# Fitness



## bpsmith (5 Jun 2018)

I have started commuting over the past few weeks and already feeling stronger and fitter. My overall mileage hasn’t changed much, but I am now doing 4 or 5 days of shorter rides rather than 1 or 2 longer rides.

My average power over the 25-30 minute efforts has improved from about 195 Watts to 233 Watts over the past few weeks. Same routes, similar weather and wind speed/direction, plus same bike and food/drink each day. Pretty pleased with that tbh.

Just wondering what other people have found more beneficial?


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## Smokin Joe (5 Jun 2018)

Regular short rides are more beneficial than the occasional long one.


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## Cuchilo (5 Jun 2018)

The rides dont bother me . The rest days are what i look at .


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## screenman (5 Jun 2018)

Swim, gym and bike, I have never felt fitter.


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## bpsmith (5 Jun 2018)

I am a very poor swimmer and bad knee stops me running. No issue cycling though as it’s rotational rather than impact. Not enough time to squeeze Gym in, so Commute is the best I can do.

I used to make the same journey on my CBR, before I got taken out by a parked car aiming for a gap that wasn’t there. Cycling the journey is far more fun than I remember the CBR being.


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## BianchiVirgin (5 Jun 2018)

Commuting like that is great for fitness. Get the average speed up too.


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## Slick (5 Jun 2018)

I have a 15 mile each way commute. I do the odd longer ride but when I do I definitely pace myself to ensure I get home. I feel the short commute is more important to my fitness especially as I do interval training naturally along the way. I'll go hard until I feel it a struggle then recover on the bike for a while before attacking the next small hill. Not very scientific, but it seems to work for me.


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## screenman (5 Jun 2018)

After years of riding and racing it was only when I started swimming and using a gym that I realised what being fit felt like.


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## Alan O (6 Jun 2018)

I think a combination of both approaches is possibly better than either one individually. Doing a couple of short-ish rides during the week (10-20 miles) and a longer one (50m+) each weekend seems about the right mix for me. And it seems to be paying off, as my weekend rides are getting longer without getting harder (last one was 87m, and I have a 100m planned for next month).


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## uclown2002 (6 Jun 2018)

55 years old nearly, and the fittest and lightest I've been. FTP of 306 watts @62kg; measured on Quarq PM and cross-referenced to Tacx Neo. Don't take any unenforced rest days. Ride 14-18 hours a week at various intensities. Work full time 12hr shift work. Only days off are typically overseas holidays or away from home. Don't get this excuse to take days off. A gentle spin when fatigued is great recovery.


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## ianrauk (6 Jun 2018)

BianchiVirgin said:


> Commuting like that is great for fitness. Get the average speed up too.




This ^^^
Gives one a great level of base fitness.


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## Drago (6 Jun 2018)

Consistency is the key. Wjatever you end up doing, keep doing it, keep at it, dont give up.


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## ColinJ (7 Jun 2018)

I don't know anybody who commutes regularly by bike who isn't fit, even if their commutes are fairly short.

I know lots of people (myself included) who never quite settle into a regular pattern of cycling, whose fitness goes up and down like a yo-yo through the year. I sometimes do some fairly long, stupidly hard rides but then take a week off to recover. I'm sure that it would be better for me to do 4 or 5 easier rides.


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## Globalti (11 Jun 2018)

Yes I'm increasingly convinced that quality is better than quantity - a long ride tires you out and it can take an older rider a week or two to recover from the effort. On the other hand, doing a shorter ride means you have the energy to attack hills and sprints, you can finish feeling absolutely beasted but you haven't delved so deep into your reserves that you become chronically fatigued. I have done a couple of 9-mile rides after work on Fridays with 825 feet of steep climbing; I get home feeling pleasantly exercised but not tired and I can feel the benefit on the subsequent rides.

More and more nowadays I try to dream up interesting and fun escapades on the bike; for example taking the train out into the wind and riding back to the start point or vise-versa and I'm always looking around for fast swoopy roads to enjoy.


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## User16625 (1 Jul 2018)

bpsmith said:


> I am a very poor swimmer and bad knee stops me running. No issue cycling though as it’s rotational rather than impact. Not enough time to squeeze Gym in, so Commute is the best I can do.
> 
> I used to make the same journey on my CBR, before I got taken out by a parked car aiming for a gap that wasn’t there. Cycling the journey is far more fun than I remember the CBR being.



I know the feeling. I am a motorcyclist myself but I hate riding them nowadays. Too much speed cams and traffic altho I have yet to have an accident. However I simply cannot do without a motorcycle as I often end up having to filter through traffic or end up late for work. Work which I would not have if I kept turning up late. Plus overtaking is possible on a bike, cars are mostly way under powered. All my recreational riding is done by pedalling.


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## bpsmith (1 Jul 2018)

RideLikeTheStig said:


> I know the feeling. I am a motorcyclist myself but I hate riding them nowadays. Too much speed cams and traffic altho I have yet to have an accident. However I simply cannot do without a motorcycle as I often end up having to filter through traffic or end up late for work. Work which I would not have if I kept turning up late. Plus overtaking is possible on a bike, cars are mostly way under powered. All my recreational riding is done by pedalling.


I felt the same about using my motorbike. It’s amazing how little time difference there is compared to cycling though tbh. Distance and traffic levels will vary, obviously, although changing the other end takes a tad longer when cycling depending on the kit you use on your motorbike.


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## si_c (2 Jul 2018)

I commute a 25~30mi round trip 5 days a week and make sure I ride fairly hard both ways. When I come to do longer leisure rides at the weekend, I don't find them particularly difficult.

I think you need to do both, but you get the greatest fitness benefit from the shorter, sharper rides.


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## Tin Pot (2 Jul 2018)

Variety is needed for continual improvement.

Do the frequent short rides while it suits, donlonger when you change your mind.



bpsmith said:


> I am a very poor swimmer and bad knee stops me running. No issue cycling though as it’s rotational rather than impact. Not enough time to squeeze Gym in, so Commute is the best I can do.
> 
> I used to make the same journey on my CBR, before I got taken out by a parked car aiming for a gap that wasn’t there. Cycling the journey is far more fun than I remember the CBR being.



Perfect for Ironman then.

1. Avoid drowning
2. Ride bike
3. Walk it in muttering something about nutrition and dehydration


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## bpsmith (2 Jul 2018)

Tin Pot said:


> Perfect for Ironman then.
> 
> 1. Avoid drowning
> 2. Ride bike
> 3. Walk it in muttering something about nutrition and dehydration


Is that the usual way of doing it? Lol

My problem is that I have a group of workmates who are very competitive iron man athletes and so my assumption was that this was the norm.


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## Tin Pot (2 Jul 2018)

bpsmith said:


> Is that the usual way of doing it? Lol
> 
> My problem is that I have a group of workmates who are very competitive iron man athletes and so my assumption was that this was the norm.



“Works” for me anyway!

I have yet to meet any Ironman athlete who is really competitive, even the guys who are pushing towards KQ are really laid back compared to cycle club racers anyway.

Back to your question, I think “little and often” is how humans improve at anything. But doing the same thing all the time flatlines after about three weeks.


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## bpsmith (2 Jul 2018)

Tin Pot said:


> “Works” for me anyway!
> 
> I have yet to meet any Ironman athlete who is really competitive, even the guys who are pushing towards KQ are really laid back compared to cycle club racers anyway.
> 
> Back to your question, I think “little and often” is how humans improve at anything. But doing the same thing all the time flatlines after about three weeks.


The guys I know are actually proper chilled tbh. Their competitiveness is usually compared to their previous times, with the odd bit of banter where they’ve done the same race. 

I have to say that I feel fitter now, having done a number of weeks of regular short hard blasts to and from work. I am intrigued as to how that translates into doing the Velothon on Sunday. 80 odd miles in pretty hot forecasted temperatures.

The last few years I have done it after doing longer rides, but less often, on the run up. This year I feel stronger.

I guess we will soon see.


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## Cuchilo (2 Jul 2018)

Tin Pot said:


> “Works” for me anyway!
> 
> I have yet to meet any Ironman athlete who is really competitive, even the guys who are pushing towards KQ are really laid back compared to cycle club racers anyway.
> 
> Back to your question, I think “little and often” is how humans improve at anything. But doing the same thing all the time flatlines after about three weeks.


I've yet to meet anyone at a race that isn't laid back and willing to share information . That includes tri clubs that are part of the combine my club is in .


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## Ming the Merciless (2 Jul 2018)

Never fitter and faster than when I had a five days a week commute.


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## screenman (2 Jul 2018)

I thought I was fit until I added swimming and weights into my fitness regime. 45 years of cycling and racing got me fit for cycling and little else.


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## Cuchilo (2 Jul 2018)

uclown2002 said:


> 55 years old nearly, and the fittest and lightest I've been. FTP of 306 watts @62kg; measured on Quarq PM and cross-referenced to Tacx Neo. Don't take any unenforced rest days. Ride 14-18 hours a week at various intensities. Work full time 12hr shift work. Only days off are typically overseas holidays or away from home. Don't get this excuse to take days off. A gentle spin when fatigued is great recovery.


Thats massive wattage . You must be doing ten miles in less than 19 mins ?


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## uclown2002 (3 Jul 2018)

Cuchilo said:


> Thats massive wattage . You must be doing ten miles in less than 19 mins ?


Well I'll never know as I have no interest in racing or riding outside since I was introduced to Zwift. I've had a few nasty accidents outside causing significant time off work which I can ill-afford. As a point of reference I did a 14 min TT @5.4 w/kg on Zwift.


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## Cuchilo (3 Jul 2018)

A 14 minute 10 mile ?


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## uclown2002 (3 Jul 2018)

Cuchilo said:


> A 14 minute 10 mile ?


On Zwift!! Zwift miles are not real. I actually don't recall the distance but was certainly not anywhere near 10m.


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## screenman (3 Jul 2018)

Cuchilo said:


> A 14 minute 10 mile ?



I can do faster, as long as the wheel is not in contact with the roller.


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## Cuchilo (3 Jul 2018)

So you did 14 minutes on zwift ?


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## lane (3 Jul 2018)

If it had to be one or the other exclusively, shorter more often with more intensity. I know from experience doing fewer, slower, longer rides didn't work for me. I agree a combination would be good. Also depends on fit for what? It you want to be fit for say a century ride, then only doing shorter rides would not be tye best option.


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## lazyfatgit (3 Jul 2018)

There was an article in a magazine a few months ago which suggested that a good 150km ride on a weekend could be as beneficial as 3x50km rides in a week. Depended on intensity and level of fitness.

Personally I was fittest when I was commuting 5 days on a 16mile round trip.


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## harrison_888 (4 Jul 2018)

Alan O said:


> I think a combination of both approaches is possibly better than either one individually. Doing a couple of short-ish rides during the week (10-20 miles) and a longer one (50m+) each weekend seems about the right mix for me. And it seems to be paying off, as my weekend rides are getting longer without getting harder (last one was 87m, and I have a 100m planned for next month).


Spot on


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