I've been chatting with some fellow cyclists while out on my normal rides and who would've thought it could be so hard? I'll be cruising along at 60-70% of FTP, chatting away, and feel like I'm about to run out of breath if I talk too long. Is this a skill one needs to learn?

You are weak, they are strong.

You need to learn to remember to breath. You're essentially holding your breath when your talking for long periods.

but ^ also. HTFU, bro.

i get stomach ulcer pains when i walk and talk.

let me guess, they ask you with 4 words of simple question that needs a looong answer from you? they're just playing with you

I realized yesterday that I do this automatically. Started riding with some guy who was also commuting home, and as we kept pushing the pace I realized that everything I was saying was in the form of questions.

Comes from my competitive riding a few years ago, I guess, where in our club rides I was the quickest up hills (and about the slowest everywhere else!), and I'd chat my way up to really put on the pain. Those are the things that stick, I guess.

You search for the Holy Grail of human existence...the ability to ride a bike, breathe, and talk at the same time.

Actually, I think I got that wrong...it is eat a sandwich, make love, and watch TV all at the same time.

You keep working on the bike, I'll do the sandwich thing, and we'll compare notes in a few months.

Hint: Canadians make love doggie style so they can both watch the hockey game, too.

True story.

Riding, breathing and talking can be done. It requires much, much less focus.

You need to improve your fitness.

I like to chat up people during races, particularly crits. It really unnerves some people when someone starts trying to chat them up.

Sounds like you have overestimated your FTP. at 60-70 you should be able to carry on a conversation. At 80-90 you're barking a few words before running out of breath.

Also- best way to slow your friends down on longer rides is to ask them probing questions.

Use word like "why", "really?" Etc. it's the only way I stay connected.

Costanza, is that you?

This is actually a skill that your friends have to drop you, they ask you a question before a climb and drop you because you're out of breath.

I find that listening and riding are hard. For me at least. The wind and my old hearing-impaired ears combine to mangle other's speech into indecipherably mangled jumbles of human-sounding noises.

I'm pretty sure that's not the case. I think I just need to learn to breath through my nose while talking on the bike. I was just curious if anyone else had the same experience.

now THAT's funny. i'm going to use it for sure.

i'm such a chatterbox on the flat, that my riding buddies head up the nearest hill just to shut me up!

good one

There is no need of special Skills, just need to be brave enough.

Some of the best conversations take place on the bike.

Call me skeptical. You can reduce your effort and talk, talk and get winded, or get stronger, but I don't think you can solve the problem with some kind of special talking/breathing technique.

Or you and your friends learn ASL and you can steer without your hands on the bars. That might take a lot of core strength if you are trying to stay aero, though.

I'll be happy to post my power numbers, and back it up, but that seems to frowned upon around here (i.e., seen as bragging.)

I wouldn't be the one to judge the meaning of your power numbers one way or the other. I meant to express skepticism about the strategy of learning a new talking/breathing technique. And to suggest something else that is patently ridiculous and not to be taken seriously.

Maybe practice makes perfect? Isn't there a breathing technique required to wind instruments?

I mainly just wanted to see if anyone else had a similar experience. Sounds like this answer is no.

Now back to our regularly scheduled bickering...

I've got a couple guys I regularly ride with that are a bit above my ability so when we start riding hard it's pretty hard to talk while riding with them. I'm usually hacking up a lung.

The thing is I set out on an easy ride. For the entire ride my HR never went above zone 2 and power was way 30-40% below FTP while I was chatting with the fellow rider. It's not the first time I lost my breath while chatting on the bike at an easy pace.

your FTP is set way too high. I can chat at 80-90% of FTP no problem.

70% is like 220W for me, thats low. I have full blown conversations at that pace(endurance).