A bit of topic but I would REALLY value your advice.

[Bob_about]

You got it just about right already

Hi Vikki

I`ve been back through this thread again - its interesting how it has mooved on a bit and gained a bit of a focus on weight loss through exercise

Going back to your original post and the questions "can it get better" and "is it all really worth it" I think you have some excellent advice here about pushing a little further /harder a bit at a time.

Keeping track of heart rates is a good idea and will give you a clue as to what you are making your heart do, and combined with the Garmin edge data you will have loads of info on what you have been achieveing.

Dont expect too much too soon, take regular breaks and include rest days .... and if you want any advice from me ref weight - forget about even weighing yourself. You have already seen some weight loss, it would appear without really trying, if you focus on enjoying your riding, pushing a little and seeing some improvement over time, the rest will follow.

Its not too late, it can get better, it is worth it!!!

Well done on the trike and SB and keep letting us know how you are getting on

All the best

Bob_about

 

[kevelec]

Hi Vikki,

Just an off-the-cuff thought. Time spent on SB or Prowler has to be better than the same time in front of a monitor or TV. Maybe it's not just about getting fit but about not getting unfit.

Best wishes,

K.

 

[Vikki]

Thanks, Bob.

I weigh my self once a week, just to be sure it's going the right way. Static - don't mind, down - excellent. Going up - not seen that

Did rather shift over to weight loss didn't it Still, all part and parcel of it and the original reason for the trike.

Kevelec. That is so true. That's how I got this way in the first place

Of course, just remembered. I got the trike so I can get exercise in the two periods I have to cycle. Going to work and coming home. Sooo much easier than finding 50 minutes an evening to do other forms of exercise. Then there's the nice weekend ride

Vikki (feeling well and truly encouraged).

 

[Vikki]

The results are in!

Took Prowler to work this morning and had my HRM on.

Brilliant ride, cruising at around 12-13 mph with a HR of 144. Leg muscles felt good. Breathing was good and steady.

Sprinted to 17 mph and held that for a minute or two and HR hit 155 as I accelerated then dropped back to 148 as speed stabilised.

Feel really good right now.

However, I figured 144 HR put me nicely in zone 2 (aerobic) but on checking my HRM times I find something completely unexpected. Apparently I had spent 21 minutes in zone 2 (that would include paused time, getting Prowler out the door, set-up time and time putting Prowler in the bike shed and walking across the car park to my office). The next figure was 31 minutes spent in zone 3 (anearobic). Which means I was a zone higher than I thought I was.

The HRM has calculated the following zones from the data I entered (age, gender, weight):

Zone 1: 84-109.
Zone 2: 109-134.
Zone 3: 134-160.

Do I trust these zones that the HRM has calculated? Zone 2 is a walk in the park. Zone 3 (lower end) wasn't stressing me at all (except when I punched up to the higher end whilst accelerating hard (I was overtaking a slo-mo-joe). Oh, it says my maximum heart rate (100%) 174 bpm. Thankfully there isn't a zone for that, no way I'm going anywhere near my max .

11 mph gave about 138 bpm.

Would I be right in thinking that at my current fitness level my heart is working a bit harder than it could/should be? Or are the zones incorrect? 144 felt good for the effort (which wasn't great, or didn't feel great amount), so is this a good HR for 12-13 mph?

I tell ya, it's going to be mighty interesting to see how this data changes over time. I wish now I had bought the Garmin Edge 705 because that had an HRM function built in. I don't know this was going to become important to me.

Hmmm, seems everytime I do a 30 miler then leave Prowler alone for two days, the next time I ride him there is a significant improvement.

Many thanks and best regards.

Vikki.

 

[overlander]

Without knowing your rest heart rate and maximum it is hard to tell if they are correct. but they do look low and age and weight or only part of the formula. Did the watch measure you base rate and maximum rate?

I would try one of the many online calculators based on the max/min figures from your watch.

Heart Rate Training Zones For example

Forgot to add this

Maximum Heart Rate Remember this is only a formula based guide and don't forget Vo2 as well.

For an actual real rate try this.

Maximum Heart Rate Stress Tests


The more i look at the figures i would say they are not too far off, maybe slightly low but you need to calculate this.

 

[eddieo]

I was doing OK'ish weight going down - at least moving in the right direction!

But being laid up with the lower back problem for 4 months and then the foot infection I picked up in Thailand has knocked me right back...I have a wedding to go to this weekend and cant get into any of my suits

 

[Vikki]

Eddio: Ouch! Get well soon

Overlander: Thanks for the links. I did the calcs (ok, I let the web-app do them ).

MHR for me is 174.

Zone:......... Calculated:........ HRM:

Zone 1
Recovery..... 104-122............ 84-109.

Zone 2
Aerobic....... 122-139............ 109-134.

Zone 3
Anaerobic.... 139-157........... 134-160.

Looks like zone 1 is the most out. The others are not too shabby.

I suppose, technically, I'm out of the zone I want to be in. By the same token, is my current level of fitness skewing the readings, ie, elevated HR due to being a beginner from a poor starting point.

As I said previously, this is going to be very interesting watching those figures change. It does look like an 11 mph pootle is still good for me. Although I did read that the lower end of Zone 3 still burns fat to a degree (yeah, 160°C with a chicken leg in it - oops! Did I say or think that?).

I'm pleased to see other people are getting something out of this thread.

It certainly goes to show that there is more to this exercise malarky than meets the eye. Glad to know that piloting Prowler around is NOT causing my heart to try and pound its way out of my chest (drat, reminded me of the chest-burster in Alien ).

Many thanks, peeps. Truly grateful for your time and effort.

Vikki.

 

[carpetbagger]

ok,i am going to make you sick now,,,i was the right weight for my size,6ft2 and 75kg..and i am 48...but i am wasn't fit. I work from home sat behind a PC all day. Since i got the Agattu i can ride further than i ever have in my life,but recently i have being doing varied routes Going the opposite way some times and i am 100 % fitter.Each time i just push that little bit harder and each time it gets easier..Its going to take a few weeks/months so don't give up. For anybody who says you can't get fit /woek up a sweat on an ebike i would disagree.When i get back from a ride i am absolutely wet though with sweat,so you can still put a lot of effort into an electric bike. Its about only using the power when you need to and you will find you use it less and less. The same would apply to non electric. Try to pick a route you can just about do,then just work at it until you time,speed and fitness improve then do the route the opposite way... My weight has dropped a few kg but thats not what my aim is...its just to improve fitness and may be invest in one of those primitive non electric things !!!!

 

[Vikki]

Yo! CB, long time no see.

Not feeling sick, feeling envy, though, at your lovely 75kg.

Prowler is non-eleccy. and he lived up to his name today. The A27 cycleway has become a little overgrown with all sorts of nasty plants (stinging nettles and blackberry bushes) leaning out to get you. I was coming up behind someone doing 10 mph and couldn't get past so I slid in behind them, nice and low, prowling behind the guy. When it cleared I tore past him.

Me and Prowler do 14 miles a day for three days a week and then we do a 24-30 miler on the Saturday. I'm looking to up that to a half-century soon. I'm bursting to do one - a half-century that is.

The two days I ride SB I do some sprinting here and there. I am kinda moving away from electric a bit because the trike is just so much fun and more relaxing (being laid back helps ). Erm, until the winter arrives I suspect.

Good to hear you're doing so well, keep it up and we'll get there together

Best regards.

Vikki.

 

[overlander]

Thats one lesson i learnt early on that weight is not an absolute guide to fitness. 95% of the time it is, as usually if you sit about all day you put on weight, conversely some folk are thin no matter what they do.

We had a PT teacher who we used to call Fat Mac due to him being massive, he was unbelievably fit, you should have seen him doing the cross country.

 

[flecc]

We had a PT teacher who we used to call Fat Mac due to him being massive, he was unbelievably fit, you should have seen him doing the cross country.

I've seen this sort of thing too, but is he still alive?

My experience is that here are few fat older people, the overweight tend to die first due to the stresses and strain their weight causes.
.

 

[overlander]

I do believe he is dead now, i left school in 84 he looked about 40 so that would put him in his sixties. But only guessing when you were young everyone looks old

 

[flecc]

I do believe he is dead now, i left school in 84 he looked about 40 so that would put him in his sixties. But only guessing when you were young everyone looks old

If he is dead in his sixties that would confirm what I've said. Its very noticeable how old peoples homes are full of slim people, despite them sitting around most of the time. Even outside, those in their 80s and 90s are mostly slim.
.

 

[carpetbagger]

be careful what you say and to whom or they may raise the retirement age again !!!!!!

 

[carpetbagger]

is it a kmx that you have Vikki ? Is it worth the money ?

 

[CheKmx]

Carpetbagger I have a kmx cobra and there is no doubt it is good value and great fun. Having said that I have had a few issues mostly relating to poor setup, chain too long, wheels not aligned properly lose pedal and chain snaps. I'm selling mine but only to keep my bike collection in check but I would only use it for fun not as a commuter. It is a lot of fun though everyone who rides it gets that trike grin.

 

[Vikki]

Hi, CB.

I've done about 600 miles on Prowler so far without any problems. Barry at KMX set mine up himself and it was spot on since I was there to have the seat position and boom length set.

I have the Typhoon and recently upgraded the boom to a full triple chainset.

The KMX is deffo worth the money, especially as other trikes are twice the price.

I don't have a problem commuting with him and longer rides he takes in his stride

Vikki.

 

[MAB]

be careful what you say and to whom or they may raise the retirement age again !!!!!!

Someone spoke to soon!!!! Maybe government policy is dictated by comments on this forum?

BBC News - Plan to axe fixed retirement age

Regards,

Mike.

 

[carpetbagger]

Hi, CB.

I've done about 600 miles on Prowler so far without any problems. Barry at KMX set mine up himself and it was spot on since I was there to have the seat position and boom length set.

I have the Typhoon and recently upgraded the boom to a full triple chainset.

The KMX is deffo worth the money, especially as other trikes are twice the price.

I don't have a problem commuting with him and longer rides he takes in his stride

Vikki.

so do you just ride on bike tracks/pavements or do you go on the road with the 4 wheel + monsters ?

 

[Vikki]

I go on the road in places. You would be surprised at the amount of room I am given. If the other side of the road is clear the passing vehicle will move right over to the other side to clear me. If the other side isn't clear and there is space to pass me I get a good 3' or more (mostlu more). If there isn't space I've noticed that they will stay behind me until it is safe to pass. I always thank them for passing me with consideration.

A trike is wide (yet not much wider than a regular bike taking handlebars into consideration) but psychologically, I am wide and I'm perceived as something alien to be avoided

All trikers say the same thing, the amount of room given a trike is enormous. We catch the drivers eye as something unusual and for them it's a "WTF!?" moment

Hope that helps

Vikki.