A few questions

I am a type 1 diabetic and have been so for just over 40
years. Last autumn I did a 50 km bike ride for a fundraiser
(Diabetes Association) and there were pit stops every 8 to
10 kms. every 12 or so kms i checked my blood sugars and
ate some fruit at a piut stop if necessary. Otherwise, it
was just water to keep hydrated. I was possibly the oldest
rider (55 years old at the time) but returned in the middle
of the pack.

Just use your blood tester to check things out and drink
fluids. If you need to boost your blood sugar, well you know
what to do. Since you are not in a competition the time
spent doing the finger [censored] and bkood test will pay BIG
dividends. The cycling will be good for your metabolism and
body, but do the monitoring! The monitoring will also tell
you what you need to do with your medication too - remember
the effects take some time to sort out AND be careful.

I am planning some long touring trips requiring about 125
km/day for about a month, and it will take a bit of time to
get my own levels sorted out too. More than 4 tests per day
for the first week or so...

Ken Winnipeg, Canada

P.S. see additional comment at the end.

Ray said:

OK, I've been riding for a few years, but.... snip...
Another thing to keep in mind is that I'm 32 years old,
have Type 2 diabetes, weigh 260 lbs on a 5'10" frame...so
yea, I'm fat and getting old...sounds grim doesn't it? LOL

I remember 2-3 years ago being able to do 75-100 km rides
and feeling it, but was still enjoyable, and I still
weighed the same as I do now. Now, I seem to bonk out at
15-20 kms, where the rest of the trip after 20 kms is pure
struggle. Now becuase of my diabetes, taking pure carb
gels or similar would be suicide. I have a lower carb(15-
20g carb), high protein bar around the 10-12 km range, but
that doesn't seem to change anything. Anybody have ideas?
I've only done about 3-4 trips in the 15-20 km range so
far this year. Do I just need to continue and ramp up the
endurance?

Second question. My hands have always been a problem on
long rides. Numbness, pain, etc...maybe cause of the extra
weight on them. I have the biggest, and softess grips I
could find, I wear padded gloves, and I also have to end
bars to give me a few different holding positions. It does
help somewhat, but I still suffer quite a bit by the end
of the ride.

I also have this problem, but for now I put up with it. I
don't have this problem with my old Peugeot road bike, just
with my Chinese-made MTB. The road bike has the curved type
of handle bars from the '70s while the MTB is like yours.
Perhaps it is the seat and bar heights and your torso weight
on your arms. Are your arms straight or are they bent?

Thanks Ken.

I try and keep my arms bent a little, and I actually have it
setup so I'm not so bent over when riding. The adjustable
stem on the bike is right up and I have the seat about 1/2"
lower than the hand grips.

Yea, I have a 2L Camel back for liquids, and a couple of
bike mounted bottle and go through alot of it. I
experienced severe dehydration on one of my 100k rides 3
years ago and thought I was going to die. The cramps in the
calf and quads was simply amazing, let alone the diziness.
Then it got worse...I got a flat about 5 kms from the end
of that ride..LOL Ever since then, I alway have more water
than I need.

My diabetes isn't that bad as I can now control BG with diet
alone, no meds. I do the lower carb meals for breakfast and
lunch and have a regular meal at supper time. It's been
working out real good, plus I'm losing 1-2 lbs a week. I
hate taking meds, so I do whatever I can to try and avoid
them. My BG never sees higher than 8 after a meal (without
meds) so I'm happy with that. This AM after my 23 km ride,
when I got home I checked my BG and was at 6.2.

Ray

"Ken Pisichko" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am a type 1 diabetic and have been so for just over 40
years. Last

autumn I

Quoted message said:

did a 50 km bike ride for a fundraiser (Diabetes
Association) and there

were pit

Quoted message said:

stops every 8 to 10 kms. every 12 or so kms i checked my
blood sugars and

ate

Quoted message said:

some fruit at a piut stop if necessary. Otherwise, it was
just water to

keep

Quoted message said:

hydrated. I was possibly the oldest rider (55 years old at
the time) but returned in the middle of the pack.

Just use your blood tester to check things out and drink
fluids. If you

need to

Quoted message said:

boost your blood sugar, well you know what to do. Since
you are not in a competition the time spent doing the
finger [censored] and bkood test will pay

BIG

Quoted message said:

dividends. The cycling will be good for your metabolism
and body, but do

the

Quoted message said:

monitoring! The monitoring will also tell you what you
need to do with

your

Quoted message said:

medication too - remember the effects take some time to
sort out AND be

careful.

Quoted message said:

I am planning some long touring trips requiring about 125
km/day for about

a

Quoted message said:

month, and it will take a bit of time to get my own levels
sorted out too.

More

Quoted message said:

than 4 tests per day for the first week or so...

Ken Winnipeg, Canada

P.S. see additional comment at the end.

Ray said:

OK, I've been riding for a few years, but.... snip...
Another thing to keep in mind is that I'm 32 years old,
have Type 2 diabetes, weigh 260 lbs on a 5'10"
frame...so yea, I'm fat and getting old...sounds grim
doesn't it? LOL

I remember 2-3 years ago being able to do 75-100 km
rides and feeling

it,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but was still enjoyable, and I still weighed the same as
I do now. Now,

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

seem to bonk out at 15-20 kms, where the rest of the
trip after 20 kms

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pure struggle. Now becuase of my diabetes, taking pure
carb gels or

similar

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

would be suicide. I have a lower carb(15-20g carb), high
protein bar

around

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the 10-12 km range, but that doesn't seem to change
anything. Anybody

have

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ideas? I've only done about 3-4 trips in the 15-20 km
range so far this year. Do I just need to continue and
ramp up the endurance?

Second question. My hands have always been a problem on
long rides. Numbness, pain, etc...maybe cause of the
extra weight on them. I have

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

biggest, and softess grips I could find, I wear padded
gloves, and I

also

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have to end bars to give me a few different holding
positions. It does

help

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

somewhat, but I still suffer quite a bit by the end of
the ride.

I also have this problem, but for now I put up with it. I
don't have this problem with my old Peugeot road bike,
just with my Chinese-made MTB. The

road

Quoted message said:

bike has the curved type of handle bars from the '70s
while the MTB is

like

Quoted message said:

yours. Perhaps it is the seat and bar heights and your
torso weight on

your

Quoted message said:

arms. Are your arms straight or are they bent?

Ray said:

OK, I've been riding for a few years, but in the last 2
have declined significantly..not sure why..negative
motivation maybe. But now, I'm starting out full swing
again. Keep in mind, I do this for fitness and the
enjoyment of the fresh air, and not to get from point A to
B under a certain time. My average speed is 20-25 km/h if
the weather conditions are good.

My bike is a pretty decent hybrid. 2003 Rocky Mountain
Metro like this one:
bikes.commetro.aspxOpen ↗

Another thing to keep in mind is that I'm 32 years old,
have Type 2 diabetes, weigh 260 lbs on a 5'10" frame...so
yea, I'm fat and getting old...sounds grim doesn't it? LOL

Well, actually, that does sound grim in terms of your long
term health prospects. I know way too many Type II diabetics
missing legs, kidney function, eyesight... I'm sure you
already know about this. IMHO it gives you two great reasons
to ride a bike- it's fun and it'll improve your health.
Heck, if you lost the 80 excess pounds your blood sugars
might remain in the normal range without treatment.

Quoted message said:

I remember 2-3 years ago being able to do 75-100 km rides
and feeling it, but was still enjoyable, and I still
weighed the same as I do now. Now, I seem to bonk out at
15-20 kms, where the rest of the trip after 20 kms is pure
struggle. Now becuase of my diabetes, taking pure carb
gels or similar would be suicide. I have a lower carb(15-
20g carb), high protein bar around the 10-12 km range, but
that doesn't seem to change anything. Anybody have ideas?
I've only done about 3-4 trips in the 15-20 km range so
far this year. Do I just need to continue and ramp up the
endurance?

Has your medication changed in the intervening time? That
can make a difference. You may very well need to adjust
your hypoglycemics or your diet if you're getting more
exercise. Many diabetics have their blood sugar drop when
exercising more than a normal person does, and have to
compensate for this.

Of course, it may just be that you're less fit than you were
before and need to build up, so your last question may hit
the nail on the head. That'll just be a matter of time. I
think if I were in your shoes I'd have a chat with my
endocrinologist (or whatever doctor you see- I would
recommend seeing an endocrinologist, however).

Quoted message said:

Second question. My hands have always been a problem on
long rides. Numbness, pain, etc...maybe cause of the extra
weight on them. I have the biggest, and softess grips I
could find, I wear padded gloves, and I also have to end
bars to give me a few different holding positions. It does
help somewhat, but I still suffer quite a bit by the end
of the ride. Anyone have any suggestions or ideas that
could help in this area, other than "get a recumbant"? LOL

There are several possibilities. Numb hands is a very common
problem for bicyclists, especially in the little finger and
outer half of the ring finger. This is caused by the
compression of the ulnar nerve against the handlebar. I
personally find that I cannot ride flat bars, with or
without bar ends, without this being a problem within a half
hour. Drop (road) bars, rarely a problem. Sometimes getting
the bars up higher is enough to solve the problem. You might
consider having a professional bike fitting done at a good
bike shop (if you tell us where you live, someone may be
able to suggest a specific shop).

I did a 55 km ride today and averaged 21.3 km/h according to
my bike puter. Even though it was really hot around here, I
felt good until around the 45-48 km range, then, I had to
slow down drastically (15-17 km/h) to keep my heart rate in
the 150-155 range. So I guess that was the bonking
point..LOL

I had a lower carb/prot bar around the 20km mark and still
felt good. Around the 35 km mark I stopped at the store and
got a small pita type sandwhich with a can of V8 juice, and
another 1.5 L of water to refill the Camel back.

Still didn't feel that bad once I got back to the truck so I
think it's just a matter of me ramping up again.

When I got home (30 mins after the ride), my blood glucose
(BG) was at 5.7 which is normal so I was happy about that.

Thanks for the info guys. I will keep biking, maybe try and
get 15-20 kms 2-3 times during the week evenings and a solid
50-65 kms for next weekend again.

BTW, I'm located in Hamilton.

Ray

"Tim McNamara" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:m2oemm5qyf.fsf@Stella-
Blue.local...

Quoted message said:

Ray said:

OK, I've been riding for a few years, but in the last 2
have declined significantly..not sure why..negative
motivation maybe. But now, I'm starting out full swing
again. Keep in mind, I do this for fitness and the
enjoyment of the fresh air, and not to get from point A
to B under a certain time. My average speed is 20-25
km/h if the weather conditions are good.

My bike is a pretty decent hybrid. 2003 Rocky Mountain
Metro like this one:
bikes.commetro.aspxOpen ↗

Another thing to keep in mind is that I'm 32 years old,
have Type 2 diabetes, weigh 260 lbs on a 5'10"
frame...so yea, I'm fat and getting old...sounds grim
doesn't it? LOL

Well, actually, that does sound grim in terms of your long
term health prospects. I know way too many Type II
diabetics missing legs, kidney function, eyesight... I'm
sure you already know about this. IMHO it gives you two
great reasons to ride a bike- it's fun and it'll improve
your health. Heck, if you lost the 80 excess pounds your
blood sugars might remain in the normal range without
treatment.

Quoted message said:

I remember 2-3 years ago being able to do 75-100 km
rides and feeling it, but was still enjoyable, and I
still weighed the same as I do now. Now, I seem to bonk
out at 15-20 kms, where the rest of the trip after 20
kms is pure struggle. Now becuase of my diabetes, taking
pure carb gels or similar would be suicide. I have a
lower carb(15-20g carb), high protein bar around the 10-
12 km range, but that doesn't seem to change anything.
Anybody have ideas? I've only done about 3-4 trips in
the 15-20 km range so far this year. Do I just need to
continue and ramp up the endurance?

Has your medication changed in the intervening time? That
can make a difference. You may very well need to adjust
your hypoglycemics or your diet if you're getting more
exercise. Many diabetics have their blood sugar drop when
exercising more than a normal person does, and have to
compensate for this.

Of course, it may just be that you're less fit than you
were before and need to build up, so your last question
may hit the nail on the head. That'll just be a matter of
time. I think if I were in your shoes I'd have a chat with
my endocrinologist (or whatever doctor you see- I would
recommend seeing an endocrinologist, however).

Quoted message said:

Second question. My hands have always been a problem on
long rides. Numbness, pain, etc...maybe cause of the
extra weight on them. I have the biggest, and softess
grips I could find, I wear padded gloves, and I also
have to end bars to give me a few different holding
positions. It does help somewhat, but I still suffer
quite a bit by the end of the ride. Anyone have any
suggestions or ideas that could help in this area, other
than "get a recumbant"? LOL

There are several possibilities. Numb hands is a very
common problem for bicyclists, especially in the little
finger and outer half of the ring finger. This is caused
by the compression of the ulnar nerve against the
handlebar. I personally find that I cannot ride flat bars,
with or without bar ends, without this being a problem
within a half hour. Drop (road) bars, rarely a problem.
Sometimes getting the bars up higher is enough to solve
the problem. You might consider having a professional bike
fitting done at a good bike shop (if you tell us where you
live, someone may be able to suggest a specific shop).