Maximum Heart Rate

A comment I received after the last blog, from John Booker, pointed out the concept and calculation of a “Maximum Heart Rate” is a bit more complicated than I had implied. Looking into the subject a bit further than just accepting the simple (and generally accepted and used?) MHR = 220 – Age, I discovered there are not only one or two alternatives but a plethora! Looking at research papers by Gellish, Fox, Tanaka, Hunt, Robergs and Landwehr, to name but a few, were slightly bewildering. For my age, the MHR results ranged from 130 (the Fox 220—age) to 162! Mama mia! The idea of me achieving 162 bpm is bizarre. My legs would drop off and my heart would jump out of my chest!

Years ago, there was a measure of fitness called the Harvard Fitness Index. It involved stepping up on to a one-foot (?) high bench at thirty steps per minute for 2 minutes. This was followed by measuring the recovery heart rate; number of beats at 1 to 1 ½ minutes after the steps, 2 to 2 ½ minutes after and 3 to 3 ½ minutes after stepping. Complex calculations then followed resulting in the Fitness Index. An index of greater than 96 was excellent, 83 to 86 was good, 68 to 82 average, 54 to 67 low average and less than 54 “poor”. How we possibly did all that I can’t remember and how this was all arrived at was shrouded in mystery!! Whether it was for super-fits or couch potatoes, I can’t remember. I don’t do it now!

The current nuance I discovered is Heart Rate Variability. Apparently, everyone has a variable, if apparently steady, heart rate. What observations are taken and after what level of exercise, I haven’t discovered yet. I wonder if it is worth the bother. Maybe it’s worth searching out on the internet.

So, after all this digging about on the internet, I have concluded that good old (220 – Age) as a maximum is ok for me. Easy to calculate, easy to convert to percent of maximum and recordable on the Garmin. So, an hour on the spin bike, reaching 90 to 100 beats per minute (70 to 80 %, say) is the level I’m training at. On a ride, the usual heart rate range is 90 average and a maximum of 110 – but with plenty of rests on the flat and downhill.

Watch this space.

Collecting Data

Collecting Data

It’s about a month since the last “Thoughts”, which is longer than I intended. Idleness is a terrible thing and procrastination doesn’t help much, either. I have this list of subjects for intended articles and it keeps growing. That may not be a bad thing; running out of ideas is always a worry. We writers have a dread of writer’s block, so I am told, but then I’m not much of a writer, so it may not be a bad thing. A monthly splurge seems about right.

This month’s idea is about collecting data during rides and spin sessions. I use a Garmin 825 to record them. These sorts of devices are great for recording relevant numbers – distance, speed, height climbed, heart rate, cadence, The navigation facility has proved very useful on many touring occasions. Haven’t used the “get me home” facility yet but there is bound to be a first time. Maybe I should practice with it first, before getting lost! Most of the data-reaping capability of the Garmin 825 I haven’t used at all. Like laps and riding companion to push you along and I guess lots of other things I should really find out about. The manual is readily available on line and I have printed a copy, too.

Someone once expressed surprise that I am interested in collecting data so much. The world is awash with data, one reads, and only a fraction is ever used or even looked at. That reminds me, one Garmin facility I never use is the summary of the year, eg miles travelled on a particular bike to help with keeping up with maintenance. My estimate at the moment is that I ride about 5,000 miles a year; 100 miles a week.

But back to data. The criticism about my data-collecting twitch made my think about why I do it. Sheer curiosity, I guess. Being a physicist, collecting data seems the natural thing to do, if it is possible. Beside the immediately useful stuff, like speed, distance, elapsed time, time of day I am fascinated by heart rate, cadence, slope being climbed and total climb on a ride. My constant search for a cadence of 80 to 90 pedal turns per minute – as recommended by cycling magazine pundits and experienced friends – has failed dismally. An average of 70ish seems the best I can do. Not knowing how the average is worked out (does it allow for when the pedals are not turning, down-hill, say?) is a disadvantage.

The really interesting numbers to me are the heart rate graph and maximum and average. My maximum heart rate nowadays, as calculated by (220 – age), is 130. Other formulae give a bit higher figure but (220 – age) is ok for me. Even on the electric bike, it is possible to record an average of 70 or 80 beats per minute (55% to 62%) and a maximum of 90 or a hundred (70% to 77%). These are reasonable aims, according to my guru, Dr Norman Lazarus. On the spin bike these numbers are more like 75% average and 85% maximum for up to an hour, without any downhill or on-the-flat breaks.

The other source of “data”, which I use several times a day, are on-line OS maps. It costs about £20 a year for the “real” versions but I find them invaluable for route planning and looking for interesting route variations. You can draw your own courses and convert them into GPX files for loading into the Garmin.

So, I am going to continue collecting data and storing them on the Garmin and Strava cloud for posterity. I wonder what will happen to all these data on those enormous storage computers, wherever they are?  

A Word about GuinnessWorld Records

I may have written elsewhere on this subject, explaining why I cycled LEJoG twice, but just a quick re-cap to set the scene and then some comments and details of the nitty-gritty of the ride and the record. The first time was out of sheer enthusiasm and exuberance at the age of 83+, a good reason for doing anything, perhaps. On my return, my son, Ali, and grandson Robbie both suggested I may be the oldest person to have completed the ride. On checking Guinness World Records, sure enough I was older than the then record holder,  Tony Rathbone from Keswick, who was 81+ when he was awarded the GWR.

We sent for the GWR requirements for the proof needed to make an application and discovered that I did not have anything like the verification required. So, there was only one thing to do – ride it again and this time collect all the data required. This included maps of the route, a Witness Book of people who had seen me along the way, pro formas completed by people who had witnessed me doing the whole route (family not accepted as witnesses!), photographs, videos, a detailed log book, Garmin records and so on.

There is a big commitment of time and money to accept when planning a long bicycle tour. Transport to the start and from the finish for you, all the gear needed and the bike is not at all straightforward. Bikes are not welcomed or easy to put on and off the trains in these days of private railway companies.   Guard’s vans don’t make money, it would seem, and very limited numbers of bike places are allocated out of sight of where one sits.

To do the LEJoG ride, I opted to join an experienced leader and planner, who had led groups of riders both in the UK and abroad. I was very satisfied with Chris Ellison’s arrangements on the first ride, so went with him on the second. Chris is very experienced and plans the route, books all the accommodation, knows were all the strategic cafes are, carries all the heavies in his van and carefully shepherds us along as we progress. The second time the route was practically the same as before, with minor tweaks. It is a well-honed route, avoiding main roads wherever possible and going up the centre of England and Scotland after Hereford. (see other entries in the Blog for maps and a daily diary).

A very pleasant addition to the ride was to be accompanied by a friend or a relative from Hawes northward. Derek Hamilton rode with me from Hawes to Wetheral (near Carlisle); grandson Robbie from Wetheral to Abington; grandson Jamie from Abington to Stirling (also supported by my son, Ali in his truck); Keith Burns from Stirling to Pitlochry; Daughter Jen from Newtonmore (a few miles past Pitlochry) to John o Groats. They all added so much pleasure to the ride, with their support and encouragement.

Having to collect all the GWR data needed added considerably to the effort of turning the pedals. Or, at least, to the time pressures. Maps of the route were pre-prepared using road atlas pages. Garmin or Strava records were fairly easy and put on the website. Collecting witnesses was time consuming; I had prepared a Witness Book, with pre-printed pages with spaces for the place, a comment, a phone number, an email address. Entries in this book were largely café staff or customers and hotel receptionists. Still photos and videos take a measurable amount of time out of the cycling day, which adds to the urgency somehow. Writing a log and a blog on the special website, designed and run by Robbie, needed an hour or so at night and the need to carry a laptop. More pressure! My riding companions on the tour were very happy to fill in the pro forms verifying that they had seen me do the whole ride and observing the rules – including no draughting!!

Early in October, Robbie sent all the stuff to Guinness World Records – a major job in itself – and we waited and waited and waited. Friends in the Darlington Cycling Club wondered how the application was going and I didn’t know if the delay was good news or not. Then I recalled the GWR organisation has to deal with many hundreds of applications; there are more than 40,000 actual records in their files!!  Then in March the news came through – “application accepted, you are the new record holder for the Oldest Person to Ride from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, at the age of 85 years and 231 days”. Relief! Celebrations! And some fallout, of which more another time, perhaps.

A word of caution is needed about Guinness World Records, particularly solo events. Holding the record does not mean you are in fact the oldest or the fastest or whatever. Others may well have exceeded your efforts but not bothered to collect the data required. Doing the ride, solo, makes it virtually impossible to gather the witnessing, I would think. I know of at least three over 85’s who have published in magazines or Facebook that they have “done it”. Two I know did the ride solo and unsupported, carrying everything with them and arranging their own accommodation. One, aged 87, even slept rough to publicise the plight of homeless people! Hard men! A lot harder than me. I opted for a shower on arrival, a good dinner, a comfortable bed, a super breakfast before setting off for the next day studded with great cafes.

However, GWR do a great job of holding records for many thousands of activities and making sure the verification is as good as it can reasonably be. I don’t know who finances all this work but thanks to everyone in GWR for the priceless work you do. Mark Beaumont put it very well, I think, in his book on cycling round the world in (less than) 80 days. He has the GWR for the most miles cycled in a calendar month, done along the round-the-world ride. He knows of friends and other cyclists who have done more. He calls any GWR a  “benchmark” for others to step up and beat. I think this is is a good way of putting it and an invaluable service by Guinness World Records to encourage others to have a go. (“Well, I can beat that!!).

A Variety of Routes

Exploring the South Lakes peninsula on the bike has been one of the revelations since I moved here in 2019. It was an area I had passed through a lot many years ago but only on my way to and from Burscough, Lancashire and Calder Hall. The drive must have taken me through Ulverston on many occasions and over Corney Fell or up the coast, depending on the weather. Now was a chance to look into the highway and byways around Ulverston.

Having joined the local bike club – Barrow Central Wheelers – the idea was to go out with the retired old gents and be shown the best routes at my pottering pace. However, it didn’t work like that. A Sunday group ride, starting in Tank Square, Ulverston, was much too fast for me and, although the leader offered to tone down the pace and wait when necessary, I declined the offer and turned back. Being a drag and always under pressure is not the way to enjoy a ride, is it?

Solo rides have now become the norm, with the aid of OS maps and a sense of adventure in exploring by myself. The territory around here is somewhat hillier than the country around Darlngton I had been used to, which meant avoiding the roads with little arrows on them on the map. Well, all but one. Even so, the climbs were quite extending, as the expression is. Finding a local, favourite circuit came first, gradually spreading out to include routes up north and down south. Of course, the views were just wonderful. At the top of the routes I have come to enjoy so much they are extensive. Away over Morecambe Bay to the east, over Walney Island to the west, including the Isle of Man on the horizon. To the north the mountains of the Lake District have become familiar and wonderful. Given clear conditions you can see Heysham Nuclear Power Station (where I worked for a year or so), Morecambe, Blackpool Tower and the Big Dipper Ride. Past Walney Island the huge, off-shore wind farm is always a surprise – it goes on for miles and miles. On the Isle of Man ferry from Heysham, it takes over an hour to pass along the length of the big propellors.

After a lot of exploring and trying out different variations and additions to the first basic circuits, I now have favourites. One is up the quiet road along the east side of Coniston Water, past Brantwood, into Coniston town, with a stop at the Bluebird cafe, then back through Torver and the west side of the lake, is about 50 km and fills a morning or an afternoon. Another is the big climb up to Horrace (top of the ridge to the west of Ulverston), through Dalton, past the ruins of Furness Abbey, just touch Barrow, then out to Roa Island (another good cafe there, too). If the Coast Road back the Ulverston is quiet, there is usually a down-wind return to Ulverston. If the road is busy, there are lanes off to the left leading back to quiet lanes.

Subberthwaite Common, to the North, with it’s rather steep little climbs, became possible on the electric bike but I have only done that route once. Too many cattle grids (which I hate!) and gates enforcing hopping on and off the bike. Anyhow, that direction is now available and possible, so it’s in the bank.

Variations nowadays are really small loops for variety and new views. However, the enjoyment of the views, the road-side flowers, watching the crops develop as the summer progresses, are still wonderful therapy and spirit-lifting. Still plenty of exploring and interesting-looking variations to the west.

Stand by for more on those.

On the Dangers on the Roads

There are occasionally some interesting thoughts on the internet. This one (slightly modified) caught my eye.
“Food for Thought on the Economy:
Cyclists are a disaster for a country’s economy. They do not buy a car and do not take a car loan. Do not buy car insurance. Do not buy fuel. Do not send the car for servicing and repairs. Do not use paid parking.
Do not become obese. Yes, and healthy people are not needed for an economy. They do not buy drugs. They rarely go to hospitals and doctors. They add nothing to a country’s GDP.
On the contrary, every new McDonalds outlet creates at least 30 jobs: 10 cardiologists, 10 dentists and 10 weight-loss experts – quite apart from all the people working in McDonald’s outlets
Walking is even worse. Those people do not even buy a bicycle.”

Very tongue-in-cheek, I guess, but made me think. You know how cycling gives you long periods of thinking time? My mind wanders about, noting the views and the roadside flowers and reacting to traffic and road conditions generally. I am often asked whether I am not alarmed by the dangers on the roads, particularly when not protected by a tin overcoat. I find it very difficult to arrive at a rational, statistics-based conclusion. The numbers are just not available to put a percentage risk on any road activity, it seems to me.

Looking at the sheer numbers, (without allowing for “assessments on accidents per million miles travelled and numbers of different vehicles on the road” type of arguments) don’t be a pedestrian or a motor-car driver/passenger. I guess at the end of the day, it has to be a very personal assessment and a general feeling about the risks. Many of my cycling friends have given up road cycling and opt for off-road gravel or mountain biking. This has its dangers, of course, and anyway I am hopeless at off-road cycling. Don’t have the skills required!

There is a balance, I suppose. Cycling not only benefits the body but has a very positive effect on the head! There are risks in lots of other activities, including the risks of no exercise.

So, I accept the risks of close passing, or meeting a very large, road-filling vehicle going too fast on a narrow lane, and enjoy the long periods of peace and quiet in between very occasional alarums. Much more alarming to me is the state of the road surface. The noticeable deterioration of British roads is scary – not just pot-holes but very rough patches as the surface comes apart and patches break up. Add to that the general debris – mud from farm tractors, hedge thorns in season, all sorts of unmentionables.

But away with all the moaning! Enjoy the wonderful therapy of getting out on your bike on lovely country lanes in all weathers and conditions!!

Ride the Selvio Pass on a Ribble SLe

After the last post John Booker (Fred) sent me a very nice youtube video about climbing the Stelvio Pass on a Ribble SLe https://youtu.be/1oooqJQel7E . I have watched it a few times, with the hope of learning how other people use the bike and how it performs. The filming on the video is very professional and describes the climb beautifully, with stunning views. The pass is 21 km long, with an average slope of 8%. The rider said he would apply 150 watts himself, as measured by a power crank. He selected “eco” setting, which I take to be “green”, when the motor supplies 83 watts. He held 7 km/hour through the climb, and the height ascended is 1800 metres. The ride took 3 hours, which fits the speed and distance. At the top there was 15% left in the battery.

How does this compare with the sort of usage I get from the battery on “normal” rides? On “green”, I use approximately 1% battery capacity per kilometre and pedal at about 20 km/hr overall average. So, I use about 20% of battery capacity per hour. The rider who climbed the Selvio used 85% of battery capacity in 3 hours or 28% per hour. I don’t use the battery some of the time because I’m going downhill and stop pedalling, or go more than 25 km/hr, which is the speed the battery cuts out by law. Comparing the two figures above (me 20% per hour and the Selvio climb 28% per hour) it looks as if I don’t use the battery for about 1/3 of the time, which has a reasonable feel for the figure for the rides I do.  

Conclusion – on green setting and pedalling all the time uses about 28% of battery charge per hour, as observed on the Selvio climb. Brilliant! Also, although the rider supplied 150 watts, it looks as if this was the required input to keep the speed at the 7 km/hr. Add more power through the pedals and the rider goes faster. It does not look as though the rider input saves battery. In fact, I don’t think it can because the motor control system would have to be very sophisticated to detect power input through the pedals and adjust the power drawn from the battery.  Rider input adjusts the speed.

What a satisfying conclusion! I might be able to ride the Selvio, maybe needing a range extender because I would take longer or need a higher power for some of the time.      

Experience with the eBike, so far

Long time, no see! How time flies. I have had the Ribble SLe for a few months now and would like to share some of the experience riding and looking after it. The learning curve has been quite steep and is still ongoing, of course. One of the biggest questions is how to manage the battery charge level to ensure a long battery life. There are varying recommendations on battery charge management and on the best storage temperatures. Generally, though, the recommended temperature range is 10 deg C to 40 deg and the battery charge level between 20% and 80%. Keeping the charge level in this range is proving very difficult! The other area of learning is how to use the batteries on the road to preserve charge, as far as one can. Anyway, here are my thoughts and experiences, so far.

The hub motor, battery charger and control system is made by Mahle – a very big German maker of car parts. It can deliver 250 watts from the 36 volt battery in the down-tube. Maximum speed allowed for the assistance to operate is 15.5 mph or 25 kph. This is a legal limit but there is a 10% margin allowed by the law on the power delivery limit, I think – must study the legal limits in more detail! The battery has a capacity of 245 watt-hours. All very complex but the overall conclusion is that I am finding this to be a great help. One worry is that I am becoming too reliant on the motor and losing fitness. However, you can put as much effort in as you like and just increase the speed!

There are three levels of assistance, selected by the single control button on the cross bar. The colour shown by this button changes from green to orange to red as the assist level is increased. I normally use the first level of assistance at 83 watts when required and switch the battery off when the going is easy. The top level of assistance I have only used a very few times and the “push” is quite alarming. However, on very steep hills, the top level is very useful.

I have also bought a range extender battery of 245 watt-hours capacity, at ridiculous expense, to avoid charge anxiety – which electric car drivers suffer from, I am told. Although I did a test the other day, of a 30 km route from Ulverston and was able to prove to my satisfaction that I can ride the SLe without battery assistance, despite the increased weight. So, I am not losing the ability to ride at 10 mph or so in hilly South Lakes.   

More on the subject of the electric bike in future.  

The Spin Bike.

John Booker, my son-in-law, gave me a Schwinn static bike some years ago. Very useful for those days when the weather is not to one’s liking. The big question is what routines to invent and how long to spend? For most people I have talked to about this, the incredible boredom crops up regularly. Time takes on a new dimension, where minutes expand and guesses at a period of time which has passed is always seriously under-estimated.

Without spending a small fortune on a Zwift set-up, or rigging up a music-listening set-up, or even a TV set, there is nothing but mind-games to pass the time. I’ve tried music but it doesn’t work for me. I have to concentrate at a minimum level to make up a varied routine of cruising, sprints, standing up sessions, adjusting the resistance periodically. Although there are days when I just set the resistance at a comfortable level and just keep things constant for the training session. I call it cruising.

A friend from Darlington Cycling Club – a very fit, retired, ex-uphill racer – suggested an hour with a heart rate of between 90 and 100 bpm for the over-70’s. However, other friends have said to do more than 40 minutes or even 20 minutes is totally mind-blowing. After some experience and determination, I have reached the one-hour suggestion above. It all gets easier with time and practice, like so many other things to do with keeping fit. It is quite rare to do an hour of high-effort pedalling when out on a ride. Most rides are a complex mixture of high effort, steady pushing and zooming downhill with minimal effort. So, I am finding that the one-hour routine keeps my fitness level reasonably well.

The important thing for me is to maintain fitness, despite long periods of no road work. We all complain about how easy it is to lose fitness and how quickly   it happens. I remember (before I had the Schwinn) a period of 2 months, when the weather was just too bad to go out. Icy temperatures, snow, high winds where just too dangerous for my riding skills. However, the return to the road was just exhausting. It is so unfair to lose a good level of fitness in a very few weeks.

With the use of the spin bike, that doesn’t happen any more. The one-hour routine keeps a very reasonable cardio-vascular and leg muscle condition, I find. The joy of going out on a lovely ride in the open air is all the more enhanced. A bit like I imagine farm animals feel, when they are let outside after a long winter cooped up. Fresh air, views, the countryside, roadside flowers changing through the seasons, the wind on the skin. Can’t whack it!!

April 3rd, 2022. The Lazarus Strategy. How to Age Well and Wisely

Must tell you about a book by Dr Norman Lazarus, a medical researcher and a Professor at the Center for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences, King’s College London. His current research, with a team of colleagues, is into healthy human ageing. His book “The Lazarus Strategy, How to Age Well and Wisely” is a fascinating read.  Why should I be telling you this, when you may be decades younger than me? Well, these are “Thoughts from an 89-year-old Athlete” remember.

My history is probably a common and familiar one. Sport and lots of exercise when at school and when young, marriage, job, bringing up a family, spreading to a 12-stone smoker and deteriorating fast. In my case, I was rescued by a very good friend, who invited me on an expedition to Iceland.  This prompted a crash course in getting fit again and running seriously. Haven’t looked back. Mountaineering, fell running, cycling have been a central part of my life since then. Quite by chance, according to Dr Lazarus, I had adopted a fitness regime at just the right time – round about the age of 40. I guess many people feel immortal until then but the ageing process is insidiously creeping up on us. After 40 or 50 years old, this mortal coil progressively deteriorates, maybe unnoticeably at first but the slippery slope becomes steeper and at about 80 years old steepens to an alarming degree. The Lazarus Strategy does not pretend to arrest this process but does offer a fascinating, thoughtful and careful research into what can and cannot be done.

One of Dr Lazarus’s memorable quotes is “Getting old has few advantages that spring to mind. To name one, I’d say that being grumpy is better tolerated.” Chapter One starts with a quote from Bob Dylan “He(/She) not busy being born is busy dying”! I think the key message in the book is summarised by a mantra I have developed – Diet, Weight, Exercise”. The Western obesity pandemic and the increasing pressure on the NHS by old age ailments are leading to an impossible and unsustainable situation. The Lazarus Strategy is a fascinating examination of how to tackle the impending disaster.

 Maybe you have already seen newspaper reports of the research into ageing going on at Kings College? The central research was into a group of 80+ year old cyclists, examining the results of continuing hard exercise into the later decades. The study examined what can be slowed down and what can’t. The book is a well-written, humorous and deeper look into the summaries the newspapers published. Dr Lazarus also does videos and interviews on Youtube and is a delightful man. I love to listen to his gentle and non-combative approach to interviewer’s questions. I would love to meet him.

The bottom line is I recommend reading The Lazarus Strategy and adopting the life-style his researches have led him to conclude what is good for us all and which he can prove!

March 28th, 2022

The recent gap in the blog is explained by a holiday, without bike, in the Lake District. It coincided with a remarkable spell of sunny and warm weather, which must be a record for the Lakes – for me, anyway. Returned to rides back on the e-bike for reasonable routes at the weekend. Today the weather has cracked up, so back to wet and cold!  Also, just had an old folk’s Spring Booster jab, so need to take a day off.  

Today, I have ordered a range extender for the e-bike, after much ummming and ahing. For the Ribble SLe, an additional battery, weighing 1 kg, is available. It looks rather like a bottle and fits in the place normally taken by one. It is about 80% of the capacity of the main battery and connected to it via the charging socket. Exactly how it works in tandem with the main battery, I’m not sure. All will become clear on delivery! This will give the extra capacity to make sure of having electric support for rides up to 100 miles – maybe more, depending on the climbs required. Not cheap at £550 but I have taken the plunge to relieve the “range anxiety” felt at times.

Mind you, the SLe is perfectly easy to ride without electric help for the great majority of the routes I do. However, to extend my range will involve more climbs – and steeper ones, too. The general idea is to take on rides of at least 50 to 80 miles, deeper into the Lake District. Haven’t done more than 50 miles since leaving Darlington. Having had “fundament” problems on the last LEJoG, I want to see if/how the saddle soreness can be kept at bay. If it can, then a shot at another LEJoG next year becomes more of a possibility.

I have recently seen a tour company which does a 21-day, 1000-mile route, 40 or 50 miles per day.  This may be realistic for me on an un-assisted bike and a route without the climbing/distance ratio around here. Maybe even one of my trusty Ribble road bikes will be in use again. Well, why not dream?