Jim did you miss my reply?
No Artstu (can we call you Stu? Easier to type) I didn't want to start that response in case it disturbed the dust settling which I was waiting for (I should have PMd you)and then it was late and I was a bit fed up (despite the malt) after the dinner debacle. This morning I'm chewing over what went wrong with my first attempt at sourdough bread which I made yesterday in between bouts at the cycling arena.
Regarding my statistics, I'm happy to reveal all but have to first warn against coming to any real conclusions from what will actually be fairly limited information.
I am 67. I weigh 85 kilos (down by nearly 10 since January this year).
I suffered Angina about 8 years ago and this was treated by the insertion of two stents and I have had no recurrence of the Angina. I have, however, had two official heart attacks although were of the minor variety (still not a fun occasion!) and no surgery was deemed necessary.
During investigation of the second hospital admission (early 2012) it was eventually found that although my arteries were no worse (sic) than they were when the stents were put in one of the stents had itself started to clog (some sort of calcification rather than fat based build up).
This business is largely a hereditary issue, my father suffered from angina and having opted not to have any heart surgery when it was offered died (quite a bit older than I am now) of congestive heart failure.
Anyway, around the time of the angina 8 years ago I bought a cross trainer and I have put in quite a lot of time on that plus other activities (of the exercise variety) in the spare room we refer to as the Gym. I use a target heart rate program and until recently used a target heart rate of 140. That gave ne a good workout despite me being on beta blockers and a myriad other pills but recently had to reduce that to 120 when I started participation in a voluntary trial of a new beta blocker (in addition to the existing one) and found that trying to get my heart rate to 140 was tantamount to making a suicide attempt!
just to explain in case our readers are unaware of how these things work - I wear a cardiac chest monitor which transmits my heart rate to the cross trainer which then uses magnetic resistance to increase my workload, in steps, until my heart rate reaches the predetermined target. If my actual heart rate exceeds the target the machine reduces the magnetic resistance in steps to bring the heart rate back...and so on.
I have, in the recent past, done an hour at a time each day for a fortnight with the 140 target and I assure that that's quite a lot of work. It's boredom more than anything else which prevented more and I now do rather shorter but higher intensity sessions coupled with the addition of a variety of other exercises gleaned from cardio rehab sessions. I also use a rowing machine which is even more boring than the cross trainer.
Now that I'm being almost deafened by the sound of yawning I'll move slightly back towards bikes...the cadence rate that I'm happiest with on the cross trainer (which produces action in the arms and legs which is akin to cross country skiing) is 50.
I've used that rate for so long I have a pretty good idea what it feels like and I am absolutely sure therefore that when I was on the Macina Bold and it was for me maxed out my cadence rate was much higher than 50, I would say 60 upwards but who knows? I know it was a rate that was so high that I definitely wouldn't want to maintain it to achieve progress on a bike. It wasn't energy sapping, just incompatible with the concept of the activity being enjoyable.
My cycling background is not exactly a glorious one. Apart from the 3 speed Rudge Whitworth (I think) "All Steel Bicycle" (and it bleedin' felt like it!) my father donated to me when I was a youth the next bike I had was when I was around 40...a very nice Raleigh Royal 21 speed derailleur which gave way a few years back for a pair of wait for it....wait for it....Claud Butler hybrid 24 speed jobs. Hardly in the same league as the previous bikes but easier to gear shift (for less tech of the pair) and quite well suited to the sort of riding we do...when we do it.
I've done very many more miles on the cross trainer than I've done on the bikes over the 27 years we've had the bikes. But I don't believe that passes the 'so what?' test. I believe I am above average fitness for my age. Maybe not above average for regular long distance cyclists of my age.
And there you just about have it.
Now then, I can hear a chorus of 'what the heck do you want an electric bike (never mind a bleedin' expensive one) for if you don't even use the ones you've got now?'
The answer is many....I like bikes, I've got a Burgman 650 Executive that's been out of the garage once this year so far .. although I may sell it if I get the electrics. But I like sitting on it and making engine noises. I might just sit on the electric bikes and make whirring noises .... I have no intention of being the richest stiff in the cemetery ..... I like gadgets .... he who dies with the biggest number of toys wins ......
In short, it doesn't matter.
I am fully cognisant of the fact that most buying decisions are emotional rather than logical. I'm affected by that as much as anyone despite a career selling and still have to make a determined effort to keep the emotional aspect in check...but gaaawwwwd don't you just love waiting for that van to turn up?
So there you have it Stu....a physical and emotional cripple.
You'll have to pick the bones out of that 'cos, despite appearances, I hate typing, my fingers already hurt and I've soon got to start creating Mexican Carnitas for slow cooked pork tacos for tonight's feast (why are all my interests so time consuming?).
JimB
