If it ain't got that cadence it don't mean a thing.

[f4f3]

Working from home yesterday meant I could sneak in some exercise at lunchtime.
So I decided to find out how far I could cycle on my new, lighter bike in one hour.
I always thought my average cycling speed was around 10 miles an hour. Then I went for my three day ride up hill and down dale, and it turned out to be about 8 miles an hour. We live and learn.
That was on a touring bike, though, with panniers and, as mentioned, some pretty steep hills. I was curious to see what I could do on the flat, more or less, and carrying no luggage.
Luckily, Great Western Road passes near my flat. It's a wide, though busy, road that goes by the name of The Boulevard or, if you're being romantic, The Road To The Isles. It goes from the centre of Glasgow out to Loch Lomond and then all the way north to Inverness. I didn't think I'd get that far, not during my lunchtime, but I set my trip computer and set off to cycle for 30 minutes then turn around and come home. I had no real idea how far I'd get. There's a shopping centre about 5 miles away, and I hoped I'd get as far as that. As it turns out, I did a little better and managed almost 13 miles in just under an hour. My average speed was 12.9 mph which was a tiny bit frustrating since I like round numbers.
I'm fairly pleased with that. I think I can go faster, since the run was pretty much stop/go with all the traffic lights, and I didn't really keep up my momentum. On the other hand, I felt pretty knackered when I got back. This is pretty reasonable - although the new bike is a few kg lighter than the old one, all the motive power is still coming from me, and I'm obviously burning the calories faster the more quickly I ride.
Next plan is to get the bike to Arrochar, and ride down the side of Loch Lomond for an hour. The stretch from Tarbet to Cameron House is 16 miles, more or less, and though it isn't as flat as the Boulevard, there are no traffic lights.

That will need to wait until this weekend, though, and I really should get to the gym before then. My weight has started to creep up again, and I know fine well that exercise is the only thing that gets me lighter in the long term. I'm still a stone less than I was at my heaviest, but I'd be happier if I dropped another stone. So hey, ho, and on with the cross training...

Comments

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

Are you comparing sprint performance with longer stage performance here? Is that fair? Or was that what you wanted to find out?



I remember when I was a school kid in Townsville riding to school.

At the first school I went to there were two routes. One was flat but longer following the inner ringroad. The other about one third of the way up the hill in the middle of the town and then down the other side. If you timed it right you could free wheel from the brow of the hill about 3 miles to the school gates. Which was lots of fun.

When I changed schools there was really only one route to my new school. It was the other way along the inner ringroad. One section was a long curve with a slightly downward gradient. There was a guy who used to ride a scooter to work and if you timed it right you could over take him. Which we used to do in convoys of up to a dozen. Which was good fun in a slightly mocking kind of a way.

I’m thinking of buying an exercise bike so I’m fit enough to keep up with you.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I was looking to find out what I could do on the flat over an hour. Which I suppose is a sprint for some people, but it's life and death to me.

And just thinking about getting an exercise bike probably makes you fitter than me.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

I’m currently taking the Captain to and from Rugbytots by bike.

The distance is 2.7 miles. I’m doing it in between 15 and 20 minutes. If 15 mintues, a not terrible 10.8 miles an hour. If 20 a more sedate 8.1. The route is fairly hilly and the Captain is a stout wee chap.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

I want something I can use whilst watching detective things on TV with MLW. That way I can do half an hour every evening and it will take me half an hour rather than having to go somewhere to do something.

Some form of exercise bike seems to fit.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Good on you.

I used to cycle from Bearsden into Glasgow, as a student. I think my family would have had me sectioned, it seemed like such strange unfeminine behaviour. Whereas waiting for the bus in the cold is very girly.

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

I am in awe of your cycling adventures - the up and down hills thing it tiring to read about, let alone contemplate doing.

The lad tracks each of his trips each day on Strava, and is constantly trying to outdo himself (and everyone else, for that matter).He does the 7 miles to work and then home again each day - I think he's crazy.

My cycling ambition extends no further than getting my back stable enough to be able to actually sit on one and pedal gently far enough to get to the local station when we move house (or even to the local pub, which will be about 1.2 miles away).

Good luck in the battle with the cross-trainer (why is it cross - did someone upset it?).

:)

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an excellent piece of exercise.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Yes - the time surrounding the actual physical activity is what stopped me doing fencing, and has cut way back on my gym and badminton time. The moment I step on the bike my exercise starts, and I can cycle off for 30 minutes, turn around and cycle back, and I have an hour's exercise in the time it takes me to get to and from the gym.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I cycled out to Bearsden at the weekend, and it was a lot easier coming back than it was going.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

A-B cycling is the very jinkies: I'll be working my bike into my commute as much as I can.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

It's nice. It feels like a nice mix of up hill and relatively flat cardio. Also, lovely scenery. Meadows and then Holyrood Park.

Five and half miles round trip with three quarters of an hour of helping the Captain with rugby.

I need to be doing that every day though - hence the exercise bike.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

My limitation with the bike - especially in winter - is that the best time to do it - early evening - is Captain time.

I need to have a think about how I integrate more exercise into my life.