new clydesdale in the stable

[Hulkonabike]

hi everyone let me give you a quick run of where i am as of cycling stats. I started mid summer b/c of a race i found out for cancer care so i decided to do it for my grandfather who was battling cancer at the time. i started off being 225lbs and only able to do 7miles on an exercise bike for 30mins.
today im at about 203lbs and am up to about 10-11miles in 30mins on the exercise bike. im going to school for exercise studies and possibly PT. we were doing tests in class about anaerobic thresholds and VO2 maxs. i did the test on the bike and my results were a little weird which is why i am askin you guys to possible help me out.
i want to continue training to not only better my times but next year compete in a 50mile race.(the race i did was 25mile finished in 1hr and 33mins). according to the results from testing, i showed 2 THRESHOLDS! there was great debate over why i had this and i was wondering for some help. where should i be training to raise these thresholds and possibly a good wattage to use. also what are some of your guys VO2 maxes? (mine was 43.8)

 

[BHOFM]

To start with, most ex-bikes are much harder to pedal than a real bike. I can do 15mph average on my
bike, but on the ex-bike 9 to 10 is my best. I can bike for hours but thirty minutes on the ex-bike is
about all I can muster.

If you just started and can do a 17mph average you are doing great.

It takes time and don't set your short term goals too high. Think long term and the short ones
will get there before you know it..

I started in May struggling to do five miles. Worked up slowly and one day I found I could set
a medium pace and just keep going, I finally got to 40 miles one day and ended that day over
50. a few weeks later I just went for a early Sunday ride and about ten hours later I got home
with 126+ miles showing on the meter.

I have biked 5400 miles this summer and lost over 50lbs.

BTW, I ride cheap department store bikes, Walmart!

 

[maydog]

I do not understand by what you mean by "2 thresholds", what is that?

I am guessing that here in the clydesdale section you will not find a lot of folks with access to power meters or VO2 max data. I would also take exercise bike power readings with a grain of salt - unless they are calibrated medical grade units.

Getting faster is all about increasing power output and reducing drag. A heart rate monitor (HRM) is a very useful, inexpensive tool to aid in training. The best part is that it goes with you no matter what the activity. There are plenty of guides, calculators and how-tos regarding heart rate training to be found online.

Personally, I find the HRM very useful for solo century rides or other long, hilly, intense solo rides. With the HRM I can keep my output in check and not burn myself out prematurely and also to keep myself from going to easy. Is is also useful in group rides, but then the pace is largely determined by who is leading the pack.

As you are working on improving the engine, you should also be addressing the drag. Simple, cheap upgrades can give you "free" speed depending on what equipment you are starting with. Replacing knobby tires with slicks will yeild immediate gains. Adopting a more aerodynamic position will drop minutes from your time. Having a large frontal area, I find myself spending a lot more time in the drops than my non-clyde colleagues.

Developing a good riding form is also important to going faster. Having a smooth pedal stroke will add to your efficiency. I find that I am most efficient between 90 to 100 rpm and produce the most power around 110 to 120 rpm.

I am by no means an expert, I would classify myself as an avid cyclist who mixes my commuting with training. I spent the better part of this year trying to become faster. I guess I may be a wannabe racer, but I realize that there are number of factors that will keep me from being as fast as the fastest guys on the road. This year, I participated in my first (sprint) triathlon and exceeded my expectations; my bike split was 21.5 miles in 57 minutes. My goals now are to train throughout the winter, do more tris, faster next year.