Any bike riders out there ?
Richard253
Posts: 7
Hi any bike riders out there ? Does not matter if its a road bike,mountain bike or any other type ! got any tips for cycling to lose weight ? How far do you ride ? what do you eat and drink to keep you going on a long ride ?
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Hi!
I have just invested in a bike, I am a MTBer so tend to go out for longer rides on Sundays to the forest - generally I'll have a normal breakfast (scrambled eggs on toast or similar) then spend hours out on the bike - we usually come home and have something hearty like a stew or a roast dinner. As for drinks I dont think you can go wrong with water.
We have some long distance cyclist friends and they stock up on gels - but they're like racing snakes so arent really worried about weight gain.0 -
Hi there!
I bought a hybrid bike not so long ago. Within a week I had completely 60+ miles! My longest journey was from my house to Newbury (around 34 miles) and was only my 3rd ride on a bicycle in around 4 years. I really enjoy pootling along the canal paths, which are national routes for the national cycle network (maintained by Sustrans). The one I did 34 miles on in one go, was Route 4 (from Staines[ish] to Fishguard in Wales!). I have also been along Route 5.
When I am cycling, I take a big bottle of water to keep me nice and hydrated or I tend to get very exhausted, very quickly. I take a lot of snack items, such as Nakd bars, Go Ahead Slices, Eat Natural bars or even Fridge Raiders! A colleague of mine says that flapjacks are amazing for cycling (and take it from him, he cycles over 50 miles in one go!!) and he generally takes just fruit. I have read somewhere that you should be eating every 30 minutes if you are on a long distance bike ride - even if it is something really small.
I think the biggest motivation I have, is that I go back home and with all the calories I have burned, I go and have an Indian Buffet (as we usually cycle on a Sunday) and pig! That, or Pop tarts and a bit of Kelly's ice cream!
I have definitely lost weight from doing this, and I find it keeps my legs intact. :-) Very fun. Good luck! :drinker:0 -
I cycle back and forward to work via tracks, towpaths and road, about 25km a day, and I live pretty close to decent mountain bike trails which can be a tough workout.
My one tip if you are looking to spend any kind of extended on your bike is to buy a pair of cycling shorts or leggings! You will be able to cycle for much longer ....
When I'm commuting I just have water/food at the other end of the journey unless it's particularly hot (doesn't happen often in Scotland) then I'll take a bottle of water.
Mountain biking... I tend to pack for a camping expedition in case I get stranded in the wilderness lol. The backpack just makes it even more of a workout
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I don't cycle as much as I used to, but I love it!
Until I switched jobs I used my Pashley to commute the 26 mile round trip to work each day - you certainly get a work out on a Pashley because it weighs as much as a tank! In fact, it weighs almost as much as my hubby's dutch bike which we bought from Workcycles in Amsterdam - that weighs 70lbs!! (which is why he's nicknamed it Sherman!).
Apart from the Pashley I also have an M type Brompton which is great for chucking in the boot of the car, and I also have an old (1993!) Orange Clockwork MTB, which in contrast to the Pashley weighs only 23lbs. When I get on the Orange or the Brompton they feel as light as a feather in comparison to the Pashley, but I find the Pashley (with its Brooks saddle) the most comfortable for long days on the road...the most I've done on it in one day is 80 miles, without padded shorts, and it was really comfy.
I live in Norfolk so not too many hills to slog up in this neck of the woods - in our old MTB days we'd often go to the South Downs, but now we tend to stick to gentle potters on tarmac.0 -
hi I've been riding years just because I enjoy it. I don't do the gels or food thing when i cycle, its usually a bottle of water and whatever I fancy when I get back unless there's a pub stop and its a bag of crisps(not healthy I know but I do live nr the peak so its massive hills I tackle).
A friend and I cycled 89miles to the seaside one day, just for a lark, for that I took a bladderpack of squash, banana's, flapjack and some jelly babies. My mate took 2 protein shakes and a bottle of water, unfortunately she got cramp halfway and then had me forcing banana and squash down her, 7 hrs it took. I loved it, she didn't. The last big one was for charity, 52mile manchester-blackpool night ride, great fun until my axle broke 5 miles from the finish.
I guess what i'm saying is just have fun. keep hydrated and unless you're going for a long ride don't worry too much about food, take a banana or some dried fruit and nuts if you want but just have a balanced meal when you get home.
Have fun x0 -
I agree with emblu, there's no real need for special gear or special food/drink - I just wear something comfy (don't bother with lycra and padded shorts unless I"m going off-road; for tarmac regular clothing is absolutely fine) and I chuck a bottle of water in my basket and usually an Eat Natural bar or a packet of unsalted peanuts and raisins.
After a good long cycle ride you feel virtuous enough to stop for a pub lunch anyway!0 -
Have to say there are loads of good points in the above posts , I am going to start to. Rude to work in the next day or so it's a 24 mile round trip so will have to think about food and drink .0
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Why not join this group on MFP - a lot of different sorts of cyclists and all sorts of advice and support
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/344-bicycling-road-and-mountain0 -
I ride the bike a bit
Here's Me in August 2011 before I started riding the bike a bit...
Me a couple of weeks ago...
Cycling's a great way to burn some extra calories, it's non-impact (providing you don't fall off of course), and the passing scenery provides enough interest to keep you exercising far longer than most other exercises.
I returned to riding just over 2 years ago, after a long lay-off due to work etc. When I began I was just short of 400lb (397.7lb for the sake of accuracy, or 180.4kg in sensible measurements!). By following the guidelines on MFP I've dropped to 105.4kg in under 2 years.
When I began riding again, my regular riding loop was just under 16km (10 miles) and took me just over 1 hour. For the following hour, I was pretty much unable to do anything more than sit wheezing and gasping before dragging my sorry carcase upstairs for a shower, and a short nap. My typical riding schedule at the moment is 3 days riding with a rest day. Normal daily rides are generally a 50km (30 mile) loop in 115-125 minutes with maybe 6 times the ascent/descent that the initial loop contained. So - I'm going 3 times as far on twice as hilly terrain and going 50% faster... that's quite an improvement in riding ability - it's not spectacular by the standards of "proper" cyclists, but it's an improvement that I attribute mainly to losing the weight - 75kg is not to be sneezed at...
Best of all, I can cheerfully go out on a Sunday morning, ride for 70-80 miles in 5 hours, arrive home, and still be perfectly functional after a shower and a bowl of pasta 0 -
Cycling is great for those of us who are a bit past their sell by date and carrying a few injuries.....
I use a rubbish MTB for my daily ride to the station, a road bike once in a blue moon and a hybrid for anything from local trips to all day rides.
I did a few 60 mile charity rides on my old MTB with road tyres on so you definitely don't need anything flash or expensive to get going.
If you can build some miles into your normal routine it really helps - leave the car in the garage and the bike will pay for itself.
As a rule of thumb for rides up to an hour I just drink water. Two hours or more I'm drinking sports drinks and having carbs snacks (malt bread, flapjacks, cereal bar). Three hours or more I'm eating plenty of carbs before setting off plus sports hydration drinks and carby snacks.
Have a look at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ for cycle routes.0 -
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(edit - double post)0 -
Well just done 10 miles which may not sound a lot but its a start and feel pity good about it !0
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Motorbikes count? :devil:0
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They do as far as I am concerned. 0
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NO !! lol0
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Cycling's great isn't it! Although it's also the reason I've not been for a ride in the last few months as I smashed my wrist up after having a rather high speed argument with the ground in the local woods - don't let that put you off though!!
Nutrition wise, carb-loading's a good idea for really long rides and I use a sports drink on pretty much all rides along with a post-ride recovery drink too (either the sports type or milk as they're both full of protein). Fuelling's important as a mate attributes an accident he had to 'hitting the wall' when the body runs out of fuel.
A gel or two in your pocket can help when you feel really low and provide about 30mins of energy that your body can use fast.
Brand wise, I use Science In Sport for nutritional stuff.
For reference my rides tend to be a couple of hours off-road in and around the local forest.0
