Is it time for 2019 Targets?

slowbike

I'm so close to the mileage target for 2018 that I can effectively forget it now - I'll do it - baring not actually getting on my bike for the rest of the year. I hadn't set a hard and fast target because I wanted to focus on getting Little Slowbike on his bike more - still not riding as much as I'd like, but there's never time for that one more ride.

Anyway ... looking towards 2019 ... I do relatively low mileage, mostly on a commute - this isn't going to change in 2019 - if anything it's going to be worse as I'll drop a potential day of commute by bike due to change in Little Slowbike's circumstances. So trying to think of something different....
N+1 being a real thing in our house - I had a look at the individual bike stats (granted, I don't record every single mile - but the vast majority are).
It's quite clear that I need to get on the turbo more - having bought it in 2016 it had a reasonable amount of use last year (not a lot though) and not so much this year (been getting on the road more) - I think perhaps I should use the change of circumstance to up my turbo use.
Another bike that hasn't seen much use has been the MTB -it's nothing flash, but it's nice to throw it around (insofar as I can throw a bike around - believe me - Mike Ashton does more now than I ever could!) - that didn't get used much the year before either - so I think aiming to double that mileage in 2019 should be a suitable aim.

So - public time - I'll leave my overall target as 3000 miles for the year (said it wasn't much) - on the basis I want to ride more with Little Slowbike - but I want to get the MTB into triple figures and the Turbo up to 200 "miles" (although I've done a few fitness sessions which don't count miles - so need to consider that too!)

mrfpb

My target will depend on my right hand getting fit to handle the gears and brakes without pain. If it's quick I'll aim to finish the metric century challenge. If not I 'll target running a marathon at some point. Other targets may follow.

ugo.santalucia

Quite a few

1) Making a success of BRUM 200. I've got 95 entrants, hopefully it will be a great event

2) Completing an AAA Super Randonneur series in 30 days (April 20th to May 19th) and within the 30 days it would be kind of cool to complete the 4 rides in a cumulative time of 3 days (72 hours)

That will leave me with a whole 6 months to think about another target... I'm cooling off on the idea of doing a Brompton race in London, accommodation in the capital is truly extortionate

Possibly cycling to a conference again in late August, if it's held somewhere suitably far in the country...

elbowloh

Little elbowloh (our first) is due in April, so i'm guessing I'm not going to be getting a lot of cycling in next year apart from the commute. My weekend and evening cycling activity dropped massively when i got married a couple of years back. So I guess my main target is to not end 2019 the size of the Goodyear Blimp TM

slowbike

elbowloh wrote:

Little elbowloh (our first) is due in April, so i'm guessing I'm not going to be getting a lot of cycling in next year apart from the commute. My weekend and evening cycling activity dropped massively when i got married a couple of years back. So I guess my main target is to not end 2019 the size of the Goodyear Blimp TM

Their arrival does make a massive difference - but fortunately, they sleep a lot to start with - so either get some little sprint circuits sorted out - or make sure your turbo is rigged and ready - mine came out to "watch me" do the TT 10's and other sports - which gives a chance to show him off too

elbowloh

Slowbike wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

Little elbowloh (our first) is due in April, so i'm guessing I'm not going to be getting a lot of cycling in next year apart from the commute. My weekend and evening cycling activity dropped massively when i got married a couple of years back. So I guess my main target is to not end 2019 the size of the Goodyear Blimp TM

Their arrival does make a massive difference - but fortunately, they sleep a lot to start with - so either get some little sprint circuits sorted out - or make sure your turbo is rigged and ready - mine came out to "watch me" do the TT 10's and other sports - which gives a chance to show him off too

I suppose a turbo is a good idea. I do have (a basic) one, but it rarely gets an outing. I just find it a bit boring.

My weekend rides used to consist of all day affairs, like Brighton and back with lunch in the middle...As much a chance to socialise as to ride the bike.

slowbike

elbowloh wrote:

My weekend rides used to consist of all day affairs, like Brighton and back with lunch in the middle...As much a chance to socialise as to ride the bike.

Yer - that won't happen - not for a couple of years anyway ... Do you need a child seat & clamps for the bike? Got 2 clamps and a reclining child seat we no longer use ...

I'm assuming you've got the first balance bike sorted ... we found Puky had the lowest saddle

elbowloh

Slowbike wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

My weekend rides used to consist of all day affairs, like Brighton and back with lunch in the middle...As much a chance to socialise as to ride the bike.

Yer - that won't happen - not for a couple of years anyway ... Do you need a child seat & clamps for the bike? Got 2 clamps and a reclining child seat we no longer use ...

I'm assuming you've got the first balance bike sorted ... we found Puky had the lowest saddle

I'd like to get a trailer.

No, haven't even thought about a balance bike yet.

slowbike

Ah yes. Forgot the trailer. We got a double one and strapped his car seat in it . Still couldn’t get up a 20% incline with it and him on the back.

norvernrob

It depends what happens on my cardiologist referral. I had my medical for a new job Train Driving last week, and the ECG picked up on my heart and heart muscle being ‘massive’ (in the words of the Dr who was called in to have a look at the ECG readings). The top end reading for a ‘normal’ person is 35, mine is 47. Apparently it puts me at a tiny risk of sudden cardiac arrest during exercise so I need to get it checked out, I was passed fully fit to drive a train though so that’s a relief!

I’m nothing special on the bike, but I’m all cardio and no leg strength, and it does explain why I have always had more endurance than my mate despite him doing 4-5 times my mileage every year. When we went to the Alps in September I got stronger throughout the week and ended up beating him by 7 minutes up Galibier, despite the fact I’d had pneumonia earlier in the year and had only managed to rack up 900 miles in comparison to his 4500.

Fingers crossed I don’t have to calm it down effort wise, as my new job will give me loads more time to get out during the week!

tonysj

My first year in retirement and I've managed 3600 miles with 400 plus on the turbo mainly December to early February and November December this year. Done a few sportives. York Leeds York. Ross Tiger. Ey Up Yorkshire. Mainly Epic length.
I defo need to enter more Epic length sportives and missed the C2C this year which I was well p*ssed about.
Plan on doing dry run rides of sportives next year. Etape du Dales. Tour of the Peak. Flat'n'Fast, as I've bought a touring caravan so can travel/camp in the area and do the ride in my own time ( not tagging onto the sportive but on another day ) Expect to cover 4k next year and a few 10 mile TTs and depending on what I can find the odd race but I'm 56 and over the hill as I've only been cycling for 2 years.
Love to push myself so I expect to have a challenging 2019. Lol.
Tony.

ugo.santalucia

NorvernRob wrote:

It depends what happens on my cardiologist referral. I had my medical for a new job Train Driving last week, and the ECG picked up on my heart and heart muscle being ‘massive’ (in the words of the Dr who was called in to have a look at the ECG readings).

Hypertrophic left ventricule is fairly normal in any athlete, problem is often doctors are not used to see athletes, but rather couch potatoes. Did you tell the doctor you do a lot of sport?

Of course if that hypertrophy is disfunctional, meaning it does not result in an increased pump, then it is a disease that needs therapy, so the usual cocktail of ACE inhibitors, Beta blockers, diuretics and whatnot.

norvernrob

ugo.santalucia wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

It depends what happens on my cardiologist referral. I had my medical for a new job Train Driving last week, and the ECG picked up on my heart and heart muscle being ‘massive’ (in the words of the Dr who was called in to have a look at the ECG readings).

Hypertrophic left ventricule is fairly normal in any athlete, problem is often doctors are not used to see athletes, but rather couch potatoes. Did you tell the doctor you do a lot of sport?

Of course if that hypertrophy is disfunctional, meaning it does not result in an increased pump, then it is a disease that needs therapy, so the usual cocktail of ACE inhibitors, Beta blockers, diuretics and whatnot.

It’s the first thing the Doc asked anyway. Hopefully it’s just down to decent fitness and my riding being all cardio, my resting HR isn’t massively low though (around 50) and I have a high max HR (almost 200), so who knows.

ugo.santalucia

NorvernRob wrote:

my resting HR isn’t massively low though (around 50)

It is if you compare with the average population (72). Seriously overweight and unhealthy folks can have a resting HR of 90 or higher

sloppyschleckonds

I'd be happy with doing slightly more than this year, 6000 miles and 500,000 ft

norvernrob

ugo.santalucia wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

my resting HR isn’t massively low though (around 50)

It is if you compare with the average population (72). Seriously overweight and unhealthy folks can have a resting HR of 90 or higher

Yeah I guess so! It’s just with starting this fantastic new job Train Driving I’m worried something is going to turn up from the cardiologist that will scupper it.

I suppose it’s a tendency to measure fitness against, say, the people on this forum - where I’d be distinctly average. But the average person in the general population wouldn’t last 10 minutes on a bike, never mind climb Galibier in the top 25% of Strava times. And to be perfectly honest I could have gone quicker but I was enjoying it too much!

gbsahne001

ugo.santalucia wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

my resting HR isn’t massively low though (around 50)

It is if you compare with the average population (72). Seriously overweight and unhealthy folks can have a resting HR of 90 or higher

slightly OT I had an ECG this week and everyone commented on the hr; 41.

back OT....

To stay upright this year; 2 off's so far this year, with one of them requiring a hospital visit

[list=2]Mileage; get back to 10k (miles) or thereabouts, dropped to 7k this year owing to various commitments, which have curtailed the weekend rides[/list]
[list=3]Replace my ageing hybrid for something slightly faster[/list]
[list=4]Do more off road riding[/list]

kingstonian

I'll be looking at going over 10,000km next year. I'll do 9000km this year and missed 2.5 months due to injury so the goal is achievable.

May also look to do a fast 100 miles (below 4 hrs 15 mins would be rapid for me), maybe the new Tour of Cambridgeshire route for this coming year will fit the bill.

keef66

I'm still struggling to come up with excuses for failing to achieve the targets I thought about setting for 2018..

I think my 2019 target is going to be a thorough sort out in the garage, and shedding the extra stone I'll have managed to put on by the time Christmas is done.

Tashman

Just checked and I've only done 592km this year, very disappointed with that. I'm never going to do thousands but even still thats not where I wanted to be.
Not been a great year for me mentally, but I really should have done more than that.
Signed up for L2B next year so my focus for the first 6 months will be for that and getting up the Beacon. This will involve shifting substantial timber too. In the Ballot for the RL100 too so you never know, could be a huge jump. I really ought to dust off the turbo too as I know have a speed sensor and can record the additional km done there.

drhaggis

2018 saw me put reasonably SMART targets. I met most, and understand whi i didn't meet all. I hope to set wise goals now.

For 2019 my target is:

• Keep commuting, and do so without incidents. No crashes, less close passes and more fun.
• Ride >5000 km.
• Climb a Cat1 (or HC for bonus points!). Have a couple of ("soft") Cat1's in mind.
• Do an imperial century
• Get faster! The goal being enjoying routes with linked Cat2's or higher, rather than having to go close to FTP to reach a reasonable cadence.

ugo.santalucia

DrHaggis wrote:

2018 saw me put reasonably SMART targets. I met most, and understand whi i didn't meet all. I hope to set wise goals now.

For 2019 my target is:

• Keep commuting, and do so without incidents. No crashes, less close passes and more fun.
• Ride >5000 km.
• Climb a Cat1 (or HC for bonus points!). Have a couple of ("soft") Cat1's in mind.
• Do an imperial century
• Get faster! The goal being enjoying routes with linked Cat2's or higher, rather than having to go close to FTP to reach a reasonable cadence.

You talking abroad?
I think there are a couple of Strava CAT 1 in the UK, maybe a few more I am not aware of... cat. 2 are marginally more common, still not that many

mrb123

ugo.santalucia wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

2018 saw me put reasonably SMART targets. I met most, and understand whi i didn't meet all. I hope to set wise goals now.

For 2019 my target is:

• Keep commuting, and do so without incidents. No crashes, less close passes and more fun.
• Ride >5000 km.
• Climb a Cat1 (or HC for bonus points!). Have a couple of ("soft") Cat1's in mind.
• Do an imperial century
• Get faster! The goal being enjoying routes with linked Cat2's or higher, rather than having to go close to FTP to reach a reasonable cadence.

You talking abroad?
I think there are a couple of Strava CAT 1 in the UK, maybe a few more I am not aware of... cat. 2 are marginally more common, still not that many

Great Dun Fell is a Cat 1 on Strava but only if you start from Long Marton. It's listed as a Cat 2 from the usual start of the climb near the Christian Centre.

ugo.santalucia

that was one, Bealach Na Ba possibly the other

drhaggis

ugo.santalucia wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

2018 saw me put reasonably SMART targets. I met most, and understand whi i didn't meet all. I hope to set wise goals now.

For 2019 my target is:

• Keep commuting, and do so without incidents. No crashes, less close passes and more fun.
• Ride >5000 km.
• Climb a Cat1 (or HC for bonus points!). Have a couple of ("soft") Cat1's in mind.
• Do an imperial century
• Get faster! The goal being enjoying routes with linked Cat2's or higher, rather than having to go close to FTP to reach a reasonable cadence.

You talking abroad?
I think there are a couple of Strava CAT 1 in the UK, maybe a few more I am not aware of... cat. 2 are marginally more common, still not that many

Abroad, yep. In the Basque Country (northern Spain). That's the only time I'll be able to sideline my family obligations for long enough! Plus it's not like the Lothians are particularly high. Biandiz i's Cat1 in Strava, but only in strava, at 11km@6%. It wouldn't be a Cat1 in a race because it's always between 5% and 7%, so a proper grind. Urkiola is about 7km at 9%. It's a proper and serious climb, even if no ramp is insanely steep.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

ugo.santalucia wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

2018 saw me put reasonably SMART targets. I met most, and understand whi i didn't meet all. I hope to set wise goals now.

For 2019 my target is:

• Keep commuting, and do so without incidents. No crashes, less close passes and more fun.
• Ride >5000 km.
• Climb a Cat1 (or HC for bonus points!). Have a couple of ("soft") Cat1's in mind.
• Do an imperial century
• Get faster! The goal being enjoying routes with linked Cat2's or higher, rather than having to go close to FTP to reach a reasonable cadence.

You talking abroad?
I think there are a couple of Strava CAT 1 in the UK, maybe a few more I am not aware of... cat. 2 are marginally more common, still not that many

https://www.doogal.co.uk/strava.php lists a load of cat1 climbs when the map covers UK, ROI and a bit of Holland... But I have no idea how many are mountain bike trails and how many have dodgy data.

drhaggis

Strava's segment explorer can be used to search for certain categorised climbs. However, Strava's climb categorisation is, in effect, altitude gained in centimetres (?!?). So for Strava all of these are Cat4: 1km at 8%, or 2km at 4% or 4km at 2%; even though the first is a proper hill and the last is little more than a false flat.

Other popular categorisations try to take the difficulty of isolated sectors into account. For example, APM gives points per average grade in each km and give double points for gradients above 8 or 10%. My memory fails and cba'd to google it. Typically, a Cat 2 climb would be around 80 APM, a Cat 1 around 130-150, and HC's are (almost universally) above 200. The system isn't perfect, doesn't take into account surface status and is not meant to discern between, say a 297 points climb and a 290 one. But it is a good guideline, and since categorising a climb requires profiling it you get a good idea of where you'll struggle.

EDIT: Found a scan of Great Dun Fell:

MisterMuncher

First year open racing: get out of A4 as soon as humanly possible. Try and start 2020 as A3 minimum.
Get my 10TT under 23.
Came second in the club league this year. I think the rest writes itself.

I'm taking a little comfort from knowing these goals aren't unreachable fitness- or strength-wise, or in terms of tenacity, I'm not far off. What I need is a bit more racing to develop the old race brain and enough work to get a proper sprint going. Lot of good men and women advising me anyway.

thistle_

ugo.santalucia wrote:

It is if you compare with the average population (72). Seriously overweight and unhealthy folks can have a resting HR of 90 or higher

I'm not that fit, but my GP reckons I'm one if the fittest people in town because almost everyone he sees does zero exercise (tbh, young lads doing a bit of sport don't tend to go to the doctor much anyway...)

I think my target last year was to ride less and enjoy it more. Not really succeeded on that, but I'm not driving to work every day. I think I managed to ride my mountain bike more than last year which is a plus.

Target this year is a top 10 finish in the local TT series, and to not finish in the bottom 3 of the hill climbs I enter.
I think this might mean keeping up the cycling to work.

msmancunia

Trying to hit a round the world mileage before a big birthday in several years time so:
1) About 4,000 miles this year
2) Decent Ride London time (deferred entry so I know I'm in)
3) Try to stop swearing so much (not easy when an early menopause is hitting its ugly stride)
4) Say hello on here a bit more often *waves*

Caroline

MissedTheBreak

Achieved 4,006km last year, not quite hitting target. My own fault as I was quite lazy with commuting and went through a phase of watching boxsets on the tram.

Oh well, onward and upward this year:

1: Total distance of 5,000km
2: Go sub-20s for a flying lap of the velodrome
3: Cycle round Anglesey
4: Go sub-4m for Wizard Hill :?
5: Enjoy it all.

Think that should do