Tag Archives: Turbo Trainer

The Simple Pursuit of Cycling

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.

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?

Surf’s up!

The biggest hurdle

Positive Feedback

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I broke my personal best for 40km on the bike today. Actually it’s the third or fourth time I’ve done it over the past month. In reality I know it’s all relatively arbitrary as all my recent cycling has been done on the Turbo Trainer so, to a degree, I can control how easy or hard the miles are.

That said, I’m always eager to see how far I’ve managed to “get” when I finish each session… to see if my Garmin Bike Computer has any new records to report.

Competitiveness is a bit of a double edged sword for me. I will only get stronger and fitter if I push myself, but I have to make sure I stay within safe limits… my maximum Heart Rate is still only 118, and I don’t think will ever change. So, I find myself in a constant balancing act between my Heart, my Legs and my Head… which will be the weakest link on any given day is anyone’s guess!

For me, having a Heart Attack hasn’t dampened my competitive spirit. In fact the exercise I have been doing as a result has probably made me more competitive, if only by the fact that I am now fit enough to compete again!

What I really need to do now is to focus my competitiveness on going long rather than deep… I need to build stamina rather than power, for distance rather than speed. This is not what I’m naturally inclined towards but it’ll benefit my “engine” (Heart Healthiness) and lay the foundations for the challenges to come in 2014.

A funky seat will make all the difference!

For the time being, there’s plenty of scope for me to set many more personal bests… I’m still very much at the novice stage. In time my rests will get shorter and the need to give my derrière a break will (hopefully!) abate. As a result, I should improve without having to dig too deep.

So I will continue to watch the Garmin with interest, because despite the fact that we know it’s a little childish it’s always good to get a bit of positive feedback, even if it is from a Bike Computer!

(Not) Hitting the wall

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I sometimes worry about the frame of my Turbo Trainer failing and me being catapulted into the wall of my office at 25-30 miles an hour…

… but I’ll take my chances.

I am definitely an indoor cyclist at the moment. I’m clocking up the miles on my Turbo Trainer, without moving an inch (and long may it stay that way!). Cycling standing still.

Not the most glamorous location, but it works!

I’m sure the cyclist purists wouldn’t approve, but it’s a convenient way for me to get regular exercise. It will also help build the strength in my legs and my “engine”. Given I had precisely zero miles under my belt in July, every little helps.

The weather really hasn’t been conducive to getting outside either, so this is what it has to be. Having negotiated the winter solstice, the days will start to get longer again offering the promise of evening outside on the bike… in time.

Working out on the Turbo Trainer is different to cycling outside in many ways:

Firstly, you have to pedal continuously as you don’t get any benefit from free-wheeling. This means continuous pressure and continuous effort. A good, controlled work out is guaranteed!

Unexpected Turbo Trainer incidents to one side, it’s obviously safer. It’s very hard to fall off a fixed bike, and there isn’t any traffic to negotiate. Being seen isn’t an issue and there’s no need to navigate pot-holes, ice or any other obstacles that may present themselves.

A very high tech set-up… the picnic table and cardboard box work a treat!

When you’re standing still you obviously don’t get any wind resistance or experience any friction from the road. This makes clocking up the miles a bit easier. The difference when cycling outside amazing, particularly the impact of dodgy road surfaces.

It feels much hotter cycling inside. That sounds a bit silly as it is much warmer, but without a cooling breeze to help moderate the temperature, the only outlet is sweat. I sweat a lot. A variety of towels have been commandeered to help fight back. It’s really not a pretty sight!

One of the areas that concerns me a bit is that I’m not getting a chance to build my bike handling skills. As a result, I’m less elegant and generally more of a liability when I get outside. I just have to gain comfort from the fact that this will come in time. The more time I can spend outside when I finally get there, the better.

Finally, and importantly for me, working out at home eliminates all concerns about me experiencing issues when I’m out and about cycling on my own. Fortunately I haven’t experienced any problems yet, but the concern is always there (for others as well as myself). Being within earshot gives everyone an increased level of comfort.

The Euro City Cycle in May has given me a real focus. When I first decided to do it, it seemed like a HUGE challenge. I’m feeling increasingly confident that I’m going to be physically capable of completing the 300 miles over 4 days. The fact that I can continue to train despite the worst the winter weather can throw at me is a real bonus.

Happy cranking!

An “and” day

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Recently I’ve been trying to be more of an “and” person rather than an “or” person…

We spend a lot of time and energy making difficult decisions, forcing ourselves to choose between different options, working around the constraints. Often we forget that there may be an option that allows us to do both… “and” rather than “or”… all we need is to be positive and think a bit differently.

Working on the principle of “and”, today was my first double exercise day…

Monday’s have become my designated rest day – I’m always tired after the weekend. It takes me a day to properly get back into the swing of a working week. So, I don’t do any exercise on a Monday. Hopefully this allows my body to properly recover and set me up for the rest of the week.

A cold, dark and very frosty start to the day!

Having had a day off, I set my alarm early this morning so I could swim before work. I left the house to be greeted by a heavy frost, the first of the winter. As well as double exercise, it turned out to be a double scrape day – I had to scrape the windshield before I could head to the pool, and again after my swim before I could head off to work. Great!

Louise (my wife) was also faced with a frozen car as she set off to take the girls to school. I have agreed to clear the garage to create space for her to get the car in, making the school run as straightforward as possible. Unfortunately the arrival of winter has beaten me to the punch. I now need to pull my finger out and clear space for the car… space that is currently occupied by my bike and Turbo Trainer.

It did turn into a beautiful day… if a little chilly!

Using the principle of “and”, this does not mean that I will lose the use of my bike. I just need to find the next best place to locate it. Fortunately, there are a couple of options inside the house. The main considerations will be (1) to keep it out of the way and (2) to minimise the chances of me over-heating when riding. There’s the minor consideration of sweat and oil pollution too, but I’m hoping a couple of towels and some carpet offcuts will do the trick there!

In the immediate term the bike will stay where it is. Shifting the kit around can be something to look forward to doing at the weekend. So, I successfully completed my ride, and my double exercise day – a ride and a swim.

Another minor milestone (FD +47)

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I feel like I’m making real progress on the exercise front. Some of it is down to exercising. Some of it is down to understanding the kit and exercising better.

Although I’m still a complete novice, I feel like I’m in a position to provide some advice on cycling (at least cycling in my garage):

Cycling Lesson 1: It hurts less if you have the right kit!

The shorts, gloves and shoes all made a substantial difference to last nights “ride”. Why didn’t I think of it earlier!

Yesterday saw the introduction of another training aid too…

I got a tip from a guy at work to try out a Sufferfest video. Specialising in Cycling Training Videos, they have the motto:

“I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow” (IWBMATTKYT for short)

They have a range of “entertaining” videos targeted at the stationary cyclist market. They create training sessions where you follow / copy / compete with professional cyclists performing in competitions (World Championships, Tour De France, etc., listening to fast music, and following instructions “shouted” out via text on the computer screen.

It might sound strange, but the videos provide some useful pointers for the novice cyclist and also create a major distraction from the clock. In my limited experience, the biggest challenge with inside cycling is clock watching. Every minute seems to last forever!

For me the intention is clearly not to have a Sufferfest, in fact not to suffer at all! That’s not really what my exercise is about right now. For me I’m treating it more as a Recoverfest (Trade Mark pending!).

Irrespective of what the on-screen cyclist does, or the instructions I’m given, the Heart Monitor is the most critical piece of equipment for me. Keeping below my 118 bpm threshold is essential.

In time, I’m looking forward to testing / pushing the boundaries, but I have to keep reminding myself that I’m still only in week 3 of Cardiac Rehabilitation. Much as it would be nice to kick Bradley Wiggins’ ass in a Time Trial (albeit virtual), my goal has to be to put in the miles, to get myself fit and strong, to lay the foundation for the future.

Anyway, the video worked for me. I would highly recommend checking out The Sufferfest if you’ve not discovered them already.

Breaking news…

All the exercise and hard work has resulted in another minor milestone for me at Cardiac Rehabilitation today…

drum roll…

wait for it…

I was allowed to jog on the treadmill!!!

I’ve got another 5 weeks of Rehab to go. I’m hoping I might be able to fly by the end of it!

Someone’s going to get hurt!

Little things to be proud of

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I (not so) casually dropped in to my last post that I had collected a Turbo Trainer (TT) and done my first cycling session. Before I could use it, it had to be assembled. Joy!

At the shop where I collected the TT, I departed to the following words from the helpful assistant: “You’ll probably exhaust yourself just trying to put that together!” (chuckle, chuckle). Great! Marvellous!

I wouldn’t say I’m particularly good with my hands. I don’t get a lot of practice (out of choice). Most manual activities usually involve a disproportionate amount of bad language and sweat that is inconsistent with the physical effort expected.

Within that context, I would say there are two things that I’ve historically been particularly unsuccessful with:

Following instructions
Bikes

So I was clearly set up for success!

Welcome to my world!

As far as instructions are concerned, I’m a bloke. Instructions are there to help you unpick problems, to confirm you’ve made a mistake, to compare your attempt to, or to retrospectively understand the criticality of the red writing on the label marked “IMPORTANT”.

I find bikes fiddly. My main experiences have been with brake adjustments, tweaks to gears and tyres / inner tubes. All of them have been disappointingly unsatisfying and much harder work than they should have been. I’m sure there’s a “knack”, but I don’t have it (in fact I had to check the dictionary to see how it’s spelt!).

Having got the TT home and unpacked it, I did the grown up thing… I sat down and read the instructions! Ten single sentence lines and some incomprehensible diagrams. Still, it appeared that as long as I could accurately measure the wheel of the bike (and didn’t drop / damage the “important bit”), nothing could go wrong.

And so, to the source of my pride… after less than 2 hours, and without having to take the whole thing apart to start again, I managed to build the TT. (To be honest, I did have to measure the wheel multiple times… I knew it was important, but couldn’t get the “fine tuning” to work for quite a while!)

Construction is generally easier if performed under sterile conditions

I know it’s a small thing, sad even, but in my book assembling something without destroying it, even in a small way, should always be a cause for celebration.

Although I may be grimacing and cursing when I’m riding the bike, there will forever be a small smile (on the inside) because I managed to get this far in the first place!

Happy assembling!

Try something new

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Personally, I’m still waiting for the magic!

Apparently “trying something new” is good for you… keeping you young at heart, pushing back the boundaries of boredom, interested and interesting.

I don’t think the “Live a little… have a heart attack!” T-Shirts will fly off the shelves, but there’s certainly been quite a lot new in my life over the past few weeks. You wouldn’t expect to find many of the things I’ve been introduced to on anyone’s “101 things to do before you die” list, but they’ve certainly set things in an unexpected and different direction,

Today was somewhat of an exception as there was an element of planning involved… I collected a Turbo Trainer and introduced a bike into my exercise regime.

The humble beginnings of a beautiful relationship with a bicycle

I continue to exercise regularly. Having returned to work, and working my way back towards full days, I have cut back to one exercise session a day. My staple exercise is still walking, but I’m slowly expanding my repertoire. Cardiac Rehabilitation has introduced me to a range of exercises. As I get stronger, I can (very slowly!) expand my horizons.

The whole exercise thing is strange for me though…

I was fit in my youth. I did a lot of sport. I trained 5 days a week for athletics, travelling miles to train, compete and get fixed (at the physio). I reached quite a high standard. We trained properly. It was fun but serious (to us at least).

Before I left University I got lazy as far as physical exercise was concerned. There’s been the occasional burst of activity since (a tennis season in Bahrain, 5-a-side Football, a Squash ladder), but nothing sustained… few and far between.

Coming back to it now is bizarre. Mentally I’m still where I was when I was a fit 18 year old. Physically I’m a complete mess… weak and unfit… and that was before the Heart Attack!

I’m going to have to very slowly build my fitness back up. Balancing the desire to do more, with the need to look after my heart. One step at a time.

I’m still looking for a long term challenge… cycling is a tempting option: a weekend in the Alps with the boys, part of the peloton for a couple of days.

At the moment however I wouldn’t even be able to make it home if I headed out on a bike (our house is at the top of a hill). So today I started putting in the hours (well half an hour at least). Stationary. In the garage. Plodding (if it’s possible to plod on a bike!)