Cycling, bikes, indoor, outdoor etc.
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So speaking of calories burned mountain biking, what kind of tracker do you all use? I use Strava because that's what all my friends use but I think that assumes you are road riding not mountain biking. If I use the minutes ridden and put it in MFP using the one called "Bicycling, BMX or Mountain" it gives me nearly double the calories burned. Endomondo also has an option for mountain biking which is more than Strava.
I really need to track since I have such a small margin to lose weight. I'm a woman, older and short...the deadly combination for weight loss...lol!
Get a power meter and heart rate monitor. The only accurate way. Otherwise you are estimating and in most cases way overestimating.
While I agree with the first part (about the power meter), why do you say the second part ("most cases way over estimating")? I see people say that a lot, but have never seen any real justification for it).0 -
So speaking of calories burned mountain biking, what kind of tracker do you all use? I use Strava because that's what all my friends use but I think that assumes you are road riding not mountain biking. If I use the minutes ridden and put it in MFP using the one called "Bicycling, BMX or Mountain" it gives me nearly double the calories burned. Endomondo also has an option for mountain biking which is more than Strava.
I really need to track since I have such a small margin to lose weight. I'm a woman, older and short...the deadly combination for weight loss...lol!
Get a power meter and heart rate monitor. The only accurate way. Otherwise you are estimating and in most cases way overestimating.
While I agree with the first part (about the power meter), why do you say the second part ("most cases way over estimating")? I see people say that a lot, but have never seen any real justification for it).
A pedal or crank based power meter is on my wish list but given that I'm a student and I want double sided power (given my orthopedic issues it would actually be useful) it's going to have to wait. That said, I do train with power inside via my Kickr Snap. I don't think a heart rate monitor would be of much use calorie counting wise if you already have a power meter but I do agree with the last bit about overestimating when you don't have a power meter.
Yesterday I went on a ride that was a little over two hours - mostly flat with less than 600ft of climbing over 31 miles. I was drafting off of someone for the last few miles but otherwise I was alone. My Garmin 520 estimated that I burned 1,336 calories while Strava estimated 1,496 calories from the exact same gpx file. I chalk most of that difference up to differing ways in which they estimate calories burned when accurate (relatively speaking) power data isn't available. That said, even when I do an indoor training ride with power the difference is really quite drastic. Strava will frequently say I've burned over 100 calories more than Garmin and/or TrainerRoad have calculated (who both use the often quoted formula which is easy to find if you google "power meter calories burned formula" without the quotes). From what I understand I'm not the only one who has noticed this.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »My road bike is in the shop getting a major overhaul...full tune up, but I also need a new chain, new cassette, and new cables. I won't get it back until Thursday or Friday, so this week kinda sucks. I have a CX bike as well, but it's un-rideable at the moment.
A little OT but your post reminded me of how spoiled I am by my bike mechanic. His company comes to me and does the work while I wait and it doesn't cost any more than what the shops charge.
They may be in your area....
https://velofix.com/locations/0 -
I pulled my heart rate monitor out of the box and used it for the first time last night. I just synced it to my Strava for now but I do have a bike computer my husband got me last year. I haven't used it in awhile because I scratched it up pretty good on a wipeout last year so I've been cautious to use it again and break it. I will charge that up and see if it will sync up to something. I think it's a good one but I don't know if it's bluetooth or not. I'm such a newbie when it comes to all this bike stuff ;-)
Thanks!0 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »My road bike is in the shop getting a major overhaul...full tune up, but I also need a new chain, new cassette, and new cables. I won't get it back until Thursday or Friday, so this week kinda sucks. I have a CX bike as well, but it's un-rideable at the moment.
A little OT but your post reminded me of how spoiled I am by my bike mechanic. His company comes to me and does the work while I wait and it doesn't cost any more than what the shops charge.
They may be in your area....
https://velofix.com/locations/
Not in my residential area, but I travel with the bike, thanks for this info. "The power of community knowledge."
My daughter recently moved to Ottawa (love finds a home where it will), and I'll be riding up there when I visit (Ottawa has some great bike infrastructure). I see these guys have a location up there in case I'm in need sometime.
I recently saw a commercial where AAA noted they have roadside assist for bikes in some locations. I checked, and my area AAA does as well. Who knew? Think of the analogy ... they come for battery jumps and fuel replenishments as well as mechanicals ... "AAA? I've got the bonk. Bring some carbs, please!" LOL
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Get a power meter and heart rate monitor. The only accurate way. Otherwise you are estimating and in most cases way overestimating.
You are still estimating with a power meter though to a much lesser extent as you are making an assumption on efficiency of 25%, people are going have different efficiencies. You are still estimating when it comes to the other side of the equation anyway which is calories in. Unless you eat pre-packaged food most of the time, the calorie content is an estimate.
Eating less is much easier that exercising more, I weigh myself daily and exercise consistently while trying to maximise exercise within a normal life.
If weight is going in the wrong direction I eat more or less (YMMV).
Power meters are a great training tool when it comes to improving your fitness for racing or just generally improving your riding, that's why every pro has one.0 -
awinner_au wrote: »
Get a power meter and heart rate monitor. The only accurate way. Otherwise you are estimating and in most cases way overestimating.
You are still estimating with a power meter though to a much lesser extent as you are making an assumption on efficiency of 25%, people are going have different efficiencies. You are still estimating when it comes to the other side of the equation anyway which is calories in. Unless you eat pre-packaged food most of the time, the calorie content is an estimate.
Eating less is much easier that exercising more, I weigh myself daily and exercise consistently while trying to maximise exercise within a normal life.
If weight is going in the wrong direction I eat more or less (YMMV).
Power meters are a great training tool when it comes to improving your fitness for racing or just generally improving your riding, that's why every pro has one.
Yes it's still an estimate, but given that it's healthy to "eat back" calories burned in via exercise, it makes sense to have a more accurate estimate than not. Also there's at least one current professional cyclist who didn't train with a power meter until he joined a professional team. Of course I can't remember who that is off the top of my head but it's been mentioned a few times on GCN.
That said, I do think power meters can be very useful with regards to coming a stronger cyclist fitness wise.0 -
Yes it's still an estimate, but given that it's healthy to "eat back" calories burned in via exercise, it makes sense to have a more accurate estimate than not. Also there's at least one current professional cyclist who didn't train with a power meter until he joined a professional team. Of course I can't remember who that is off the top of my head but it's been mentioned a few times on GCN.
That said, I do think power meters can be very useful with regards to coming a stronger cyclist fitness wise.
GCN's Emma Pooley, ex pro and world champion time trialist said she never had a bike fit until she joined GCN. I will eventually get a power meter but ill get a Retul bike fit first.
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Just doing some trail maintenance with my bike!2 -
Nice bike, never been a mtb rider, been thinking of giving it a go.living in the city makes it hard to get to good trails, would need another bike as well.0
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Part one of making me hate hills less is done and dusted. 830 feet of climbing in a a 5.5 mile ride around where I live. Essentially I live on a base of an extinct volcano so I mapped out a route that took me on a very indirect route from the bottom to the summit. I've discovered a few things. A. going up short inclines of 7% isn't so bad when the alternative is 15%. B. I don't think I'm willing to ride down the steepest of the hills (the first one i have to ride up to get to the more fun section) in the rain without disk breaks. I like riding in the rain in general, but I don't trust myself going down a hill that steep.0
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I have 3 bikes, an old hardtail that is my beater bike, a 20 yo dual suspension MTB, and a road bike. Most of my riding now is on the road as I really don't have any friends that are into MTB. I will occasionally go out by myself but little worried about hurting myself 5 miles into the woods.
As for tracking, I'm pretty old school. I have a set of Magellan switch watches that I use in conjunction with HRM strap. The calorie burns I record on these units are pretty realistic, unlike MFP which is often 2X a realistic burn for my rides.0 -
Part one of making me hate hills less is done and dusted. 830 feet of climbing in a a 5.5 mile ride around where I live. Essentially I live on a base of an extinct volcano so I mapped out a route that took me on a very indirect route from the bottom to the summit. I've discovered a few things. A. going up short inclines of 7% isn't so bad when the alternative is 15%. B. I don't think I'm willing to ride down the steepest of the hills (the first one i have to ride up to get to the more fun section) in the rain without disk breaks. I like riding in the rain in general, but I don't trust myself going down a hill that steep.
I dont hate hills, maybe i havent done enough of them. Got a decent hit out planned for saturday
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Having not done a Sportive for about eight years before last Sunday I've just signed up to do another one this Sunday. Worked hard to get to a fitness peak so might as well make the most of it...
70 miles with 4800' of climbing around the North Downs and Surrey Hills A.O.N.B.0 -
I'm a flatlander from the Canadian Prairies.
And then I moved to Tasmania: home of the mountain goat. I had to lose weight to be able to ride my bicycle and slowly but surely I have come to hate hills less. But I'm still one of the slowest ones when it comes to going up.0 -
I'm one for doing my biking on a stationary bike - fair weather gal here! got myself a great wee indoor bike a year ago and it has been the best thing
I love how my daily exercise can be so efficient now, 30 mins on my bike burns close to 400 cals when I do HIIT.
I have to say hats off to those who cycle on the roads/mountain bike, you guys and gals rock! but I'm happy with my indoor bike and that's what its all about isn't it, finding something we enjoy doing and keeping on doing it 
Edited to add, having read through you guys posts I feel a tad embarrassed that I only bike indoors
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I do a ton of indoor rides on my trainer. It's an issue of time and having only recently been cleared to bike outside do to injuries. I am following a training plan from TrainerRoad right now and ride three plus days a week inside and one day outside. That will likely (hopefully) be changing in the summer when I have a bit more time.LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Edited to add, having read through you guys posts I feel a tad embarrassed that I only bike indoors0 -
I think it's really that I have a long seated frustration of hills - not just biking up them but also walking due to it being physically painful to walk up hills when I was 12 and 13, and then not being allowed to when I was 14 when we realized what was actually going on (cue needing surgery). Now I can walk up steep hills just fine, but biking up them is still no fun.awinner_au wrote: »Part one of making me hate hills less is done and dusted. 830 feet of climbing in a a 5.5 mile ride around where I live. Essentially I live on a base of an extinct volcano so I mapped out a route that took me on a very indirect route from the bottom to the summit. I've discovered a few things. A. going up short inclines of 7% isn't so bad when the alternative is 15%. B. I don't think I'm willing to ride down the steepest of the hills (the first one i have to ride up to get to the more fun section) in the rain without disk breaks. I like riding in the rain in general, but I don't trust myself going down a hill that steep.
I dont hate hills, maybe i havent done enough of them. Got a decent hit out planned for saturday
I was telling my PT yesterday that once I got up the first really awful hill things went really well, it was just that first one that was hard. It it's only half a mile but has an elevation gain of 252ft. Sunday's goal is to either do the same route, a slightly different version of that goes up more or less the same hill but is slightly more managable, or a totally different route that is longer with more climbing.1 -
So I think my hatred of hills is because most of the hills in my immediate area are well over 6% so when I think "hill" my brain immediately jumps to 15-30% as opposed to like, 5%. This afternoon was another short hill training day. 853 feet of climbing in 6.47 miles.0
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LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »I'm one for doing my biking on a stationary bike - fair weather gal here! got myself a great wee indoor bike a year ago and it has been the best thing I love how my daily exercise can be so efficient now, 30 mins on my bike burns close to 400 cals when I do HIIT.
I have to say hats off to those who cycle on the roads/mountain bike, you guys and gals rock! but I'm happy with my indoor bike and that's what its all about isn't it, finding something we enjoy doing and keeping on doing it
Edited to add, having read through you guys posts I feel a tad embarrassed that I only bike indoors
I'm an indoor cyclist too - absolutely love spin classes (RPM is my absolute FAVE).
I would like to get more involved with outdoor cycling but where I'm from it's far too dangerous to ride on roads - motorists here have a really poor attitude towards cyclists - is that common everywhere?1
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