Cycling

Status
Not open for further replies.
Matt Cycle

Matt Cycle

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello all

Just thought I'd bore you 😉 with my cycling today. Nice sunny early Autumn day and I completed just over 60 miles at an average speed of 15.4 mph (no, I'm not the quickest) and elevation gain of 2400 feet.

BG levels as follows: 30 minutes before start this morning 6.0 mmol/l (too low so had 3 biscuits), at 10 miles 7.9 mmol/l, around 40 miles it was 9.2 mmol/l and at 50 miles it was 6.2 mmol/l. Back home it was 5.3 mmol/l. Apart from the biscuits before the start - during the ride I had two pieces of malt loaf, a flapjack plus some dextrose gel - no need for the banana. Levels often carry on dropping hours after and during the night - so extra testing is normally required.

Anyone else get active on this sunny Sunday?
 
It's always tricky and involves a bit of guesswork. 🙂 Hypo on the bike is not good but get it wrong and go too high and my legs just feel heavy and sluggish.

My understanding is starting off I usually hit it harder and the liver releases glycogen which can push levels up - today seemed okay though or perhaps I just wasn't going as quick. (Although the Strava seems the same as normal). Eventually glycogen levels from the liver will run out. Slower and steadier and you need to keep topping up your carb levels from what you eat. I usually have a protein drink when I get back as well to repair muscle and this seems to help.

This is where the CGM would come in very handy. :D
 
HOBIE said:
Did 12 mile today & thought my bike was slow ? Back brake stuck on & back wheel out of line 😡:D😱
Click to expand...

12 miles is pretty good but even more so with those mechanical issues. Are you handy with bike adjustments? I'd be no good at truing a wheel with a spoke key and it would be a LBS job for me.

I usually give my bike the once over before setting off. On mine the rear derailleur cable must have stretched so I've adjusted it but the indexing is still not quite right. I may have another tinker with it or take it to the LBS.
 
Bike fixed en route. Much better & am happy now 🙂 Ready for weekend
 
My longest ride to date today! After getting a passout from my other half who was hosting a girls get together I took the opportunity to visit my Mum in Sheffield (I live in Staffordshire).

Ride distance was 77.4 miles at 13.7mph and 6142 feet of elevation gain (yes, it was hilly!)

Levels as follows: before start 9.6 mmol/l; at 25 miles 7.8 mmol/l; at 38 miles at my Mums 5.1 mmol/l (whilst still at my Mums this dropped to 4.4); at 48 miles 7.8 mmol/l; at 57 miles 7.6 mmol/l; at 68 miles 4.6 mmol/l and on return 4.6 mmol/l. Overall fairly pleased with that. Had quite a bit to eat including 4 pieces of malt loaf, 1.5 flapjacks, banana, dextrose gels, several Jaffa cakes.
 
Good for you both, Matt and Hobie! I'm still a nervous ninny when it comes to exercising with diabetes, so it's good to hear that it isn't impossible to carry on doing what you love...😛
 
Matt Cycle said:
My longest ride to date today! After getting a passout from my other half who was hosting a girls get together I took the opportunity to visit my Mum in Sheffield (I live in Staffordshire).

Ride distance was 77.4 miles at 13.7mph and 6142 feet of elevation gain (yes, it was hilly!)

Levels as follows: before start 9.6 mmol/l; at 25 miles 7.8 mmol/l; at 38 miles at my Mums 5.1 mmol/l (whilst still at my Mums this dropped to 4.4); at 48 miles 7.8 mmol/l; at 57 miles 7.6 mmol/l; at 68 miles 4.6 mmol/l and on return 4.6 mmol/l. Overall fairly pleased with that. Had quite a bit to eat including 4 pieces of malt loaf, 1.5 flapjacks, banana, dextrose gels, several Jaffa cakes.
Click to expand...

I know its hilly around Sheffield. Everyone has a 4-wheel drive 😱 Good for you. I have done c2c, Hadrian's, Coast & Castles. Have a read of the post I put up about 900mile on peddle bike. Ian Vincent T1 from my area. Good bloke with the right attitude. He did Newcastle to London in less than 24hrs 😱
 
Yes, I was born and grew up in Sheffield and remember the hills well! I now live in the North Staffordshire so still quite hilly but have the option of heading down into the Cheshire flatlands (although I still have to climb back).

Good on you for the c2c, Hadrian's and Coasts and Castles. c2c is the one that appeals to me if I was going to do one. Did you do St Bees Head to Robin Hoods Bay? How long did it take?

I read your post about the 900 mile (1500km) ride by Ian. How did he and the others get on?
 
Bloden said:
Good for you both, Matt and Hobie! I'm still a nervous ninny when it comes to exercising with diabetes, so it's good to hear that it isn't impossible to carry on doing what you love...😛
Click to expand...

When I was first diagnosed I was given the impression that any sort of exercise and I would be suffering from hypos. This made me somewhat wary -especially as bg testing was a bit primitive then with visual BM sticks and no meter. I still went out on my bike, playing football etc but with Dextrosol tablets to hand and a nagging thought that I could be keeling over at any moment. That never happened.

Yes, you need to be sensible and test regularly and ease into whatever exercise you're doing before you know how it affects you. (As we all know it is a changeable beast and what happens one time will probably be different on another.) Over time though you can build up a better picture of how exercise affects you. Testing is key.
 
Matt Cycle said:
Yes, I was born and grew up in Sheffield and remember the hills well! I now live in the North Staffordshire so still quite hilly but have the option of heading down into the Cheshire flatlands (although I still have to climb back).

Good on you for the c2c, Hadrian's and Coasts and Castles. c2c is the one that appeals to me if I was going to do one. Did you do St Bees Head to Robin Hoods Bay? How long did it take?

I read your post about the 900 mile (1500km) ride by Ian. How did he and the others get on?
Click to expand...

c2c was Whitehaven to Sunderland 140mile & a few hillicks 😱 Ian did it in style. Have not talked to him yet & will report when I have. Hadrian's is a much kinder ride & more to see on the way. Keep peddlin.
 
A Friday off work so I took advantage of the nice weather and completed 42.6 miles at an average 16.0mph and elevation gain of 1800 feet.

Strange one regarding levels - as follows: at start 6.8 mmol/l (therefore had a few biccies), at 20 miles 8.1 mmol/l, at 28 miles 8.1 mmol/l and on return 5.4 mmol/l. Didn't have anything to eat for the whole ride!

Me wearing my Team Novo Nordisk jersey before the start
upload_2017-7-12_20-11-22.png
 
Last edited:
A glorious day today and it was back out on the bike - 49.5 miles completed at 15.1mph and 2270 feet of elevation gain.

Levels - before start 4.7 mmol/l (low, so had the usual biccies), at 23 miles 6.9 mmol/l, at 38 miles 4.4 mmol/l and back home 7.0 mmol/l. Had a two pieces of malt loaf, dextrose gels and flapjack.

Anyone else been pedalling today? Road, mountain bike, shopper, tandem, unicycle. Lands End to John O'Groats or just down to the shops - just let us know! 🙂
 
At least you were out doing something! Encouraging and supporting your children is more important. 🙂 Let's hope the weather stays like this next week. :D
 
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness - indeed. The mist burnt away and it turned into a lovely sunny Autumn day and so I was back out on the bike. Bit of a cold (man flu) 😉 but couldn't miss out on this weather. Completed 44.2 miles at an average speed of 16.3 mph and elevation gain of 1800 feet.

Levels as follows: before start 3.7 mmol/l :( so had a few fig rolls and set off, at the café coffee stop at 20 miles for a double rocket fuel (macchiato) it was 8.4 mmol/l, at 30 miles it was 7.5 mmol/l and at 37 miles it was 6.8 mmol/l. Had a gel after the 6.8 mmol/l and just before a big hill and on return it was 8.8 mmol/l. Fairly happy with those but will keep a close eye on things.
 
Phew, that was hard work. A chilly hilly ride today of 47.1 miles at 13.5mph and elevation gain of just under 4200 feet.

Levels as follows: At start 6.9 mmol/l, at 26 miles 4.1 mmol/l (had dextrose gel), café stop at 29 miles 7.0 mmol/l, at 42 miles 6.7 mmol/l (had gel) and back home 7.7 mmol/l. Quite pleased with those. Had gels, malt loaf and banana.
 
Cloudy and chilly and a late start for my ride today. Had a spike this morning up to 16.9 mmol/l (not sure why but didn't feel 100% anyway) don't usually do a normal correction if I'm then going for a ride as it can cause all sorts of problems. Therefore had a smaller correction and then had some gardening to do before setting off. Strava has given it as 42.8 miles with an average speed of 16.0 mph and elevation gain of 1800 feet.

Levels at start 12.6 mmol/l 🙄 anyway carried on and felt okay bg wise plus it was a bit on the cool side and didn't test until 30 miles where it was then 6.0 mmol/l, at 36 miles it was 5.7 mmol/l and back home 7.0 mmol/l. Only had a gel and some malt loaf today.

Still don't feel that great but hopefully will be able to shake it off. Plenty more testing in store I think. :(

Pic of Garmin GPS (it's on the bike stem - the thing to the top left is the bell!) with ride details at the end. There is often a slight variation in the stats between Garmin Connect and Strava. I usually stick with Strava even though it lost me 0.1 mph and 0.1 mile in distance. :D
upload_2017-7-14_19-52-2.png
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top