Bicycling Questions from an Overweight Beginner

xProfLupin
xProfLupin Posts: 35 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Small amount of info: Overweight female that hurt her knee during a 5k that has never healed all the way that just got my own bike. The bike is a good starter for me even though I bought it from a major retailer (Wal-Mart) but money was tight so it was what I could afford right now. The weight limit on my bike says 250 pounds and I'm closer to 270-275 pounds but the bike seems to hold my weight very well and I'm having little to no trouble riding it despite my added weight.

Now, after I got it, I finally took it to the local city trails for walking, cycling, etc on the weekend. My plan was to ride for 1 mile, rest, and either push on or go back. My plan went too well.. I stopped at 2 miles, then 3.5 miles, then about 4 miles. I felt great and alive (it helped that it was cold outside which is my favorite weather) and sat down at the last bench before I reached downtown and wanted to go farther but I was semi-afraid I wouldn't be able to make it (physically) so I turned around which then my thighs started burning (in a good way).

Either way, I felt great and happy as a clam.. but I was breathing crazy heavily. I figured my body isn't used to it so my endurance is super sucky since it had been almost 8 months since I stopped going to the gym. My doctor basically told me that if I can "exercise" and strengthen up my leg muscles, it should fix my misaligned knee that I got from the 5k.

I honestly want to ride everyday because the air against my skin is amazing but I was told by several to take a day between each time that I ride so my legs can recover. That's cool, I can deal but can I build my endurance by just riding my bike? By getting out of breath by going up hills and making my legs work to go up it? Should I try to incorporate other exercises in?

This feel like a really stupid question but how do you build up endurance? What happens in your body that increases it eventually? Is it something that will just take time and patience and lots of riding to build it up?

I have PCOS and have never have had very much experience losing weight even when I ate right but I just have this feeling that this bicycle will be what finally helps me overcome my weight (along with eating right as well). I want to eventually be like the people I see on the trail with their tiny bikes and their short bike shorts and going so fast yet so effortlessly (my goal :) )

Any helpful comments is greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    All I do besides lift weights is cycle...you can absolutely build endurance cycling...it just takes time...and yeah, I probably wouldn't come right out of the gate riding every day...building your fitness and endurance takes time.

    I ride about 80 - 100 miles per week...I would do more if I had the time...you can obviously build endurance cycling...there's a whole sport and everything...

    Pairs_Roubaix_challenge_cobbles.jpg

    I weight train for my cross training...and a little swimming in the summer...otherwise I ride and ride and ride...

  • ParkingPeddler
    ParkingPeddler Posts: 71 Member
    edited November 2016
    Hello!
    Sounds like you are really enjoying it...good for you. I love getting on my bike. Has helped with my depression too.
    I took up cycling in earnest this year myself. I have logged over 2,200. However I don't ride in the winter, and live in the snowbelt area in Canada...so my season is done. Some things I learned....
    - Just get out and ride
    - If your riding 10 miles a day, and you're not racing, you don't need to take time off to recover. You will be sore, and that will tell you when to ease up.
    - Keep the gear to an easy resistance. Your knees will tell you if the gear is too high.
    - Start your ride into the wind...makes the ride back a bit more fun
    - Try to find someone to ride with once and awhile, it does change it up for you.
    - When the time comes that you are ready to get a better bike, go to a bike shop. For a few bucks more, you can get a much better bike. But you don't need to break the bank. Much of it is marketing.
    - Get a bike computer that allows you to track your metrics, or you can use an app on your phone (Log My Ride). The metrics helped me stay focused. I use a heart monitor to help ensure I push enough to get that heart rate up.
    Good luck and have fun
  • psychdude007
    psychdude007 Posts: 1 Member
    I bought a bike for the express purpose of losing weight this summer. I dropped almost 30 pounds riding to work every day. Like someone above said, just ride. Every other day off is too much - days off are important for muscle recovery and building, but riding 3-4 days in a row then taking one off is more likely to be helpful for you. And by "off" I don't mean sit on the couch. Just use different muscles. Hit the gym and lift or something. Swim. Whatever you gotta do. I can't run - bad knees. I can't swim - sink like a rock and never learned how to over come that. So I ride. I'm in Northern Canada and still able to ride to work (-14C this morning!). Glad to hear that you have found something that interests you! So, do it!
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I would recommend going to a local bike shop as well (you may get addicted and want to upgrade your bike eventually:)).

    Most of the local bike shop folks are super helpful, and you may find a group to ride with.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited November 2016
    Sure, yeah you can build your endurance up with just cycling. Take it slow, every other day is probably good to start. Work up to longer distances. If you feel up to it after a while you can add more days, or maybe start doing hill repeats, fast / slow intervals, etc.

    I really like strava to track distances and progress and such. It's an app that will work on your cell phone, and/or a website that you can use in combination with a gps unit.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Love your enthusiasm - that's going to take you a long way!

    I started out just trundling about on an old mountain bike, a few miles was a challenge.
    A few years on (and a few bike upgrades along the way) I'm still finding it a challenge - but I'm now doing a few century rides every year.
    “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” Greg LeMond

    But cycling also opens the opportunity to explore lovely countryside either solo or with friends. You feel the scenery on a bike - you only see it from a car.
    “It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels.” Heinz Stücke

    How do you build endurance? Slowly and steadily, push yourself gently but progressively.
    I wouldn't advise trying to cycle every day right now, let yourself recover and adapt.
    Once you can exercise for an hour then maybe look at a more structured plan but for now - enjoy.

    https://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/training-zone/cycling-training-zone/cycling-training-schedule
  • lacandona
    lacandona Posts: 37 Member
    Love love love biking! It's totally my happy place. I'm sure it's helped me lose weight but I consider it more on the mental health side. Weight loss is mostly diet but the joy I get from biking helps me not overeat from stress and anxiety.

    Listen to your body when it comes to your knee. How did it feel after your ride? The strong legs with no impact from biking really helped my wonky knee, and it doesn't hurt at all anymore, but there are all kinds of knee injuries. Just be careful with your body :)

    I combine biking with yoga (core strength and stretching those sore muscles!) and hiking (which I can do with my daughter, who won't go in a bike trailer). Yoga might be a great choice for you!

    My top weight was 222 and I didn't care enough to try to lose till I got into a mountain bike clinic. Here's me 20# down, but still over 200#, after having an AMAZING time on my bike all weekend, putting in plenty of miles in the woods.cpatjaegqw34.png
  • CM_73
    CM_73 Posts: 554 Member
    All great advice above, it's the only activity that I've actually stuck to and done very regularly since I first started taking an interest in looking after myself.
    I would recommend rest days, but your legs will tell you when you need them, your cardio endurance will build rapidly.

    After a while, you'll have to push yourself harder if you want to keep on seeing increases (train the same, stay the same) and there are loads of interval training programs/structured training plans etc out there.
    But to start with, just get out there and enjoy yourself :)
  • ldhr1
    ldhr1 Posts: 3 Member
    Get an app like Cyclemeter and log your rides.
  • flagrantavidity
    flagrantavidity Posts: 218 Member
    I agree with the posts above, it simply takes time. Keep up the good habit and endurance will come naturally, you won't even notice right away, it will become apparent after you look back at your time logs, You dont Log all your sessions, Just a few now and again.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    You asked what goes on in your body when building endurance. Two different things, basically: your muscles develop, and your cardiovascular system adapts.

    The muscles that develop are the ones specific to the exercise you are doing. So cycling will strengthen the muscles for cycling. That's not to say that won't help for other activities that share the same muscles. In your case especially, cycling will strengthen the quadriceps which is very important for knee function. I was told this by a physio after a knee injury of my own.

    The second thing, the cardiovascular fitness, can be built up by any vigorous exercise and then improves your endurance for all exercise. It's lack of cardiovascular fitness that makes you out of breath quickly, and regular cycling should take care of that for you. It adapts fast, so you should see an improvement pretty quickly.
  • ShammersPink
    ShammersPink Posts: 215 Member
    You might need rest days when you start because you're not yet fit, but once you're used to it, you probably won't, or at least, not often. Cycling isn't like running in terms of jolting your joints and requiring recovery.

    If you haven't already got them, you might consider padded gloves and undercrackers. Be prepared to tinker with saddle height for optimum comfort and keep your tyres (and suspension, if you have it) to the full recommended pressure. That will help the bike support your weight.

    Endurance will come from riding further, more frequently and on more challenging terrain. Increase in small increments.

    Also, be aware that on a bike, even slight hills are a LOT more effort than flat riding, especially if you're heavy, and that wind has a huge effect, as does road surface. So plan your routes accordingly, and don't get discouraged if you find those things hard.

    Good luck!
  • xProfLupin
    xProfLupin Posts: 35 Member
    Thank you guys ALLLLL for the responses.. each one had something different (and the same) and it made me happy. You answered my questions very thoroughly and made any possible future worries put to rest. I tend to overanalyse and sometimes quit things before I should but since I look forward to riding as much as I can, I'm hoping I'll keep with this one, even if it takes time. Like Dance Dance Revolution, I didn't play Expert over the first night.. just gotta keep going until I'm sailing :)

    Thanks so much :3:3:3
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