How hard do you ride?

Per Prometheus7:

Quoted message said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out. For whatever reason I
find that I push myself to my limit on every bike ride. Now, I'm not
claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to go take a
leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I get home I'm
exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun. I'm wondering if
anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

I used to do that. Now I don't and I've got to say I enjoy riding more.
I think it's an age thing.

Place where I'm working currently doesn't have much in the way of MTB riding,
but there's a paved river trail right at the door - so yesterday I started doing
timed 10-mile rides.

Didn't really enjoy it...but I'll keep doing it long enough to get a feel for
what I can do on that stretch with a give set of (very fat...) tires - then
switch to HP slicks just to get a handle on what the tire diff is for me....
then I'll go back to my more-enjoyable 2-3 hour rides.
--
PeteCresswell

I'm lucky in that I can ride about 12-14 hours per wekk but each ride
is for time, not distance and hence not for speed. If I don't feel
'right' or am tired, I take a different route in order to ride the time
I have before work, and don't really feel bad about going a shorter
distance.
Riding for me is kinda 'Zen'-like, meditation-ish, that kinda centers
me. Competing on the bike doesn't interest me, why I'm not thrilled to
ride with some of the .5 century type here in the 'republic' who long
for past year's levels of testosterone, and I assume brag to their
partners about beating up some other 40-50 yr old cyclist.

The ride is about the ride, I enjoy being on the bike, regardless of
being on my fixie on the bike path or on my Merckx in the mountains.

Prometheus7 said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out. For whatever

reason I

Quoted message said:

find that I push myself to my limit on every bike ride. Now, I'm not
claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to go take

a

Quoted message said:

leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I get

home I'm

Quoted message said:

exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun. I'm wondering

if

Quoted message said:

anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

My experiences are fairly consistent with the others. When in the fast
group, I go faster. I don't want to be left or "force" them to slow up
and wait on me. The fast group does vary its pace a bit during the
ride so there are times to take it easy and socialize. And other times
I'm huffing and puffing and not talking. With other groups I ride with
its very slow/leisurely. Never a fast pace, rarely even a medium pace.
At times I think of these as junk miles. Probably should not think
that way but... When riding solo I tend to not ride as fast as when
riding with someone else. More of a medium pace. I like/need someone
to set the pace. I'd stink at time trials because I just can't force
myself to ride all out by myself.

Prometheus7 said:

For whatever reason I find that I push myself to my limit
on every bike ride.

I ride my bike to work five days a week, and I most certainly do not
ride that commute anywhere near my limit. On weekends, I'll occasionally
sprint up the modest urban hill now and then, but nothing like what you
describe.

It's my understanding that even professional racers don't push
themselves to the limit on *every* bike ride, so I'm wondering what
compels you to do so.

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 15:27:04 -0700, LioNiNoiL_a t_Y a h 0

0_d 0 t_c 0 m said:

Prometheus7 said:

For whatever reason I find that I push myself to my limit
on every bike ride.

I ride my bike to work five days a week, and I most certainly do not
ride that commute anywhere near my limit. On weekends, I'll occasionally
sprint up the modest urban hill now and then, but nothing like what you
describe.

It's my understanding that even professional racers don't push
themselves to the limit on *every* bike ride, so I'm wondering what
compels you to do so.

Dear Leo,

A decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that
they should declare the causes which impel them.

[email hidden]

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out. For whatever reason

I

Quoted message said:

find that I push myself to my limit on every bike ride. Now, I'm not
claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to go take a
leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I get home I'm
exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun. I'm wondering if
anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

It depends. Sometimes I leave for work later than usual so my commute turns
into a time trial. When I ride in town it's a series of mad sprints to keep
ahead of traffic. And then sometimes I just go for a pedal around town and
smell the roses. :-)

Prometheus7 said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out. For whatever reason I
find that I push myself to my limit on every bike ride. Now, I'm not
claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to go take a
leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I get home I'm
exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun. I'm wondering if
anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

I ride as hard as I want to -- and no harder. :-)

--

John ([email hidden])

Prometheus7 said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out. For whatever

reason I

Quoted message said:

find that I push myself to my limit on every bike ride. Now, I'm not
claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to go take

a

Quoted message said:

leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I get

home I'm

Quoted message said:

exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun. I'm wondering

if

Quoted message said:

anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

Depends.

I'm pretty old (nearly 60) but not yet totally slow - at least, by the
standards of the younger folks I usually ride with. That is, I beat
most of them up the hills.

As an example, I enjoyed, last year, riding with a guy who was a
30-something beginner hoping to race. He stopped after about 5 miles
to check if his brakes were rubbing. They weren't. ;-)

But I enjoy slow, social riding with others. I've done thousands of
miles of that in just one year.

On the way into work, I often cruise and explore the neighborhoods. If
I'm riding at night, I usually relax and enjoy the world at night and
the hum of the generator.

But I can't seem to make myself ride _home_ from work at a slow (for
me) pace. I've always got the stopwatch running, literally, and I
always arrive home pleasantly hurting, if that makes sense.

- Frank Krygowski

Prometheus7 said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out.

I ride far too much, far too fast and far too often. I always tell myself to
take a day off, but I'm not able to do so. I never ride slowly and MUST
pass every other cyclist I see cycling in front of me. Every year ends in
overtraining in september.

Quoted message said:

For whatever reason I find that I push myself to my limit on every bike
ride.

Same here 7 says a week, 16.500 km/year.

Yesterday I spoke a cyclist (in a bike shop) who is amateur at a bike club
here and I once met this guy during a ride and he told me then he was able
to go so far during a ride that he became unconscious. Now THAT's taking it
to th elimit I would say. I spoke about it with a cycling friend yesterday
and he told me that he used to go so far during racing, that he would be
sweating at night and would be hving heart palpitations. The worst I know
is feeling very dizzy after standing up and having the feeling my legs hurt
incredibly when I climb stairs.

Quoted message said:

Now, I'm not claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to
go take a leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I
get home I'm exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun.

I started cycling to lose weight. I slowly gained 30 kg after a Karate
injury.I lost those kilo's because of cycling. Now I feel like I must cycle
every day. I don't feel well if I don't ride my bike.

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering if anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

Yep!

A friend of mine, who now writs articles for FIETS magazine in Holland, used
to be like this, but now he's the opposite: he has a large saddle bag with
a thermos bottle filled with tea in it, and a book, he stops in the middle
of a ride when he finds a nice spot in nature and enjoys that. I'm not able
to do so yet. Maybe I will one day.

Greetings, Derk

Prometheus7 said:

I'm curious how hard everyone rides when they go out. For whatever reason I
find that I push myself to my limit on every bike ride. Now, I'm not
claiming to be a great rider, just that it is hard for me to go take a
leisurely ride. I almost feel guilty if I do, and yet, when I get home I'm
exhausted and wondering if I really am having any fun. I'm wondering if
anyone else, or everyone else, is like this.

It varies, but I usually ride with groups that push me pretty hard, mostly
on the flat. When I'm riding alone I take it easier, except for hills,
which I always include except when I'm just doing an easy recovery ride.
I don't find hammering on the flat by myself any fun at all.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Derk said:

Yesterday I spoke a cyclist (in a bike shop) who is amateur at a bike club
here and I once met this guy during a ride and he told me then he was able
to go so far during a ride that he became unconscious. Now THAT's taking it
to th elimit I would say. I spoke about it with a cycling friend yesterday
and he told me that he used to go so far during racing, that he would be
sweating at night and would be hving heart palpitations. The worst I know
is feeling very dizzy after standing up and having the feeling my legs hurt
incredibly when I climb stairs.

I used to play competitive squash, and occasionally I'd train so hard that
I'd stagger off the court and vomit. I've never been able to push myself to
that extreme when riding, possibly because it uses fewer muscles.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

Michael Warner said:

Derk said:

Yesterday I spoke a cyclist (in a bike shop) who is amateur at a bike club
here and I once met this guy during a ride and he told me then he was able
to go so far during a ride that he became unconscious. Now THAT's taking it
to th elimit I would say. I spoke about it with a cycling friend yesterday
and he told me that he used to go so far during racing, that he would be
sweating at night and would be hving heart palpitations. The worst I know
is feeling very dizzy after standing up and having the feeling my legs hurt
incredibly when I climb stairs.

I used to play competitive squash, and occasionally I'd train so hard that
I'd stagger off the court and vomit. I've never been able to push myself to
that extreme when riding, possibly because it uses fewer muscles.

I was discussing this with a friend who was on a college crew team. He
claimed vomiting was common during workouts. I sometimes feel nausea
when I sprint hard. I've never vomited, but have come very close.

I can tell when I am at my aerobic limit because my upper lip starts to
tingle and go a little numb. If I continue to push my vision will
tunnel, then start to go black & white. I haven't pushed that hard in a
few years, perhaps the balance of muscular capacity to cardiovascular
has shifted. I still push to numb lip zone on most weekly club rides.

My worst symptom from hard rides is "restless legs". Hard to describe,
but it leaves me tossing & turning all night.

Michael Warner said:

I used to play competitive squash, and occasionally I'd train so hard that
I'd stagger off the court and vomit.

I never understood why there are people who claim sport isn't good for you!
;-)

Greetings, Derk

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Derk said:

Yesterday I spoke a cyclist (in a bike shop) who is amateur at a bike

club

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

here and I once met this guy during a ride and he told me then he was

able

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to go so far during a ride that he became unconscious. Now THAT's taking

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to th elimit I would say. I spoke about it with a cycling friend

yesterday

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and he told me that he used to go so far during racing, that he would be
sweating at night and would be hving heart palpitations. The worst I

know

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is feeling very dizzy after standing up and having the feeling my legs

hurt

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

incredibly when I climb stairs.

I used to play competitive squash, and occasionally I'd train so hard that
I'd stagger off the court and vomit. I've never been able to push myself

to

Quoted message said:

that extreme when riding, possibly because it uses fewer muscles.

I have vomited at the gym on more than one occasion. Something about
squatting heavy weight at 5:30AM tends to make me do that. Puke while
riding? Never.

Peter Cole said:

My worst symptom from hard rides is "restless legs". Hard to

describe,

Quoted message said:

but it leaves me tossing & turning all night.

Amen Brother. I get this after riding before work and then standing all
day.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Amen Brother. I get this after riding before work and then standing all
day.

Then you should do as my wife, who stands all day working in a O.R. : they
wear special stockings that give more support. ;-)

Greetings, Derk

Quoted message said:

A decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that
they should declare the causes which impel them.

[email hidden]

"One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to
avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes
beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny."
-- Bertrand Russell, "The Conquest of Happiness"

Michael Warner said:

Peter Cole said:

My worst symptom from hard rides is "restless legs". Hard to describe,
but it leaves me tossing & turning all night.

"Restless legs" is a common, well-known problem - IIRC too much caffeine
is the usual cause. Maybe you drink too much restorative coffee after
hard rides :-)

I doubt it in my case, I never drink coffee past noon...

Michael Warner said:

I used to play competitive squash, and occasionally I'd train so hard

that

Quoted message said:

I'd stagger off the court and vomit. I've never been able to push

myself to

Quoted message said:

that extreme when riding, possibly because it uses fewer muscles.

It's easy enough rowing, though. I got the dry heaves a few months ago
at 1800 meters while trying for a good 2000m time. Don't start that
sprint too soon!

dkl