Rhys blinds Amanda with science, but she’s busy looking at the sun.
I’m sitting in the passenger seat of the van, watching the rolling hills wake up to the morning sun. The frosty cover from the night before is melting before my eyes, revealing golden heathers and contours and undulations that look so inviting in my current frame of mind. I want to be on the hills, feeling the chill of dawn and hearing the crunch of frozen dirt beneath my tyres. I want to ride my bike somewhere with a low potential peril rating. I want to take my time, stopping to look at the view and take in the aesthetics of a bike ride.
“… your power to weight ratio defines your climbing ability, whereas pure watts dictate how fast you can travel along the flat. Overall it’s generally better to focus on…”
I can just about make out the next expanse of hills. The sun is blinding my vision, but I’m patiently waiting for the moment my side window is cast into shadow and I can continue my daydream about a peaceful ride.
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“… you can only define your training zones accurately by measuring your threshold power. Now, threshold power…”
And there it is. A gap in the hillside reveals the most beautiful scene. A huge hill (or is it a mountain? It’s quite big) with a gorge cutting through it, drawing my eyes down to the river below. What a perfect place for a picnic. I’d need a full riding pack, not my usual hip-pack bare essentials. Maybe a flask of rum hot chocolate, a lump of marzipan, a clementine…
“… there are two types of lactate threshold. LT1 and LT2. LT1 is where you start producing lactate as a product of anaerobic work. LT2 is where the amount of lactate in your blood, kind of, overwhelms your aerobic system…”
I get my phone out to drop a pin on the land to the left, I can find out if there are any bridleways and plot a ride. I’m sure Rhys will want to come; it’s a pretty tame looking area, but it’s not always about massive climbs and technical descents. Although, if that’s a mountain, it’ll probably be really fun. And the views will be incredible.
“… VO2 max is maximum oxygen uptake within your muscles…”
I’ve just spotted what I think is a cycle path along the river, so it should be easy to link up some of this into a ride. I’d like this weather to hold – you can’t beat frosty winter sun. Cosy up in all the layers and go on an adventure with a group of mates. Only as fast as your slowest rider. No Strava bashing, just a grand old day out.
“… cadence is another parameter to be aware of. Around 90 rpm is the sweet spot for balancing efficiency against muscular endurance…”
I need to point out the cycle path. The cycle path, the gorge, the woodland that’s just appeared, and also the number of bridleways I’ve found on komoot. It’s only now that I realise I asked Rhys a question about four junctions ago, and I’ve barely ingested a word of it. I’ve made some mmms and ahhs so he doesn’t think I’m not listening. Shit, I’ve not been listening. I can listen now and ask a question that seems relevant, and then wrap this science lesson up. OK…
“… you need to eat 60–90g of carbs per hour, that’s roughly as much as your gut can absorb.”
‘Is marzipan a carb?’.
