Cycling V Running

[BillyJoe]

At least the weather should make the training a bit easier. Better winter than summer--yes?

I prefer the Summer.

Back when I used to run seriously I waited for two years for a 45 degree celsius day to run 10 km non-stop without even a drink stop. Any weather in Summer is good for running.
During Winter, rain is fine (provided you wear a golf had to keep it out of your eyes). Frost is okay after a couple of kilometers of running to thaw out your fingers. We've had a couple of those mornings already this week. But wind in Winter is the pits.

But if you go up the mountain look out for the snow

Actually, most years there is no snow on Donna Buang but, of course, this year there will be.

 

[BillyJoe]

Why don't you buy a set of rollers so you can ride inside? I rode on mine all winter and the difference at the start of the season was tremendous. I didn't lose my balance so much, and my erm, sensitive girly bits were more prepared for the strain.

Sounds like a good idea except....

Where do you set it up? Spare room? Garage? Verandah?
With four kids we don't have a spare room. My wife has taken over the garage for her work - it's full of computer bits and work benches! And we don't have a verandah. Still, where there's a will there's a way.....maybe I can figure something out with those computer bits.

You'll also need a heart rate monitor.

I seem to remember that you need to train at (220 - age) X 75%. Sound right?

 

[BillyJoe]

Actually, I find it quite easy to ride in the dark with the right equipment. I rode almost every day last winter (and I'm farther from the equator than you are, so we get even shorter days). The only thing that stops me is tons of snow on the bike paths - but I doubt that will be a problem for you! There are plenty of companies making good headlight sets for bicycles now, and those red LED blinky lights for the rear are cheap and work well. I've even made 3 or 4 sets of night-riding lights, including a white LED cluster, some medium-powered halogen lights, and a 20W halogen high-beam (for fast descents and attention-getting flashes in traffic).

Horses for courses, articbiker, but I can't even begin to think of doing that. Winter, night, wind, cold, traffic, flashing lights, frostbite......

But, no, we don't get snow, heavens to betsy, not even Mt. Donna Buang most years.

And riding at night can be extra fun! Especially if it's on technical single-track, when the only thing you can see around you is the section of trail ahead of you that's illuminated by your lights - it cuts out distractions and focuses your attention solely on what you need to see.

A technical single-track? You mean a bike track that goes round and round and up and down? None of those around here that I know of. Ever followed the black line at the bottom of a swimming pool?

But I know what you mean about focussing your attention. I find it in the rhythmic breathing and the foot striking on the pavement. Still, open to new ideas, perhaps I should see if I can flow into your groove.....if only I could find a "technical single track".

 

[BillyJoe]

....after one chilly ride to work this winter, I checked the temperature: -27C. Hence the user name.

MINUS TWENTY-SEVEN DEGREES !!!

Down here, you're a hero if there's a bit of frost on the grass!

 

[BillyJoe]

Oops, I donÂ’t mean to hijack, sorry BillyJoe.

Feel free (she's dying for you to )
No, seriously, Little meanderings here and there can make life a little more interesting

Here, to be on-topic I will show you how I extend my season by 8 to 10 weeks every year. Arcticbiker is right, singletrack at night is wonderful (albeit spooky when alone).

Okay.....you'll have to explain a little (perhaps the link is wrong).

 

[BillyJoe]

Yes, riding in those temperatures can be interesting - I can't wear glasses or goggles, as they frost up, so when I'm riding downhill, sometimes little drops of water on my eyelashes will freeze together, and to get my eyes open again I have to painfully yank the eyelashes apart (just using the eyelid muscles, as hands are inside huge mitts of course).

And this is your idea of fun?
Obviously, articbiker, you chose your name passionately.

Sorry for the hijack, BillyJoe.

"Hi Jac" is what I say as a greeting to my daughter Jacqui. Hijack away.

I can get you some information on making your own bike headlights if you's like, just let me know. It can be much cheaper than buying a set - the good ones cost over $150 here.

Well, I'm still keeping my options open but, hell, riding in the dark on cold, blustery Winter nights......it's going to take some getting my head around.
Thanks for the offer though, articbiker, I'll certainly keep it in mind if, unlikely as it seems at the moment, my head does turn around.

 

[bjornart]

MINUS TWENTY-SEVEN DEGREES !!!

Down here, you're a hero if there's a bit of frost on the grass!

Wuss. I rode my bike to work every day this winter, and even though it didn't get down to -27, it did get down below -15 for two weeks, and down to -20 on a couple of days. I only have 4 km to work, but riding downhill in -20 C really chills your face.

I'm not going on no 210 km bicycle race, ever, but I decided yesterday to start working up for the 60 km trip to my grandma, and at the same time see if there was a route straight over the hill and through the forest (cutting 10 km off that 60) I was going to turn back after an hour, but I hadn't determined if the route existed. I ended up following that route, and going back the long way to avoid going back up the really steep hills at the end. I came home after 5 hours and 70 km and was totally exhausted. I'm not trying the trip to grandma until I've had a couple of more reasonable test runs. And on those I'm bringing more drink and something to eat!

Oh, and those rollers scare me. "Fall" off at top speed and you crash straight into a wall, or worse if you've put it somewhere stupid.

 

[BillyJoe]

Wuss. I rode my bike to work every day this winter, and even though it didn't get down to -27, it did get down below -15 for two weeks, and down to -20 on a couple of days. I only have 4 km to work, but riding downhill in -20 C really chills your face.

Yeah well, careful of that nose, the wind might just chill it clean off your face.

I'm not going on no 210 km bicycle race, ever....

Wuss.

I came home after 5 hours and 70 km and was totally exhausted.

Wuss.
80 km in under 4.5 hours and feeling good.

Oh, and those rollers scare me. "Fall" off at top speed and you crash straight into a wall, or worse if you've put it somewhere stupid.

There's a grassy patch overlooking a lime quarry a few minutes from here. I'll set one up for you so you can show us just what exactly you mean.


BTW, hope you make it to your Granny's.....you know.....the one with the big ears, eyes and teeth.

regards,
BillyJoe.

 

[arcticbiker]

Wuss. I rode my bike to work every day this winter, and even though it didn't get down to -27, it did get down below -15 for two weeks, and down to -20 on a couple of days. I only have 4 km to work, but riding downhill in -20 C really chills your face.

Hey, I'm not crazy - below about -18C, I use a full-face neoprene mask (the only thing left exposed are my eyes). at -27C with a 30km/hr wind, you'd get frostbite in seconds - and I don't want my nose to fall off just yet!


I'm not going on no 210 km bicycle race, ever, but I decided yesterday to start working up for the 60 km trip to my grandma, and at the same time see if there was a route straight over the hill and through the forest (cutting 10 km off that 60) I was going to turn back after an hour, but I hadn't determined if the route existed. I ended up following that route, and going back the long way to avoid going back up the really steep hills at the end. I came home after 5 hours and 70 km and was totally exhausted. I'm not trying the trip to grandma until I've had a couple of more reasonable test runs. And on those I'm bringing more drink and something to eat!

I've ridden 250km so far this week (since Monday morning), but I did work up to that - around March I was only riding 20km/day. And yes, on longer rides it is very important to eat and especially drink - performance plummets if you get dehydrated.


Oh, and those rollers scare me. "Fall" off at top speed and you crash straight into a wall, or worse if you've put it somewhere stupid.
I've fallen off of rollers before - it's really not that bad. The angular momentum stored in the wheels isn't enough to catapult you forward much! I fell off on carpet, and the tires just burned a couple of patches where they skidded to a stop. It's best to put them beside a wall or somewhere you have something beside you to hang onto as you're getting up to speed.

 

[Phaycops]

Sounds like a good idea except....

Where do you set it up? Spare room? Garage? Verandah?
With four kids we don't have a spare room. My wife has taken over the garage for her work - it's full of computer bits and work benches! And we don't have a verandah. Still, where there's a will there's a way.....maybe I can figure something out with those computer bits.

Rollers fold up when you're not using them, and they're only as long as your bike, perhaps about 18 inches wide. So, anywhere you can stand your bike up (preferably with a wall to catch yourself on!) you can roll. I ride in my bedroom, living room and computer room all the time. It depends on what I feel like doing. I knew a guy who took his rollers and bike on business trips so he could ride in his hotel room. Be warned, though, that they do make a measure of noise, so you don't want to be riding them at midnight

I seem to remember that you need to train at (220 - age) X 75%. Sound right?

That's the formula for your maximum heart rate. Depending on what your goals are (better sprinting, better climbing, better endurance, etc.), you'll train at a percentage of your max heart rate for different times on different days. It sounds really intimidating, but there are a lot of resources online, and your local bicycle shop should be able to help you out, too.

 

[BillyJoe]

Rollers fold up when you're not using them, and they're only as long as your bike, perhaps about 18 inches wide. So, anywhere you can stand your bike up (preferably with a wall to catch yourself on!) you can roll. I ride in my bedroom, living room and computer room all the time. It depends on what I feel like doing.

We've just moved into a house with new carpets and "floating" floor boards. Are the rollers likely to cause any damage?

I knew a guy who took his rollers and bike on business trips so he could ride in his hotel room. Be warned, though, that they do make a measure of noise, so you don't want to be riding them at midnight

What, louder than some other nocturnal activities?

That's the formula for your maximum heart rate [(220 - age) X 75%.]. Depending on what your goals are (better sprinting, better climbing, better endurance, etc.), you'll train at a percentage of your max heart rate for different times on different days.

I thought the formulae for maximum heart rate was (220 - age) and that you should train at about 75% of your maximum heart rate.

edit: This link suggests a few different ways of calculating maximum heart rate......

The easiest and best known method to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to use the formula 220-age. A paper by Londeree and Moeschberger from the University of Missouri-Columbia indicates that the MHR varies mostly with age, but the relationship is not a linear one. They suggest an alternative formula of 206.3 - (0.711 * age). Similarly, Miller et al from Indiana University propose the formula 217- (0.85 * age) as a suitable formula to calculate MHR.

Depending on what your goals are (better sprinting, better climbing, better endurance, etc.), you'll train at a percentage of your max heart rate for different times on different days.

Did you mean "train at a different percentage of your max heart rate for different times on different days"?

Thanks,
BillyJoe

 

[Phaycops]

We've just moved into a house with new carpets and "floating" floor boards. Are the rollers likely to cause any damage?

Not that I know of. If you're concerned about the vibrations, there are pads you can buy to put under them. Alternatively and cheaper are the locking together "anti-fatigue" foam mats that you can probably pick up at a home center.

What, louder than some other nocturnal activities?

Hehehehe! Actually, it's only really really loud if you use knobby tires. Use slick tires and it's just sort of a pervasive humming whirring kind of noise.

I thought the formulae for maximum heart rate was (220 - age) and that you should train at about 75% of your maximum heart rate.

edit: This link suggests a few different ways of calculating maximum heart rate......

Right you are. My bad. I didn't read carefully and missed the 75% part.

Did you mean "train at a different percentage of your max heart rate for different times on different days"?

Thanks,
BillyJoe

Yup. I really would suggest picking up an issue of a cycling magazine, or buying a book on how to train. It's not hard, it just takes dedication and motivation. Yup, look at me post here and not train Where did I put my motivation again? Oh, yeah, I think I stuck it in that matchbook over there when it started raining and dropped back down to 45(F). Sigh.

 

[BillyJoe]

Phaycops,

I think I have the motivation. Time is my big problem. If I didn't have to sleep 6 hours a night I'd be laughing. Rather than a lack of motivation I have to be careful I don't lapse into a state of fanaticism. I did that with my running a long time ago and more recently in responding in this forum. There are other things that need doing and other people who need satisfying.

Thanks for your input and advice,

BillyJoe.

 

[OrneryPest]

Re: cycling vs running

If you run a lot, you're in shape, but you'll need to do quite a lot of cycling just to get used to sitting on the bike and using the muscles in the particular pattern demanded by cycling.