Some general questions

[Spinnekop]

Okay' date=' so these might seem like silly questions but lets give it a try. Had anyone ridden their bicycle while being a smoker then stopped smoking and noticed a differance? According to studies in the US, divers that smoke use less air from their tanks as their bodies have acclimitised to getting less oxygen. Does smoking really hamper your performance that much? [/quote']

 

My wife used to study this.  Basicly you use less % off your lungs when you smoke.

That and you will NEVER have the full understanding of what a Strawberry milkshake should tast like! 

 

 

Secondly' date=' what does on use a powermeter for? You train, you see the power....but then what. Can one structure a training programme around the power you push out or is this more of a gimmick.  [/quote']

 

Power meeter is a tool to help you train efficiant.  You will be able to train more specific in less time.

 

Thirdly I just bought a cadence meter' date=' what would you say is the optimal cadence for riding, i found i am comfortable between 65-75.

Cheers

[/quote']

 

Cadence is a personal thing.  Ulrich does it at 70-80.  Lance does it at 90-110.

 

Personally I prefer 90-100.

 

You must find the cadence at which you are comfortable.  Go ride your bike for 20 sessions on one specific road withou looking at the cadence.

You ave of that 20 sessions should give you an indication.

 

In a race you will normally push a higher cadence.  The more you get tired, the bigger gears (Slower cadence) you will push.

 

Hop all this helps.

 

[linnega]

Not smoking definitely helps.  Less than 1 week after stopping I rode my usual 4km 5% climb nearly 90s faster than the previous time with similar wind conditions.

 

Cadence is personal and can largely be ignored once you have found what suits you (except for cadence specific workouts intended to enable faster cadence or require more strength).

[AndreZA]

My general questions are:

 

1. What do you call an earth quake on Mars?

2. What do you call a male lady bird/bug?

 

 

[Tumbleweed]

My general questions are:

 

1. What do you call an earth quake on Mars?

2. What do you call a male lady bird/bug?

 

 

 

1. my martian's a bit rusty, but they call it a "asdogdfvfazxx"

2. the answer's "a male lady bird/bug"

 

did you know that a female peacock's called a peahen?

 

 

[1skinnyman]

i also just want to confirm that not smoking(anymore) does wonders, especially on the climbs.  as you might notice i'm not the biggest rider (1.8m tall 67kg, bike included) around, but i don't ride road, less flats here so, the bigger riders tend to suffer a bit more on the climbs that is.

[CaptainDura]

..and heres what i'm wondering about:

 

1.  ?

2.  ?

 

Seems old-timers disease is really kicking in fast here.

[pastapouch]

I'm not a general but go ahead he he he... smoking is bad for you...and you don't have the lung capacity of a non-smoker... so you'll come second!

[steve]

I started riding because I gave up smoking and thought I'd better do something interesting so I don't start smoking again.

Last year I was in a beeeg car accident and banged my brain stukkend and the neurosurgeon said I shouldn't drink any alcohol for 6 months.

Now, 10 months later I still haven't had a beer and I reckon that also makes a huge difference to ones performance!!

Oh yes ......... I spend more on bike things than I ever did on cigarettes!!

[widget]

Okay' date=' so these might seem like silly questions but lets give it a try. Had anyone ridden their bicycle while being a smoker then stopped smoking and noticed a differance? According to studies in the US, divers that smoke use less air from their tanks as their bodies have acclimitised to getting less oxygen. Does smoking really hamper your performance that much? Secondly, what does on use a powermeter for? You train, you see the power....but then what. Can one structure a training programme around the power you push out or is this more of a gimmick.  Thirdly I just bought a cadence meter, what would you say is the optimal cadence for riding, i found i am comfortable between 65-75.

Cheers

[/quote']

 

I am interested to read that article Vittel, where could I access it?

 

I have been a diver in various capacities for 18 years now and I have never heard of this one.

 

The general consensus in the commercial and sport diving enviroment, is smoking is problematic for a diver as well, metabolising less air than your body requires is akin to "skip breathing" - (skipping every alternate breath under water to conserve air) on a dive and leads to all sorts of other metabolic complications, which we shant go into here.

 

Please try and either PM me the article or post the author and book name here, I do think it will be very interesting to read.

 

[mbaymike]

Some good questions.  you also need to keep in mind that it is easier for the body to turn muscle/muscle proteins into energy than it is to burn fat.  I may be wrong....maybe someone can shed more light.  The other thing is the slow and fast twitch muscle fibres as already mentioned.  your big body builder will never be able to last a high intensity spinning class...just as the cyclist or runner will not last a high intensity body building session.  Been there and done both. 

keep training

[bobbie]

ok here goes.  nothing scientific... sorry..  I used to smoke.  Social smoker i.e. only when out but still.  Did a race and really suffered - lack of training etc. etc.  however, when I arrived home my then 13 year old asked how the race was and upon hearing my moans and groans suggested:  "mom, you dont think that if you stopped smoking it would help ?"  That was the decision made in 5 secs flat (and the pic i had created in my mind with me attending my son/daughters wedding with my main accessory being an oxygen tank) - I gave up smoking right there and then and haven't touched, lit or had a drag since...

 

I am sure it has made a difference to my cycling but the best part of this whole experience was that my children were so happy that I had quit - I never realised that it worried them.

 

 

[ewep]

Also giving my view without any sientific proof, just what I found. I used to smoke, but not only socially. I quit before my first 94.7 and still had a horrible time. I really sukkeled breathing. But that all changed after about 6 months. Was worth the effort.

[AndreZA]

I just want to know why you start in the first place? Lack of brain cells? Low self esteem? Was abused as a child? I don't even know why they sell cigarettes anymore.

[Thug]

I smoked for 25 years and gave up almost 3 years ago.

 

Why? because I wanted to improve my running times. Did it help? Yes, because I ran my first sub 20min 5km 6 months later.

 

My lung capacity is obviously irreparably damaged but there has been a noticeable improvement in the last year or so (and long may it continue).

 

.......Lack of brain cells? Low self esteem? Was abused as a child? ........

[/Quote]

 

Nope,

Nope and

Nope

 

 

 

 

 

[1hill@aTime]

well here's my 2c

 

smoking is for pansy's, and yes stopping makes a HUGE difference, i can gladly say i have stopped now for 10months this month, and will never go back.

[dirtrider]

Stop smoking ! Why ? Could not afford it anymore ?