Cycling UK Forum

Another vote for the heart rate monitor.

If you can get one that links to your phone and gives you s record of of heart rate against time, so much the better. For cycling, I found one incorporated in a wristwatch was no good, I think the vibration upset it, and the motion confused it - they seem primarily for walking/running - but a chest strap one is really useful.

One of the best uses I’ve had out of mine was when recovering from Covid. I was following a ‘build up’ plan that was based around very, very gently increasing both distance and intensity of cycling, and although one can sort of judge intensity without a monitor using the NHS descriptors, using one makes it massively simpler, especially simpler to avoid accidentally over doing it (which even with it I did a couple of times, then had to have a day off ‘knackered’ the next day!).

I have s strong feeling that that Covid recovery plan might actually work as a general fitness build-up, but I’m loath to recommend it in case the latter stages of it exceed what your doctor has in mind for you.

This is what I don't understand, on that point......

Do people cycle for pleasure, when does pleasure turn to obsession.

I often see runners who look (in my opinion) terrible, and think "if that is what running does to your looks i'd stop", same with cycling.

I am 64, returned to cycling and had MASSIVE help on this forum, I ride for enjoyment. I did my first 10 miles yesterday into Aberystwith and back, it was a total breeze, no discomfort, 100% pleasure BUT AS stated here I started easy, I got one of these.
Then I got this
After a month I with confidence returned to the bike on a Cors Caron cycle route in Wales near home NO people, now after three months I am happy to do 10+ miles even on beach fronts with people.

To me it is about FUN, PLEASURE and fitness comes as part of it even though you don't do it for the fitness, and I am now from 16 stone to 13.8 and never felt better

using the NHS descriptors ?

Jonathan ?

oldgit wrote: ↑21 Jul 2023, 8:49pm the ebike's really interest me, have been looking at them for quite a while whilst i have been out and about, but at the end of the day it comes down to cost, and until i started reading this site, i did not know that there was a conversion kit available, that is definitely something i will be looking into in the future.

I fitted a kit to my old road bike last year. It has made a hell of a difference to the distances I do and kept my heart rate down to ranges that don't make my cardiologist's eyes bug out.

it might be an idea to get a cheap heart-rate monitor and stay well within the bounds suggested by your cardiobloke, at least until you've got an idea of what you can do. And maybe stay in the easier gears for the first few outings, or until your legs stop hurting.

ya know i might just get myself one, i have been told a couple of time i should have one so maybe now is the time to sort it.

As others have said, I'd aim for the chest-strap variety, and preferably one with a "soft" strap rather than with a hard plastic middle section.

as for the gears, my last bike only had 3 anyway so i simply intend to find a comfortable one and maybe just go up or down one if needed, obviously that will probably change as i get a bit more experience but i really cant see myself using anywhere near the amount it has got.

You'd be surprised. With the low gears on modern bikes you can do a lot more than with the old 3-speed hubs. With a 3-speed you're usually pedalling faster or more slowly than you'd really like, whereas with a 2x11-speed (2 on the cranks and 11 on the back) you can almost always find a combination that keeps your pedalling to a comfortable speed. This in turn tires you less and allows you to go further. It hurts less, too, so you recover more quickly.

Most rear-wheel add-on motors will expect modern gears.

Audax67 wrote: ↑22 Jul 2023, 9:53am

oldgit wrote: ↑21 Jul 2023, 8:49pm the ebike's really interest me, have been looking at them for quite a while whilst i have been out and about, but at the end of the day it comes down to cost, and until i started reading this site, i did not know that there was a conversion kit available, that is definitely something i will be looking into in the future.

I fitted a kit to my old road bike last year. It has made a hell of a difference to the distances I do and kept my heart rate down to ranges that don't make my cardiologist's eyes bug out.

it might be an idea to get a cheap heart-rate monitor and stay well within the bounds suggested by your cardiobloke, at least until you've got an idea of what you can do. And maybe stay in the easier gears for the first few outings, or until your legs stop hurting.

ya know i might just get myself one, i have been told a couple of time i should have one so maybe now is the time to sort it.

As others have said, I'd aim for the chest-strap variety, and preferably one with a "soft" strap rather than with a hard plastic middle section.

as for the gears, my last bike only had 3 anyway so i simply intend to find a comfortable one and maybe just go up or down one if needed, obviously that will probably change as i get a bit more experience but i really cant see myself using anywhere near the amount it has got.

You'd be surprised. With the low gears on modern bikes you can do a lot more than with the old 3-speed hubs. With a 3-speed you're usually pedalling faster or more slowly than you'd really like, whereas with a 2x11-speed (2 on the cranks and 11 on the back) you can almost always find a combination that keeps your pedalling to a comfortable speed. This in turn tires you less and allows you to go further. It hurts less, too, so you recover more quickly.

Most rear-wheel add-on motors will expect modern gears.

+1 or actually +2 for 2 x 11 as both non electric bikes are this setup the cube acid 2017 is deore xt which is absolutely fabulous ( later models went to a 1x something which I think was a mistake ) the road bike is 105 which is good but may need a little adjustment as to get 4th I have to go to 5th and back one. The rest of the gears are perfect.

With the carrera subway converted to electric the 2 x 9 altus is perfect and gear selection is slick as Roger Moore.

Pinhead wrote: ↑22 Jul 2023, 9:32am This is what I don't understand, on that point......

Do people cycle for pleasure, when does pleasure turn to obsession.

I often see runners who look (in my opinion) terrible, and think "if that is what running does to your looks i'd stop", same with cycling.
- Edited for brevity -
To me it is about FUN, PLEASURE and fitness comes as part of it even though you don't do it for the fitness, and I am now from 16 stone to 13.8 and never felt better

Terms like fun, pleasure and fitness are vague, who knows what a runners intentions are when you see them. Maybe they're training for their first marathon, the completion of which will likely bring them some form of pleasure. Maybe they're just chasing a different definition and level of fitness for which they need to be pushing harder.

Good reasons for using a heart rate monitor include wanting to and being advised to by a healthcare professional..

But I wouldn't generally advise anyone to. It might detract from the pleasure of the cycling. Steadily increasing the intensity and duration of exercise are good objectives, and how you feel is a good enough measure.

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑22 Jul 2023, 11:57am Good reasons for using a heart rate monitor include wanting to and being advised to by a healthcare professional..

But I wouldn't generally advise anyone to. It might detract from the pleasure of the cycling. Steadily increasing the intensity and duration of exercise are good objectives, and how you feel is a good enough measure.

Jonathan

Agreed and the stress of worrying about it could put it up.

I’m a lover of the HRM having used one for the last 30 years. Yes after all this time I usually know what my rate, within a couple of beats, is before looking. Similar to checking your speedometer in the car it’s good to know. Imagine how many speeding tickets you might accrue without a speedometer and without ever seeing a speedometer you’re completely guessing.
I embraced the HRM in my younger Audax days as going by feel and riding with a fast group for the first 60ml only to end up struggling for the rest of the ride. I used to limit myself to 118 on the flat and 135 on hills and I could go all day and night.
More recently after being very Ill last autumn I’ve spent the first 6 months of this year getting back to fitness. I know my RHR and my MHR and therefore my capacity and accurately know my zones and can therefore ride within zones applicable to what I’m aiming for. Maybe I’m deluded but experience tells me it’s not stressful to know, on the contrary, it’s comforting to know.
I’ve always used, and would have advocated, a chest strap as my trials with wrist and arm mounted monitors were variable. UNTIL a few months ago after years of should I, no I don’t need one, I eventually bought an Apple Watch. For the first week I compared results and the watch is every bit as accurate as my Polar H10 chest strap. I’ve not worn the strap since.
I think the biggest revelation with the watch is how beneficial a badminton session is. I didn’t go back to squash after 'lockdown' and have since took up badminton thinking it would be gentler A 90 minute session consistently shows I spend a similar time in four zones occasionally touching zone 5.
Currently embracing Heart Rate Variability figures which I think simply put it gives you a number which backs up how you feel. Rest, and knowing when to rest, is essential for gaining fitness.

Paulatic wrote: ↑22 Jul 2023, 1:22pm I’m a lover of the HRM having used one for the last 30 years. Yes after all this time I usually know what my rate, within a couple of beats, is before looking. Similar to checking your speedometer in the car it’s good to know. Imagine how many speeding tickets you might accrue without a speedometer and without ever seeing a speedometer you’re completely guessing.
I embraced the HRM in my younger Audax days as going by feel and riding with a fast group for the first 60ml only to end up struggling for the rest of the ride. I used to limit myself to 118 on the flat and 135 on hills and I could go all day and night.
More recently after being very Ill last autumn I’ve spent the first 6 months of this year getting back to fitness. I know my RHR and my MHR and therefore my capacity and accurately know my zones and can therefore ride within zones applicable to what I’m aiming for. Maybe I’m deluded but experience tells me it’s not stressful to know, on the contrary, it’s comforting to know.
I’ve always used, and would have advocated, a chest strap as my trials with wrist and arm mounted monitors were variable. UNTIL a few months ago after years of should I, no I don’t need one, I eventually bought an Apple Watch. For the first week I compared results and the watch is every bit as accurate as my Polar H10 chest strap. I’ve not worn the strap since.
I think the biggest revelation with the watch is how beneficial a badminton session is. I didn’t go back to squash after 'lockdown' and have since took up badminton thinking it would be gentler A 90 minute session consistently shows I spend a similar time in four zones occasionally touching zone 5.
Currently embracing Heart Rate Variability figures which I think simply put it gives you a number which backs up how you feel. Rest, and knowing when to rest, is essential for gaining fitness.

Thanks -- good info from your own experience is invaluable.

mornin all, hope you are well. just posting an update of my journey into the bike world.

so i got my bike back last w/end, cost me more than i was quoted but i now have a rideable bike, that should last me forever.

i had already worked out my goal, a simple one, to ride to my local ponds for a chai.

1st thing i did was to check that the cup holder would hold my insulated mug, well there would be no point going for a chai without a mug, bingo, fits like it was made for it.

next thing was to actually go out for a ride, am up early anyway every day due to my Afib so with my new lights fitted, i went at around 04:30, it was the right time for me as there was little traffic giving me more time to concentrate on the bike as opposed to looking over my shoulder all of the time.

1st thing i noticed within minutes, is the state of the roads, very dangerous indeed due to the years of neglect and an outdated road system overall.
took my time, was ok with the gear i was in(thats how it came from the shop) and i did move up and down to try them out.

got all the way along my high street before i had to stop for a breather, i do not have any modern technology so i did not know how far it was, but it was far enough i though, so i headed back, which is slightly down hill making it quite a comfortable ride home, plus i got the chance to "move around" on my bike and try to get a feel for it.

day 2, same route, did not get as far due to the fact that my Afib seriously kicked off, stopped, recovered and took my time going home.

took it easy for the rest of the day and popped onto the online map site, turns out that the distance to the ponds i intend to reach is around 2.9 miles, so with a couple of short cuts, i reckon it will be a 5 mile round trip.

day 3, same route, lower gear, felt much better that morning, stopped twice for a breather but managed to get further, the ride home was pretty good, gave me more time to get a feel for my bike, plenty of potholes for me to dodge.

day 4, didn't go early as it was raining, waited till mid day, new there would be loads of traffic but got to do it anyway.
went a different route this time, this involved a couple of main roads but was flatter overall than the way i had been going.
again i took my time, once i had gotten away from the main roads i was on a hardly used back road that was seriously good to ride, it was full of massive holes due to subsidence but they were not "sharp" holes they were gentle(ish) and good for me to ride over as it gave me a chance to again try my bike, stood up and moved around, think i'm getting a bit used to it now.
anyway, next thing i know, i'm at the ponds i wanted to get to, seemed a lot easier and quicker going that way, had a long break and walk around before heading home the original way.
so, thats were i am at, i have found my circular route, it is actually uphill slightly on the way there, but the quite back road was fun so i didn't really notice and its slightly down hill on the way back which is fine by me.

am off out there again later, will be taking a chai with me and a some feed for the ducks.

so that where i am up to at present, hopefully it will eventually lead me to a much fitter and healthier life.

Nice update, congratulations on the progress.

Sounds like a relaxed approach that will take you far.

Back in the early 90's I was working long hours and parts of weekends, and hardly budged from my office chair for weeks. When we did finally get out for a walk up through the forest at the speed we always had in the past I got the most horrible shin splints - acute pains - I'd ever had. I persisted at the walking but they wouldn't go away. Then the mushroom season began and we took a basket with us, going home with a good chunk of lunch on every outing. After a week or two I realized that the shin splints had gone - walking slowly and peering into the brush had eased them away. They never came back.

It sounds like you're approaching cycling the same way. Keep it up, and one of these days you'll find that a 50-mile spree is just a good day out.

My thanks to the OP for the update.

Slow progress and progression works for me too. Likewise listening to your body rather than ‘pushing on’.

Lower gears, that allow gentle peddling, are your friend. If a hill or slope feels rather challenging then feel free to walk, there’s no law against walking and pushing your bike.

Chai puzzled me but Google came to the rescue (a particular form of tea or ‘infusion’, but check for yourself).

Funnily enough my daily routine is to take the dog out and enjoy a flask of coffee at some destination; some days I walk and some days I cycle and the dog runs on the off of road sections - I limit my speed appropriately.

oldgit wrote: ↑28 Jul 2023, 7:16am ...
so that where i am up to at present, hopefully it will eventually lead me to a much fitter and healthier life.

Thanks for the update, sounds like a great start.

Are you OK for weather gear. so rain or cold won't put you off any more than they have to?

I also suggest now thinking about your routine for checking and looking after the bike. The main aim being never to have to miss a ride because of something that you discover just before you set off.... or just afterwards!

Jonathan