Monthly Archives: January 2016

The Simple Pursuit of Cycling

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On the face of it, cycling is a simple pursuit; man and machine in harmony.  Technology has enhanced the experience, providing us with feedback every inch of the way, but in doing so it’s introduced complexity.  Have we lost the connection by staying connected?

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.”
John F Kennedy

Cycling outside…

When I ride I use a Garmin Cycling Computer to capture some basic information; GPS tracks my journey, recording undulations and forward motion.  It also records each turn of the wheel, and every turn of the pedals; a magnet on the rear wheel beats out a rhythm reflecting distance and speed, while a similar magnet on the pedal indicates cadence.  A monitor on the frame “listens” for movement, broadcasting every action.

I also wear a Heart Rate Monitor to make sure I exercise within reasonable limits.  This, too, broadcasts to the Garmin, allowing it to record my exertion.

Of course, when I’m on the road I take my smartphone with me, “just in case”, but it’s generally double-bagged to keep it dry and kept safely tucked away.

When I finish a ride I connect my Garmin to my laptop to upload details of the ride to Strava, where I record all my activity and share what I’ve been up to with the outside world.

You would think that riding in the garage, protected from the elements, without any physical movement would simplify things, but instead things have got a lot more complicated…

In the garage…

The Turbo Trainer introduces another set of gadgets.  It is controlled by a display unit that sits neatly on the handlebars.  It provides me with feedback on my ride, cadence, speed, heart rate, etc. but I only really use it to control resistance.

In order to give my rides some structure and make them a bit more interesting I have subscribed to Zwift.  It provides a virtual cycling environment, as well as lots of fellow cyclists to “ride” with.  As well as tracking my ride, it also provides me with feedback on my performance.  An Ant+ dongle connects the Garmin to my laptop, transferring all the details, so I can view speed, cadence, heart rate and estimated power on the screen.

Zwift uses an App to turn my smartphone into a control unit so I can control elements of my ride, choose when to turn and interact with other riders (not that I generally do either as I find it a huge distraction when I’m trying to focus on riding).

When I finish my rides Zwift automatically syncs with Strava, safely recording my efforts.

Cycling Connections

My Cycling Connections

Just in case I don’t have enough feedback, I was given a FitBit for Christmas.  This records all sorts of interesting information about me throughout the day; physical activity, sleep, heart rate, etc.  Handy!

So, this simple pursuit is now supported by a spaghetti of cables, 5 display units, and an array of recording devices.  A failed connection, or the briefest of power outages can result in chaos… and often does.

Perhaps it’s time to de-clutter and get back to basics?

T minus 100 days and counting…

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This weekend I trained alone.

I decided to give my imaginary training partner, Major Tim Peake, the weekend off following the excitement of Friday.  For him, running on a treadmill must be a bit of a come-down having just returned from a walk in outer space, but I don’t imagine there’s much that could follow the experience without falling a bit flat.

As imaginary training partners go, Major Tim is in relatively good shape and doesn’t need a huge amount of rest, but I thought he might appreciate a weekend with his feet up.

Major Tim’s last outing… a short walk in outer space (Copyright NASA)

Tim’s attention can now return to the serious matter of preparing for the London Marathon.  It’s now less than 100 days until the big event, which also means it’s only 14 weeks until my first big challenge of the year, the Etape Loch Ness.

Like thousands of others, the challenges of the 24th April have kept me motivated through the dark winter months.  Many will be dreaming of running up The Mall to the adulation of an adoring crowd; I’m just thinking about hitting the bottom of the climb out of Fort Augustus, and fighting my way to the summit.

The end of the Etape Loch Ness was inspired by the end of the London Marathon

I’ve set myself the goal of completing the event in under 4 hours; beating last years’ time by about 30 minutes.

I’ve also got half an eye on beating Major Tim’s London Marathon time, but there are a couple of major variables to consider:  (1) How does 6 months in orbit, and being strapped to a treadmill on the International Space Station, affect your marathon performance? and, probably more importantly, (2) What will the weather be like in Inverness?  It’s the North of Scotland… after all!

So, it’s time to knuckle down and get on with the preparation. I hope Major Tim has enjoyed his weekend off, but it’s back to work tomorrow.

Learning to ride again… an introduction to rollers

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When I re-discovered cycling in the summer of 2013 my journey started in the garage on a Turbo Trainer.  Given my low level of fitness and the number of years it’d been since I’d been on a bike, the Turbo Trainer seemed like a safe way to get back into the saddle.

(Here’s a link to the original post:  http://wp.me/p3EYll-6F)

It’s easy to forget, but another major reason I started on the Turbo Trainer was because we live at the top of a relatively steep hill – I just wasn’t able to safely make it home safely.  Even today the hill is a sting in the tail for every ride but it’s become part of the “fun”.

Having “put my feet up” after Ride the North 2014 and spent months trying to regain my fitness, I was keen to keep fit throughout the winter this year.  Recognising the Turbo Trainer offers a limited cycling experience I decided to mix things up a bit by introducing a set of Rollers into the regime…

cycleops-rollers-02

As soon as you’re able to ride a bike I guess you must forget the feelings of insecurity and fear that accompany learning to ride a bike.  As far as I can tell, getting on a bike on a set of Rollers for the first time opens a wormhole back to those long repressed feelings!  It really is like learning to ride again!  The guy in the following video looks how I felt… decidedly wobbly!

Fortunately it didn’t take too long to get rolling, but I’ve still got a long way to go.  To start with, changing hand positions was a big deal, and it’s taken me about a month to get “comfortable” removing a hand to take a drink.

Standing up is still beyond me.  My first attempt, which in retrospect was attempted way too soon, resulted in a “video moment” and a slightly tweaked hamstring.  It still seems to make the front wheel bounce wildly out of control, with disastrous consequences.

My inability to stand creates the biggest limitation of the Rollers as I’m unable to adopt a position that gives my “seat” a rest… I currently reach my discomfort threshold after about 60 minutes, resulting in enforced (literal) comfort breaks.

One of the reasons for introducing the Rollers into the routine was to make the indoor cycling experience a bit more realistic, and better preparation for returning to the great outdoors.  As well as working my legs, it gives my core a better work-out than on the Turbo Trainer.  In theory my form should also improve on the Rollers, but I’ve got no idea how I’d know whether it is or not!

Having had a look around, there is some evidence that spending some time on the Rollers can increase one’s repertoire of skills.  Take a look at this…

But it’ll be a little while before I try this…

Overall, I’d say the introduction of the Rollers has been positive move.  Sometimes it’s nice just to go for a spin and to feel like you’re moving.  They certainly offer some variety from the Turbo Trainer and, like cycling outside, there’s always an element of danger, particularly if you lose concentration. That said, there’s plenty of advice out there on how to minimise the risk.  Personally, I’d suggest you look at the following video to see how not to do it!

Happy Rolling!

Starfish on a beach

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Although postings to the Blog might suggest otherwise, Ride the North 2014 didn’t finish me off.  It wasn’t even the end of a blossoming cycling career   However, in retrospect, it did mark the end of a phase of my life. 

The year after my Heart Attack was one of significant change.  Fortunately it concluded with everything in much better shape than when it started.  Although I tried to look forward and “fight”, I think there was a considerable amount of “flight” in the mix.

I think I proved something to myself by successfully concluding my first summer of cycling.  The fear slowly dissipated over time.

… and so I gave myself a break.

Despite taking things a little easier, I have continued to be active and keep fit   I have also managed to maintain some of the better habits I developed.  I’ve started 2016 in better shape than I was a year ago, and I’m excited about taking on some more physical challenges (some familiar and some new).

Occasionally I receive emails from people who have stumbled across the Blog, have recognised some similarities or warning signs, and decided to do something about it.  I’m really happy to be able to make a difference, even a small one.  As a result, I’ve decided to start posting a bit more regularly, even if it’s just to let people know that I’m still here.