Team BKool CycleChat

[Brendan Parker]

back to basics - its a elastic chest band with some conductive rubber on it with inclusive or clip on transmitter. The inclusive transmitters are ok but normally single use budget things. Go for the clip on type. It picks up the electrical pulses made by your heart, counts them and then sends the count to any device able to receive the info - phone apps, garmin bike computers, fitness watches, Bkool sim. programme loads of stuff out there. Your are probably better googling training with heart rate and getting a feel for your max HR and then setting your HR training bands from there. Bkool sim does a calculation for you showing your training bands. Just beware though as HR can be affected by lots of factors which can give not so accurate readings . Measuring your power in watts is has surpassed HR training for that reason - watts are watts no matter, whereas HR can be much higher when you are tired or ill.

Been doing a bit of reading up and was wondering if It would be more beneficial to me (beginner) to get a candence monitor first and concentrate on getting that right first?

 

[gbrown]

Hi Geoff
Please can I join the new handicap group-was away for the first ride and visiting my son for the second-I just got back in time to watch the end of the last race and now in bed ill-but would love to join in the fun when I get better
Thanks

@Jellybaby

No problem, you're welcome to join in. We will need to work out a handicap for whichever stage it is, so it helps if you can get an idea of the time on the stage we are running, or a couple of riders that you habitually finish close to (on similar terrain). Failing that, a guess from your Fitness level will have to do.

The way the handicaps work, you start off with a conservative one, and as you log more and more results you get a slightly more generous one, as you are more likely to be approaching your full potential for the stage.

Geoff

 

[Add]

Great to watch although i couldn't make the ride due to Mrs W making a homemade lasagne that went into the start time .

I was watching @insomnia and @Addski having a bit of a battle for most of the race which went pretty much till the finish, at one point i thought you were going to get caught @Addski.

You weren't the only one that thought I was going to get caught. It was a helluva battle with Insomnia, I swear he had a bungee hooked to my saddle.

 

[Add]

Yes that was me Insomnia, i was watching you as i was supposed to be starting at the same time as you but unfortunately didn't make it due to dinner being later than expected. Having never riden one of these rides before i wanted to watch and see how quick you were.....and seeing your average speed, i don't think i would have been with you for very long! It was a good scrap between you and Addski so i thought i would give you a bit of encouragement

I'll take a bit of that encouragement too next time please. All I got was Kipster posting, 'I'm going to take you down!' Just as I left the start. Tbh, that was all the encouragement I needed. Only just held him off though.

 

[gbrown]

Sorry Geoff. I just looked an it says 33.57. Total time 34.01
I was just remembering what I thought bkool had listed at the end of my ride but looks like I was wrong.
And No! I don't want to be over handicapped.

I think I imagined the look on your Avatar's face, standing on the winners podium after 1 minute wondering why the race was over so quickly and where everyone else was!

 

[Add]

I

There are a few. Just make sure its ANT+ otherwise it wont connect to your pro/classic. Wahoo, Garmin, Bkool do their own in the Bkool shop, Coospoo on ebay (but not that consistent so wouldn't recommend). I use Garmin - never have a problem and hardly ever have to change the button cell. Any one will work as long as its transmitting ANT+ which is an open standard low energy transmission protocol.

I use Garmin too and never had a problem, but get a chest one, as the wrist ones aren't as accurate just yet.
I did an ftp test to set my HR parameters. Just make sure you go as hard as you can maintain consistently for the whole 20 minute session. Which is harder to judge than it sounds.

 

[gbrown]

My time is void tonight as I have a confession

then realise I have that tell tale buzzing sound of the stepper motor stuck on its bottom stop and so I am getting zero resistance.

I did boggle at your maintaining over 800 Watts for what seemed ages at the start of your ride... at least that explains it!

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

That looks good Geoff - it really is worth using the same route for several runs like this for the handicap race as your constant tinkering with the handicaps is getting us closer and closer at the finish - which is great!

Getting the Handicap's correct for a first run is tricky, so running a stage several times makes sense.

How was the Tuesday night at the slightly later time? It seemed fairly well attended!

If this Tuesday slot works well, we could run the Handicap chases then, so as not to interfere in the Thursday night Chain Gang? We could also run them as a league, without getting in the way of the Chain Gang league, and overlap them.

That would allow us to perhaps run one stage from the Chain Gang (or elsewhere) several Tuesday's over a few weeks, and hence get the Handicaps tuned for the final run? It would also mean just one Handicap Chase a week, so you guys had a chance to recover and do the Chain Gang, Goats and other sessions you want to do.

What do people think, is there demand for a Tuesday Handicap, repeated a couple of weeks in a row with gradually tighter Handicaps?

As the races tend to be full on, choosing slightly shorter stages may mean a bit less strain, I would say the current stage length (31-52 minutes) is about the limit.

Geoff

 

[Brendan Parker]

Getting the Handicap's correct for a first run is tricky, so running a stage several times makes sense.

How was the Tuesday night at the slightly later time? It seemed fairly well attended!

If this Tuesday slot works well, we could run the Handicap chases then, so as not to interfere in the Thursday night Chain Gang? We could also run them as a league, without getting in the way of the Chain Gang league, and overlap them.

That would allow us to perhaps run one stage from the Chain Gang (or elsewhere) several Tuesday's over a few weeks, and hence get the Handicaps tuned for the final run? It would also mean just one Handicap Chase a week, so you guys had a chance to recover and do the Chain Gang, Goats and other sessions you want to do.

What do people think, is there demand for a Tuesday Handicap, repeated a couple of weeks in a row with gradually tighter Handicaps?

As the races tend to be full on, choosing slightly shorter stages may mean a bit less strain, I would say the current stage length (31-52 minutes) is about the limit.

Geoff

Tuesdays at 20.00 great for me

 

[bobinski]

Getting the Handicap's correct for a first run is tricky, so running a stage several times makes sense.

How was the Tuesday night at the slightly later time? It seemed fairly well attended!

If this Tuesday slot works well, we could run the Handicap chases then, so as not to interfere in the Thursday night Chain Gang? We could also run them as a league, without getting in the way of the Chain Gang league, and overlap them.

That would allow us to perhaps run one stage from the Chain Gang (or elsewhere) several Tuesday's over a few weeks, and hence get the Handicaps tuned for the final run? It would also mean just one Handicap Chase a week, so you guys had a chance to recover and do the Chain Gang, Goats and other sessions you want to do.

What do people think, is there demand for a Tuesday Handicap, repeated a couple of weeks in a row with gradually tighter Handicaps?

As the races tend to be full on, choosing slightly shorter stages may mean a bit less strain, I would say the current stage length (31-52 minutes) is about the limit.

Geoff

Good for me Geoff. I just need to get my head around eating 6ish to avoid tummy wobbles

 

[Add]

Doing fascia and barges on a new build up in the welsh hills, with fantastic views. Sun is shining, and have got that reassuring ache in my legs, reminding me that last night, I made good use of my time.
Life doesn't get any better.

 

[Add]

Getting the Handicap's correct for a first run is tricky, so running a stage several times makes sense.

How was the Tuesday night at the slightly later time? It seemed fairly well attended!

If this Tuesday slot works well, we could run the Handicap chases then, so as not to interfere in the Thursday night Chain Gang? We could also run them as a league, without getting in the way of the Chain Gang league, and overlap them.

That would allow us to perhaps run one stage from the Chain Gang (or elsewhere) several Tuesday's over a few weeks, and hence get the Handicaps tuned for the final run? It would also mean just one Handicap Chase a week, so you guys had a chance to recover and do the Chain Gang, Goats and other sessions you want to do.

What do people think, is there demand for a Tuesday Handicap, repeated a couple of weeks in a row with gradually tighter Handicaps?

As the races tend to be full on, choosing slightly shorter stages may mean a bit less strain, I would say the current stage length (31-52 minutes) is about the limit.

Geoff

8pm Tuesday's suits me just fine. I too, have to make sure I eat early, to avoid mishaps whilst in transit, but that's ok.

 

[bridgy]

Getting the Handicap's correct for a first run is tricky, so running a stage several times makes sense.

How was the Tuesday night at the slightly later time? It seemed fairly well attended!

If this Tuesday slot works well, we could run the Handicap chases then, so as not to interfere in the Thursday night Chain Gang? We could also run them as a league, without getting in the way of the Chain Gang league, and overlap them.

That would allow us to perhaps run one stage from the Chain Gang (or elsewhere) several Tuesday's over a few weeks, and hence get the Handicaps tuned for the final run? It would also mean just one Handicap Chase a week, so you guys had a chance to recover and do the Chain Gang, Goats and other sessions you want to do.

What do people think, is there demand for a Tuesday Handicap, repeated a couple of weeks in a row with gradually tighter Handicaps?

As the races tend to be full on, choosing slightly shorter stages may mean a bit less strain, I would say the current stage length (31-52 minutes) is about the limit.

Geoff

Tuesday nights good for me. If anything I'd prefer the 7pm start because 8pm means it's a bit late to eat afterwards, but I will fit in with the general consensus.

One suggestion could be to run the handicap race as the final race of each month's league? Personally I wouldn't mind if we stuck with the same route for the handicap race so that over time the handicaps were spot on (either the route we've been doing or a different one). We'd still get the variety of terrains from the other league rides, but the very nature of the handicap race would be to have consistency and a close bunch finish.

 

[Insomina]

Doing fascia and barges on a new build up in the welsh hills, with fantastic views. Sun is shining, and have got that reassuring ache in my legs, reminding me that last night, I made good use of my time.
Life doesn't get any better. View attachment 118477

Amount of time you spend on here I question how much work you are actually doing?

 

[Insomina]

Getting the Handicap's correct for a first run is tricky, so running a stage several times makes sense.

How was the Tuesday night at the slightly later time? It seemed fairly well attended!

If this Tuesday slot works well, we could run the Handicap chases then, so as not to interfere in the Thursday night Chain Gang? We could also run them as a league, without getting in the way of the Chain Gang league, and overlap them.

That would allow us to perhaps run one stage from the Chain Gang (or elsewhere) several Tuesday's over a few weeks, and hence get the Handicaps tuned for the final run? It would also mean just one Handicap Chase a week, so you guys had a chance to recover and do the Chain Gang, Goats and other sessions you want to do.

What do people think, is there demand for a Tuesday Handicap, repeated a couple of weeks in a row with gradually tighter Handicaps?

As the races tend to be full on, choosing slightly shorter stages may mean a bit less strain, I would say the current stage length (31-52 minutes) is about the limit.

Geoff

I'm in.