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Vo2 at Threshold

Vo2 at Threshold – Affirming Outdoor Power at Threshold

Richard Wharton Vo2 at Threshold Online Bike Coach
Vo2 at Threshold can reveal a lot about how cardio-vascular fitness and status. The closer that number is to your Vo2Max, the better.

In my last blog post, I mentioned that for my best 10-minute effort while climbing a trail on a mountain bike, my Vo2 at Threshold read as roughly 55ml/kg/min. I also believed that my Vo2Max was roughly 62ml/kg/min. I was curious to see if these values were valid, so I went back indoors. At my home studio, I performed five weekly 20-minute efforts, specifically to determine whether those two values, Vo2 at Threshold, and Vo2Max, were accurate.

 

Percentage of Vo2Max When Cycling at Threshold Intensity

Different Metabolic Thresholds at a Percentage of Max Wattage
I’ve followed Jem Arnold for about a decade now, as he’s been involved in studying SmO2 for cyclists, as well as a lot of other things. This chart he presents, from a lecture, shows wide variation in ‘Thresholds’, where the body begins to migrate from mostly aerobic energy to anaerobic energy. This post is about Vo2 as a % of Max at Threshold.

There’s a lot of new information coming out about the determination of Training Zones. Essentially, each method of measurement tends to come up with its’ own value, and training zones are then based on those values. Let’s face it – Vo2 at Threshold is expensive to acquire, since it requires a Vo2Master, a Polar H10 chest strap, a Moxy, a Power Meter, and probably a Lactate Tester, which is a product I have owned in the past, but do not own at this time. Instead, I use the Moxy and other readings from the Vo2Master and my Polar H10 chest strap, to determine the most accurate Threshold value for myself.

By looking at ALL of the values, however, I could then apply each of them when training. If the goal is to raise Vo2Max to its’ highest time-limited potential, and to raise % of Vo2Max at Threshold, then having those other metric markers can help me take a more holistic approach to every ride.

The Workout

For these five tests (and probably counting), I used my standard indoor training software, PerfPro Studio. My warmup consisted of a 27-minute protocol that I’ve honed using Moxy muscle oxygen sensors. I did roughly four Vo2master O2 calibrations for each workout, but I only recorded the 20-minute effort on the Vo2Master app. The Vo2Master is best used in a consistent atmosphere, so I used a local 8000 btu air conditioner in my small room, to help keep humidity and temperature under control.

PerfPro Studio Vo2 at Threshold Workout
There’s literally no better piece of software in the cycling fitness world than PerfPro Fitness. The amount of information I can read, along with the myriad ways I can build workouts, remains unmatched.

Here are the results:

Date20Min Vo2 Average20Min Power Average20Min HR Average20Min RR Average20Min DFAA1 Average20Min SmO2 Average20Min EqO2 AverageBest 30-sec Vo2maxVo2 as a % of Max
6-Oct53.5271163350.56.822.262.685%
13-Oct55.1287172390.41524.560.691%
20-Oct57.5281170420.42024.565.288%
27-Oct56.9273172430.4310.225.363.290%
3-Nov56.9273172430.410.225.363.290%
AVERAGE55.98277169.840.40.42612.4424.3662.489%
HIGH57.5287172430.52025.363.291%
LOW53.5271163350.46.822.260.685%
RANGE416980.113.23.12.65%

What the Chart Says

There’s more information on this chart than just Vo2 values, but here’s the summary…

  • My 20-minute average Vo2 over 5 efforts was 56ml/kg/min. This is comparable to the 55ml/kg/min that was observed in the mountain bike climb from the previous, outdoor, post.
  • The highest 30-second Vo2 value over the same 5 efforts, which I’ll call Vo2Max, was 63ml/kg/min. Again – I’ve seen this ‘Vo2Max’ value enough to believe it is accurate. Incidentally, my Garmin 1040 and Garmin Connect continue to show my Vo2Max, per calculation only, at 59-60ml/kg/min, which I believe tracks pretty well, even though it is not using metabolic values, and instead uses calculations.
  • When you take the 20-minute Vo2 at Threshold, and divide it by the 30-second Vo2Max, well, my Vo2 at Threshold occurs at about 89% of my Vo2Max.

Notice that I have not mentioned power, or watts. I’ll explain why…

Vo2 at Threshold is a PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

For 27 of my 31 years as a Professional Cycling Coach, pursuing watts at Threshold, watts at Vo2Max, and watts per kilogram per minute, has been a stated priority. However, Physics is immutable, while physiology is incredibly mutable.

For the same amount of physiological effort on the outdoor effort in the previous post, I averaged maybe 235 watts over 10 minutes, and 207 watts over 20 minutes. For these five indoor tests, I averaged about 277 watts over 20 minutes. The delta is too great to ignore.

On that same ride, I averaged 165 beats per minute for the climb, while on these five indoor rides, the average heart rate was 170 beats. Temperature, convection, and evaporation are important considerations for heart rate intensities.

For my climb outdoors, which was not 20 minutes, the average DFAA-1 on AlphaHRV was about a 0.4. For the 5 indoor efforts, it was 0.43. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is something ‘there’ there when it comes to DFAA-1 and Threshold.

Finally, the SMO2 value for my climb was about 25%, while the SMO2 average for the 5 indoor 20-minute efforts was 12.4%. I’m convinced that this is because of micro-recoveries on a mountain bike trail, vs. the consistent resistance of a 2% slope indoors.

I think I want to optimize my physiological markers going forward, and those of my clients, and let the watts take care of themselves from now on. Chasing watts as a primary metric, especially on a mountain bike, can leave a rider disillusioned and frustrated.

Conclusion

Vo2 at Threshold is a great way to assess your current fitness, but it requires expensive apparatus. I still don’t own all of the kit I could possibly wear that would help with this assessment. Knowing that my Vo2 at Threshold, is roughly 89% of my Vo2Max, does reassure me that my fitness, at least in August of 2024, and again in October of 2024, is pretty close to my genetic potential.

The next step, one I won’t attempt until the Spring of 2025, will be to try and grow that Vo2Max up to a 65, 66, or even 68ml/kg/min. This will be INCREDIBLY difficult to achieve as a 55-year old male, but I’d like to try. The next step would be to see if I can HOLD my Vo2 at Threshold near 90% as that Vo2Max rises. This is going to require losing another 2 kilograms of mass, maybe 3. That MAY affect my power output and fatigue levels, so I have to temper action with wisdom on this as we go into the 2025 PreSeason.

Winter is approaching quickly, and the cooler temps mean that I won’t be able to use the Vo2Master outdoors nearly as much. When the snow finally leaves the trails unrideable, I’ll be hyper focused on my indoor efforts in my VQ Velocity until Spring. But until then, I’ll be riding outside on the mountain bike on my beloved Peavine, trying to keep my singletrack skills and dreams alive until April 2025, when I can get back out there again.

I’ll post some follow up blogs about the other metrics featured in the chart above, but I need to consult with some PhD’s that are wiser than I am on these parameters. I also have to thank my client, Ken O’Brien, a retired Bell Labs professional, on his coding assistance for a new project that I’ll reveal next.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 
 

Building An MTB Course With Garmin Connect Course Creator

Garmin Connect Course Creator Offers Course Building – But Singletrack Can Be A Challenge

The Garmin Connect Course Creator is yet another of Garmin’s under-utilized features. Other Apps and Software offer Course Creation, like RideWithGPS, but keeping everything inside the Garmin Connect Ecosystem allows for easier transfer to a Garmin Bike Computer or wristwatch. However, it is easier to build a course on known roads or routes. If a cyclist wants to build a Garmin Course for a mountain bike trail, he or she has to be precise, and add in a LOT of waypoints. These waypoints can be a distraction when certain settings are running on Garmin Hardware.

Let’s dig in to the Garmin Connect Course Creator.

Creating a New Course in Garmin Connect Course Creator

I’ll post a caveat to this weblog; GO TO A WEB BROWSER ON A PC OR MAC and use the ‘Big Screen’ version of Garmin Connect. 

Once you’re in Garmin Connect, move the mouse over to the vertical ‘Connect’ drop-down menu of options.

Click on ‘Training & Planning’, then on ‘Courses’. The ‘Courses’ sub-menu will pop up, and you’ll see a list of options, including ‘My Courses’, ‘Favorites’, and ‘Nearby Courses’, where you can see public routes built by other cyclists or afficionados.

I’ve highlighted the course I’m reviewing for this post; the ‘2019 Reno Wheelmen Peavine Classic XC MTB Course – Online Bike Coach Created‘.

When you mouse over the pre-built course, the route pops up on the map overlay, with a summary of distance, meters or feet of climbing, and descent. There’s also the option to ‘Send to device’, which I’ll cover later.

Garmin Connect Course Creator Map 1
Garmin Connect offers a course building feature. Here’s where to find it.

This course is my ‘home’ course, and it’s the one I use for almost all of my training and testing purposes. It’s usually low-traffic, and it can be completed in about 30 minutes for me.

 

Garmin Connect Routing Options

The first part of the process is to use the ‘Custom’ Drawing Method. Why? Well, sometimes maps are not completely updated; in this case, if I try to follow the ‘Follow Popular Routes’ option, the ‘Halo Trail’, shows an old, dug-up, not-used version of singletrack. This trail is not even called ‘Halo Trail’ at that junction. The trail is called ‘Total Recall’.

Garmin Connect Course Builder Image 2
Sometimes satellite images are not as up to date as maps might be. Here, when the Garmin Routing Option was set to ‘Follow popular routes’, the Purple Trail, known as ‘Halo’, was where the routemaker kept taking me. That trail has been re-routed to the trail that is more prominent (and serpentine). Changing the ‘Routing’ setting to ‘Freehand’ allows a coursemaker to follow the most updated trail for GPS purposes.

In this image, you can see that as I needed more detail, I added more and more waypoints, to stay on the route I wanted.

Garmin Connect Course Creator Waypoints lots of waypoints
To keep the Course as accurate as possible, use LOTS and LOTS of waypoints. Waypoints will create a straight line between them for the course, so add as many as you need for accuracy.

Back On (Single) Track – a KNOWN ‘Track’

Here’s an example of what I like to call ‘Drift’. If you place your waypoints zoomed too far out, then at times, the waypoints will be ‘off the track’. The ‘Course’ in the GPS world, is off from the ‘actual’ course by a few feet. This error DOES add up, and it can make your ride annoying, since the head unit will continually call out the error, and may direct you off the actual singletrack.

Garmin Course Creator Known Trail Drift
Details matter. I had to zoom in on this map, to realize that my waypoints were ‘off’ by just a few meters, and those meters can lead to the Garmin bike computer chirping and redirecting you off the known trail. Use more waypoints, more often, especially in singletrack, and zoom in.

Zoom in and continue to use as many Manually Placed Waypoints as possible, to ensure the greatest accuracy.

One more thing; take a look at the ‘Knuckles’ that have been automatically placed, without a blue-dot waypoint, on this image of the Course Creator. This implies that the App, and corresponding Mapping Service behind or beneath it, recognize this trail as ‘Popular’, and generally follow it through twists and turns.

Automatic Routing on Singletrack is really hit-and-miss, so use Individual Waypoints and Freehand Routing as much as necessary to ensure the most accurate Course.

Looping the Course (Making a Lap) in Garmin Connect Course Creator

Building the Course is definitely tedious, but it’s worth it. Once you’ve finished the Course, get the final waypoint as close to your Start Point as possible, and then click ‘Loop to Start’. This will connect the start to the finish, making each the same waypoint or GPS coordinate.

Garmin Course Creator Loop to Start and Save
When you’re done creating your course, click ‘Loop to Start’ so that the Start and Finish overlap perfectly. Then, ALWAYS and OFTEN, click “Save”, so you won’t lose your work!

ALWAYS click ‘SAVE’!

The ‘CLIMBS’ Button….

Once the Course is saved in Garmin Connect Course Creator, click on the ‘Climbs’ Button, and you’ll get a breakdown of the vertical elevation, as it relates to ‘Category’. Climb Categories are based on % grade, length, and surface type. They’re not especially applicable for this Course, but they can provide some useful information.

Garmin Connect Course Creator Climb Category and Highlight
In the Summary box of the first climb (‘Category 4’), you can see that the average slope is 5.7%, length is 2.46km, and the vertical rise is 144m.

 

Garmin Connect Course Builder Climb Detail
This detail of the vertical composition of ‘Climb 1’, breaks down the slope percentages. This image also appears on your head unit when climbing, and you can customize that screen to show two fields, like ‘Distance to End’ and ‘Time to End’.

Using the Speed Calculator (Virtual Partner) In Garmin Connect Course Creator

Now, this feature on a course is a little challenging. I need to start with some background.

Per my Strava history, which is NOT Garmin Connect, I’ve ridden this route at least 91 times over the last five years. That would be even higher if I had not moved to Sacramento for 18 months in 2023 and half of 2024. I know that my fastest time on this loop is a 27:10, set in 2020. At the time of this writing, my fastest time this year, four years later, is a 29:36.

A modest improvement would be about 15 seconds on a lap, matching a time from September 0f 2020. So, I’ve set a ‘Goal’ time of 29:17, which translates to 17.6kph. If I achieve this goal, then I can always edit the course, and enter another time, like 29:00 flat.

Garmin Connect Speed Calculator - Virtual Partner Goal Time
Garmin Connect does have segments, which can be ridden and raced, and there are rankings, but that’s another feature to be saved for another day.

“Send to Device” in Course Creator

None of this work bears fruit without having the Course in memory on your Garmin bike Computer. When you’re done with your mountain bike course, ALWAYS click “Send to device”. You’ll get a pop-up asking ‘which device’? Choose your bike head unit, and once again, click, ‘Send to Device’. I prefer using Garmin Express, but it SHOULD sync with Garmin Connect on your Smartphone, and when you sync or turn on the head unit, it should download the course in to your bike computer’s files.

Garmin Connect Send to Device Course Creator
I guess I’m just old school, but I still prefer a cable connection to my 10 series computers for data transfers, and in Garmin World, this means using Garmin Express. You can also use basic Garmin Connect on your smartphone.

I’m going to hold off on the Field Application part of this post, because the intent of this effort was to explain how to build the course itself; not to ride it. I’ll do that part soon.

Stay tuned, and Enjoy the Ride!

 

Peavine Mountain Bike Video

Mountain Biking On Peavine Mountain Is In My Blood!

Hey everyone – I’m still working on several blog posts, but I had to post this mountain biking video real quick.

It was filmed with a Skydio 2 Sports Drone, and I filmed this all on one battery. It depicts a trail on Peavine, the Halo Trail, followed by a descent on Stage Coach Trail. All of this is about 5 minutes from my front door.

I’m still re-learning the muscle memory for my mountain bike, and to be honest, I’m still having issues with suspension tuning and hand numbness. I don’t know if there’s an answer at this point. But, I’m still having fun, it’s still better than the alternative, and I’m determined to gain and share some knowledge along the way.

Thanks for watching, and #EnjoyTheRide!

ShockWiz And Segments At Lake Pueblo State Park

ShockWiz Suspension Tuning at a New Venue!

(*****NOTE: This post was originally created in October of 2022, but was never published. I still believe, however, that there’s a lot of relevant information we can glean from the ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System, and I’m going to continue this thread while I wait for the trails to dry out in Northern California.). 

Richard and Tracy Wharton at Lake Pueblo State Park
This image was taken at the end of the “Outer Loop NB” segment at Lake Pueblo State Park. I’m using the ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System to optimize my suspension for this series of flat, shale, twisty trails.

Since moving to Pueblo, CO at the end of September, I have been studying the ShockWiz Suspension results on rides at Lake Pueblo State Park. The Park is located about 4 miles from the home where we are staying, and the trip is no more than ten minutes. Pueblo State Park has over 80 miles of accessible singletrack and paved trails. The trails are maintained by the Southern Colorado Trail Builders, and they’re a good mix of flow, climbing in and out of drainages, and some great, twisty singletrack. While the area is vertically challenged, it makes up for this with banked berms, narrow trail, and beautiful views. The trail is almost exclusively broken shale over dirt, so it’s fast in some places, and loose scree in others, especially in the hairpins. The area is exposed, so bring sunscreen and plenty of water!

 

Different Geography, Different Results

Lake Pueblo State Park Trails
Lake Pueblo State Park is just 5 miles from the house where we are temporarily staying. There’s a great network of trails there, with plenty of challenges.

In a previous post, I wrote about tuning the suspension on my Intense Sniper T Pro while riding the same trails from my home on Peavine Mountain, in Northern Nevada. I’m doing the same thing here; I am completely focused on my suspension results of one particular segment of Lake Pueblo State Park – the “Outer Loop NB (Northbound)”.  I have ridden this segment six times so far, and I’ve used the data from the ShockWiz App on this timed segment to make adjustments to both the front and rear suspension.

With the Peavine trails, it took about 20-23 rides to get the ShockWiz suspension values to consistently read in the 90’s. I also paid to get the rear suspension tuned by Mike Davis at MAD Suspension. I’m now on Ride #8 down here, and I just earned two 96 Point Results on the Suspension! Furthermore, I earned FOUR Segment PR’s, including Outer Loop NB!

First Ride – Establishing a Baseline With Shockwiz

Given the terrain, it’s not easy to get a 99-100% Confidence Interval. 
ShockWiz Ride 1 Rear Results
You can never expect ride results from two completely different geographic areas to be the same. ShockWiz is telling me that Tuning and Optimization are trail-specific, geology-specific, maybe even ride intensity and goal specific.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First off, a couple of notes.

  • I’m not fit. I was getting fit earlier in the Fall, and I’ll write another blog post updating my study of Garmin’s EPOC and Aerobic Training Effect system, as well as the DFAA-1 heart rate system. Then we packed to move to Pueblo, and I lost a good chunk of that fitness. I HAVE been getting fit again since I arrived in Pueblo, however, and all of it has been based on Mountain Biking.
  • Mountain Biking here is… different. It’s non vertical. It’s not as twisty as the singletrack I rode in Texas, but it’s more twisty than the riding out in Northern Nevada. It’s much more a full-body workout.
  • I’m STILL getting numb hands. I recently but my bars down to 740mm and it helped, but it’s now an inconsistent numbness. I’m experimenting with my shifters and brakes at different positions and angles, and I hope that will help.
  • There’s less need for rear suspension on these trails, so I MAY alter the compression dial from ‘Open’ to ‘Semi-Open’.
  • I cannot alter the shock and suspension with revalving or different oils. I’m just not going to do that.

But let’s stick to the theme of learning. Here are the suggestions from the ShockWiz App, post-ride.

ShockWiz Post-Ride Analysis

Let’s start with the Rear Suspension first, since I’m basing that on my work with Mike from MAD over the years. He always argued that the Rear should be tuned first. So, let’s go.

Shockwiz Rear Recommendations Pueblo State Park
The results of this ride resulted in a Shockwiz Score of 84 points, with 100% confidence.
Shockwiz Rear Suspension Recommendations Pueblo State Park Ride 1.
Rear Rebound and Compression were in need of tuning the most. I think I can alter the Compression for better comfort and control on this chippy rock.
Shockwiz Post Ride Rear Suspension Recommendations Pueblo Colorado State Park.
Everything looks good here…..
Shockwiz Rear Suspension Dynamic Sag Detection Pueblo State Park.
I’m ALWAYS trying to get Dynamic Sag to about 25%, and the ONLY way to do that is with more air. More air, however, mucks with compression and rebound ratios. I’m not sure what I’ll do here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And let’s see what the Fox Front Looks like.

Shockwiz Pueblo Front Post Ride Analysis Overview Pueblo State Park.
The ShockWiz wanted me to head out and get some more data, but I was running out of time. I got an 82 out of 100. Let’s see what the recommendations are…
Shockwiz Front Fork Suggestions Page 1 Pueblo State Park.
OUCH. Less air, more spacers, softer compression. Honestly, I think I’m going to get a few more rides in before changing this too much.
Shockwiz Front Fork recommendations Ride 1 Pueblo State Park.
I think this shows that despite the previous screen, where the recommendations were all over the place, by and large, the settings I have on the fork DO work. Same with the rear information above.
Shockwiz Front Fork Statistics page highlighting dynamic sag.
OKay, just a reminder. I am NOT a hotdog. I don’t get ‘Big Air’, and I’m not ‘Sending it’ off a cliff or anything. If it happens, it happens, but I’m more interested in dynamic sag. In this case, I’m actually okay with 10% sag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION – Shockwiz Probably Needs More Data

Okay – I think the first thing I need is MORE DATA. I want to figure out the TREND. The suspension is working, but there are definitely ways I could be tweaking the dials and valves to get more.

I’ll write up another post later, once I have more data from the dirt.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 

 

ShockWiz Consistent Suggestions – Rear Suspension – 21 Rides

ShockWiz is Consistently Telling Me to “Soften Up!”

ShockWiz Rear Suspension - 21 Rides
The ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System can provide solid knowledge on ways to improve the comfort, control, and performance of the suspension on your mountain bike. Click on the image to get to a short video summary. 

The ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System continues to reveal ways to help me optimize my suspension. Peavine Mountain in Reno, Nevada, is exposed and rocky. The trails are a mix of sand and exposed, boiled Andesite rock. The trails are about 2 feet wide, with LOTS of rounded rock heads, sharp rock heads, and sagebrush. It’s classic mountain bike terrain, with winding climbs and twisty descents. Good suspension is a must, and the ShockWiz will help you optimize damping, compression, and preload.

Let’s Start With the Rear Suspension

ShockWiz Rear Score 21 Rides
Over the course of 21 rides on my home terrain, the ShockWiz Suspension Scoring system Varied from 70-92 points, but settled in at 92 points on 6 of the last 7 rides.

I’ve been using two ShockWiz units, one up front and one in the rear. This blog post is about the rear suspension, because the values have been consistent since about the fourth or fifth ride.

I began using the ShockWiz to set my suspension sag. Once that was dialed in, I followed the suggestions provided by the ShockWiz app, and tweaked compression, rebound, and air pressure. Small adjustments were made. However, no matter what changes I made, ShockWiz continued to suggest that I soften up Compression. I ended up with about 30% sag on the Fox Float DPS. Rebound was pretty dialed in. But Compression suggestions were consistent. The video with the GIF shows this.

Let’s Go Visit Mike Davis at MAD RACING!

Mike Davis MAD Racing
Mike Davis at MAD Racing in Reno, Nevada is my go-to for suspension tuning and service.

Mike Davis at MAD RACING in Reno, is my Suspension Specialist. I trust him to make internal changes to the rear shock. My bike is now at the shop, and when it returns, I’ll immediately perform a ShockWiz recalibration. THEN, I’ll head out to Peavine for more rides, and data collection. I’ve asked him to help me get sag back up to about 25%, and to make Compression softer by about 15%. He’ll use a combination of oil weight, air pressure, and valving. I can’t wait to try it out!

On Another Note….

Peavine Peak Recovery Benches
Peavine Peak is covered in trails for hikers, runners, bikers, and equestrians. Having this mountain in my back yard has been a true blessing. Here I am with my wife and my Brother From Another Mother, Jeremy, our first week in Reno in 2019.

It looks like my time in Reno is temporarily coming to an end. Our family will be relocating to Pueblo, Colorado, by the end of the month. We do intend to return to Northern Nevada at some point. However, Southern Colorado has plenty of mountain, road, and gravel opportunities and I’m excited about learning to read the terrain some place new.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Did you enjoy this article? Please feel free to buy me a Cup of Coffee!