Old Star Trek episodes kept the wheels turning for our seriously-solo Audaxer, Dan Campbell during the weeks of lockdown this year. He got stronger and fitter by using his static bike at home in Stoke-on-Trent – but no thinner! This is his lockdown diary…
DAN’S VITAL STATS Location: Stoke on Trent Bike: 2011 9-speed aluminium tank Age: 44 Weight: Wheel breaking (110kg) Fitness: broken and rebuilt Resting Heart Rate: 65 BMI: Obese WHR (waist/hip ratio): High Favourite food: See food! All Dan’s ride reports are here: https://dancampbell.co.uk/ audax-ride-list/
It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it
Arrivée150Winter2020
HERE’S A LOCKDOWN PARADOX I committed myself to just one hour on the road and 15 miles on the turbo trainer each day during the height of the pandemic. Each indoor training session was, fortuitously, the same length as the Star Trek episodes I watched while pedalling! Here’s the enigma – while I felt faster and stronger as a result, I couldn’t shift my winter belly and the lockdown “top up”. Like everyone else, lockdown forced a change to my training plan. On the turbo trainer I saw my averaged
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estimated watts per ride rise from 256w to 310w. In July I managed to sustain 327w for 20 minutes – but it killed my knees. Because of the high volume of night riding which I do, I converted to dynamo lights this year, and I must say the front light (B&M Lumotec IQ-X 100Lux) is excellent – almost as good as my car headlights when up to speed. The beam length is outstanding on the downhills and the light still illuminated the road when I was crawling up Mow Cop’s 22 per cent incline at
3mph. However, there were occasions when I needed the beam to be a little wider, usually going around sharp corners on very narrow country lanes. I also invested in an Igaro D2 which failed after three rides. I contacted Igaro and they sent me a new unit the next day. You can’t argue with that. Having used the IQ-X light a few times now, I will definitely consider a wider and higher angle beamed light next time. When I did manage to get out into the world on a bike, these were some of my rides…
