Fighting sarcopenia in later years

Wheels of Happiness

With 3 years + 7 decades behind me, I am aware that I am all ready undergoing sarcopenia  -  ie - loss of muscle mass and bone density.  That why I can not risk going off road, or going faster on descent.  

Thus: this post has to supplement biking with some free body weight exercises like lunges, and knee bends with weights.  And has to follow the recommendation that riding be done on big chain rings for added torque and resistance training to counter sarcopenia.   

Thus I try to do DOMSA ride, diversion, Bombongan, Teresa Antenna ride on big chain rings.  These rides leave me exhausuted and drained that is why this post spends a lot of time sleeeping, taking a nap in the afternoon.  

This post expects that he could live better, if not longer with these exercise routines.

When you disassemble your crank, be sure to watch your FD adjustment

Wheels of Happiness

This post always neglect this and after a crank disassembly, the FD could not shift the fd to the large chain ring  More specifically the crank has not been tightened well or got loose when this post used the bike.  All this post had to do were:   1.  tightened the crank bolt,   2,  loosened the high adjustment screw of the FD adjustment screw.  

It seems that with Campy super torque crank has this common problem.  It does not fit most of the BB and there seems to be about 1 mm of play - hence the need for wave washer.  But still there seems to be some side to side movement that is why sometimes the chain falls off.   The video maker recommends using loctite to fix the crank.

Its all very detailed and all complicated that is why many just let their mechanic do the job;   pay them well and let the mechanic do the worrying.    That is why I had to bring the 10 mm hex  crank bolt tightening too.  

Biked to Antipolo using big chain ring, up to San Roque and went down to Cabrera road

Wheels of Happiness

Biked to Antipolo today.  I turned on the external bike ride function of Huawei watch started and ended it when I reached San Roque, But could not access the data.  I was not able to use this feature of the watch which was like strava.

I climbed using the 52 chain ring up to Shell however shifted to 36 approaching Beverly and up to Provincial Capitol.   Went town via Cabrera road.  Cabrera road reverse is not all down hill.  There are two ascents.  -  to the Memorial Park, and one to Havila.   Was on big chain rings for these two ascent

Aching body because it was a hard ride

Climbed Bugarin all the way to Manang Rinas eatery (KM 68) using big chain ring

Wheels of Happiness

My bike ride today was to Bugarin KM 68, using big chain ring 52 x 28.   Like the gear combination I used for the Teresa Antipolo loop.   Before I drop down to small chain ring before Km 63  (before climbing to the bamboo farm.   This time it was big chain ring all the way.   The going gets rough at km 64, right after the restaurant row.  

But thereafter going gets less tough.  The gradient at Bugarin must be 5 to 12 max (or even less)

I dreaded going up Bugarin before   May gear was small chain ring ang the biggest cog at the rear

What was my feeling (especially that I just turned 73)

1.  Like Eureka -  see I did it big chain ring all the way;

2.  Like I was very young again;

3.  Like I had a new bike

I will try this at Cabrera, Domsa, diversion and Antenna.  I hope I dont break my chain.

Are we going back to big chain rings? That is the trend for the PROS

Wheels of Happiness

Early on the chain rings were for 53 -39.  Then came the compact 50 -34.  Then the single chain rings, one by with 30 to 42 chain rings.

Now PROS are using chain rings, even in mt stages 54 to 60 chain rings  There is a group of riders who go up  DOMSA on 54 chain raings.  They are doing the same at Sampaloc or their epic Audax rides

I am beginning to ape them by riding up hills on 52 chain rings.    And staying that way.  I can ride the first hill at Bombongan  at 52 and Teresa highway until the left hand turn at Island cement.  Bugarin until km 63.   Sampaloc until Magnetic.    

It does not increase my speed by I feel more strength on my thighs and calf.

Are you a fan of big chain rings, slow rpm strong efforts.  Or the fast cadence school popularized by Chris Carmichael.?  I could hardly push down 53 chain rings x 11.  How about you?

Will we have more 54-40 chain rings or look for our 53 -39 hard chain rings.?

Gaining strength and speed in bike ride yesterday to Morong

Wheels of Happiness

This post tried to implement what he has learned about big chain rings, and improving strength on rides (chill ride will not make you stronger) (from Giro and Audax riders)

    1.  Did big chain rings from Angono to Morong, did Callahan on big chain ring.   O riding up diversion,

         was on big chain ring until the left turn on the hill.

   2.  Returned via Diversion road for hill climbs, thigh and butt strengthening;

   3.  Sprinted up Mambog and going up final hill until cockpit

Hence sleep well soundly after the climb, and on the rest day

When I am older, I learned how to bike better and maintain my bike

Wheels of Happiness

I am surprised that I did not train well or was not focused on training when I was younger.  I learned how to suffer in big chain rings (as others have advised)   Did not do more sprints.  Did not practice as much.

Lately though long rides are easier say to Jalajala or Bugarin or doing Teresa or Bombongan ride  

Domsa is becoming easy.  

I enjoy biking more   Feel stronger and fitter

Small, big chain ring days

Real Cyclists

I read before that to increase your strength and pedalling speed, you must have alternate small big chain ring days.  If you use a large chain ring, you develop tempo riding. You pedal slowly and you have to either stand or stomp on the pedals...

On using the small chain rings, you have to pedal fast to catch up with with those who use large chain rings.  You develop fast pedaling pace.  I did not observe this before.  Now I find this practice to be useful