I agree. Well, unless you were actually part of the study you're reading too much into .

Fortunately, I can ride to work three days a week (Mon.-Wed.-Fri.) and it's not very far (19 mi. round trip) so it's easy for me to use those days as active recovery; most often not getting my heart rate above 120 bpm.

Tues. and Thurs. nights we have evening club rides, and I have hit some high bpm's on those (several minutes @ 175 got me in trouble!) since there are always climbs, quite often a spirited group of riders and good (testosterone encouraged) fun. If I'm not feeling spunky I'll ride sweep with the groupetto, so no worries.

On Saturdays I usually head up into the mountains (GMR/GRR, Hwy 2, Hwy 39, Hwy 18/38 . . . if you know SoCal) and that is my real fun day with several thousand feet of climbing, many miles, quite often a century. That's really the only day of the week where exertion and endurance are at high levels.

Sundays bounce around, sometimes a ride to the beach on my fixed gear (30 mi. round trip), other times a short mountain-road ride (GMR/GRR to Baldy Village), still others an actual mountain bike ride, esp. if I'm up at Big Bear.

From five to seven times a year I ride double-centuries but even then it's a pretty relaxed pace (keeping time cuts in mind where applicable) and for sure no high heart rates. Usually 14-16 mph average, depending on how much climbing is involved.

This "schedule" has worked for me for the last several years and given that I get enough sleep (and other life duties don't get in the way) it's really no problem and (I think) pretty healthy; no matter what "the studies" show. I'm 65 now and still working 40 hr. a week, so let's see how long I can keep at it

Rick / OCRR