Bicycling from and to work

Depends if you included it in your "lifestyle" when you set up your profile and goals in MFP

For example, I work in an office in I.T. so am sitting at a computer most of the day, in the evenings I do other activities which aren't sports orientated. So I picked "sedentary lifestyle", and it gives you your daily calories based on that.

Any exercise I then do is a 'bonus' if you like, and gets added in to your diary and then you are supposed to eat those calories back so you still net the same amount of calories. So I cycle into work a couple of times a week (not in winter though!), about 35 mins each way, burns around 650 cals (keeps going down as my weight goes down!) so I need to eat all or most of those back to keep losing weight at a steady pace and keep metabolism moving

Does that help?

Cheers,
Fran

Hi,

Every day I go on my bicycle to and from work. About 40 minutes for each ride, depending on the wind. Does that count as an exercise?

Precisely what I intend to start doing and yes, I will be including it in my exercise as I have my lifestyle down as "sedentary".

I ride mainly flat stretches of road 5 miles each way , I use a hrm and it is usually a 400 calorie burn each way
I weigh more than 300lb though

I am thinking about cycling from and to work but I don't have a bike. Can you guys recommend a bike for me? I am 5'4" and about 250lbs. I need something with a wide seat. Heeeelllllppppppp!!!

I think if you go for a hybrid bike sort of a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, good selection of gears, I personally
use a 24 speed bike that gives me a number of options for riding up hill etc. I'd recommend buying a seat seperately probably a
gel seat would be more comfortable. I usually buy mudguards for my bikes for when its raining as most bikes you buy don't have them. When you buy your bike its a good idea to take spare inner tubes in your bag in case you get a puncture , I recently had to push my bike for more than 3 miles because I didn't have a spare tube or a pump. As we get a lot of rain in England I also bought a full rain suit.

I think if you go for a hybrid bike sort of a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, good selection of gears, I personally
use a 24 speed bike that gives me a number of options for riding up hill etc. I'd recommend buying a seat seperately probably a
gel seat would be more comfortable. I usually buy mudguards for my bikes for when its raining as most bikes you buy don't have them. When you buy your bike its a good idea to take spare inner tubes in your bag in case you get a puncture , I recently had to push my bike for more than 3 miles because I didn't have a spare tube or a pump. As we get a lot of rain in England I also bought a full rain suit.

I definitely agree with that. I've got a hybrid, it's nearer to a road bike as it's got rigid forks and thinner tyres to enable better speeds and is better on roads and cycle paths, but not so good if you are going to do off-road stuff as it is a very bumpy ride!! I don't like the drop handlebars, but again that's a matter of taste. Go to a local bike shop which has a good range and ask them for advice, sit on a few and see how you feel. Go for it!

Thanks for the information. I figured I would have to buy a bigger seat. This is gonna be a loooonnnnnggggg process. LOL

Maybe not. Your sit bones are the same size regardless. A typical hybrid seat is usually fine for people of most any size.

If you do get a hybrid, get one WITHOUT front suspension. It wastes pedal energy and adds weight/complication/cost to a bike and provides virtually no benefit at low price point.

Spend $300-500. Avoid department store bikes.

Look at brands like Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, etc... bike store bikes.

I think that is AWESOME!

I got my bike with front suspension because there are potholes , bumps etc on sides of road and a fixed suspension was a bit too uncomfortable I also ride on tarred trails , it is a hybrid after all , if I'm on a good road I turn off the suspension (its just a lever on the fork) , I think its good to have and seeing that you can turn it off if you need to why not ? Even riding on a road that has occasional bumps and lumps I still reach speeds of 19 miles per hour if I choose the correct gear setting without too much pedalling.