GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
explained here... I probably shouldn't have gone out for the second blast but I felt fine when I got on the bike (didn't the morning after however)ianrauk said:
CYCLOGS
- Thread starter aran20
- Start date
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arallsopp
Post of The Year 2009 winner
- Location
- Bromley, Kent
Anyone know why it is that my "distance to meet year target" and "monthly distance to meet year target" are the same figure? Are we not having a December this year? That will scupper my plans for Christmas, and ruin my hope for a 1mph average.
1086.11 miles to go and its mine!!!
Just over 700 of those will be commuter miles, so I need to find 190 recreational miles per month.
...and there's only one FNRttC (and back) left!
1086.11 miles to go and its mine!!!
Just over 700 of those will be commuter miles, so I need to find 190 recreational miles per month.
...and there's only one FNRttC (and back) left!
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
Because you must be absolutely on target, I suppose. Although I don't always understand how it works it out.
I need to pick your brain, Andy, about how to cycle faster on a recumbent. It's embarrassing to see that Aran and I have done a similar mileage this year (10,250-10,400) but I've taken 13 days longer to do it...
I need to pick your brain, Andy, about how to cycle faster on a recumbent. It's embarrassing to see that Aran and I have done a similar mileage this year (10,250-10,400) but I've taken 13 days longer to do it...
arallsopp
Post of The Year 2009 winner
- Location
- Bromley, Kent
Maybe... just seems that monthly distance to target ought to include the distance required this month, as well as next. I'm reading it as two months of around 540 miles, with the year ending December 31.
As for faster on the 'bent, that's an interesting one. If I'm understanding things correctly, most of Aran's miles are either hard and fast training sessions, or time trial events. With the exception of interval training, he is presumably covering ground as fast as possible in almost all of his logs. Your miles are recreational / shopping trips / socials, so are not going to have the same focus.
Infact, its pretty cool given the distances involved. If you two were racing, and the route took you down to the South Coast, across to Dieppe, then East through France, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, a bit more Russia, then another quick ferry across the Bering Straits, you'd dock in Alaska less than two weeks after someone who's going as fast as humanly possible. That's pretty good, and plenty of chance for him to get the beers in.
As for faster on the 'bent, that's an interesting one. If I'm understanding things correctly, most of Aran's miles are either hard and fast training sessions, or time trial events. With the exception of interval training, he is presumably covering ground as fast as possible in almost all of his logs. Your miles are recreational / shopping trips / socials, so are not going to have the same focus.
Infact, its pretty cool given the distances involved. If you two were racing, and the route took you down to the South Coast, across to Dieppe, then East through France, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, a bit more Russia, then another quick ferry across the Bering Straits, you'd dock in Alaska less than two weeks after someone who's going as fast as humanly possible. That's pretty good, and plenty of chance for him to get the beers in.
arallsopp
Post of The Year 2009 winner
- Location
- Bromley, Kent
Actually, AH, having followed you, there is one thing...
You do bounce up and down a lot. This isn't a critique of your body mass distribution, or the fit of various support devices, but something peculiar to your pedal stroke / seat / ride position. I reckon you're losing a fair amount of energy in bouncing along, and if you can dial this out, can probably convert that to forward propulsion.
As for raising your average speed. Spin faster. Push harder. We agreed a long whilst back that there's only two ways up a hill on a bent. Hit it fast enough to charge up in top, or crawl along at glacial pace in bottom. My speed (nowhere near Aran's) comes from charging up them. Raises the average considerably when you count in the descents too.
You do bounce up and down a lot. This isn't a critique of your body mass distribution, or the fit of various support devices, but something peculiar to your pedal stroke / seat / ride position. I reckon you're losing a fair amount of energy in bouncing along, and if you can dial this out, can probably convert that to forward propulsion.
As for raising your average speed. Spin faster. Push harder. We agreed a long whilst back that there's only two ways up a hill on a bent. Hit it fast enough to charge up in top, or crawl along at glacial pace in bottom. My speed (nowhere near Aran's) comes from charging up them. Raises the average considerably when you count in the descents too.
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
Your comments are interesting, Andy. I discovered a couple of months ago that my pedalling action isn't very efficient when riding User10571's super-lightweight bike; it surged ahead with each downstroke so it was quite a jerky ride. Not something I'd noticed on the trike which is too heavy to make that kind of instant reaction, but I can also do it on Ian's Roubaix Elite. I have no idea how to go about changing my pedal motion now, though. Also I have noticed I bob up and down when cycling hard - but not sure what to do about that. I presume it's because I'm sitting on my buttocks which are working harder to push me up the incline, but then maybe it's something else. I've watched other people ride my trike and seen their upper bodies move a lot and I didn't think I do that particularly, but then it's hard to tell. Whatever habits I have are very much ingrained now.
Part of my speed thing is that I am usually riding somewhere and will need to then be around other people, thus not too sweaty. For example, I'll ride to Uni today and then ride back and I don't want to be whiffy for the other people in the class, therefore I will cycle so as to not break a sweat. Which is slowish. Thing is, when I'm out group riding where that doesn't matter I don't seem able to increase my speed by very much at all. I've got into some kind of permanent trundly speed thing. James, on Ian's upright bike, leaves me behind all the time now.
Part of my speed thing is that I am usually riding somewhere and will need to then be around other people, thus not too sweaty. For example, I'll ride to Uni today and then ride back and I don't want to be whiffy for the other people in the class, therefore I will cycle so as to not break a sweat. Which is slowish. Thing is, when I'm out group riding where that doesn't matter I don't seem able to increase my speed by very much at all. I've got into some kind of permanent trundly speed thing. James, on Ian's upright bike, leaves me behind all the time now.
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
I'm not comparing myself to him, I'm comparing myself to everyone else I cycle with as I'm so much slower it seems. Aran's in a world of this own speed-wise. I keep worrying that I wind people up by being so slow, y'see, that I'm trying to find ways to improve my overall speed - apart from only cycling on the flat.
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
If you're trundling along slowly most of the time then you'll get used to that & locked into the trundle even if you want to go quicker, so maybe you need to look into doing some training rides. When doing a training ride sometimes under gear & also try to spin beyond what feels comfortable for shorter periods. You'll also want to over gear & grind as best you can, though I get the impression grinding on a 'bent is rather more difficult than on a conventional bike. Possibly get on a normal bike & do a bit of sprinting uphill if possible, I find this great for increasing high load speed.
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
Can't get on a normal bike as I can't ride one for any distance due to a disability. I'm also a bit concerned about knackering my knees through over-grinding which is possible on recumbents. But you're right, I need to get into a slightly different mindset sometime and try a bit harder.
arallsopp
Post of The Year 2009 winner
- Location
- Bromley, Kent
I'm with you on this one Helen. I find the required muscles quite specific, and know that I didn't get fast(er) on each bent until I'd had a few months on them. Even alternating between them gave a performance dip until I was used to each again.
I'm sure your legs can overpower your knees, so wouldn't advocate grinding either. My biggest speed burst came from being utterly lost whilst trying to follow Dellzeqq on a long loop. My average went from 12mph to just shy of 15 in a single ride, and although my legs ached like hell the next day, I kept the speed thereafter.
You and I both cycle for transport. I do it to get to work three days a week. I'm sure I used to arrive sweaty (there is a mile at 12% after all) but I'm now doing it in my stride. If you *must* arrive clean, then you can always push on the way back.
Personally, I find baby wipes clean most things. Grab an empty loo, change out of cycle gear, quick wipe on the requisite surfaces, add deodorant to taste, apply office wear, and emerge a veritable butterfly of freshness.
It probably is a mindset thing. Commuting across London, I get frequent opportunities to chase the lights, and am of a mind to get across on green. This is almost ideal interval training
Why not try to knock a few minutes off your (rolling) time each day on the way home?
Also, what you say about sitting on your muscles is quite odd to me. I've seen it written elsewhere, but have very rarely found it to be the case on bents I've tried. Might be worth checking the position of your seat. When I'm pushing hard, my butt is floating on top of the cushion, with at least 50% of the weight compressing me directly into the seat back. Possibly a hardshell seat, with a smaller lip at the front would afford you a better stroke?
I'm sure your legs can overpower your knees, so wouldn't advocate grinding either. My biggest speed burst came from being utterly lost whilst trying to follow Dellzeqq on a long loop. My average went from 12mph to just shy of 15 in a single ride, and although my legs ached like hell the next day, I kept the speed thereafter.
You and I both cycle for transport. I do it to get to work three days a week. I'm sure I used to arrive sweaty (there is a mile at 12% after all) but I'm now doing it in my stride. If you *must* arrive clean, then you can always push on the way back.
Personally, I find baby wipes clean most things. Grab an empty loo, change out of cycle gear, quick wipe on the requisite surfaces, add deodorant to taste, apply office wear, and emerge a veritable butterfly of freshness.
It probably is a mindset thing. Commuting across London, I get frequent opportunities to chase the lights, and am of a mind to get across on green. This is almost ideal interval training
Why not try to knock a few minutes off your (rolling) time each day on the way home?
Also, what you say about sitting on your muscles is quite odd to me. I've seen it written elsewhere, but have very rarely found it to be the case on bents I've tried. Might be worth checking the position of your seat. When I'm pushing hard, my butt is floating on top of the cushion, with at least 50% of the weight compressing me directly into the seat back. Possibly a hardshell seat, with a smaller lip at the front would afford you a better stroke?
Just done a 40 mile ride, (well .12 of a mile under to be precise) It was a commute / training ride home after a nightshift on my my heavy heavy monster fat tyred winter hacker mtb with half laden panniers for a bit more weight and instability to boot!
Now, the aim was to go as hard as I could, tt stylee to bury myself as I have the weekend to recover and boy what a ride over some pretty crappy roads with a few lumps, I managed to maintain 17.9mph for around 37 miles on big gears (doesn't sound fast I know, but if you could feel the weight of this thing... well), then obviously on my warm down my average dropped to 17.6... I'm hanging out now, will need a recovery spin later today after my nap.
Ahhhh, Its great to be back and in the fold again.
AH you're a damn good leisure cyclist, who puts in lots and lot of miles month in month out. As you say speed is not your priority and therefore you have the pleasure of enjoying your rides. I usually have to train quite hard, and sometimes to a point where its really not that pleasent, but if I want the results I have to sometimes punish myself, but really it's all about turning the pedals and enjoying it. Christ, what am I burbling on about!?!
Keep up the good work everyone.
Now, the aim was to go as hard as I could, tt stylee to bury myself as I have the weekend to recover and boy what a ride over some pretty crappy roads with a few lumps, I managed to maintain 17.9mph for around 37 miles on big gears (doesn't sound fast I know, but if you could feel the weight of this thing... well), then obviously on my warm down my average dropped to 17.6... I'm hanging out now, will need a recovery spin later today after my nap.
Ahhhh, Its great to be back and in the fold again.
AH you're a damn good leisure cyclist, who puts in lots and lot of miles month in month out. As you say speed is not your priority and therefore you have the pleasure of enjoying your rides. I usually have to train quite hard, and sometimes to a point where its really not that pleasent, but if I want the results I have to sometimes punish myself, but really it's all about turning the pedals and enjoying it. Christ, what am I burbling on about!?!
Keep up the good work everyone.