First time on trainer since bike purchase.

VTech

Just done a 20km "training for work" trial and I feel like death warmed up.

Im wondering now wether even the 12-14mph club ride will be too fast for me :shock:

My info for what its worth.

Max speed = 30.9kmh
Average speed = 24.11kmh

Max Cadence = 86rpm
Average Cadence = 70rpm

Max Watt = 302
Average Watt = 112

Energy used 321.5cal

Climb 127m
Time 49m46s

JackPozzi

Cadence cadence cadence. I'm assuming that's on a turbo as you've got wattage there and most people don't buy a powermeter equipped bike for there first one (although the 127m of climbing has confused me)? That's a very low cadence anyway and I generally find I ride about 10rpm more on the turbo than I do on the road, so I'd suggest pedalling a lower gear faster.

Herbsman

Even if it was accurate, the data above has no context

imposter2.0

the climbing thing sounds interesting...

smidsy

Do not get hung up on numbers, especially at this early stage of your riding.

The only thing you need to concentrate on is spending time on a bike and keeping a reasonable cadence.

Use whatever gears you need to keep the cadence in your 'good zone', even if that means small chainring at the front.

As I said in the average speed for a newcomer thread,you just need to get time on the bike and get used to riding at a reasonable pace and cadence for 2 or 3 hours at a time. Until you do this a club run is not going to be viable.

Looking at numbers is futile until you build a base bike fitness and can spend 2 or 3 hours in the saddle without stopping.

I have been through this curve recently (started in Jan 12) and there really is no quick and easy way to get there - time on the bike is everything.

If you are only doing turbo sessions then limit them to an hour as it simply is not the same experience and physically much harder as you do not get to vary your position as much or get the cooling effect of the air. Doing interval type work, or simply time trial it, are often good turbo sessions to build aerobic levels.

VTech

Sorry if the info was bad, I simply copied what was on the screen.

The climb is done using a force, I have the TacX system which simulated climbing so you can plot a route anywhere in the world and it simulates the climb on the TacX using force resistance.

I am unsure if I could maintain a higher cadence to be honest as tonight almost killed me, I guess time will cure that.

smidsy

Select an easier gear to increase your cadence and this will build your aerobic fitness, which is what you need to sustain efforts for longer periods.

Generally if you can not keep the cadence up you are likely in too hard a gear. Obviously peoples cadence will tend to drop on climbs/or when they get to their limits.

p1tse

smidsy wrote:

The only thing you need to concentrate on is spending time on a bike and keeping a reasonable cadence.

What's reasonable cadence on a trainer as a newbie?

ShutUpLegs

VTech wrote:

Just done a 20km "training for work" trial and I feel like death warmed up.

Im wondering now wether even the 12-14mph club ride will be too fast for me :shock:

My info for what its worth.

Max speed = 30.9kmh
Average speed = 24.11kmh

Max Cadence = 86rpm
Average Cadence = 70rpm

Max Watt = 302
Average Watt = 112

Energy used 321.5cal

Climb 127m
Time 49m46s

Were these one-legged cycling drills :?:

smidsy

p1tse wrote:

smidsy wrote:

The only thing you need to concentrate on is spending time on a bike and keeping a reasonable cadence.

What's reasonable cadence on a trainer as a newbie?

Like many things in this game, there is no single correct answer.

Generally it is considered good to be above 85. Some people will spin at 100 or so. You need to find your 'happy place' and go with that.

'Nelly the Elephant' is often cited as being about the sort of bpm to aim for.

If you are turning big gears then the tendancy will be for your cadence to slow so select an easier gear which will then alow you to spin faster.

VTech

ShutUpLegs wrote:

VTech wrote:

Just done a 20km "training for work" trial and I feel like death warmed up.

Im wondering now wether even the 12-14mph club ride will be too fast for me :shock:

My info for what its worth.

Max speed = 30.9kmh
Average speed = 24.11kmh

Max Cadence = 86rpm
Average Cadence = 70rpm

Max Watt = 302
Average Watt = 112

Energy used 321.5cal

Climb 127m
Time 49m46s

Were these one-legged cycling drills :?:

No. They were honest, two legged drills.
Are you an angry man ? Life not treating you well ?

markp80

smidsy wrote:

p1tse wrote:

smidsy wrote:

The only thing you need to concentrate on is spending time on a bike and keeping a reasonable cadence.

What's reasonable cadence on a trainer as a newbie?

Like many things in this game, there is no single correct answer.

Generally it is considered good to be above 85. Some people will spin at 100 or so. You need to find your 'happy place' and go with that.

'Nelly the Elephant' is often cited as being about the sort of bpm to aim for.

If you are turning big gears then the tendancy will be for your cadence to slow so select an easier gear which will then alow you to spin faster.

A higher cadence is something that will only come with practice though, wouldn't you agree? I would have thought VTech's cadence was very reasonable for a beginner, and is a starting point to work from. I've not been cycling long and my cadence probably started lower than that, somewhere nearer 60 average I would guess, but I can now comfortably work around 80rpm. Much more than that and I start to go all over the place, but it's improving.
As someone mentioned, aerobic fitness helps too - I find low cadence hurts the legs, high cadence hurts the lungs, so it's finding a balance. I've also noticed as my fitness improves, that balance is moving to an increased cadence also.

VTech, I'd suggest you follow the good advice above and get as much time in on your bike as you can. Try to follow a structured plan if you can. Try varying your cadence by using different gears for the same speed and think about how your body responds. Don't consider your power output figures as absolute values in terms of accuracy, but as figures on which to monitor your own personal improvements.

Cheers,
MarkP

VTech

Cheers Mark.
I really want to go on again later but my aRS is hurting, hurting real bad !
I feel my body could take another ride but my backside is telling me noooooo

I will get on though and do as said above, lower gear, higher speed (if I can)

hstiles

In no way meant as a peeing contest, because there are plenty on this forum who would make my figures look laughable, but this is the data from my ride into work this morning to compare - lots of traffic lights to reduce the average speed.

Distance - 16km

Max speed = 46.4kmh
Average speed = 25.6 kmh

Max Cadence = 123rpm
Average Cadence = 91rpm
**Avg Uphill Cadence = 89rpm**
**Avg Downhill Cadence = 92rpm**

Climb 92m
Riding Time 36m

Focus on cadence. My average is the same as your max, including uphill. There are loads of benefits to a faster cadence. It's an aerobic workout rather than anaerobic. Anaerobic has it's place of course - strength training. But at your stage, concentrate on aerobic fitness and muscle memory and using cadence to help you accelerate rather than standing up and mashing a low gear. It'll help your core muscle strength and fitness, which will make you more steady on the bike and avoid wasting energy with lots of lateral movement.

VTech

hstiles, thanks for the info, I am sure one day I will manage that. What really shocks is the fact that I had earlier asked what group I should be in when I go for a ride with the local bike club and the options were around 12-14mpg, 17-19mph and 20-21mph and I was thinking to do the middle one !

I felt that at 40, ive seen the world and that should be no bother but after 500 meters on the turbo I had the constant thought that I doubt I could manage the slow group and that stayed with me for 40 minutes !
I felt sick and almost gave up half way through but I stuck to it and after I felt good having completed the ride but by aRS was killing me and the legs felt like jelly.
The wife ran me a hot bath which helped but this morning, still having a sore aRS I felt good, a kind of euphoria.

One thing that surprised me is how much my upper arm muscles are hurting, they ache so bad !

hstiles

If your arms are sore it's because you're using your upper body to compensate too much. My hunch is that you have gears and resistance too high.

Set resistance to 2 and start in the big ring and biggest cog and try and maintain an average cadence of 85 and gradually increase cadence so that you are holding 90+. Your upper body should be still. If you have to, raise or flip your stem so that you can rest more easily on the bars. Your core muscles and lugs should be doing all of the work.

VTech

Ive not done any personal training courses on the trainer so I havent changed the resistance levels.
I am using the pre determined courses but will change later on todays run

zx6man

Make sure you have a fan..... makes all the difference IMO on a trainer

smidsy

Using a bmx is probably limiting your potential

VTech

smidsy wrote:

Using a bmx is probably limiting your potential

Ill fix that asap. Actually its a mountain bike, im not sure why I said BMW, I just refer to it as the BMX to the kids (my youth was bmx only) either way, its wrong and will be replaced by a road bike.

smidsy

I must admit I did struggle to understand how a BMX would actually fit - but dared not ask.

VTech

its a large bike, just not the right type for a trainer i feel.
im off to ebay.

smidsy

MarkP wrote:

A higher cadence is something that will only come with practice though, wouldn't you agree?

Absolutey Mark, hence why I have suggested they try it...and even given them a little tune to use to practice 8)

You should see the looks I get as I climb up a hill singing Nellie the Elephant :shock:

VTech

OK, on my third ride I managed the following.

Max speed = 35.5kmh
Average speed = 28.15kmh

Max Cadence = 111rpm
Average Cadence = 87rpm

Max Watt = 295
Average Watt = 147

Energy used 321.5cal

Climb 67m
Time 23m52s

I am absolutely knackered, my legs feel like lead and my chest feels like tyson punched me.

smidsy

+ another 200cal in worry about the CTW scheme rules :-)

Strith

What system have you got that simulates climbs?

VTech

I have the TacX system. It's a great setup.

Strith

But you connect it to a computer and adjusts the resistance as you cycle along or something?

VTech

Strith wrote:

But you connect it to a computer and adjusts the resistance as you cycle along or something?

Yes, when it has a hill it simulates by adding resistance, the higher the hill, the more the resistance.

p1tse

VTech wrote:

I have the TacX system. It's a great setup.

Which one have you got, does it work without computer on?

VTech

p1tse wrote:

VTech wrote:

I have the TacX system. It's a great setup.

Which one have you got, does it work without computer on?

I have this one.



Im not sure if it works without the PC, ive only tried it with the computer myself.
Its easy to setup and you can make your own maps and for £30/year you can get the google maps package which allows you to select anywhere in the world and ride the route using streetmaps and google earth, it also simulates the incline and descent.
I have set (made) myself a course that goes through the best place on earth, a beautiful town called Calistoga in Napa Valley and one day im going to ride it on my TacX (when I can manage the 75km ride)