who us stronger than me and find the hills really hard when with him, however when cycling with the OH who is a bit slower than me I find the same hills really easy if I go up at her speed.


Unlike you I enjoy longer distances, I rarely do less than an hour. My weekend rides tend to be between 40 and 60 km and take around 2-3 hours, and always with a café stop at some point. I do tend to follow the Thames, so very little elevation and I can keep up a fairly steady pace.

Anyway, your story is very encouraging. I will get on the trainer in the evenings now I have a target to hit!

Glad you found it helpful, basically the more you ride, the fitter you get! I do longer rides outside, anything from 40 to 90 miles, but an hour on the trainer is enough for me!

The stock gearing on the bike is Shimano Tiagra with 50/34 crankset and ten speed 11-32T cassette.

Carlton green wrote: ↑5 Nov 2022, 6:21am

The stock gearing on the bike is Shimano Tiagra with 50/34 crankset and ten speed 11-32T cassette.

There you have it. The gearing range is too high to allow you to make the best of what strength and fitness you have.

TheLastMan wrote: ↑5 Nov 2022, 11:15am

Carlton green wrote: ↑5 Nov 2022, 6:21am

The stock gearing on the bike is Shimano Tiagra with 50/34 crankset and ten speed 11-32T cassette.

There you have it. The gearing range is too high to allow you to make the best of what strength and fitness you have.

Er, no it isn't!

If you read the thread you will see I swapped out the cassette for a 11-34T set, which is is just about as low as you can get on a road bike. The small cog on the crankset combined with the biggest cog on the cassette gives me a 1:1 ratio (1 turn of the pedals = 1 turn of the wheels). I think some mountain bikes have lower gears, but not road bikes.

ed.lazda wrote: ↑5 Nov 2022, 9:48am A few thoughts:

The description of your Ditchling Beacon ride suggests to me you had been trying just a bit too hard up until that point, or that you hadn't been keeping up with eating, or both.

I'm 67 and 75 kg. My FTP is 200, and according to intervals.icu that puts me somewhere around the 20th or 30th centile for age 60+. I ride with a group once a week, mostly around the same age, and I'm one of the slowest going up the hills. When I think back to my 30s, I was once of the slowest up the hills then as well.

The various formulas for max heart rate give you a vague idea of averages for your age, but as an estimate for your personal max HR, they are virtually useless. If you want to monitor your rides using HR, you need to do a maximum or threshold heart rate test.

I've recently returned to regular cycling after a fair break, and have read a lot about how best to get fit again. I'm not a coach or physiologist. The advice (including from Pogacar's coach) seems to be to spend most of your time at low intensity, doing long rides in zone 2, building up aerobic endurance. This is a slow process, it can take months or years. Once or twice a week, some short, high intensity rides help build up your higher zone power.

Jdsk wrote: ↑5 Nov 2022, 10:43am Lots of good advice above.

Do you think that having some lower gears would make a difference? (There are some very helpful experts in this forum who could suggest modifications for your specific bike.)

How would you feel about riding for a while without measuring your heart rate? You haven't suggested any medical reason for measuring it and it might help with enjoying the ride.

Would it be worth finding a better riding buddy?

Jonathan

ed.lazda wrote: ↑5 Nov 2022, 9:48am I've recently returned to regular cycling after a fair break, and have read a lot about how best to get fit again. I'm not a coach or physiologist. The advice (including from Pogacar's coach) seems to be to spend most of your time at low intensity, doing long rides in zone 2, building up aerobic endurance. This is a slow process, it can take months or years. Once or twice a week, some short, high intensity rides help build up your higher zone power.