Bicycling enthusiasts?

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junkgypsy
junkgypsy Posts: 217
in Fitness and Exercise
Just wondering if there is anyone on here whose main exercise focus is biking?

I try to ride at least 10 miles a day, and am working on my endurance. I'm up to 21 in just under 2 hours...


Anyone else here a biker?
Please let me know, I'd love to have someone to swap gripes and tips with!
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Replies

  • happy_heather121
    happy_heather121 Posts: 135 Member
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    Hi!

    My walking partner and I walk from her house around a small lake we have in our city. It's about 6 miles. Last week we decided we would try to bike it starting from my house. It's only about 8.5 but we are working up to biking more.

    We both LOVE it. Although, at 6am I actually HATE it if you know what I mean! We get a serious workout, especially because this route is SO hilly!

    I'd love to swap things with you. Add me as a friend if you'd like!
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
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    I have a bike... I ride my bike, it's a Trek I bought 2 summers ago after not being on one for over 25 years and I love it! :heart:
    Bicycling is probably my secondary exercise though, as I seem to jog more than bike....
    The farthest I've managed to go on my bike so far is 14 miles- I live in a pretty hilly and rural area and it aint easy getting up some of these hills around here! :laugh: Generally I'll go out for a 10-12.5 mile ride at a time, usually takes me right around an hour- I've only been on my bike 3 times in the past 2 months due to the weather.
    I'm no pro, not sure I'd be able to give you any tips - perhaps share amusing stories, but probably wouldn't be much help!

    Anyway, hello :smile:
  • junkgypsy
    junkgypsy Posts: 217
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    I have always loved biking but just recently got back into it!

    My longest ride so far was 21.23 miles, on monday.

    I'm riding again today, hoping for 20 but I'll take what I can get on sore legs, haha. I will try to add you as a friend, Heather, but I'm very new to this. :)

    I discovered that a hour-long ride at 12-14 mph burns 700+ calories. So I try to get one of those runs in at least twice a week.

    Anywho! So glad to find like-minded people who love it as much as I do!
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
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    I've just started!
    I always used to prefer running, but I can't get my boyfriend to run with me; he always wants to bike. I never realized what a good workout it can be if you push yourself, (as junk gypsy said, " 700+ calories") so now I'm alternating daily running for an hour or biking for an hour. I've only recently started doing this for actual health benefits, as opposed to solely for weight loss, so I haven't tracked any distances yet. But when I get around to it I'll post.

    Gripes and tips? Count me in :D
  • Ileanak
    Ileanak Posts: 343 Member
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    I love cycling. I have a hard time frinding buddy's to ride with but I love it~
    I have completed a 63mile ride, although my standard is about 25 miles. I also love sprint triathlons, which incorporate 2 of my loves (cycling and swimming)... and i tollerate the running!

    Ileana

    I have both a road bike and a hybrid, and ride either one depending on the event. I am happy to try to answer any of your questions about cycling. I am not an expert, but I can hold my own!

    Ileana
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
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    I :heart: cycling. I have a race bike that I am trying to sell right now to get a normal road bike. I love my bike but I don't race anymore so I don't really need all the bells and whistles it has. It is also a triathlon specific bike so the frame is structured differently to keep you in a better tuck position for wind resistance.

    I was going out 3 days a week but right now I am more focused on running to get ready for a 1/2 marathon. I love using it for cross training though and where I live at 6000ft above sea level, if I go in one direction I go up more if I go in the other I go down, (living on the side of a mountain).

    I am also a gear junky. I like looking at what is the latest and greatest toys for my bike. I recently spotted cycling jersey's with built in water packs for long rides. They looked pretty cool.
  • junkgypsy
    junkgypsy Posts: 217
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    I have 2 bikes-- One is just a beach cruiser that I ride mainly for leisure, and the other is I believe what's considered a mountain bike? It's nothing special, but it has gears which comes wayyy in handy, especially where I live. (Smack in the middle of farm country, so you're against the wind hard one direction no matter what).

    I just bought a speedometer for my bike so I could keep better track of calories, and it also logs my distance in miles. Not bad for 10 dollars from wal-mart. Cheap thrills. :)
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
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    I have a bike computer and I really like keeping track of cadence, speed, distance, average speed...things like that. I think I might give it to my husband when I get my new watch later this week. Since it will have a GPS, I might need the other computer.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    I just started biking again this summer. My bike is a Murray that I got when my daughter was born 21 years ago:laugh: It still works really well since it hasn't been ridden much in 21 years. :grumble: I am going to get a new bike at the end of the summer (hopefully when they are cheaper)

    I ride about every other day about 10 miles each time. I can do 10 miles in about 35 minutes. I live in the country too and find it hard to find places to ride that aren't stone roads. I have a couple of places I mapped out on the trainer log on Runner's World that gives me the distance and MPH that I ride. I have an HRM that tracks my heart rate and calories burned. I like going by myself though, kind of my ME time.
  • happy_heather121
    happy_heather121 Posts: 135 Member
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    I have 2 bikes-- One is just a beach cruiser that I ride mainly for leisure, and the other is I believe what's considered a mountain bike? It's nothing special, but it has gears which comes wayyy in handy, especially where I live. (Smack in the middle of farm country, so you're against the wind hard one direction no matter what).

    I just bought a speedometer for my bike so I could keep better track of calories, and it also logs my distance in miles. Not bad for 10 dollars from wal-mart. Cheap thrills. :)

    I have a mountain bike. I got it for my 14th birthday! It's 10 years old but still works fine. I see that lots of people where I bike have road bikes but I can't afford one. Also, my boyfriend and I love to mountain bike on the weekends and we need mountain bikes for that.

    The speedometer sounds awesome! I really want to invest in one. 10 bucks is super cheap!
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    I love biking, but its kind of fallen secondary to running lately. Namely because the crank in my bike either needs lubrication, or because the bearing is bad. I dont have the money to get it fixed, so I've just been pounding pavement, lol.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    I love biking! I try to average 100 miles per week. Normally I do 15-20 per day. I own 2 new bikes: a Trek Hybrid and a Cannondale Road Bike. Great exercise and never boring! I live in rural PA where there are lots of rolling hills and very little traffic.
  • Ileanak
    Ileanak Posts: 343 Member
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    At the very minimum, I keep a computer on the bike that tracks distance and speed. I don't bother with paying for one that tracks cadence and other stuff. Becasue I know where I want to ride, and how far it is, a simple computer that tells me where I am on the ride (distance) and how long it has taken me, I can figure out my average speed as well as time my own sprints.

    I love the gadgets, but as a scuba diver, cyclist, and "other" sport afficionado, I have to be very careful with my pennies when it comes to spending it on new toys! lol

    My road bike is a mid-range (under $1000), & 3 years old now, but my hybrid is 18 years old and works fine too. So long as you take care of your equipment, it will perform for you... ( I am not talking about a Walmart special... those are just junk)
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
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    I have 2 bikes-- One is just a beach cruiser that I ride mainly for leisure, and the other is I believe what's considered a mountain bike? It's nothing special, but it has gears which comes wayyy in handy, especially where I live.

    Keep in mind that you won't go as fast as someone with a road bike - so for you to go 14 mph is close to a road bike going 20 mph. I find the calorie burn a little high compared to my HRM - I usually burn about 400-450 calories per hour on my commuter bike. Though the most I've done is a 4 hour ride (only 40 miles but the wind was really rough that day) - burned 1800 calories :bigsmile:
  • betheranne
    betheranne Posts: 44
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    I have a bike I bought at Target that my BIL had in his possession for several years. (Long story)

    Anyway, I have it back now. My six-year-old loves to ride his bike, so I'm riding with him. I'm woefully out of shape though, so I was pretty excited when I did 1 mile the other day!:laugh:

    I'm working on it. I forgot what a workout it can be!

    Oh! And a friend of mine is going to let me borrow her bike trailer for my 2-year-old. I think it's time to start considering a better-quality bike.
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
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    These posts are getting me motivated to go for a bike ride. I havent' been using mine as of lately too much, but I've been promising myself to be more active and to use it more often. I haven't made it to 10 miles because where I live it's only 2 lane roads, which get pretty scary and I would have to ride for a few miles before I can get to a trail. also, it's very hilly and windy where I live so it is TOUGH. I hope to get in the groove and put in a ton more miles than I have been. :glasses:
  • junkgypsy
    junkgypsy Posts: 217
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    I just bought a speedometer for my bike so I could keep better track of calories, and it also logs my distance in miles. Not bad for 10 dollars from wal-mart. Cheap thrills. :)

    I have a mountain bike. I got it for my 14th birthday! It's 10 years old but still works fine. I see that lots of people where I bike have road bikes but I can't afford one. Also, my boyfriend and I love to mountain bike on the weekends and we need mountain bikes for that.

    The speedometer sounds awesome! I really want to invest in one. 10 bucks is super cheap!

    I know what you mean-- The beach cruiser I have, my parents gave me for Christmas when I was like 12 or 13, I don't even remember! It's an Earth Cruiser though, a quality bike, which surprised me 'cause my family is full of tightwads, lol. :) But I told them I wanted an orange bike, so an orange bike I got. I treat that thing like royalty. Lol.

    The mountain bike is just a Schwiinn basic one, and yes it's from Wal-Mart. It's held up well so far, and I can't afford a road bike anytime soon. It gets me where I need to go and I am getting a workout either way. :)

    Can someone explain the differences in the bikes to me, possibly?

    I just got back from a ride...I was hoping for 25 but my tired legs got me 18.5 and said no more. But it was a good workout none the less. I averaged about 12mph for just under 2 hours. No complaints here. :)
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    Mountain Bike: Knobby tires, shock absorbers, built heavier for trails.

    Hybrid Bike: Thinner tires, less knobby...good for light trails and roads. Lighter/ faster than a mountain bike.

    Road Bike: Very light, stiff frame...built for speed. Very thin tires, good for roads only.

    This is a very basic description of the various bikes.
  • paddlemom
    paddlemom Posts: 682 Member
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    Last year I bought what they are calling an Adult Comfort Bike. Your posture when you are riding is more upright - I bet similar to that beach cruiser. I found that my neck, shoulders and arms get tired when I ride a more forward profile bike.
    It has thicker tires - but not as thick and knobby as mountain bikes, but still has 10 gears and a light, but large tube aluminum frame. I bought a super wide seat for it (to accomodate my super wide seat :laugh: ), which makes it an ideal bike for large people. It is a Specialized Expedition - Specialized is the company. I know that Giant makes similar ones too.
    It's great for everyday road cycling in the city; but the tires and ride are good for dirt roads as well. Right from the outset it was the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden. My route is around 10km which is perfect for me to get a quick ride in after work.
    I'm looking forward to taking it up to the cottage with me this summer to do some longer treks.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    Yeah, a comfort bike is great for those who want a nice, cushioned ride. Specialized is a very good company. It is made for the casual rider who is willing to sacrifice performance for comfort. It's a great commuter bike on a relatively flat road or trail. It really fits the bill nicely for those people who enjoy a nice ride now and then. Best of luck to you!

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