Questions about Bike Riding

SoSel

SoSel

New member
I've seen a common theme here, so let me start by saying that I'm 5'4, 196 lbs female, 24 years old. I have a wonderful bike, a Suede Metro Series by Giant. Only 7 speeds and built with comfort in mind. I take my bike out for 7 mile rides [haven't timed myself yet], on a trail that's not too flat, but nothing too steep.
My question is this. I want to use the bike to help me lose weight. I understand that by riding the bike, I'm really only working the lower half of my body. I've heard to supplement running, but I can't with my knee problems [cartlidge is wearing thin]. How often should I do upper-body exercises? How often should I ride my bike? I've searched the net to no avail. I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks! Selena
 
Hi,

Riding your bike will work more than your legs. You can supplement by lifting weights as well. There are ways to ride that burn better than others. Start by doing your usual 7 miles with intervals of sprints (stand up if you can and pedal all-out) and rest periods. Sprints should be 10-15 seconds, rests should be for a minute or so. Make sure that your bike "fits" you, as well. The more comfortable you are on it, the more time you'll spend on it.

Remember if you are riding, you need to fuel yourself accordingly. Meaning, since you will be burning lots of cals (for example, a 12 mile ride at 12 mph can burn about 500 cals) then you don't want to reduce too much.

Also, remember to hydrate. Sometimes, the weight you lose from riding is from water loss! Really important to drink lots of water.

Enjoy your bike! I love mine.

Indy
 
Oh and, ride as much as you feel comfortable doing, but make sure to give yourself a rest day.

Up the mileage as well, if you can.
 
I really appreciate the tips. I feel that I have a lot to learn. I never knew bike riding could be so intense. I enjoy it way too much. ;]
My brother suggested riding on alternate days, say 3 times a week, and doing upper body on three days I'm not. [Sundays are rest days.]
My current routes take me from 9.8 to 14 miles. It really depends on if I'm having any pain.
Oh, and the rests that were mentioned after sprints... Does that mean I should physically get off the bike and walk or just let it cycle down before pedaling again?
Also, how often should I stretch? I have pain in my [I believe it's called] IT band. I stretch twice, once half-way through and later when I'm 1/4 on the way done. I was curious about the practical side of stretching.
Thanks again!

Selena
 
Hi,

When I say rest, I just mean not hard pedaling. You should still keep your cadence up (by switching to an easier gear) but you should be able to talk while you're riding in rest mode.

You should not have pain on your bike. Have you had a professional bike fit done? If your ITB is bothering you, it could be that your saddle is too low, and you are putting too much pressure on the pedals by pedalling in really low gears.

You may want to check out this forum:

which is specifically for women cyclists - can help answer a lot of your questions.

Also, Susan Weaver's "A woman's guide to bicycling" was recommended to me and is a great book.
 
Hi SoSel, I've turned into somewhat of a biking nut myself, since I bought my bike 7 weeks ago. A thousand miles later, here are some things I would point out:
  1. Don't neglect strength training. Yes, there are a lot of bikers who think muscle is just unnecessary weight, but that's not so. In fact, studies of many long distance riders have shown alarming deficiencies in calcium and weak bone structures. A lot of the bone weakness could be helped by a comprehensive weight training program, along with some calcium supplementation.
  2. Practice variety. Biking is like any other cardio -- you'll get a lot better results if you change it up often. Do intervals one day; hills another; "time trials" another; easy rides on another.
  3. Give your legs time to heal. Program in a rest day every three days or so, to let your legs recover. That's a good time to get some weight training in, too.
  4. Give your knees a break. Practice a higher cadence if you find yourself jamming up the hills all the time. Sure, it may make you faster today, but if you blow your knees out in a couple of years, what good will that be. This is especially important in your case, since you already have some knee problems. If you find yourself jamming too much, even on the lowest gear, then I would take your bike to a bike shop and get some lower gearing installed.
  5. If you start getting into higher mileages, e.g. more than 2 hours, take care of nutritional needs during your ride and after your ride. Otherwise, you'll end up in a catabolic state.
  6. Get comfortable. That's easy for me to say, LOL, because I ride a 'bent :). But seriously, make sure your saddle, shoes, and shorts are all set up for comfort, or you'll regret it a couple of years from now.
  7. Biking is as good a cardio routine as anything. The point is not whether both your arms and your legs are in the act (your arm muscles are small anyway, compared to your leg muscles); the point is about raising your heart rate to the level that your cardio vascular system gets a good workout.
 
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