Bikes or no?

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JKM0225
JKM0225 Posts: 140 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So... I have gotten really interested in bike riding... very fun :) Is that a great way to lose weight?
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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    What if it's not? You're very interested in riding and find it very fun. If we said it wasn't a great way to lose weight why you would deny yourself of this activity that you enjoy?
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Biking is fun and is for fitness but you need a calorie deficit to lose weight.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Josh_Kalley wrote: »
    So... I have gotten really interested in bike riding... very fun :) Is that a great way to lose weight?


    It is awesome for burning tons of calories once you get able to ride a distance.

    Of course you have to eat a calorie deficit at the end of the day.

    My ride today

    ezpxjfpk199v.jpg

  • JKM0225
    JKM0225 Posts: 140 Member
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    I love it & would continue to do it regardless. But I don't want to make it my main form of working out if it is not going to help me. Obviously you have to have a different eating plan with any weight loss routine.
    Just wanted to see if anyone had any success stories as a bike lover :)
    Great job on your workout. Looks awesome!!!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Josh_Kalley wrote: »
    So... I have gotten really interested in bike riding... very fun :) Is that a great way to lose weight?

    So bike riding covers a huge range of options; road riding, mountain biking, cyclocross or pootling along at slow speed...

    As far as aiding fitness is concerned, yes all types can burn a reasonable number of calories, although I'd observe that the screenshot above looks hugely overinflated. For that distance at a moderate pace I'd be anticipating 1500-2000 cals at most.

    For me, road riding is very complementary to my running as long duration moderate to fast rides help to build aerobic capacity and endurance. I find running more effective for improving my high end capacity.
  • csman49
    csman49 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Depends wether your riding around leisurely, or giving it the beans! I tend to burn about 750 cals each way on my commute to work, which is about 1hr15 each way, and I'm giving it some!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Like any other activity you get back what you put into it but one of the great advantages of biking is that, schedule and weather permitting, you could ride 7 days a week 365 days per year. Unless you're doing insanely hard workouts (hills, time trials etc) you don't need recovery days to the same extent as you would running or weight lifting.
  • JKM0225
    JKM0225 Posts: 140 Member
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    Awesome!!! Thank you all so much :) I am currently training for a 5K but want to mix up my activities and have increased my goals with each new goal I meet. I fell in love with biking and became very interested in. Maybe to mix up my routine some. However, I still want to make progress and continue to improve as I go. I bought a mountain bike and have some awesome trails planned ahead. I also bought a HRM to make sure I stay working out and not just a casual ride. I want to continue to shed, tone and improve with any exercise(s) I choose.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,930 Member
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    I am a cyclist, and yes, I think it has helped me lose weight ... or when I was quite slender, it helped me maintain my weight.

    Use a formula like 100 cal burned for every 5 kilometres (or approx. 32 cal/mile). Calories burned when cycling are all estimates, and I've found that's a pretty good one.
  • JKM0225
    JKM0225 Posts: 140 Member
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    Awesome!!! Thank you so much!!! I was trying to figure a formula for that. I lost 25 pounds running and want to mix it up so that I don't stay in one place.
  • cblue315
    cblue315 Posts: 3,836 Member
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    I've lost 80 pounds in the last year. A big portion of it was on bikes. In the winter it was spin class 3 or 4 times a week. Then summer came I bought a bike and did two triathlons and one duathlon this year. Just dropped 2K on a racing bike. So, yeah, even if it did not help me lose the weight I am hooked. Love the work, love the scenery and love the camaraderie of the biking culture. You do not have to spend a lot to get a nice bike. My first one I bought used from a bike shop. It has a nice ride and I ended up putting a bag rack on it so I can do my grocery shopping and ride to the gym.
  • JKM0225
    JKM0225 Posts: 140 Member
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    Oh, congratulations!! Good for you!!! :) That is so awesome & such a healthy lifestyle choice :) My interest has always been running but I really am developing a heart for bikes. It's such a different experience riding through the mountains than running.

    Love the idea of the basket for groceries. A great way to save some $!

    Thank you all so much for the input !!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Have a look at experienced bike riders, they're always super lean.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Josh_Kalley wrote: »
    So... I have gotten really interested in bike riding... very fun :) Is that a great way to lose weight?

    It's a great way to get fit and burn some (potentially crap loads of) calories. Losing weight requires eating at a deficit, however.
  • JKM0225
    JKM0225 Posts: 140 Member
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    Well, I don't have a lot of weight I want to lose. But I have hit a stale point in my running & want to add something new and fun to get that extra little bit off.

    & very good point!! They are super toned and fit. I like to be in the mountains so I want to build towards mountain biking.
  • tomnev1
    tomnev1 Posts: 184 Member
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    Josh_Kalley wrote: »
    So... I have gotten really interested in bike riding... very fun :) Is that a great way to lose weight?

    I find it great. I cycle 10ks (about 6 miles) into work and 10ks uphill home every day. We have showers at work and I live in a God-awful city for traffic (Dublin) so it's win win for me. I save time on my commute. It doesn't impact your knees like road running. It's cheap (though not as cheap as running) and depending on your city (bike lanes, traffic, etc) very safe.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    Josh_Kalley wrote: »
    So... I have gotten really interested in bike riding... very fun :) Is that a great way to lose weight?

    So bike riding covers a huge range of options; road riding, mountain biking, cyclocross or pootling along at slow speed...

    As far as aiding fitness is concerned, yes all types can burn a reasonable number of calories, although I'd observe that the screenshot above looks hugely overinflated. For that distance at a moderate pace I'd be anticipating 1500-2000 cals at most.

    For me, road riding is very complementary to my running as long duration moderate to fast rides help to build aerobic capacity and endurance. I find running more effective for improving my high end capacity.

    That Map My Ride seems consistently 25% higher than Bicycling.com calorie calculator. It calculated 2465 for that ride but did not factor the elevation change.

    I love cycling as a great way to add variety to the fitness tools available to s person creating a new lifestyle.

    You can make great riding friends and do fun rides, group rides, set personal challenges to beat.

    It is just another way to have fun and change yourself to being a more active person

    That is why I jumped on a bike.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    i only learnt to ride a bike two years ago and the way i ride, it wouldnt be classed as exercise. i enjoy it as i find it calming.

    But i have seen cyclists on the road who you can tell do it all the time and they are in great shape. very nice calves.
  • fullylugged
    fullylugged Posts: 67 Member
    edited July 2015
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    You burn somewhere around 50 cals a mile on average and there are about 3,000 cals in a pound of fat. So a six hr ride ( 60 miles at 10 mph with rests along the way, and once you're fit enough to do it. Start shorter and extend your range, and you'll also get faster so it will take less time for the same calorie burn) can burn off a lb. Extended cardio like longer rides is good for you in other ways as well. And it's low impact. I find it helps a lot with weight control.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Josh_Kalley wrote: »
    Well, I don't have a lot of weight I want to lose. But I have hit a stale point in my running & want to add something new and fun to get that extra little bit off.

    & very good point!! They are super toned and fit. I like to be in the mountains so I want to build towards mountain biking.

    Riding is excellent x-training for running, they compliment each other perfectly.

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