Climbing difficulties
12-05-20, 09:18 AM
#51
Senior Member
Take up swimming. Seriously. Any cyclist that had a background of competitive swimming leapt to the front of the pack when they took up cycling.
I rode with a group of guys that had all been swimmers in high school. They never seemed to breathe hard, and their recovery after a hard effort was so much quicker than mine.
I rode with a group of guys that had all been swimmers in high school. They never seemed to breathe hard, and their recovery after a hard effort was so much quicker than mine.
12-05-20, 11:48 AM
#52
I think I know nothing.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NE PA
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What is lost in these "i hate the gaming aspect of zwift" posts is that for many of us we want to improve but have no real desire to become a top rated honcho. Also, riding an indoor trainer is even on a good day boring and unless you are highly motivated to become a top athlete, it is helpful to have rewards along the way not just an occasional improvement in your ftp.
I have in the past taken martial arts and hold a bb in TKD. There were the same arguments on internet chit-chat forums then in that some would say TKD is not a real martial art and that the color belt system is a fundraiser for the school. True some get involved in martial arts for the sole purpose of being a great fighter but for the vast crowd it is a fitness activity and just like riding a bicycle trainer, martial arts drills and exercises are at times boring.
When I was in martial arts I had no illusions of being a ring or street fighter but I was certainly better able to take care of myself against your typical school yard bully than most and had the opportunity to demonstrate this twice. I feel the same about bicycle riding, I want to be good, be better than I am now but I have no aspirations to be a pro. I'm 62 so that train left the station decades ago. So I appreciate the gaming aspects of zwift. Many times I have stayed on my trainer way past the time my brain said stop just to get a level up.
When I ride my bicycle outside on my local hills and there are many where I live, my numbers (watts, w/kg, cadence) as reported by my Garmin Vector 3 PMs are higher than what I typically get on my trainer. I will say that riding outside is different, different skills and if all of your riding is trainer based, in particular climbing but also group riding skills and bicycle handling which are not 100% available to the trainer/zwift mode of workout, you will be disappointed at least somewhat. For me at least a combination trainer/outside is what I'm looking at. Group rides in zwift, just like group rides IRL have benefit but if real improvement is desired then a structured workout plan is probably necessary.
Maybe I'm not being as efficient as I could be or as dedicated as possible but 2019 was my real beginning in bicycle riding. Although physically skinny I was way out of shape and on the very few group rides I did I got my ass handed to me. Last winter I zwifted until I almost puked, put in a lot of miles and a lot of climbing. Then last summer I rode weekly with a large and well established club, C and B rides approx 25-30 miles each 2000 ft ascent and held my own, even with a 15 year old alum bike. A year earlier I wouldn't have even finished such a ride and would not have considered it fun.
I have in the past taken martial arts and hold a bb in TKD. There were the same arguments on internet chit-chat forums then in that some would say TKD is not a real martial art and that the color belt system is a fundraiser for the school. True some get involved in martial arts for the sole purpose of being a great fighter but for the vast crowd it is a fitness activity and just like riding a bicycle trainer, martial arts drills and exercises are at times boring.
When I was in martial arts I had no illusions of being a ring or street fighter but I was certainly better able to take care of myself against your typical school yard bully than most and had the opportunity to demonstrate this twice. I feel the same about bicycle riding, I want to be good, be better than I am now but I have no aspirations to be a pro. I'm 62 so that train left the station decades ago. So I appreciate the gaming aspects of zwift. Many times I have stayed on my trainer way past the time my brain said stop just to get a level up.
When I ride my bicycle outside on my local hills and there are many where I live, my numbers (watts, w/kg, cadence) as reported by my Garmin Vector 3 PMs are higher than what I typically get on my trainer. I will say that riding outside is different, different skills and if all of your riding is trainer based, in particular climbing but also group riding skills and bicycle handling which are not 100% available to the trainer/zwift mode of workout, you will be disappointed at least somewhat. For me at least a combination trainer/outside is what I'm looking at. Group rides in zwift, just like group rides IRL have benefit but if real improvement is desired then a structured workout plan is probably necessary.
Maybe I'm not being as efficient as I could be or as dedicated as possible but 2019 was my real beginning in bicycle riding. Although physically skinny I was way out of shape and on the very few group rides I did I got my ass handed to me. Last winter I zwifted until I almost puked, put in a lot of miles and a lot of climbing. Then last summer I rode weekly with a large and well established club, C and B rides approx 25-30 miles each 2000 ft ascent and held my own, even with a 15 year old alum bike. A year earlier I wouldn't have even finished such a ride and would not have considered it fun.
