The ride that reminded me why I shouldn't take breaks.

[@randylafountaine6790]

At 67, I find that I lose fitness more quickly and maintaining my weight - somewhat on the heavy side - is more difficult. Cool and cold weather riding is more a chore than it was in my 50s. But I get out and inspiration from riders like you is very important. Thank you!

[@jollygoodvelo]

I must admit I’m struggling with motivation during this current cold snap.

[@johnmuttitt]

I don't mind the cold weather. It's Saturday morning and the wind outside is full on along with heavy rain here in Cornwall. For me, there is no motivation to go out in this weather. I went to the gym this morning which I don't usually do on a Saturday. 30 mins on the cross trainer (zone 2), and an hour resistance training (weights). I feell so much better for doing some exercise. Maybe I'll be able to get out on the bike on Monday.

[@SA17579]

@@johnmuttitt💯 Go and do something else.

[@johnmuttitt]

@@SA17579 something else, why? I don't understand the reply.

[@SA17579]

@@johnmuttitt Do some other exercise.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

As I've gotten older, I've realized, I can't give myself an inch, or i'll take a mile. By that, I mean, if I give myself a day off, I'll find an excuse to get two off and before I know it, I won't have ridden all winter. So this year, I decided to challenge myself to a streak. I've ridden every day since June 1st. There have been so many time's I've not wanted to go out, but I did it. Many times I thought, "I've ridden 10 miles, that's good enough" and then I've made myself do 20. I've found that my cycling fitness is at an all time high and over the last month or so, I've noticed a real improvement in my climbing strength and ability to hold uncomfortable paces for a long time. I think the point I'm trying to make is, you really have to be careful with taking breaks.

[@richarddespres8011]

Well done! My problem is finding the time around my kids' activities.

[@Sirissssss]

Well it depends on weather. Each winter season with snow and ice there is no cycling for the majority here . But come spring into summer and fall it picks up again. So for a lot of us it is based on seasons to do outdoor stuff like cycling or winter sports. It is not so much as stopping cycling. You have to switch to a different spory

[@jollygoodvelo]

Good point but sometimes the break is not voluntary, it’s enforced because of one thing or another.

[@jameshuggins4300]

Thanks for being an inspiration. We're about the same age, what the Scottish would call a "Biggin ". That's one my nicknames as well 😀. Cheers from across the pond!!!

[@jollygoodvelo]

I think we all need a bit of inspiration at the moment

[@michaelismichael4640]

Good on you L!! It's warming up here in Oz that has its own challenges! Enjoy the ride!

[@jollygoodvelo]

Turned very cold here at the moment. Enjoy the sun down there.

[@mortenthenorwegian2875]

Beuatiful roads and autum colours. Much nicer than Al Qudra cykling track ( who should be on you buccket list) got back and face the snow and ice. Keep it going my man. You are an inspiration.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@mortenthenorwegian2875 I’ll have to look that one up. Unfortunately the weather has changed again and it’s snow and ice here at the moment.

[@mortenthenorwegian2875]

@@jollygoodvelo Al Qudra was fantastic. even although I hav not been on my bike in Norway this summer (but in spinning classes 4-5 times a week+weight lifting+fast mornings walk) I enjoed this famous flat track. Your wife would love all the shoppingcenters there.

[@normhanson981]

Know the track used it all the time when I lived out there . Perfect weather now too.

[@mortenthenorwegian2875]

@normhanson981 yes. It was perfect. I never gonna forget this. Many riders there now duo a big local race.

[@normhanson981]

@@mortenthenorwegian2875 I lived in dubai for 4 years , hated the place the cycling track and the 10km running track at Meydan kept me sane. In the summer you have to cycle early though , used to be up at 3am for the weekend rides , after 6 am too hot . Pleased you enjoyed it .

[@joechamma]

For a moment I thought you put a screen in front of your bike. Then I realised it was the front light directly in front of the camera making it look as it did from the front 😅😅😅

[@jollygoodvelo]

Yep, a front light. It gets pretty dark pretty early these days

[@robinjohnson6816]

Great video as always Leonard. I too struggle to get out on the bike this time of year, and like you say gravel bikes are heavier. But, any ride is a good ride. Enjoy.

[@richarddespres8011]

Leonard, your video today pushed me out the door for a ride ahead of the storm that just blew in. I took my e-bike and tried going without the pedal assist but as the skies darkened from both night and the rain I kicked on the battery. A nice 20km around town before the rush really picked up. Thanks for the motivation assist.

[@jollygoodvelo]

Great job!

[@richarddespres8011]

​@jollygoodvelo do you have any recommendations for high visibility gear? I'd like to get back to commuting but the local roads are very dark and I don't trust the drivers to not hit me.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@ If you are riding during daylight hours any good hi vis layer will help. If you are riding at night you will need something reflective such as the Proviz ones.

[@richarddespres8011]

@jollygoodvelo the British Columbia coast is very dark, even in daylight because of the poor street lighting and constant dark rain clouds. They're some of the worst illuminated roads I've ever been on. That's a very long response to say thanks, I'll have to check out the Proviz gear. I'm looking at a lit up helmet with built-in turn signals as well.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@ Livall make a pretty good helmet with lights and indicators. It also has fall detection with an emergency contact alert feature.

[@grahambowes756]

Well done on getting out. I was out Tuesday when it was very cold and wet, then Thursday when it was very cold and dry. But I had the right gear on, so it was worth it. I just find it really difficult to do Zone 2 rides outdoors. So I tend to do those on the trainer. Probably down to local hills and lack of self-discipline. Though this is harder when riding with others. Keep up the good work and vlogs.

[@jollygoodvelo]

Zone two is always very difficult outdoors.

[@elaineryrie3511]

Another great video and I can really relate.

[@tonyalewis9053]

Whew! I thought you meant coffee breaks. 😂

[@jollygoodvelo]

Heavens forbid!

[@steveprice9737]

2 weeks is most people's limit before fitness starts dropping. Other factors are at play such as what's going on in your head and legs can complain if you have a week off then work hard at it. Age might mean one long ride per week does the maintenance work easily. I'm in the middle of cyclo-cross season so just race at the weekend and do minimal during the week but I'm over 60. If its difficult to get out or you're bored do something else such as weight training, running, swimming. Cheers.

[@BarrioBarranco1]

I agree about the 2 weeks. Sometimes just taking some time off (like a week or so)can surprise you when you get back on it though, giving the legs a rest sometimes you don't realise you aren't truly recovering between frequent rides. I tend to go for walks now (12km with 300m ascent) as a means of "cross training"/recovery days rather than bike all the time. Good for the load bearing aspect too... Good effort racing cyclocross at any age!! Kudos...

[@jollygoodvelo]

Variety is the spice of life as they say.

[@ThePensionerAdventurer]

Hello Leonard, Nice ride on familiar roads... for some reason (I guess because it's climbing) I have never like the Anthill climb. See you on the next one. Take care. Paul,,

[@normhanson981]

Well done Leonard , getting it done !

[@jollygoodvelo]

Thanks. Trying to!

[@Cycle.every.day.]

I'm spending longer getting layered up than i am actually out on ride atm

[@jollygoodvelo]

Pretty cold at the moment but it’s set to get very wet again soon.

[@Oilyhands749]

I’m around 95kg I honestly don’t think it makes much difference if I ride my 8kg bike or my 12kg bike is a tiny proportion of my overall weight. I can ride 3 times a week for weeks then miss a month ( life gets in the way ) then go out again and I’m exactly the same time wise on my regular routes. Just enjoy your ride fella , stop beating yourself up over all these stats At our level it’s just not worth it , I worry you’re missing the joy of just riding a bike for pure pleasure.

[@jollygoodvelo]

I enjoy my rides but I also ride for fitness so that’s pretty important to me as well.

[@firdaushanapiah7691]

Its better to have rain rather than cycling in the wind! Dont you think?

[@jollygoodvelo]

Absolutely but usually the two come together here where I live.

[@CyclingOffToSomewhereIDK]

Well done😁

[@billdunham1913]

Far be it for me to offer advice to such an experienced rider, but that blue jacket is not very visible to other road users. Maybe a high- viz tabbard would help and also give you that extra 4th layer of warmth you were looking for😊

[@jollygoodvelo]

Thanks for the tips!

[@TouringTony]

Evening ride? There's been ice in Hertfordshire in the early morning

[@jollygoodvelo]

Icy here too.

[@krissk77]

I make sure I do minimum 75km pet week... my motivation 🎉

[@geraldinecoupland4162]

I’m sure the body doesn’t perform the same in the winter like the summer. It doesn’t have to be a struggle. Forget the stats outside and just enjoy. Keep the stats for indoor 👍

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@geraldinecoupland4162 I’ve often had a similar thought; makes a lot of sense for the body to naturally go into a kind of slower, almost hibernation phase during the winter when food used to be scarce

[@BarrioBarranco1]

Longest off the bike in the last 3 years I've been was last November when I did a 7 day dry fast (no water or food) with an appropriate very slow 7 day refeed, so 14 days in total and bizarrely found I hadn't lost any significant muscle or aerobic fitness, the fast was completed late November and I did the Zwift/Strava Festive 500 at the end of December.... Currently 64 hrs into this years dry fast which will only(!) be 5 days with 5 day refeed..... I think anything longer than 2 weeks would start to see a significant drop off, it's bad enough at this time of year when rides get much shorter in duration so I'm restarting my training with frequent, almost daily short rides rather than the longer summer ones with a day or two off between.....And on an indoor trainer 3-4 hr rides are not something to look forward to. 60-90-120 mins, fine!!

[@jollygoodvelo]

Seven days without food or water? Is that healthy?

[@BarrioBarranco1]

@@jollygoodvelo According to western "medicine" I should be dead, I understand. It seems it's very healthy to clear out the system of senescent cells and release new stem cells into the system, like a full clean out of the garbage and full system reboot. "Dry Fasting Club" on YT is one of the best sources of material on it, but all of this was discovered by those dastardly commies behind the iron curtain in the USSR over many, many decades while our "healthcare" was being captured by the pharmaceutical multinationals and "better living through chemistry"(and they've seen to it that many natural remedies are now banned too...) Healthy, I'd say yes, as for safe, probably more chance of dying on my bike under an HGV tbh!!

[@BarrioBarranco1]

Oh, and you can do beyond that, 11 days is common, but anything over 5 is really recommended to be supervised.... I have enough fat reserves not to be concerned!!

[@BarrioBarranco1]

I can only see one reply, looks like I'm being censored!

[@snafujag100]

Can’t keep a good man down ✌️

[@Mike-k5p]

Hey Leonard off topic question here. Have you ever tried a recumbent trike? I ride one a couple of times a week it seems to help my training for my road bike quite a bit . Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@Mike-k5p Must admit I’ve never tried one. Might be fun to try, though.

[@markfeldman6509]

I switched exclusively to recumbent trikes 5 years ago after taking a demo ride. Wont ever catch me on a 2 wheeler again. I’m 72 now and ride all year round in New England and Florida in the winter. I do 20-30 miles daily. They are the best for back, shoulders, wrists, neck and crotch. Once you try them you’ll never go back. Much safer also. High end Catrikes have 30 gears and incredible components. Recumbents have really extended my cycling life snd kept me very fit.

[@Mike-k5p]

@ hey mark do you have e-assist on your trike? I currently have a catrike 700 but I’m looking at adding a catrike Dumont with assist. Any thoughts?

[@markfeldman6509]

@@Mike-k5p yes. I ride a Catrike 700 and 559 interchangeably and neither has e assist. I am currently 72 and will probably add e assist to the 559 this spring when I return from Florida. As you know the 559 is essentially a Dumont but without suspension. Since I ride almost entirely on finely kept surfaces in New England and Florida I didn’t spend the extra money for the Dumont and its suspension. I am going to add a hub drive e assist as opposed the Bosch mid drive sold by Catrike. The hub drive maintains all three rings up front for use when not engaging the assist. Catrike’ a mid drive system involves a new boom and cost approaches $3000. A hub drive with a great motor and high quality battery is around $2000 fully installed or a few hundred less if you can do the work yourself. I have several friends who have converted Catrikes to e assist using a high quality hub drive and they all love it. I would never convert the 700 as it is a light weight racing trike and a thoroughbred. For long touring rides in hilly areas the 559 is more comfortable and the e assist could certainly be of value. I don’t know if I would pay an extra $1000 for a Dumont over a 559 and the an extra thousand for their in house e assist.

[@jered2177]

That's why I don't like taking a break, I'm 48

[@jollygoodvelo]

I don’t think any of us like taking breaks at any age.

[@ronniebiggs4026]

At leased your getting out and have the drive to keep going ! I am pretty new to the game and because I am older if I don’t get out it drives me crazy as I think I will lose 11 months of gain in two or three days .The indoor stuff doesn’t interest me so I will pick my moments and just do a bit. I know you enjoy your food so I imagine Xmas is a little daunting for you ?

[@jollygoodvelo]

I think it will take a bit longer than a couple of days but I know what you mean.

[@Honkawsuzyamal]

I am in total agreement. I also am not interested in the indoor stuff and have recently been chided for that. My reply is that I cycle to get out and just enjoy the moment. I recently surprised myself by the improvement in my fitness. I must be doing something right.

[@reidwagner1508]

what’s your avg speed? it looks like your flying downhill. If I didn’t have my trainer and ROUVY in the Utah winter, I’d take MONTHS to get back to the shape I’m in now. My trainer really saves my bacon. I can do about 15-20 mi at a time on the trainer. It’s tough but I know I need to keep it going. Great video here. Really like your countryside routes on those lanes.

[@nathanwoodruff9422]

Sounds like you need another 90 day challenge.

[@jollygoodvelo]

We’ve got the 25 day challenge coming up in January. www.jollygoodvelo.com/store/p/24-days-of-cycling-for-2024

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Base layer. Netting Tee Shirt. Can't be beaten.

[@jollygoodvelo]

Indeed.

[@A_AAA232]

well done getting some road miles in Leonard - lanes looked nice and clear but sometimes it's so much easier and safer to just hit the spin bike or do a turbo session in the winter! good that the heart rate is dropping back into Z2 - probably shows your getting over the illness you had pre-gridiron at last! it can take ages to get full fitness back, just reset and dail things back a bit and play the long game!

[@jollygoodvelo]

@@A_AAA232 Yeah, I think it’s taking quite a while for me to get over whatever it was I was suffering from during the Gridiron

[@A_AAA232]

@@jollygoodvelo there's been lots of bugs going around and folks getting I'll recently :( At least we've got ample time to plan and get fit for the full gridiron100 miles next time....and to get another one of those roast dinners afterwards with the crew :)

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Gravity is stronger than the wind. Wind has difficulty blowing a cyclist up a hill.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Admit you get painful under the electric cables, and everyone will pile-on.

[@TBATTIECYCLING]

3:23 no way did he call out the bike for being heavier

[@jollygoodvelo]

I did.

[@TBATTIECYCLING]

@ thank you

[@joelberman5981]

What is that odd video effect on the front of the bike?

[@jollygoodvelo]

That’s my front light: it’s just above the camera.

[@peteryork4827]

Cheers mate all the bests for.your well.being need to drop weight😊😊😊

[@jollygoodvelo]

Don’t we all.