As you might know, I've been ill for about a month with a virus. Yesterday, I went out for a short ride to see if I was able. It was OK, so I thought 'd try a longer one today in an attempt to try and rebuild my fitness. It didn't go well. I think the bad karma from taking the mick out of too many forum members caught up with me.
The ride has some fairly steep hills, but my 48v TSDZ02 in bottom gear can get up them without any trouble. I've had my Huawei smartwatch for a fair while and used it and the previous one to record some of my rides. It gives a map, speed heart rate, altitude and stuff like that. I just start it, then stop it after the ride and look at the results afterwards. It's never made a noise before.
When I got to the first steep hill, I was doing fine about half-way up, when suddenly my watch started shouting at me - something like "heart rate too high, ease off". It's never done that before, but maybe it came in a software update because later it shouted at me several times about zones, which I didn't understand and hasn't done before either. Anyway, my heartrate was over 160, so I increased the assist level and slowed down a bit. I got this heartrate warning several times during the ride, which worried me a bit because I'm still not feeling great and you shouldn't stress yourself in that situation. I felt absolutely fine, and with the bike on max power, I was hardly putting in any effort, like riding on the flat at 10mph with an unassisted bike. I therefore continued very cautiously watching my heartrate hover around 140-150 for nothing.
I got about half-way round the 22 mile ride, when I felt the back end wobbling because the tyre was going flat. The handling did feel a bit off for the last 5 miles, so I figured that I had a slow puncture. The tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB, which are supposed to be the most puncture proof MTB tyres. I had no choice but to get off and push, which was even worse for my heart and my watch was soon shouting at me again. I soon came acrross a guy doing his front garden. luckily, he had a pump, but he insisted on doing it himself and wouldn't pump the tyres above 30 psi because that's what was written on them. I told him to go to 100psi to give me a chance of getting home, but he refused. I continued on my way and got up about 3/4 of the massive climb up Ironbridge Gorge before I was pushing again. My watch started shouting again, but after about a mile I found a small business open, so I asked in there and a guy had a pump. He didn't have any problem pumping them up to whatever I wanted, so that got me the few miles home. By the time I got home, I was feeling a bit feint and my eyesight was going blotchy, but I was fine after a few minutes rest and a cup of tea.
This evening, I fixed the puncture. It was an ordinary thorn, and not a particularly hard one, so I can confirm that these tyres are useless against punctures. I haven't even done 100 miles with them yet. I never had a puncture in about 10,000 miles with the normal Marathon Plus tyres that are much harder than these ones.
What did I learn:
1. Some very kind people that are always willing to help'
2. Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tyres are useless against punctures.
3. Probably best not to ride your bike when you don't feel well.
Here's the heartbeat chart. It's a bit higher than the last time I did the same ride on my roadbike without assistance, though I was hardly putting any effort into pedalling this time, while as I'd be standing on the pedals of my roadbike. It doesn't look too bad to me. Ave 143, max 169. What do you think? How high before you die?
The ride has some fairly steep hills, but my 48v TSDZ02 in bottom gear can get up them without any trouble. I've had my Huawei smartwatch for a fair while and used it and the previous one to record some of my rides. It gives a map, speed heart rate, altitude and stuff like that. I just start it, then stop it after the ride and look at the results afterwards. It's never made a noise before.
When I got to the first steep hill, I was doing fine about half-way up, when suddenly my watch started shouting at me - something like "heart rate too high, ease off". It's never done that before, but maybe it came in a software update because later it shouted at me several times about zones, which I didn't understand and hasn't done before either. Anyway, my heartrate was over 160, so I increased the assist level and slowed down a bit. I got this heartrate warning several times during the ride, which worried me a bit because I'm still not feeling great and you shouldn't stress yourself in that situation. I felt absolutely fine, and with the bike on max power, I was hardly putting in any effort, like riding on the flat at 10mph with an unassisted bike. I therefore continued very cautiously watching my heartrate hover around 140-150 for nothing.
I got about half-way round the 22 mile ride, when I felt the back end wobbling because the tyre was going flat. The handling did feel a bit off for the last 5 miles, so I figured that I had a slow puncture. The tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB, which are supposed to be the most puncture proof MTB tyres. I had no choice but to get off and push, which was even worse for my heart and my watch was soon shouting at me again. I soon came acrross a guy doing his front garden. luckily, he had a pump, but he insisted on doing it himself and wouldn't pump the tyres above 30 psi because that's what was written on them. I told him to go to 100psi to give me a chance of getting home, but he refused. I continued on my way and got up about 3/4 of the massive climb up Ironbridge Gorge before I was pushing again. My watch started shouting again, but after about a mile I found a small business open, so I asked in there and a guy had a pump. He didn't have any problem pumping them up to whatever I wanted, so that got me the few miles home. By the time I got home, I was feeling a bit feint and my eyesight was going blotchy, but I was fine after a few minutes rest and a cup of tea.
This evening, I fixed the puncture. It was an ordinary thorn, and not a particularly hard one, so I can confirm that these tyres are useless against punctures. I haven't even done 100 miles with them yet. I never had a puncture in about 10,000 miles with the normal Marathon Plus tyres that are much harder than these ones.
What did I learn:
1. Some very kind people that are always willing to help'
2. Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tyres are useless against punctures.
3. Probably best not to ride your bike when you don't feel well.
Here's the heartbeat chart. It's a bit higher than the last time I did the same ride on my roadbike without assistance, though I was hardly putting any effort into pedalling this time, while as I'd be standing on the pedals of my roadbike. It doesn't look too bad to me. Ave 143, max 169. What do you think? How high before you die?
