Stationery cycle queries - Calories / Watt

[Rob3rt]

Why do you want to know your FTP? How will it benefit you? Do you know what to do with it once you have it? etc.

If you really want power measurements, take the best part of a grand, buy a proper power meter and then spend another couple of hundred quid for a head unit that can communicate with it, and put it all on your bike!

 

[jtlondon]

Why do you want to know your FTP? How will it benefit you? Do you know what to do with it once you have it? etc.

If you really want power measurements, take the best part of a grand, buy a proper power meter and then spend another couple of hundred quid for a head unit that can communicate with it, and put it all on your bike!

I want to know because I am naturally competitive and need motivation to sit on a gym bike after a long day at work Being able to measure things will be part of the way to track progress

 

[Rob3rt]

Put it this way, there is pretty much no way you averaged 350+ watts for 30 mins as an untrained cyclist. I wouldn't be surprised if you could barely hold that for 5 minutes. I also wouldn't be surprised if the next time you got on the same bike and did exactly the same thing and got a completely different number. I'd be even less surprised if you got on a different bike in your gym and got a completely different number for doing the same thing.

Not sure how your trainer is set up, but some of those numbers seem a little on the high side. Bradley Wiggins's output during the 2012 Olympic Time Trial was between 450-60 watts, so 369 for a novice is some going! As is nearly 24 km for 30 mins. If You could translate those figures to the road, then you'd be winning nearly every 10 TT you entered.

No he wouldn't. If that was the case, then by inference, I'd be a prolific winner, at present, I am a prolific also ran, hah!

 

[vickster]

Where do you live in the uk? There are a few surgeons doing meniscus transplants, some nhs, some privately. If your cartilage is already trashed, I am not sure whether that's an option or whether new bits down the road only

Have a look for knee geeks forum, useful info and discussion

 

[jtlondon]

Put it this way, there is pretty much no way you averaged 350+ watts for 30 mins as an untrained cyclist. I wouldn't be surprised if you could barely hold that for 5 minutes. I also wouldn't be surprised if the next time you got on the same bike and did exactly the same thing and got a completely different number. I'd be even less surprised if you got on a different bike in your gym and got a completely different number for doing the same thing.



No he wouldn't. If that was the case, then by inference, I'd be a prolific winner, at present, I am a prolific also ran, hah!

I went on the same bike two days in a row and did the same and got that amount (I took a photo fo the second day after on being able to remember all the details from the first attempt). I'll try a different bike next time

But yes - hence the post, I didn't think I'd be some sort of super cyclist from birth, but it's intrigued me to see what level I am at.

What can be trusted on a gym bike then? I want to be able to know how much exercise I'm doing

 

[jtlondon]

Where do you live in the uk? There are a few surgeons doing meniscus transplants, some nhs, some privately. If your cartilage is already trashed, I am not sure whether that's an option or whether new bits down the road only

Have a look for knee geeks forum, useful info and discussion

I'm in London. Thanks I'll give it a look, but I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of the thought of more operations! If it could sort out my cartilage problems in the long term it would be incredible, particularly if I could play sport again so I will give it a look. If it is the case I have no idea why I have never been recommended it by consultants.

 

[vickster]

Google for a surgeon in London called Ian McDermott. Is your consultant a knee specialist or general ortho

Meniscus transplant very very painful by all accounts and it'll give you day to day function but if bone on bone not much more. So no hardcore sport I think

 

[jtlondon]

Google for a surgeon in London called Ian McDermott. Is your consultant a knee specialist or general ortho

Meniscus transplant very very painful by all accounts and it'll give you day to day function but if bone on bone not much more. So no hardcore sport I think

He was a knee specialist. If the surgery is very very painful and won't allow me to play sport I'll give it a miss!!!

I coped 2 years bone on bone before having an operation and (depressingly) got used to the pain. Had 8 weeks non-weight bearing after microfractures so don't particularly fancy anymore

 

[vickster]

Looking at his website, will likely be a no go if acl damaged and also articular cartilage. But is informative. Looks like private only so would cost 10k too

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Is this stationery cycle the paper bike that @Pat "5mph" keeps mentioning?

A spin on my Paper Bike would definitely murder the OP's knee!

 

[Dogtrousers]

What can be trusted on a gym bike then? I want to be able to know how much exercise I'm doing

I like going to the gym, and I can push myself harder than on the road (no worrying about leaving something in the tank for later, no slowing for hazards & traffic) and it's convenient for me. I know it's not for everyone but I like it.

I'm also a fan of the numbers you get from the machines (bikes, rowers etc) ...BUT ...

The way I look at it, the numbers they give you are great - they are all interesting and you can compare them visit-to-visit, but they don't necessarily mean much in the real world. So - say - you get a "feel" for what a 1000 calorie workout is on a particular machine but that doesn't necessarily mean it really is 1000 calories, it may well be in that ballpark, but the best use is to compare it with other visits and challenge yourself.

My gym has Wattbikes and I've been using them. It feels a lot more like a bike than most stationary jobs. But I'm highly suspicious of the metrics it gives. It can give me an average speed over an hour of 39km/h. Yeah, right. I just can not go that fast in the real world unless it's down a big hill. So average? for an hour? Cobblers. It's flattering but I don't buy it.

All the same, I'm planning to try to break "40" ... whatever that means.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I have no cartilage left in my right knee (lateral and medial meniscus), had microfractures surgery in order to create some scar tissue to act as cartilage. I wasn't aware of any such thing as a meniscus transplant, thought that was only being trialled in America currently?

I'll have to have a chat to see if that's a potential avenue.

Will be having physio within the next few weeks.

I had microfracture treatment on my damaged cartilage in 2007. It didn't work so I had a procedure called MACI the following year. That's Matrix Assisted Autologous Cartilage Implant Hang on, that would be MAACI. Perhaps I've forgotten the acronym.

Anyway, what they did was take some cartilage from my knee, take it away and grow it up in a lab and then re-implant the cells so they grew a new layer of cartilage. Knee was completely immobilised with no load bearing for a couple of months, and I ended up with one normal leg and one comedy skinny leg. I also tore the rotator cuff in my shoulder from over-using my arm to lift myself up (on the tube etc), and I put on blubber due to being immobilised. I was a wreck.

I was lucky as (a) I had insurance so it was private and (b) the implant was experimental and I was part of a trial. It worked ... to a degree. My left knee works OK but it's different to the right. Surgeon was Fares Haddad, who is a hell of a nice guy too.

My advice on recovery from stuff like this is accept that it's long term, don't overdo it, but keep at it. Little by little. Obey your physio. He/she will give you some exercises that may seem pointless and stupid. Do them!

I've been warned that long-long term I'll probably get arthritis in there sooner rather than later.

Edit. The acronym is Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI). See http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com//archive/articular-cartilage.htm

 

[vickster]

I started on the MACI road back in 2010 after a long battle with my then insurance company - had to be referred to a different surgeon to be part of the 'trial', which now ended recruitment, private insurers are now even more reluctant to fund (Bupa won't). I had the first op, but harvest not done as being knock kneed I had kissing defects on the tibia opposite the hole in the femur so these lowered likelihood of success to a level where the surgeon wouldn't put me through the op and rehab. I don't think the OP would be eligible (they still do at Royal National Orthopaedic on NHS) as he has little meniscus and the graft would be unprotected from the other bones?

I now essentially have wear in all compartments along with another lateral meniscus tear so I'll probably end up needing new bits in 10-20 years. One thing that foes help me are hyaluronic acid injections to keep the joint lubricated, can get privately or NHS if specialist thinks will help. I have had three lots now, less convinced the last one helped but that could be the meniscus tear rather than the arthritis not responding

Knee is the least of my worries with my left leg right now anyhow!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Knees, who'd have them, eh?

 

[vickster]

All from what appeared a pretty innocuous fall off a bike!