For some reason I took a recovery ride around the hills of Keighley and Bingley. The ideal recovery ride would be 1-2 hours of gentle riding on flat or rolling roads. Roads where you can spin a high cadence 90+ and help release some of the lactic acid stuck inside your legs.
If you want to be really strict about a recovery ride, it is good to wear a heart rate monitor and keep your heart rate to about 60-65% of your maximum. At this intensity, you are just doing aerobic exercise and helping muscles chance to recover from previous rides.
On top of the world somewhere in Yorkshire. (some also say Yorkshire is the centre of the world too)
But, sometimes, you don’t want to go on the same flat roads. I love riding in the hills, partly because you can get fantastic views. One drawback is there’s some intense braking on the descents. (strange that I spend so much on a bike but then resent paying £10 for new brake blocks) but it makes for a nice ride.
You definitely can’t keep to a recovery pace when you’re climbing 16% ascents around Bingley Moor. But, sometimes it’s most important to do what you enjoy rather than what the science book says.
The only drawback of these moor roads is that traffic volumes have increased tremendously over past few years as drivers seek to avoid the congestion on main trunk roads. It doesn’t feel such a rural idyll with a procession of cars speeding past.
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Gods own county is full of cycling hills such as the 3 peaks. I mean, hills for cycling it is not the hills that are cycling!
I wish I could enjoy the hills, I commute 40 mile roundtrip 4 times a week, and have been now for at least 4 years, I feel trapped in my valley as I travel back and forth, because the valley sides represent hills that are too much for me. And still on my commute I dislike the hill I call my nemesis. Bingley moor sounds terrific for views but not cycling up.
Well We live in a massive valley and if you want to go for a nice fun ride (not a commute) what you can do is just go for it.
Hills are sometimes more scary than they look just take it slow take lots of water and food stop for rests and if it just gets to steep then you can get of and push (theres no shame in it!)
Emily
oops I mean less scary than they look!
ah you’ve ventured in to my territory
you are more than right about the cars >.<
but some places are really quiet where just about six miles from bingley moor and it is very nice there