Bicyclers! What has riding a bike done for you?

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Reckabek
Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, ive been riding my bike around my neighborhood now off and on for about a yr, more so the last two months almost daily, im only up to 7.5 miles, but really enjoy it! Im getting stronger, but was wondering what it has done for anybody else. How far do you ride. Are u a leisure bicycler? Or do it hard core. ....thanks for any imput!
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  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    Anyone gonna help me out? :sad: Hehe
  • DL121004
    DL121004 Posts: 214 Member
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    "Leisure" v. "Hard Core" are pretty relative. Some may consider me "hard core" but there are those who put me to shame (figuratively!).

    Most of my riding is from April through October as I'm not a fan of riding in cooler temps. Having said that, last year I put in ~3500 miles. My normal ride is 25-30 miles.

    But, I'm not a "racer boy". :wink: I tell people I ride for fun and fitness.

    It sure helped in my weight loss last summer.

    I also enjoy cycle-touring. It is a great way to see places -- you end up with a perspective that is difficult to achieve in normal travel, and is a great way to earn your meals. I did one trip in Italy/Switzerland and as you can imagine, ate extraordinarily well -- yet gained no weight as you can burn a lot of Calories riding all day long!
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    Wow sweet! That is awesome. My butt can only hand my little 7.5 miles at the moment. But im proud of my accomplishment thus far. I know it will take time to work up longer trips. We have great trails by us i would love to take advantage of. Thanks for responding! U rock!
  • DL121004
    DL121004 Posts: 214 Member
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    Wow sweet! That is awesome. My butt can only hand my little 7.5 miles at the moment. But im proud of my accomplishment thus far.

    As you should be! That's a great accomplishment and I'm glad you are enjoying it. The key to success with any exercise is you need to enjoy it. I love exercising outdoors -- *way* more than indoors -- and cycling can be fun to incorporate other stuff, such as riding to the library, going for a ride with a friend and stopping for coffee, etc.

    Enjoy the journey!
  • AirCircleI
    AirCircleI Posts: 334 Member
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    I cycle to and from work, about 5 miles each way, 5 times a week. Overall, my legs are stronger, my overall fitness better, it has made running easier, and means I burn quite a lot of calories just doing my daily commute. Oh, and it saves me £120 a month in travel.
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    I cycle to and from work, about 5 miles each way, 5 times a week. Overall, my legs are stronger, my overall fitness better, it has made running easier, and means I burn quite a lot of calories just doing my daily commute. Oh, and it saves me £120 a month in travel.

    Awesome about saving money! Thats always a plus! Thanks for responding!
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    I wonder how many calories u actuallly burn....i know my back is always sweaty!
  • DL121004
    DL121004 Posts: 214 Member
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    I wonder how many calories u actuallly burn....i know my back is always sweaty!

    http://www.nutristrategy.com/caloriesburnedcycling.htm

    :happy:
  • MisstoMrs2012
    MisstoMrs2012 Posts: 72
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    Hey, i ride also, more recently last couple of months and mainly at weekends, so far am doing around 40/60 mins each time.

    I am looking at upping this to daily rides and longer times and have just entered myself in a charity 5 mile bike ride for April!. x
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    Sweet! Thats about what MFP says! Cool beans! Thanks
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I got back into cycling at the start of the year, after over a decade of not even touching a bike. I've given road biking a go in the evenings, and on Friday I had my first go at off-road. I've yet to get brave enough to go very far or use any main roads, but hope eventually to be able to commute and to cycle to the shops and back - I bought a bike lock today to kick me into gear and to get me using my bike to actually 'go' places. I'm hoping it can eventually be an alternative to the car in some situations.

    I'm 159lbs and burn about 200 calories an hour.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
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    I'm not big into it but my husband is and it has given him a really nice butt and great legs!
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    I got back into cycling at the start of the year, after over a decade of not even touching a bike. I've given road biking a go in the evening, and on Friday I had my first go at off-road. I've yet to get brave enough to go very far or use any main roads, but hope eventually to be able to commute and to cycle to the shops and back - I bought a bike lock today to kick me into gear and to get me using my bike to actually 'go' places. I'm hoping it can eventually be an alternative to the car in some situations.

    I'm 169lbs and burn about 200 calories an hour.

    Cool! Ya i just ride flat roads around my neighborhood. Im to unsteady to ride main roads, everytime a car passes me i get scared and swerve still..lol. I practice riding as close to the edge of the road yet but no good. Lol. I ride at about 12 mph...sometimes more sometimes less depending on the wind. We have high winds cause im close to the ocean.
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    I'm not big into it but my husband is and it has given him a really nice butt and great legs!

    Hey thats a plus!
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Cool! Ya i just ride flat roads around my neighborhood. Im to unsteady to ride main roads, everytime a car passes me i get scared and swerve still..lol. I practice riding as close to the edge of the road yet but no good. Lol. I ride at about 12 mph...sometimes more sometimes less depending on the wind. We have high winds cause im close to the ocean.

    I'm exactly the same. Cars are still making me panic and swerve, and I try to tuck in for them and then feel like I'm going to topple over. I'm going to have to find quieter routes for everywhere I want to go. :tongue:
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    Lol cheryl mee too. Its so funny. I bet the car drivers if they see me laugh.... I must say im doing good tho. Cause when i first bought my bike last yr, i would find myself flying off the road and landings face first in the woods, needless to say it had been decades since i road a bike. Lol.
  • drea0703
    drea0703 Posts: 83 Member
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    I LOVE my bike! Ride it to work, to the grocery store, to the coffee shop, almost everywhere!

    It helps me not only burn calories but also recover from major knee surgery (prevented the joint from getting stiff). It helped my fitness, my mood, my finances (saving money for gas or the bus) and is great against boredom on a sunny day! :)

    I am a leisure cyclist, though. Cycle around 3 hours a week, at least 20 miles.
  • DL121004
    DL121004 Posts: 214 Member
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    Cool! Ya i just ride flat roads around my neighborhood. Im to unsteady to ride main roads, everytime a car passes me i get scared and swerve still..lol. I practice riding as close to the edge of the road yet but no good. Lol. I ride at about 12 mph...sometimes more sometimes less depending on the wind. We have high winds cause im close to the ocean.

    Take this advice with caution, as road riding can be dangerous, so you may want to take your approach of riding more quiet rides until your ability/confidence is up.

    There is a thought of not riding too close to the edge of the road. Why? Because cars may *think* they have enough room to pass you, but in doing so, it may not be a "safe" pass. In general, I tend toward the edge, but there are times when I have no qualms about "taking the lane" and riding about two-three feet into the lane. This is especially true on roads with two lanes in one direction, as well as in turning lanes (it would be insane for a driver to pass in a turning lane).

    There are also times when I alter my ride to allow cars to pass, and I communicate with them to do so.

    In general, I've found that riding consistently (so drivers can anticipate your moves), following traffic signs/signals (i.e., not blowing through a stop sign), and communicating with them as mentioned above can lead to a saner cycling experience.
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    Cool! Ya i just ride flat roads around my neighborhood. Im to unsteady to ride main roads, everytime a car passes me i get scared and swerve still..lol. I practice riding as close to the edge of the road yet but no good. Lol. I ride at about 12 mph...sometimes more sometimes less depending on the wind. We have high winds cause im close to the ocean.

    Take this advice with caution, as road riding can be dangerous, so you may want to take your approach of riding more quiet rides until your ability/confidence is up.

    There is a thought of not riding too close to the edge of the road. Why? Because cars may *think* they have enough room to pass you, but in doing so, it may not be a "safe" pass. In general, I tend toward the edge, but there are times when I have no qualms about "taking the lane" and riding about two-three feet into the lane. This is especially true on roads with two lanes in one direction, as well as in turning lanes (it would be insane for a driver to pass in a turning lane).

    There are also times when I alter my ride to allow cars to pass, and I communicate with them to do so.

    In general, I've found that riding consistently (so drivers can anticipate your moves), following traffic signs/signals (i.e., not blowing through a stop sign), and communicating with them as mentioned above can lead to a saner cycling experience.

    Very good advice thank u very much!
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    I LOVE my bike! Ride it to work, to the grocery store, to the coffee shop, almost everywhere!

    It helps me not only burn calories but also recover from major knee surgery (prevented the joint from getting stiff). It helped my fitness, my mood, my finances (saving money for gas or the bus) and is great against boredom on a sunny day! :)

    I am a leisure cyclist, though. Cycle around 3 hours a week, at least 20 miles.

    Nice! One day i hope to do the same, we live close to some shops and a few miles from some great trails, but i cant ride the main roads yet to get there. Someday! Soon hopefully!

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