Hello, thinking about starting to ride a bike, got some quetions.



fordraceing_man

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Nov 11, 2005
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ok well ive been an on and off runner for the last few years, and shin splints are kinda getting me down, im thinking about taking up riding a bike a few times a week, also my girlfriend enjoys riding bikes to. anyways just curuios how well is cycling for weight loss compared to running? what kinda miles should someone be putting in for weight loss?

something else im wondering is what kinda bike should i be riding? right now i have a mounting bike, and a bmx bike (i know im not going to do this with a bmx bike) anyways i would be mostly riding on paved roads and a few dirt roads i guess but i really don't want one of the thin tire bikes with the wrap around handle bars, what kinda riding is mounting bikes for?

last thing i can think of now, is do many people ride in the winter? and in the snow, do you have many problems with that?

thanks
 
Stretch your calves if your getting shin splits! :)

Mountain bike will be fine for pave/unpaved roads. Though you may not really need any shocks, if your has any, on it. And if you got some big ol mud tires on there maybe swap out some that are better for paved roads.

And of course if your riding weight will come off. If you ride harder, it will come off faster.
 
Smilf said:
Stretch your calves if your getting shin splits! :)

Mountain bike will be fine for pave/unpaved roads. Though you may not really need any shocks, if your has any, on it. And if you got some big ol mud tires on there maybe swap out some that are better for paved roads.

And of course if your riding weight will come off. If you ride harder, it will come off faster.
its an 8 year old 15 speed or 10 speed huffy with knobby tires from wal mart, anyways what would be my best bet just leave it in third gear or something?

how far do you need to ride?

will an hour in the mouring be enough like running or do you need a lot more time?

thanks
 
fordraceing_man said:
its an 8 year old 15 speed or 10 speed huffy with knobby tires from wal mart, anyways what would be my best bet just leave it in third gear or something?

how far do you need to ride?

will an hour in the mouring be enough like running or do you need a lot more time?

thanks
get some slicks or semi-slicks tyres from your local bike shop... knobbies are not going to go anything good for riding on the road!

and a hour of cycling is going to be equivalent to whatever level you want it to be... if you dawdle along at 10mph then thats not going to do much for you... if you push yourself for an hour running, you need to push yourself for an hour cycling... same deal, you just go faster, further and have wheels.
 
fordraceing_man said:
its an 8 year old 15 speed or 10 speed huffy with knobby tires from wal mart, anyways what would be my best bet just leave it in third gear or something?

how far do you need to ride?

will an hour in the mouring be enough like running or do you need a lot more time?

thanks

No, don't just leave it in third gear - use the gears the same way you would the gears in your car (hang on, you're in the US, right? - so you've probably got an auto...) ok, same as if you had a stickshift, to stop you labouring or revving too high.

As someone else said, it's all about intensity, not time. But in my experience no, cycling's not as good for weight loss as running – and especially, cycling's hopeless for losing weight off your belly, which is where most of us need it!

What you might find worth trying is doing up to an hour of cycling, then going out for a run - you may well find the extra wramp-up eases the strain on you when you run, and you won't have the shin splints problem. Works for me.

One other thing - if you're going to cycle hard, get some proper shorts, and get down to your LBS to get the riding position sorted and make sure the gears etc are all adjusted properly. Also consider proper cycling shoes/clipless pedals, or at least using toe clips and straps to keep your feet in the right position.
Go for it!
 
Eastway82 said:
No, don't just leave it in third gear - use the gears the same way you would the gears in your car (hang on, you're in the US, right? - so you've probably got an auto...) ok, same as if you had a stickshift, to stop you labouring or revving too high.

As someone else said, it's all about intensity, not time. But in my experience no, cycling's not as good for weight loss as running – and especially, cycling's hopeless for losing weight off your belly, which is where most of us need it!

What you might find worth trying is doing up to an hour of cycling, then going out for a run - you may well find the extra wramp-up eases the strain on you when you run, and you won't have the shin splints problem. Works for me.

One other thing - if you're going to cycle hard, get some proper shorts, and get down to your LBS to get the riding position sorted and make sure the gears etc are all adjusted properly. Also consider proper cycling shoes/clipless pedals, or at least using toe clips and straps to keep your feet in the right position.
Go for it!
well if cycling is at all good for weight loss it can get rid of stomach fat, why would you say its hopeless for it?
 
fordraceing_man said:
well if cycling is at all good for weight loss it can get rid of stomach fat, why would you say its hopeless for it?

Sorry, didn't express myself very well. Sure, you'll burn fat, but cycling doesn't really work the stomach muscles at all, so you don't get very good muscle tone. I notice the difference when all I do is cycle - I'm fitter, have less fat, but still have a bit of a belly because there's no tone. If I run (which I hate but I do sometimes anyway to stay in shape for the odd short triathlon), or swim a lot, it makes a heck of a difference.
 
ok, i understand what ya mean, i know you can't spot reduce fat so when you lose fat you just lost fat it kinda picks where it comes from. your talking about actually being able to see a 6pack or something and muscle deffanition, so i know what you mean, i still don't think running vs biking for stomach toning is that big of a difference compared to other excersises.

(also i know my spelling sucking, im typing this quick.)
 
For winter riding, it depends where you live and how much snow there is, because the plows typically push the snow right where you want to be riding.

If you want to monitor your intensity try a heart rate monitor. I prefer the low tech solution of just keeping track of how hard you're breathing.

Biking is better exercise than running in my opinion because the scenery changes fast enough to prevent boredom.

Some people prefer mountain bikes for street riding. Get some street slicks, though. You'll be much faster.

As for the BMX, some people drop a grand or more on a bike with just one speed because that's what they want to ride. The only thing which may be wrong with the BMX is if your knees are too cramped up because it's such a low bike. Besides looking like a kid, I mean.....
 
Ride that bike, the health benefits are un speakable, be careful it is fun and you will get addicted. You will find, the more you ride the better you get, the better you get the more you ride.
 
Ny Cykel said:
Ride that bike, the health benefits are un speakable, be careful it is fun and you will get addicted. You will find, the more you ride the better you get, the better you get the more you ride.
thanks for the info guys, now i just gotta figure out weather or not to wait until march to start or if i should try to go though the winter lol
 
Definitely do some crunches, situps, and ab-stretching with your cycling routine. Even when I ride a century, as tired as I am, I force myself to do these exercises afterwards (15 minutes). And I'm 53, so you can do it!

You may want to consider another bike. There's a reason why most of those Wal Mart bikes were so cheap a number of years ago.
 
fordraceing_man said:
ok well ive been an on and off runner for the last few years, and shin splints are kinda getting me down, im thinking about taking up riding a bike a few times a week, also my girlfriend enjoys riding bikes to. anyways just curuios how well is cycling for weight loss compared to running? what kinda miles should someone be putting in for weight loss?

something else im wondering is what kinda bike should i be riding? right now i have a mounting bike, and a bmx bike (i know im not going to do this with a bmx bike) anyways i would be mostly riding on paved roads and a few dirt roads i guess but i really don't want one of the thin tire bikes with the wrap around handle bars, what kinda riding is mounting bikes for?

last thing i can think of now, is do many people ride in the winter? and in the snow, do you have many problems with that?

thanks
Your bike should be fine for the terrain you mentioned. Tires will vary depending on terrain. I think before considering buying another bike just start and get into it first then decide what sorta riding you want to get into. So many types of bikes and styles of riding these days.
I took up Mountain bike as lower impact on knees than running. (I prefer nature more than pavement but will cross train on roadbike)

If you riding some dirt or mainly dirt your mtb should be okay. Generally you mtb you cover less distance than on road/pavement. YOu get a more intense workout than on road over the same distance. I geuss like Xcountry running and running on pavement.

Without getting into HRM or Kilowatts etc.. blah blah.

Probably start by time than distances I do 1 hour ride- 2 times during the week and a 3 hour plus ride on the weekend - offroad. Kilometers/ Miles will vary depending on terrain.

I will increase the intensity by either adding more distance, improve my time over a set route, add hills or ride more technical terrain.

Just so I don't get bored I alternate during the week in the pool or go climbing whatever I can find to do.

I haven't really had to lose weight but when I am being consistant I find I am always hungry and looking leaner which is a good sign.

I geuss we are lucky here in Australia, winter is the best time to ride in the middle of the day its still comfy with shortsleeve shirt and shorts. As for snow I cant help? Snowshoeing?

It's probably cheaper to buy bike in spring new models released/ clearance of old models etc.. If you buy a bike and let it sit through winter you may not be motivated in spring after seeing it sit there all winter.

Just a thought goodluck.:)
 
yeah thats what i plan to do, i think im goign to try to tough out the winter by running a few days a week and get more serious into riding in the spring but before it gets too cold i think i will ride a few times.
 
fordraceing_man said:
ok well ive been an on and off runner for the last few years, and shin splints are kinda getting me down, im thinking about taking up riding a bike a few times a week, also my girlfriend enjoys riding bikes to. anyways just curuios how well is cycling for weight loss compared to running? what kinda miles should someone be putting in for weight loss?

something else im wondering is what kinda bike should i be riding? right now i have a mounting bike, and a bmx bike (i know im not going to do this with a bmx bike) anyways i would be mostly riding on paved roads and a few dirt roads i guess but i really don't want one of the thin tire bikes with the wrap around handle bars, what kinda riding is mounting bikes for?

last thing i can think of now, is do many people ride in the winter? and in the snow, do you have many problems with that?

thanks
you want to use the gears to keep a certain cadence... you want to aim for 90-110 rpms when you pedal... you might want to change that bike for a road bike but I also started from a hybrid (trek 7100...). I found a road bike that was really inexpensive on ebay that I have put about 400 miles on and I think its a great bike... let me know if you want more info...

the 90-110 cadence provides a more aerobic ride and won't cause problems for your knees...

make sure that the seat is adjusted properly, you should be able to extend your leg straight with your foot flat on the pedal, without leaning one way or the other...

cycling gloves are important because it helps prevent hand numbness and allows you to wipe the tires of debris and it also helps protect them if you fall...

as far as getting fit, the more you ride, the more you get fit... I didn't see many pot bellies on the tour riders so I think that one can lose weight riding a bike... I have lost about 30 lbs so far (unfortunately, winter is coming around the corner so it will limit bike time... )