Bicycling

smiles04

I decided I am going to try and ride my bike everyday. if anyone else rides their bike as a main form of exercise.... how long would you recommend bicycling each day?

thanks :happy:

rstendie

I don't know about you or what your fitness level is but I use a stationary bike for 30-60 min everyday (depending on how long the baby will nap for haha). It burns a lot of calories and is a great from of exercise....and I can watch my fave show while I do it!!:laugh:

rowie

i want to try using my bike more often too. Running seems to be really hard on my joints. I live in a very hilly area though. I'd be interested to hear more on this subject too.

BrendaLee

Bike until you can't bike any more. That's what I do, but that point comes pretty quickly for me- after about half an hour. I used to bike for hours...I miss those days.

clarkcj

I think it depends on your neighborhood and where you're headed on the bike. I have a mountain bike (very heavy!) that I have tried riding to the college campus. It's a hilly 2 miles and I can make it but with a backpack it's not time effective for me.

Do test runs around town - see where you can get in what amount of time and then build by 10 minutes a week. If you're used to light exercise / have a busy lifestyle I'd start with 30 minutes and go up from there.

andrearae13

The key is to get a good bike. You can usually find good deals on Craigslist. Then take it to a local bike shop and have them fit it for you. Having the right fit is key to good excersize. Once you have that, and a cycle-computer, you can ride for hours. Just start with short-5 mile-rides then build up from there, you can probably even find a group ride nearby. I live near the country so it is really easy for me to just hop on my road bike and ride for 2 hours or so...today I rode for 140 minutes and accoring to MFP that is about 1,394 calories burned!


Good Luck!

skywalker

Some of us at MFP have started a cycling club where we set up a weekly mileage goal. All levels are welcome. Check out this thread if your're interested...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/60795-mfp-spitfires-cycling-group-week-4

Also, a lot of people in the club give each other advice or tips. As far as how long or far you should ride totally depends on your level. If you're just starting out, take it slow and listen to your body. A few years ago, a long ride for me was 10 miles. Now my average rides are 25-30 miles, with a 45-50mile ride on the weekend.

Side note: A good pair if bike shorts is well worth the investment, but buy gender specific, as the padding is shaped differently for men and women. :happy: :happy: :happy:

skywalker

The key is to get a good bike. You can usually find good deals on Craigslist. Then take it to a local bike shop and have them fit it for you. Having the right fit is key to good excersize. Once you have that, and a cycle-computer, you can ride for hours. Just start with short-5 mile-rides then build up from there, you can probably even find a group ride nearby. I live near the country so it is really easy for me to just hop on my road bike and ride for 2 hours or so...today I rode for 140 minutes and accoring to MFP that is about 1,394 calories burned!


Good Luck!

I'd actually recommend going to the bike shop first and finding out your frame size. If you buy something from craigslist or another source, you're stuck with it. The bike shop can't do anything about the frame size if it's too big or too small. Shops will fit you, even if you don't buy. Just take note of what they tell you and then if you do find something used, you'll know if it's your size before you buy. It can't hurt to window shop first :happy:

andrearae13

Good point. Also you can take a bike you are thinking about purchasing to any good bike shop and they will evaluate it for you. This is very, very important, and worth the small fee they may or may not charge.

And yes, gender specific padded shorts are a must!