Now we have a reason to SCR

NGale
NGale Posts: 1,866
edited August 2011 in Commuting chat
?icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl4|sec3_lnk3|75818

Now DDD has a reason to increase his 'awesomness' while those of us who pootle better get our arses into gear :lol:
Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men

Comments

  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    ta :wink:
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    I thought this was common sense :?
    Exercise helps. Short sprints are better than long meanders. See interval training.
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    ahhh but think about it, the next time a pootler glares at you when you cycle past you can at least shout

    'I'll live five years longer than you dammit!'
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    edited August 2011
    dhope wrote:
    I thought this was common sense :?
    Exercise helps. Short sprints are better than long meanders. See interval training.

    Holds his head in his hands :roll: Not so, short sprints and interval training only are a sure fire way to over training and fatigue. Long meanders build the endurance needed to benefit and recover from harder training sessions.

    tbh that article is awful, what constitutes fast? It depends on the person, your level of fitness and where your particular HR zones lie, you may think you're riding fast but if you never stray out of zone 3 or 4, and most people don't, then you're not going fast. For example I take fast to mean 30-35mph plus (a full on sprint), to someone else at a similar level of effort (ie similar percentage of max HR) they may only be doing 20.
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    Rich158 wrote:
    dhope wrote:
    I thought this was common sense :?
    Exercise helps. Short sprints are better than long meanders. See interval training.

    Holds his head in his hands :roll: Not so, short sprints and interval training only are a sure fire way to over training and fatigue. Long meanders build the endurance needed to benefit and recover from harder training sessions

    But below average fitness to above average fitness is more quickly achieved through higher intensity training I thought. Not saying that HIIT is exclusively the way to win races or go from casual cyclist to serious cyclist, but if all you're doing is 6 miles a day (a short one way commute for example) then for overall fitness makes sense to do it in 20-25mins rather than 35-40.
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    I guess it's the same as the old advice that raising your heart rate for 20 mins per day is hugely beneficial and leads to a longer life ie taking a brisk walk or even a slow jog at lunchtime rather than a slow stroll, not new news. My main gripe with such reports is the definition of fast is so wide reaching it is completely open to misinterpretation. The quickest most sustainable way from below average fitness to above average will be a period of base training and then intervals. This way you build the structures required for higher intensity work and then use them thus forcing the body to rebuild itself faster and fitter. Repaet this and you have the basis for a periodised training plan that is widely used from amateur athletes through to gold medal winners
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,638
    That would certainly fit with me feeling way more knackered at the end of a week than 170miles deserves. It's pretty much all SCR 'intervals' and I almost never get to go out on a longer ride in the lanes. When I do, I tend to head for some steep hills, so again, not exactly base training. Is the only way to work some base training into the commute to do a couple of weeks of slow commutes? This would take monumental self control to just set there and let everyone go, and I'm not sure the distance (17 miles and an hour and a bit each way on the current route). Hmmmm.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Yep the only way to a decent base is through self control and miles. Use a HR monitor to keep in Zone 2, look it up on t'internet to get an idea of your zones. You'll be surprised how fast you can go and it still count as base miles, and of course over time you'll get fitter so your average speed will go up for the same effort. My top end of zone 2 is about 35-40kph on the flat now which feels amazing. The other thing is to concentrate on cadence, learn to spin at over 100 rpm for any given HR and it will have a huge effect on your CV fitness. The ideal is 12 weeks of base training, but give it a few weeks and then work a few days of base mileage into your commute, it'll work wonders. Notice how I rarely talk about outright speed, it's all about effort measured on a HR monitor, the speed will be a natural side affect albeit a rather nice one
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Rich158 wrote:
    Yep the only way to a decent base is through self control and miles. Use a HR monitor to keep in Zone 2, look it up on t'internet to get an idea of your zones. You'll be surprised how fast you can go and it still count as base miles, and of course over time you'll get fitter so your average speed will go up for the same effort. My top end of zone 2 is about 35-40kph on the flat now which feels amazing. The other thing is to concentrate on cadence, learn to spin at over 100 rpm for any given HR and it will have a huge effect on your CV fitness. The ideal is 12 weeks of base training, but give it a few weeks and then work a few days of base mileage into your commute, it'll work wonders. Notice how I rarely talk about outright speed, it's all about effort measured on a HR monitor, the speed will be a natural side affect albeit a rather nice one

    I just get on my bike and cycle to work
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Here here, I ride the whole 6.7 miles at the speed (near enough) I'd do the first 6.7 miles of a 10 mile race (so no winding up at the end) so I arrive in the office in a still vaguely presentable state!

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Here here, I ride the whole 6.7 miles at the speed (near enough) I'd do the first 6.7 miles of a 10 mile race (so no winding up at the end) so I arrive in the office in a still vaguely presentable state!

    Simon

    there's nowt wrong with that, I view any time on the bike as training and treat it as such but that doesn't mean everybody should. However if someone wants to know how to use their commute as oart of a training programme whether it be for sportives, racing or just generally improving their fitness the geek in me comes out :oops:
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,638
    Rich158 wrote:
    Here here, I ride the whole 6.7 miles at the speed (near enough) I'd do the first 6.7 miles of a 10 mile race (so no winding up at the end) so I arrive in the office in a still vaguely presentable state!

    Simon

    there's nowt wrong with that, I view any time on the bike as training and treat it as such but that doesn't mean everybody should. However if someone wants to know how to use their commute as oart of a training programme whether it be for sportives, racing or just generally improving their fitness the geek in me comes out :oops:

    Ta for the advice. It is as I had feared. Stupid bloody competitive streak. Oddly when I went for a ride with my brother the other day, I managed to only 'race' him two or three times in 30 miles. That that counts as an achievement shows that there is some way to go. :lol::(
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    I've lost my chest-strap transmitter thing for my Polar HR monitor. Can you get replacements. I accidentally pilfered one from the gym (this is the truth, it wasnt intentional theft) but it doesnt work with my watch.

    Id like to know more about HR training.
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    I've lost my chest-strap transmitter thing for my Polar HR monitor. Can you get replacements. I accidentally pilfered one from the gym (this is the truth, it wasnt intentional theft) but it doesnt work with my watch.

    Id like to know more about HR training.

    You should be able to get a replacement without too many problems. There are a couple of different types so check up which you need on the Polar website and order one from Wiggle. As for HR training there've been whole books written on the subject and there's a huge amount of information available on the internet. Rather than hijack this thread any more I'll start a seperate thread gining my two pennorth when I get a chance. I realy am a geek in this area so any questions just PM me
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    Thanks Rich.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    exercise is good hmmmkay.
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    edited August 2011
    Great how they don't define 'fast'. Do they mean 100RPM for half an hour or do they mean 15mph average? Typical almost scientific BS the not quite tabloids like to spout.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    Great how they don't define 'fast'. Do they mean 100RPM or do they mean 15mph average? Typical almost scientific BS the not quite tabloids like to spout.

    Fast enough to get your heart rate up to a certain % of its max I expect. i.e. cardio
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Define riding fast before saying that it is good. Fast as I see it isn't fast for someone else and what someone else thinks is fast I'd consider slow.

    The lack of understanding of basic scientific principle in the article is a reflection of Google's commentary on the UK's poor scientific standing on the World Stage.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    Define riding fast before saying that it is good. Fast as I see it isn't fast for someone else and what someone else thinks is fast I'd consider slow.

    The lack of understanding of basic scientific principle in the article is a reflection of Google's commentary on the UK's poor scientific standing on the World Stage.

    Not sure it really needs definition. Fast is by definition subjective, it is not absolute.

    As before
    Fast enough to get your heart rate up to a certain % of its max I expect. i.e. cardio zone
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo