Bike-commute day 93—to home

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Day 92, top, graph of cadence (orange) and
heart rate (red) compared to day 93, bottom.

After I was shown how to do it, it seems easy to keep a steady, high pace through the evening commute. Not that the pace equals that of two drafting each other, but there were fewer times of letting up the intensity, and the periods of lower intensity were shorter than on my previous solo rides.

The comparison is interesting in this regard. Yesterday (top) while drafting, my cadence was higher than today, averaging 95 rpm versus 85 rpm in the first leg for example. My heart rate was also higher yesterday, but not as markedly increased as the cadence, averaging 140 bpm versus 137 bpm. A couple spikes in the HR indicate where I took the lead yesterday from Burkhardt to Airway.

For the most part, both graphs fit well to my typical commute. The seven street crossings typically result in a sudden drop of cadence and slowing of heart rate. From Airway to the west gate of Eastwood Park, my cadence and heart rate fluctuate widely with the increased turns and shifts in elevation. Then on the Mad River bikeway, my effort evens out until I pass Riverscape and climb the ramp to Monument Avenue.The final portion, on residential streets with lots of stop signs, also typically has fluctuating cadence and heart rate.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 74 to 78°F at 18:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the south and east
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:40:06 for 11.96 miles
Heart rate: 135 bpm HRave, 147 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 20 cyclists, 31 pedestrians, 4 dogs
Playback of the ride