More effort or getting fitter

[kingrollo]

For the first time in around 3 years I have had a run of riding without any injuries.

However my speed had stagnated at around 13.5mph - over a 26 mile loop.

Anyway last night I decided to really up the effort. Every hill I was out of the saddle powering over the hills - I felt great !

The ride was faster up to 14.8 - but looking at my HRM stats from Garmin connect - my average HR was up and I spent around 50% in Garmin zone 5.

So I wondering am I getting fitter -or have I just tried harder.?

My thinking is I wouldn't have been able to tackle those hills in the way I did last night - back in Jan / Feb.

Thoughts ?

(Any replies saying too many variables will be ignored 🤣🤣🤣)

 

[ColinJ]

You had a strong tailwind up the hardest climbs?

I had that happen to me once on the stiff climb from Littleborough to Blackstone Edge. I shot up it as if on an e-bike (though they weren't available back then).

I thought that I had become a climbing god, until I pulled into the car park of the pub at the summit and almost got blown off my bike!

Hopefully, in your case it was just leg power!

 

[Ian H]

Trying harder & getting fitter have a pretty direct relationship.

 

[CXRAndy]

For the first time in around 3 years I have had a run of riding without any injuries.

However my speed had stagnated at around 13.5mph - over a 26 mile loop.

Anyway last night I decided to really up the effort. Every hill I was out of the saddle powering over the hills - I felt great !

The ride was faster up to 14.8 - but looking at my HRM stats from Garmin connect - my average HR was up and I spent around 50% in Garmin zone 5.

So I wondering am I getting fitter -or have I just tried harder.?

My thinking is I wouldn't have been able to tackle those hills in the way I did last night - back in Jan / Feb.

Thoughts ?

(Any replies saying too many variables will be ignored 🤣🤣🤣)

To build more fitness, you need to be pushing your limits once or twice a week. Combine this with a long steady ride 3+ hours with little to no stopping will see improvement.

They're several themes to increased fitness, HITT or Z1/2 training. HITT can be specific structure training with intervals from 30s to 5-20mins or race type event where you're surging with the demands of the race. Z1/2 nice easy long rides building endurance.

Combining the two aspects overall elicits the best results for fitness

 

[Sittingduck]

So I wondering am I getting fitter -or have I just tried harder.?

My thinking is I wouldn't have been able to tackle those hills in the way I did last night - back in Jan / Feb.

Thoughts ?

Jan/Feb Vs Jun/July speeds are always going to be different. Same effort level (for me, at least) equates to around 1.5-2mph slower in mid Winter. Think of the extra kit you have on, the climatic conditions and probably sub-conscious increase of care when riding in the Winter.

I reckon you are likely to have gotten a bit fitter but mainly due to increase in effort on the particular ride. Not easy to up the avg significantly without really feeling it.

 

[wafter]

Too many variables

As you try harder your HR will obvously go up; what's important is its relationship to your power output (or in this case the derivative of that being your average speed).

The unquestionable identifier of getting fitter will be doing the same speed at a lower heartrate, or a faster speed at the same heartrate. This really needs to be looked at over time with a number of samples as external factors (such as wind) will complicate things.

If you're riding consistently the one thing you can hopefully be sure of is that you're not getting any less fit

 

[Sharky]

You've missed a variable! It's what I call "skill". It's all about knowing which gear to be in, braking later, descending quicker, cornering. Taking yourself into the "red zone", but not too much that you blow up and then go slower for the next mile. You can improve avg speed by the above factors even without getting fitter.

 

[I like Skol]

You've missed a variable! It's what I call "skill". It's all about knowing which gear to be in, braking later, descending quicker, cornering. Taking yourself into the "red zone", but not too much that you blow up and then go slower for the next mile. You can improve avg speed by the above factors even without getting fitter.

Probably this ^^^^

I am considerably faster than many of my peers on a bike, but I think much of this is due to being quick to clip in and get moving, selecting the right gear before stopping, reading the terrain ahead so having the right gear to match changes in gradient and picking good lines in corners etc. I am also good at short, instantaneous bursts of power then coasting to recover while reaping the rewards of the increased speed.

It's a common cliché about work smart, not hard. I do a bit of both.