So how am I doing?

Kafka\'s Doll

My Garmin 705 arrived (at last) yesterday, and for my commute home these are my stats:

Total Time: 00:52:28
Distance: 13.47 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 308 m / -268 m
Calories: 979 C
Avg Speed: 15.4 mph
Max Speed: 30.1 mph
Heart Rate (bpm): 166 (Avg); 193 (Max)

Since it was taking me about an hour and a half when I started at Christmas, I feel pretty pleased, though my heart rate seems quite high (though even 'resting' -- that is, sat at my office desk -- it's 75). Is there any particular training I should be doing to get it down?

DavidTQ

no idea on heart rate, but the times look pretty respectable for negotiating traffic and the distance done.

My commute is 14 miles total 7 each way so I can burn the legs more along the way, with the hills on my route I couldnt do that with a 14 mile each way commute. I normally do about 25 minutes each way - 23 minutes being my record - (last night oddly enough - I wasnt even trying particularly hard) So given the extra distance thats probably doing better than I would over the distance after a year of commuting

My first few times doing the journey by bike were taking around 55minutes amazing how much that got cut down with basic fitness and a road bike instead of a hybrid...

TheBoyBilly

"My first few times doing the journey by bike were taking around 55minutes amazing how much that got cut down with basic fitness and a road bike instead of a hybrid..."

......that's exactly what I found. 50-55 minutes into Brighton via some lockgates at the harbour and cycling paths. But after a while I was noticeably quicker and it was so much easier. The breeze off the sea still makes the journey home a bit of a battle at times though. But all in all there is nothing like whizzing along with absolutely no traffic to worry about. I will have to dig out my old HR monitor to see how it compares with the OP.

Kafka\'s Doll

DavidTQ wrote:

no idea on heart rate, but the times look pretty respectable for negotiating traffic and the distance done.

My commute is 14 miles total 7 each way so I can burn the legs more along the way, with the hills on my route I couldnt do that with a 14 mile each way commute. I normally do about 25 minutes each way - 23 minutes being my record - (last night oddly enough - I wasnt even trying particularly hard) So given the extra distance thats probably doing better than I would over the distance after a year of commuting

My first few times doing the journey by bike were taking around 55minutes amazing how much that got cut down with basic fitness and a road bike instead of a hybrid...

Thanks. This commute takes me from Barbican to Harrow, and I was a bit surprised to see that it's only 300 metres of climbing -- the hill up to Wembley is my heart rate peak! Oddly enough, though, the commute in this morning (same route in reverse, so mostly downhill) took me 30 seconds longer!

bear_bearson

Well you're doing better than me.

I'm Barbican to Richmond and thats about 11miles. I do that in 55 minutes usually and my average speed has always been about 13mph with top speeds of approx 27mph at the very best.

I haven't cycled for a long time though...

attica

A few questions to put your ride into context as reqards the speed
What type of bike were you riding? Did it have nobbly or slick tyres? What sort of terrain were you on, flat/hilly, city centre/open roads?

As for HR:- How old are you? (max HR is usually somewhere around 220 minus your age) which makes you 27? (it's not a biggy though, I'm 36 but still regularly hit 195 on some hills)

your average of 166 is about right for a sustainable ride, as you get faster this will probably stay roughly the same at this level of perceived effort.

Have a look at this as a rough guide:-
http://www.dietandfitnessresources.co.u ... t_rate.htm

then ignore it! My HR is usually slightly over 80% for sustained rides and I haven't keeled over yet, I think these guides err on the side of caution - understandable in these litigious times.

Kafka\'s Doll

Attica wrote:

A few questions to put your ride into context as reqards the speed
What type of bike were you riding? Did it have nobbly or slick tyres? What sort of terrain were you on, flat/hilly, city centre/open roads?

As for HR:- How old are you? (max HR is usually somewhere around 220 minus your age) which makes you 27? (it's not a biggy though, I'm 36 but still regularly hit 195 on some hills)

your average of 166 is about right for a sustainable ride, as you get faster this will probably stay roughly the same at this level of perceived effort.

Have a look at this as a rough guide:-
http://www.dietandfitnessresources.co.u ... t_rate.htm

then ignore it! My HR is usually slightly over 80% for sustained rides and I haven't keeled over yet, I think these guides err on the side of caution - understandable in these litigious times.

I ride a Condor Fratello, through the centre of London up to Harrow-on-the-Hill, all road. It feels pretty hilly to me but I guess it doesn't compare to places with actual hills!

I'm 34, but as I say I've only been doing this since Christmas, so I'm hoping I can get it down a bit. I'm just not sure what the best way to do that is.

Kafka\'s Doll

I should say, I'm not in great shape fat-wise. 15 stone at just over six foot. So far I haven't lost much weight, though I have shed a good few inches.

TheBoyBilly

Slightly off-topic here, I was wondering how your commutes compare with those should you have to use public transport. I would imagine journeys into the the City from Harrow or Richmond were fairly typical commutes done by car and train/tube. An hour or so each way must be competetive both in time, and most certainly expense.

Kafka\'s Doll

TheBoyBilly wrote:

Slightly off-topic here, I was wondering how your commutes compare with those should you have to use public transport. I would imagine journeys into the the City from Harrow or Richmond were fairly typical commutes done by car and train/tube. An hour or so each way must be competetive both in time, and most certainly expense.

Yep, I save enough to buy the bike twice. It would be as quick if I didn't need a shower at the end -- we have none at work so I have to use the local swimming pool (which also costs £1.50, eating into my cost savings).

bear_bearson

I feel much better having cycled to work and it offers a nice alteranative to a packed SW Train to Waterloo and a packed Waterloo & City line. Especially if the weather is nice.

I used to live in Clapham and that was a much more sensible commute on the bike and I actually saved money, but moving further out has buggered up my commute to work, to the extent I hardly do it atm and have to put up with the packed trains.

jonginge

bear_bearson wrote:

I feel much better having cycled to work and it offers a nice alteranative to a packed SW Train to Waterloo and a packed Waterloo & City line.

That's the same public transport commute I avoid. Biking+shower takes about the same time as SWT+drain+walk. Biking wins if there is anything less than a 'good service' on the drain or there is a leaf on the line.

I'm 35 and I'm fairly sure I haven't seen a heartrate of 193 for a decade or so, even during my daily sprint though blackfriars tunnel. (I wear my HRM on every ride)

attica

BB

All told I'd say you're doing great and if this is just the beginning, you'll only get better. (nice bike BTW)

JG

Everybody's heart is different, I have a marathon runner friend who's heart rarely exceeds 150 BPM even when he's working hard. He's also a GP and is not worried by this at all.

jonginge

Attica wrote:

BB
JG

Everybody's heart is different, I have a marathon runner friend who's heart rarely exceeds 150 BPM even when he's working hard. He's also a GP and is not worried by this at all.

I wasn't worried. I was alluding to the fact eveyone is different wrt HR but your example made the point more eloquently.

See also recent thread on cake stop: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12563315