Quick HR Question

meanredspider

a_n_t wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

a_n_t wrote:

I've found a power meter puts an end to all the questions tbh.

Power IS power, regardless! no ifs, buts or maybes

Yup - but when I measure something I want to improve it.

Exactly and power is the only 'non variable' if you like. If that goes up you're getting fitter.

Absolutely - it's the getting fitter bit I want to understand better. I have some rough & dirty measures of my fitness (like consistently arriving at the top of my longest/steepest climb a gear higher than I was) but none of that helps if I'm doing the wrong things. At least on the race track and try something different, I get an instant read on if it's working or not. With fitness, it could be a month before I discover that it isn't working. The power meter is great if I'm doing the right stuff to measure an improvement - it's expensive bling if I'm not.

a_n_t

meanredspider wrote:

The power meter is great if I'm doing the right stuff to measure an improvement - it's expensive bling if I'm not.

True but thats the thing, it takes out all the guess work. If you're not doing "the right stuff" it will tell you and you can change your training.

Works for me anyway

Garry H

Seems to be like you're just impatient. I'm approaching my third year of attempting to race and only now am I beginning to get any idea of what works for me. The one thing I've noticed is that the harder I ride, the easier it becomes. I've got limited time to train, having just bought a new house that needs work on and first child due in about 10 weeks. Funny thing is that this has actually helped me focus more on what I need to be doing. I no longer have the luxury of about 20 hours a week training time.

meanredspider

Garry H wrote:

Seems to be like you're just impatient. .

Possibly - I'm just concerned when I plateau for 3 months. In fact my biggest improvement was when I took a week off which must tell me something.

There's also the possibility that I reached something close to what I'm capable of at my age and weight. I don't think I'm slow - a least not on the flat where I'm happy to keep up with my ultrafit/ultralight mate - he destroys me up hills though with a 30kg advantage - but then he destroys people in races too. I've never been passed on my quiet commute in 3000 miles. So it may be that I have unrealistic targets. I don't know how I know.

danowat

meanredspider wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Seems to be like you're just impatient. .

Possibly - I'm just concerned when I plateau for 3 months. In fact my biggest improvement was when I took a week off which must tell me something.

This isn't uncommon, just highlights that rest and recovery is as important for improvement as training is.

Do you race / TT?

meanredspider

danowat wrote:

This isn't uncommon, just highlights that rest and recovery is as important for improvement as training is.

Do you race / TT?

Absolutely - realising that recovery could do so much for me got me on this whole "there must be more to it than just riding" kick. I was literally 1mph quicker overnight on my 30 miles and was seeking out the bigger hills on my evening ride home.

No - I've never competed - I've never felt that I'm good enough. I'm a crap build for a road biker too.

a_n_t

meanredspider wrote:

[No - I've never competed - I've never felt that I'm good enough.

Everyone is good enough to TT

meanredspider

a_n_t wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

No - I've never competed - I've never felt that I'm good enough.

Everyone is good enough to TT

I suppose. Ultrafit mate tried the local "fiver in the pot" TT - was told he was at a disadvantage without a TT bike. Is the idea to give me some measure of how I stack up against other cyclists?

chrisw12

meanredspider wrote:

a_n_t wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

No - I've never competed - I've never felt that I'm good enough.

Everyone is good enough to TT

I suppose. Ultrafit mate tried the local "fiver in the pot" TT - was told he was at a disadvantage without a TT bike. Is the idea to give me some measure of how I stack up against other cyclists?

It can be but for a lot of people it's simply a race against yourself and YOUR own times.

As said, everyone is good enough to ride a tt, give it a go, reading this thread I think you may get a lot of satisfaction from them.

meanredspider

chrisw12 wrote:

It can be but for a lot of people it's simply a race against yourself and YOUR own times.

As said, everyone is good enough to ride a tt, give it a go, reading this thread I think you may get a lot of satisfaction from them.

Cool - might try that then. I consider my commutes (especially in the summer months when the weather, potholes and visibility are less of an issue) as a bit of a TT against myself. I've resisted the temptation of switching on the Garmin "Virtual Partner" but I might try that to see how I go. There's almost no traffic to worry about so it's pretty good from that respect.

kettrinboy

Have a look at SportTracks, i,m also an engineer and a data freak, which seems to be a trait with us engineers, ive just gone for the paid version, only 22 quid and you can analyse absolutely everything to the nth degree,filling in all the details after a ride would be too much for some, but if its your thing, its one of the best analysis tools you can get.

danowat

a_n_t wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

[No - I've never competed - I've never felt that I'm good enough.

Everyone is good enough to TT

This is so very, very true, as for the whole "arms race thing", my first TT I did on my stock road bike, 10 in 28mins, the 2nd I fitted aero bars, 26:40, and in both of this, I beat people on trick machinery, needless to say, I caught the bug and brought a dedicated TT machine!!!.

The idea isn't to race others, its just a good way to judge your fitness, if you find a local club 10, then week in, week out, you'll see improvements.