Can anyone explain this?

[kenwstr]

Hi,

I normally only ride for fitness and my maintenance schedule is 3 rides of 32 km per week. However I am building towards the B2B again this year by extending my weekend ride distance at an endurance pace while maintaining the usual 32k for the other 2 high intensity rides. My training bike is a 1972 steel vintage road trainer complete with 1 1/4 inch tyres on steel rims and old track hubs and weighs 16 kg. This weekends ride was from Bathurst to Howards Bridge and back home, a distance of 58 kms incorporating a climb of some 380 m part of which is known locally as the Euro.

So after the Euro climb my strength was about done and I could only manage low low (13-34 6 speed x 52-39 (ie 34:39)) granny gear up the steeper sections of "The Twelve Humps" coming back towards town but for some odd reason was peddling up to 10 kmph faster than usual and in higher than usual gears on the flats and smaller undulations despite the headwind. Normally I can not maintain these speeds or gears on such gradients when fresh or even just warmed up. I had taken no food but was on the last half of 2 bottles of electrolyte. Any idea what exactly is going on physiologically that allows fatigued muscles to perform like this? I have occasionally noticed this before at the end of long (for me) rides but not always. It would be nice to understand this and be able to repeat it.


Regards,
Ken

[Ross]

Tailwind sprung up perhaps? Or you are just getting fitter and stronger.

[kenwstr]

No definitely a headwind.

Ken