newbie biker question..

jaded082

Warning: possibly stupid newbie questions. ;-)

Ok, so I just started biking. I do about 5 mi a day 5-6 days a week around our neighborhood and town. I am loving it. Especially since I have recently had to slack off working out due to my knees going out on me. I have sliding patellas and the cartiledge is being worn down. So I got a steriod shot, then a couple months later got a series of 3 shots of *joint juice* stuff. Anyway it has helped the pain and swelling ALOT. But I am very limited on lower body exercises in my home gym since I can't do lunges, squats etc. I have 5 and 10 lb ankle weights but they are such a pain. I also like kickboxing which is a great lower body workout. But even still just not crazy interested in doing lower body workouts these days with what I still consider my handicapped knees (I am still babying them a lot, since they went out in March and just started getting better a month ago).

I LOVE weight training and I am wondering could I get by with biking being my lower body workout and then just do upper body weight training a couple times each week? Maybe not long term but at least for a few months. How much will it impact my glutes, hamstrings/quads and calves? I know bikers usually have awesome calves ;-) So how much of a leg workout is biking?? I know it's good but how good?

Any advice?

cohophysh

I would say yes and no, yes, cycling will really tone your legs as well as give you endurance, no for the fact that it may not help in over all strength. I could be wrong. Also, be sure you are spinning and not mashing the pedals. You said you had knee issues and spinning will lessen the impact on your knees.
Brian

AlwaysInMotion

Cycling is great for the legs. If you bike regularly and incorporate increased speed & resistance, you'll develop very strong (developed) quads and calves. If your body fat is low, you might even develop "cut" lines, which is awesome.
If you are concerned about your knees (and many cyclists are! lots of people turn to cycling after knees give out from running), I would suggest the following (in order of importance):
1) Ensure your bike is properly adjusted. Things like seat height will affect your leg extension and knee "overlap" from the fulcrum point of your pedal - too much knee overlap is bad. A good bike shop should be able to check you out & help you make adjustments.
2) Ensure you are pedalling with high cadence (aim for 80 rpm or better) to prevent mashing. This will protect your knees over the long haul (and it's good form).
3) If you are really getting into cycling, possibly consider investing in clipless pedals and bike shoes w/cleats. These will help your form and allow you to harness the power from your pedal upstrokes (and also helps the knees). Some have degrees of "float" amount your foot can move while clipped in (you'll want to ask the shop whether more float is good or bad for someone with sensitive knees. I'm guessing float is good. I use Speedplay "Light Action" pedals - tons of float (20 deg) and very beginner friendly.

It helps if you also incorporate stretching (yoga, pilates) to help develop your core (it's surprising how important core strength is to cyclists) and keep those muscles from tightening (tight hammies are a common complaint for bikers).

I hope that helps. I know I can ramble A LOT and give way too much advice (solicited and un-) sometimes. Cheers.

Edited for stupid typos. -AIM

jaded082

Thank you! Lot's of great info! I would love to get some better *cut* muscles. ;-) I am at about 24% body fat right now, but my goal is 18-19% like I was 3 years ago. And luckily the one part of my body that is in good shape is my core, after having kids it's pretty important to me to keep it flat. ;-)

I know I really need to invest in a better bike very soon. That is probably my next step. I am really feeling how this Schwinn has a LOT lacking.

Thanks again for the tips! Glad to know that I think it will work to get/keep my legs tone.

AlwaysInMotion

New bike shopping can be fun. Wear something sporty (at least something that won't cause you to catch a pant leg or flash anyone) and test ride the heck out of a bunch of bikes. And if you see a men's model that turns you on, go for it. No rules saying women have to ride pink or baby blue women's bikes (unless you are really digging the girly pastel vibe). I've also learned that the fun factor (okay, yeah, and price!) varies a lot from bike to bike. Then you ride one and you think "wheeee!!!" I so need THIS one!

...and, doh, almost forgot... I'd suggest a nice road bike. It's always the roadies who have the great gams... Okay, well there are hot mountain bikers too, but you usually don't see them quite as much. (no offense, dirt lovers.) Cheers!

jaded082

My husband is really trying to get me to get a road bike (when the finaces allign). But I really want a bike I can take on the dirt roads too.
My current bike route has a 1/2 mile of very rough dirt road (ie, huge potholes and 1' deep tired tracks from people going through it in the mud), I can't see a road bike handling that. Although honestly I don't know much about road bikes at all.

Oh, and AlwaysInMortion- No, I am not set on a girly colors at all. ;-) Whatever fits good and rides good.

The bike I currently have my eye on is the Treck 8.5 DS http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/dual_sport/ds_series/8_5_ds/#
Although the 8.4 DS is alot more budget friendly.

Anyone have any thought's of these bikes? I wonder what Specialized would have to offer in comparison. I have always loved Trek though. I haven't tested these out, this is only from my internet browsing so far.

wellbert

Have you considered a cyclocross bike?

jaded082

I had never heard of that before (like I said, I am a major newbie, even though my husband has been big into cycling in the past). I just googled it, and wow those are pretty cool!

Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to keep those in mind when I make a trip to the bike store...someday.

cohophysh

Good idea on the multipurpose bike, cause you can always ride a mountain bike on the road but really can't ride a road bike on the trails. Cyclocross bikes are a little different, just ride them all and see what you like best and be sure it is fairly comfortable.

TDGee

You might want to check out the Specialized Cirrus series. It's categorized as a hybrid, but it leans more heavily to a road bike. Iv'e taken mine out and done a little single track stuff in the dirt and while there were a couple of spots in the really soft, stuff I wished for wider tires, overall, it's pretty nice. Ride them all and buy the one that speaks to you.
Have fun!

Frannybobs

I'd second TDGee's recommendation

I got a Specialized Vita Elite last year (female equivalent of the Cirrus) and I love it for commuting to work and cycling on the roads. The difference with Specialized female bikes is that the length of the frame is slightly shorter to accommodate the not so long reach that women have compared to men, so it's a more natural riding position. Only downside is that on tight corners you have to be wary of toe overhang clipping the front wheel. I'd definitely go and test ride a few and see which one you like. If you love the bike then you'll want to go on it more :-)

AlwaysInMotion

Cyclocross ("cross" for short, sometimes "XC") is style of endurance racing that's done on "mild" off-road courses. The course is usually mapped out in grassy fields with some hills and possibly pavement, gravel, dirt, mud, snow, sand, and water. And obstacles. To handle this terrain and abuse, cross bikes are sturdier than their road bike brethren, they have extra clearance for knobby tires (plus mud), and they have beefier cantilever (or V) brakes. To the uninitiated, they look like mutant road bikes.

The great thing about a cyclocross bike is you can swap out the "knobby" off-road tires for "skinny" road tires and you basically wind up with a bomb-proof road bike with really great stopping power. It won't do full-on mountain biking (although there are some nuts out there that do), but it'll definitely do good/bad pavement, dirt, grass & gravel. Plus many "cross" bikes can usually handle fenders and racks, which is great if you get into commuting, running errands by bike, or plan on doing a multi-day bike ride like RAGBRAI with panniers. Check out the Surly CrossCheck (which comes in a cute robin's egg blue).

Cross bikes are really popular with my friends who want only one bike for everything. In the past, I've recommended hybrids to newbies and women who don't think they'll ride THAT much, but then they get "hooked" and a short while later invest in either a road bike or a "cross" bike... IMHO, hybrids are just okay. They're great for slow, casual, light-mileage riders... (no offense to hybrid lovers). My 1st bike was a hybrid and I loved it. Two years and -80lbs later, I bought a road bike & mountain bike and donated the hybrid.

AlwaysInMotion

But, for sure, the best bike is the one that makes you happy and want to ride... Read over the last post and realize I sounded "pushy" - sorry! :flowerforyou:

TDGee

But, for sure, the best bike is the one that makes you happy and want to ride... Read over the last post and realize I sounded "pushy" - sorry! :flowerforyou:

I didn't think it was pushy at all. I agree with your comment about hybrids, I am already plotting on my next bike being a pure road bike, and I've only had my Sirrus Comp for a few months. Now, if I can only talk my wife into agreeing that I "need" another bike!

Dahamac

But, for sure, the best bike is the one that makes you happy and want to ride... Read over the last post and realize I sounded "pushy" - sorry! :flowerforyou:

I don't think you were pushy, just honest!

The type of bicycle that best suits each person really is based on the type of riding style the person adopts. I have chosen to be a commuter and not just a recreational rider so my next bike will be a "Touring" bike because I believe it will be the most comfortable and efficient bicycle for my 42 mile daily commute and those weekend rides of 50 to 100+ miles.

Currently I am doing my daily commute on a hybrid simply because the 700x35 tires are more forgiving than the 700x25 on my road bike. However, the ride is much faster on the road bike, which is actually has a relaxed geometry but the aluminium frame is a harsh ride over rough surfaces.

Therefore, you must decide what type of riding will be the majority of your riding before deciding on your bike. If you mainly want to go fast on asphalt for rides less than 50 miles then an aggressive road bike will be the best. If you want to fast, commute, or ride on rough roads with some unpaved stretches then a cross or touring bike is the best. If you want to ride casually for short distances then a hybrid is your thing. Finally, see if you can find someone to let your ride his or her bike at least once before buying a bike. I recently did this with a friend and he decided on a flat-bar road bike that will make a good all-purpose bike for fitness and recreational rides.

jaded082

Wow. So much great information guys! Thanks!!

I have started riding out on the road, as I find I like the privacy of it more then doing circle around our housing area with some path and street riding. I can turn my music up and no one will know. ;-)

I was doing about 5 miles a day, today I did 11.5, I could totally see myself getting up to about 20. It is so relaxing and such a great workout!

I can't wait to go looking at bikes now! I feel like I have a better idea of what direction to look in now.

And wow Dahamac!! 42 mi daily commute! That's awesome!

AlwaysInMotion- No worries, you didn't come across pushy at all! Thanks for the advice!