Pace for Bike Test

fleck03

For adding Pace to the bike test... is that average mph for the test? or is that mins/mile? (i'm not using a power meter of any kind, so I want to get the best results for my zones based solely off distance, time, and HR). I'm confused on this ... seems like a lot of folks are using power meters of some sort or another.  Thanks. 

GMAN 19030

It's a HR based test. 40 minutes at "balls to the walls/I'm about to stroke out" kind of pace. Your average HR for that 40 minutes is your LTHR (lactate threshold heart rate). No need to fuss over mph/distance as that's too variable outside and a made up number inside.

tuckerm

Bob is correct. Pace/mph on the bike tests are meaningless. Make them up.

Joe Matchette

Small point of order --- an ability to compare pace/mph across tests can be an indication of increased fitness if you don't have a powermeter. This is assuming that the tests are replicable (e.g. same trainer). If test 1 was done at 17.4 mph, and test 2 ends up with an average speed of 17.9 mph, that is an objective indicator of increased functional strength.

My $0.02.

tuckerm

I disagree Joe, unless you are sure you have the same psi and tension on the trainer. Without that, sorry it's just a number.

Joe Matchette

Tucky, I hadn't thought about that.....I guess since my trainer gave a resistance curve whereby resistance increases as a function of speed (i.e. one data point on the curve was 400W for 25mph), I figured the same would be true with other types of trainers.

Let me think on this for a bit.

jhbinsc

Obviously PM is the gold standard but if using HR, ignore pace/mph on bike and use your tested HR parameters. Then save up XMas $$$ from grnadma and buy a used PM....

akline01

I think everyone on this thread is correct in their own way. You can't use pace on a bike if you are going to be riding outside at all....it varies way too much (hills, wind, etc.) However, if you live in a cold climate and will be riding on your trainer in your "pain cave" all winter and really won't be going outside at all then you definitely can use pace/MPH/avg distance metrics IF you make sure you keep the tire PSI and trainer settings constant. Then it basically becomes just like our run "vDOT" testing where you can use your avg pace from your bike test to benchmark this for future testing sessions and keep track of your progress since your average pace should go up just like your avg WATTS would if you had a power meter. Having said all this, I think everyone would agree a Power Meter is best since you'll be able to use that inside and outside and learn what it means to ride steady for racing. That's my $.02.

John Withrow

I agree with Aaron, but FWIW I just saw a PM trade on eBay for around $300...

Jeff Unruh

FWIW - When speaking to P last year on the topic he said distance/speed was worth noting if you were sans PM (as I was at the start of last OS). I hear your concerns Tucker but found that the data was worth keeping.

mgraffeo

There's two companies that sell 'power meters' for trainer-based training, which work solely off of MPH (kinetic and iBike). resistance curves of stationary trainers are well understood for many designs, and you can do the same calculation in excel (Kinetic has the equations on their websites).

So, if you don't have a PM, pump your tires to the same pressure before each test, and keep track. Oh, and ignore everything Tucker says ;-)

(JK, Tucker!)

tuckerm

Hey Mike, GFY. LIke I said something different then you.

@Michael, easy solution, tell Withrow how much you can spend on a PM. He will find you one on eBay. Trust me, he loves the site.

mgraffeo

Sheesh, Tucker, you're getting awful touchy for a message with a smiley and a JK ;-) Took me at least a minute to figure out that you didn't mean 'good for you'. Reminds me of that scene in the odd couple, when Walter Mathau says "it took me all morning to figure out that F. U. was for Felix Unger!"

I owe you a beer out at AmZof for that one, dude.

tuckerm

I gave you a wink!