Ronno6

Yeah, I don't much care for doctors,either.
My GP says that, at 6'4" and 260# my BMI is right where it should be ******************************??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!******************************???

I would be interested in a stress test,tho. Would need to be on an exercycle rather than treadmill, and
crank arms would be a bit short I'm sure.........

Weight hurts on cli8mbing, and I am still hampered with knee trouble which keeps me in the saddle rather than standing.
But, I'm sure that my HR would rise pretty good when out of the saddle anyway.

big john

I think that's true for most of us but some people can stand and climb comfortably. I climbed a 9 mile canyon with a guy who stood the whole way, chatting like he was cruising on the bike path. Another time I rode about 10 miles across a valley with a local pro racer and he stood up the whole way, too. I was hammering at near max trying not to bore him so he would hang around and talk and he wasn't breathing hard.

Iride01 

I had a stress test a while back for a non-cycling related issue. It's not what you expect, I wasn't even on the tread mill long enough work up a sweat. They told me I passed with excellent results. Of course I did, they didn't even keep me on it long enough to get stressed.

You said you are trying to keep your HR down because of feeling as having no energy after the rides where you exerted. However that is not in itself a heart issue, other than you are burning up your energy reserves when you work at anaerobic levels. But those can be restored in a fairly reasonable time if you are consuming carbohydrates while you ride and for a short time after. And still, it's a thing that you have to give your body time to adjust to the new level of activity.

I'm not saying ruin what ever diet you are on by sucking down carbs all the time, just when you ride and for 20 minutes or so afterward. And don't consume more Calories than you burned on the ride.

Monitoring HR has led many of us it astray when we first got it. We get the feeling that fast HR is bad and we start attributing all our woes to it. Certainly you can keep your reserve energy levels full by not going over a certain HR, but the others will be pulling away and leaving you on hills and sprints.

Carbonfiberboy 

Find another doctor. That's over the line. You'll be able to climb well at 200. Get on it. Smaller portions, more miles/week.

Classtime 

A couple of observations:

• Off the bike for two years and then another year with only 1000 miles is basically 3 years off.
• Being tired after a long ride is normal.
• 260 lbs is too much for bad knees to support.
• That your HR takes two minutes to drop from 130 to 120 means you are out of shape.

I don't know what your leg/knee issues were or what the fix was but my most recent knee surgery wreaked havoc on my entire body and I will do everything within my power to avoid any future surgeries.

While you keep riding lots but only every other day, strengthen your knees with off the bike resistance work, and find a fit cardiologist. You could also experiment with your eating habits. My wife (a runner) developed a sensitivity to gluten later in life and since she gave it up, she is has much more energy before, during, and after, her runs.

You Got This,
Jeff

Ronno6

I'm working on my weight. 253 this morn.
Out of shape?? Yup.
Leg issues: Reaggravated a hamstring pull.
Badly sprained an ankle.
Then, knee problems.
3 rooster comb shots and about 3 months rest, then started riding off and on.
Reaggravated the knee......more shots. Then 1000 mile year.....
So, I've ridden about 260 miles thru 2 months this year........

Classtime 

Keep goin on the weight. Awesome. Achy knees have been a problem for me for 35 years. I'm 61. Since I've gradually gotten to 99% vegan over the last 5 years, they no longer hurt coming down the stairs in the morning. Weird huh? 3 months rest seems like a lot. Find a PT that will give you some exercises for when you are "resting". Keep going man. You got bikes to ride.

Iride01 

I've always said that if riding your bike makes your knees hurt, then you are riding in to high a gear. Of course this is only my generalization and doesn't apply to all persons and circumstance. Usually for me, knee pain is not how fast I move my knees, it's how much pressure, muscle, torque or what every you perceive it as, that I put into the pedals. '

So if you are riding and the pedals feel ridiculously too easy to pedal, then perhaps you are in the correct gear and just need to learn how to maintain a higher cadence to get the speed you want.

If your bike has the correct range of gearing, then you shouldn't have to use force to pedal. Not even for normal accelerations and climbs. I'd think standing while on your bike is likely to make your knees hurt for certain. Or at least till you get in better shape.

You've done better than me. I got on a bike for the first time this year to test ride it around the parking lot at a LBS. I'm a fair weather cyclist and this winter rode none. This year, my excuse has been rain, cold, work and it gets dark too early. Thankfully, cold and getting dark too early are soon to be in the past. Also, March is my B'day month and I'm getting a new bike. Those should be incentives to ride!

Ronno6

Finding an easy gear on the flats is not an issue; it's those pesky hills that cause problems.
The MRI of my right knee supposedly showed the "grand slam" of issues:
Tom meniscus,
Baler cyst
Arthritis
Bursitis...........

Rooster comb shots have alleviated the problems so far.
No knee issues at present,and over a year since my last shots.
The relapse came after kicking a shovel to move some dirt............I'll know better next time.
My left knee has been OK, except it got tight for quite a while (months) after kicking it up a hill.
Looks like the saddle is my friend.........

bikemig 

To the OP: great thread. We all think about these issues as we age.

I find as I get older my tires get a bit fatter (I tend to run 32c tires now), my handlebars are a bit higher (I run them level with my saddle and I like randonneur bars), and my gearing is a bit lower (I like triples and compact doubles, racing cranks not so much) but my fun quotient has not gone down. I just do things a bit different. I always sign up for at least one really hard ride a year (a metric century with 5,000 ft of climbing). If I finish that ride and I'm too beat to drink a beer, I figure I've done the ride all wrong, .

Iride01 

When you were "kicking it" up the hill, did you have a lower gear you could have used? If not, you might need to check into getting either a cassette with larger tooth count on the low gears or crank with smaller chain wheel.

My son had knee problems, but thought I was doing a blasphemy when I took the 11-28 cassette off his bike and put a 11-32 on it. Now he beats me up the hills I used to take him on. And, no knee pain for the most part. I've threatened to take that cassette off his bike <grin>.

bmcer

At 6'-4" and 260 your BMI is 31+ which is well into the "over weight" range, ordering on obese. I'd suggest seeing a better informed GP. What you're describing sounds a lot like cardiovascular decoupling. In July 2019 I was 5'-11" and 230 (obese) when I got back on the bike after a hiatus of several years, determined to whip myself back into shape and loose some weight. I saw the same sort of once over a certain HR, recovery just doesn't happen like it should at first. I've continued riding, gradually increasing my time, distance, and average power output. I've been doing intervals of 4 minutes on followed by 2 minute off and repeating until I see my heart rate stay up during the off intervals. 8 months later, my weight is down to just mildly overweight at 190 (BMI=26.5), and I recover from HR = 153 down to 125 in about 3 minutes of making 90 - 100 watts.


I'm no expert on the topic, but I think if you stay the course, make time for adequate rest, and get your BMI under 27, you'll be just fine. BTW, I'm gonna be 72 at the end of April.

Ronno6

I paid closer attention to my recovery HR once done riding.
I kicked it up to 140 with the finish line in sight, then coasted.
In about 1 minute, I was down under 130.
In 3 minutes, 120
4 1/2 minutes to 110
and 100 in about 7 minutes.
I seem to be recovering better on the bike,too.
Once over 140, it is easily doable to keep it there with modest effort, but comes back down to 130 with
an easing up of effort.

I felt really lousy after Saturday's 16 miler, 143 max, 130 avg 42% over 133, but
much better on today's 20 mile ride 145 max 131 avg 56% over 133

I have abandon the 130 max...........now I just let 'er rip..........I do back off once over 142.......

Felt good today, but windy as heck........

big john

Baby steps.

eja_ bottecchia

I am 64 and I too have noticed that my average speeds have been dropping. I am still riding over 6K miles a year and doing a fair amount of climbing on the local hills. But my average speeds have dropped.

OTOH I have seven coronary stents, diabetes and asthma so I am just glad that I am still riding.

TiHabanero

At age 50 I whole heartedly embraced the noticeable drop in performance and started noticing the things I intentionally ignored while riding. Riding is much more enjoyable and beneficial to my health now than before. My friend, who is 65, admitted to me this winter that he should have embraced aging sooner as he finds that cycling is much more enjoyable when not trying to be "boy racer" or "Jonny go faster". There is so much more to self verification than going fast or faster than yesterday or your buddy. Slow down and enjoy the ride.

Ronno6

I guess I gotta be grateful that I can still ride as well as I do at this age.
It can be tough to accept one's limitations, but a man has to know them (right, Harry??)
Lately the wind has been so high and gusty that 18-20 miles averaging 15 is all we care to do.....

My HR gets up over 140 for minutes and minutes, but I am recovering more quickly than before.
So, progress in baby steps I suppose.
As the temp rises and the winds die down later this month, I look to extend mileage and frequency, and ride whatever hills I come across.
Hopefully I can continue to gradually shed the pounds. That oughta help.

Iride01 

Make certain you stay hydrated as it warms up. I find I have a tendency not to drink enough when it's cool out. Despite not loosing water through sweat, I know I'm still loosing water because I have to stop to urinate once or twice on distances that I never stop for during warm months when I sweat out my water.

I also wonder how if how hydrated we are makes a difference on the viscosity, so to speak of our blood plasma. Seems like less hydration would mean the heart will have a harder time pumping a given amount of blood. I've seen any research or meaningful discussion about it with respect to cyclist and fluid intake.

bmcer

Check this article https://www.meridianvalleylab.com/de...ood-viscosity/

QUOTE=Iride01;21357850]Make certain you stay hydrated as it warms up. I find I have a tendency not to drink enough when it's cool out. Despite not loosing water through sweat, I know I'm still loosing water because I have to stop to urinate once or twice on distances that I never stop for during warm months when I sweat out my water.

I also wonder how if how hydrated we are makes a difference on the viscosity, so to speak of our blood plasma. Seems like less hydration would mean the heart will have a harder time pumping a given amount of blood. I've seen any research or meaningful discussion about it with respect to cyclist and fluid intake.[/QUOTE]

big john

You lose water through aspiration and you sweat even when you don't notice. We are all different and I sweat more than most. When it's hot I weigh myself before and after rides. On a 65ish mile ride with climbing I will lose 5 or 6 pounds of water weight. I have dropped 11 pounds on a hot 85 mile ride, felt like crap after that.
Saturday I did 83 miles with only 3000 feet of climbing and I only drank about 100 ounces of liquid but it was cool all day.

Ronno6

I take a couple sips or water every 2 miles. My mouth tends to dry out, and that gets me drinking....
During warmer months, I will consume a 24oz bottle about every 20 miles.
As for urination, my kidneys seem to stop working while riding.
Always have.
Should I attempt to urinate immediately after a ride, I'm sure dust would come out........

I have been observing my HR while riding, but not really been allowing it to govern my level of effort.
I think I am getting in a bit condition.

big john

It's normal for your kidneys to slow down while riding. When it gets hot try weighing yourself before and after longer rides.
I don't piss dust.

Iride01 

If you are in the Deep South, then you might need to up your fluid intake. 24oz in 20 miles doesn't seem like enough to me. Maybe it is, but you might should browse the web for hydration strategies for cycling and decide for yourself. But I'd think that not hydrating enough while riding might make you feel crappy for some time after a long ride. If you are hydrating correctly, you should weigh about the same after your ride as when you started.

A 24oz bottle only lasted me for one hour yesterday or roughly 16 miles. And it wasn't even warm. Typically at this temp it'd last me 70 minutes. When it's in the upper 80º's I'll be sucking down 24oz in 50 minutes. And near 100º's it'll only last 30 to 40 minutes. My son goes through more than I do. With only two bottles it does make planning for water stops important for rides over 35 miles.

Ronno6

[QUOTE=Iride01;21359899
A 24oz bottle only lasted me for one hour yesterday or roughly 16 miles. And it wasn't even warm. .[/QUOTE]

But...it WAS windy, No??

Ronno6

Recent rides have seen some performance improvements.
I am not concerning myself with my HR other than seeing it come back down when I relax a bit.
I think the highest have seen it is 149 and had to work my butt off to get that.....
I usually run out of legs before it gets that high.

HR comes back down pretty quickly after the ride, and, though I may be tired after the ride, it is typically not debilitating.
So, I guess the conditioning is returning and weight is coming off.........it had better be as I am fasting for at least 20 hrs every day.......