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After 18 months on an indoor bicycle, set to the maximum resistance, at 70 RPM, is no longer sufficient to cause me to pour sweat, breath hard or increase my pulse above 100. Frequency is five days/week for an hour.
Question: Will my lab work (chorlesterol) remain within normal limits, even if my exercise is allowed to remain painless?

If you want your cholesterol to come down you should be focusing on your diet. Solubile Fiber (from oats for example) and Fish Oil are two good tricks.


By the way, 70 RPM is not really much. You should try a cadence of 90-95 RPM. Lower the resistance if you can't.

Hey Vito. Thanks for your reply. Have been doing the fish oil. A 70+ cadence has my little feet flying like a crazy monkey and me wondering who am I kidding? I see no purpose in rapid repetitions of joint articulation, against (my perception) of no resistance, unless I am trying to improve the speed of my reflexes. But I see competition is kids stuff.
My purpose on the bicycle is to keep me as healthy as a 70 y/o self-indulgent geezer can reasonably expect to be. Otherwise, I see athletics as a harmless waste of time. My basic maintenance routine has taken off 35 pounds, returning me to 150 lbs. My resting pulse is 56 and I have no health issues. The four main food groups on my training table are caffeine, nicotine, marijuana and chocolate. I have no need to improve upon my present physical condition.
My question is, must I continue to add resistance in order to maintain my present condition, or will my body discover that I am no longer in pain or working very hard on the bike, and make me pay for it by regaining the weight?

It sounds like you're in good shape. Since you're conditioned you'll burn less calories doing the SAME exercise, so it needs to be changed up. Burning less cals will put you at greater risk for gaining some weight back.

You could add light ankle weights while doing the stationary bike. Or you could increase the time you are riding. You've already mentioned that the resistance is at maximum, so that's not an option to change.

As far as cadence, you'll burn more calories by increasing it. But you seem adverse to doing so. You're choice. But if you decide to try it, think CIRCLES with your feet/pedals. If you're making CIRCLES, that is the proper way to pedal. Some people think the motion is up/down, which is incorrect; it's not only inefficient but you'll never be able to maintain a high cadence that way. This is why the pros lock their feet to the pedals. Because when one foot is pushing down the other is pulling up; all in a circular motion.

Perfect! You have confirmed my suspicion. Bummer. Clearly, cement shoes are in my future. Thank you very much for your time.

I just want to commend you on being so active at 70 yrs old! I only hope to be able to ride a bike for an hour at that age. Heck I probably can't do it at half that age today!!

I have always been active, but have no interest in exercise. The recumbent bicycle is the one thing I am willing to do because I can watch TV with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The woman who is willing to be married to me has done 1/2 hour routines on the same bike with the same happy results. We wore the bearings out on the first bike so we're on the second one, which also lives in the living room to make it easy to deploy. Most of the issues with getting started had to do with making the seat comfortable. A table fan is a big help.

I'll also have to agree, that's friken' bad azz to be that active @ 70. I also had to LoL at the marijuana and chocalate comment :)

Heck, when I'm older and retired I'm going to return to my youth of burning some spliffs. It's just something else to look forward to :D

Yup, bad a$$ @ 70. Way to go Wilbur!

I had to lol at the "woman who is willing to be married to me" comment!

GREAT job, Wilbur!

I think the only way you can tell what will happen is to experiment. The more you get to know your body, the better off you are.