This morning I rode Stoke loop #2 in reverse, via Beech extension #1 (a different way of reaching the Yarnfield roundabout – this adds 1 mile and means more climbing straight off). I set the HRM to 150 max after reading Joe Beer’s zoning article which indicates that Zone 1 is 60-80% of HRmax. 150 isn’t 80% of my max, but setting an upper limit at 140 was leaving me feeling cold on the bike, so considering it was 3 degrees out today, I upped it.
Even though I was riding harder, the ride took 2hrs 45mins, 5 mins longer than when I rode loop #2 on Christmas Eve. I did extend the route, and put more hills in as a result, but even so it was surprising. I did also have to deal with some pretty strong headwinds though so perhaps they were a major factor.
Felt good though. Compared to 140 max, riding at 150 max results in:
I was in a happy relationship with my Wilier Mortirolo Veloce 2007 for a year after we got together. Then I went to France and picked up / rode / stroked Joe’s Trek Madone 6.9. Suddenly the Wilier felt decidedly hefty…
The trouble with cycling is that the more you ride the more you demand from your bike, and the more performance you realise can be delivered by a lighter, more expensive machine.
But for sure I still like my bike. At 16 months old the drivetrain is getting a bit sticky, but other than that it still feels stiff, responsive and flickable. The time is ripe for a series of upgrades to take the Wilier to the next level – so it’s heartening to read the bikeradar.com review of the 2008 version of my bike.
2008 model
I quote (note the ‘Veloce version’ refers to my bike):
The Wilier’s frame is absolutely first class…
Although it doesn’t perform quite as well as the Veloce version we tested last year, our Mirage-equipped Wilier displays most of the same fundamental traits. The overall ride feel is fairly aggressive and when you push harder you get an instant response whether you’re on flat roads or climbing. Put the hammer down for an all-out sprint and the Mortirolo is up for that too, and it takes on corners in the same assured manner. On top of all that, descending is sure-footed enough to inspire bags of confidence, the steering is bang on and it smooths out rough surfaces without ever a second thought.
If we do have a negative comment, it’s that the Wilier is under-specced for the quality of its frame. The positive spin on that, though, is that if you do decide to buy this bike, you could gradually upgrade the components as they wear out without much danger of out-classing the chassis.
I’m replacing my Ultra Gators, which I’ve been running since June-ish. I’m getting more Ultra Gators, because they’re:
cheap
pretty light
pretty fast
pretty puncture resistant
But I am having to replace them after 6 months. Is that as good as it gets?
Basically once the tyre is ripped, the rip sucks up tiny shards of flint that mean flatting in the same spot again and again. Apparently the way to avoid the rip in the first place is to always inflate to 110-120 psi…
I plan to try and determine my max heart rate early in the new year, to make my zone training more accurate. Here’s a method I could use:
If you want to actually reckon your max heart rate on the bike, it’s easy: simply warm up with 10 to 15 minutes of easy pedalling, and then ride ‘full-blast’ at nearly maximal power output (while maintaining an optimal rpm of 90 to 95 or so) for two minutes. ‘Spin’ easily against little resistance for 60 to 75 seconds, and then pedal at maximal capacity for two more minutes. Your heart rate should almost ‘top out’ after this second two-minute surge (make sure you get your doctor’s permission before you try this, however).
I’m at home at my parents’ place in Stoke, flushing my system of party toxins and doing some easy base training.
The above 18-miler took 75 mins setting a limit of 140 beats per minute on the HRM. On 26/12 I did it in 70 mins on the same upper limit, despite a sore throat.
Incidentally my current weight is 11st 12 – 5-6 pounds over my Southern Sportive form.
Photographer Ben Ingham shot these images of the Rapha team on a late-season training camp in the Swiss Alps. Loving the moody black and white, wishing I was there.
Last Christmas I was the lucky recipient of the above Merino wool base layer from Howies. It saw me through last winter, and it’s seeing me through this one. It’s an awesome product: comfortable, warm when dry, warm when wet. The most amazing thing is that you can wear it for a week and it doesn’t smell. Other tops hum after 30 minutes – this just defies belief.
Charge Bikes have created a viral video stream on Vimeo - an excellent video-sharing service that beats YouTube on video quality, web design and user interface, more of which on the web blog – featuring a character called Shyhop. Here are the first 2 episodes:
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