Ourdoor bicycling...

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jaded082
jaded082 Posts: 107 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been in a bit of a fitness slump since about March, when my knees gave out (due to sliding knee caps and cartilige grinding). Now it is almost June and after having 3 series of joint juice, as I call it, I am pretty much ready to start (carefully) jamming it out again.

Since starting to really get into working out again the past couple weeks I have noticed I am having a very hard time getting my heart rate up since I am having to avoid so many things. i.e, jumping jacks, lunges, squats, plyo, treadmill, jump rope, all things that were huge in helping me keep my heart rate up while workout out from my home gym (well I have always tried to minimize the squats and lunges because of my bad knees). I have been using a new elliptical machine I got, but even that I have had a hard time pushing myself on lately.

I was a die hard gym rat for 4 years. Was usually there 4-5 days a week. It seems my heart has gotten pretty healthy, which I guess is why I am now having such a hard time getting my heart rate up. I mean I can be doing a set of 20 sit ups and my hr will be at 109 bpm.

So I say all this to explain how excited I am that biking has helped so much in getting my hr back up there again, and able to get some decent calorie burn going!! I am SO excited to find something different to help get my heart rate into zone 2 and 3. When before I couldn't barely stay in zone 1.

So I don't have some fancy shmancy bike (like my husband likes and thinks I should have) and yes it is just a $300 walmart bike, but so far it is holding up and I plan to eventually go to a bike shop and upgrade it if this is something I stick with and really get into.

Just thought I would share my excitement. By the way, any other bikers use MapMyRide? Awesome app!!!

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  • hallie_b
    hallie_b Posts: 181
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    MapMyRide is OK but get the GPS or the Bontrager digi for your bike. Once MMR said I was doing a 25 mile and it ended up being like 47 miles...I thought I would DIE halfway home haha. Have fun out there!!!!!
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    So I don't have some fancy shmancy bike (like my husband likes and thinks I should have) and yes it is just a $300 walmart bike, but so far it is holding up and I plan to eventually go to a bike shop and upgrade it if this is something I stick with and really get into.

    Just thought I would share my excitement. By the way, any other bikers use MapMyRide? Awesome app!!!

    So, here's the thing...your husband is right. A nicer bike will fit you better (Walmart bikes are one-size-fits-few) and will work better. You definitely get what you pay for with a good bike--perhaps moreso than with any other piece of fitness equipment. And the more you spend on a bike, the more incentive you will have to keep doing it. But I really think a bike fit to you by a true bike shop is going to be all the incentive you need to want to ride more, since it will be so much more comfortable and you'll be able to see progress so rapidly.

    I don't use Map My Ride, but I log my workouts on RunningAhead.com (I was logging running workouts there long before I started cycling, but it works for that, too) and Strava.com. I run with a Garmin Forerunner device and ride with a Garmin Edge computer...I'm sort of a data junkie. :blushing:
  • thcri
    thcri Posts: 459 Member
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    So, here's the thing...your husband is right. A nicer bike will fit you better (Walmart bikes are one-size-fits-few) and will work better. You definitely get what you pay for with a good bike--perhaps moreso than with any other piece of fitness equipment. And the more you spend on a bike, the more incentive you will have to keep doing it. But I really think a bike fit to you by a true bike shop is going to be all the incentive you need to want to ride more, since it will be so much more comfortable and you'll be able to see progress so rapidly.

    I don't use Map My Ride, but I log my workouts on RunningAhead.com (I was logging running workouts there long before I started cycling, but it works for that, too) and Strava.com. I run with a Garmin Forerunner device and ride with a Garmin Edge computer...I'm sort of a data junkie. :blushing:

    Very good advice given above. Get a nicer bike and make sure you get a fit included in the price. You will enjoy it more and eventually be able to go on much longer rides.

    As Zoom said I also run with a Garmin FR60 and bike with an Edge. You can upload much of it to many different programs out there I use Garmin Connect and WKO 3.0. The WKO is not a free program though and is mostly used with a Power Tap. I do use Mapmyride for making maps and preplanning my rides.

    Welcome to the biking world, Most cities now have bike clubs that ride a couple of times a week and some on weekends. Get in into some of the clubs and start riding with the others. Before long you will be bragging here that you did your first 100 mile trip.
  • Navymustng
    Navymustng Posts: 79 Member
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    I use ENDOMONDO with my Iphone and GPS and love that app as well. I have a Diamondback Toponga mountina bike and love it.
  • rmalford
    rmalford Posts: 58
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    Used to ride a lot, well 100 miles a week avg. Found it the only exercise I could do fou hours at a time, generally assumed about 50C/mi. Finally quit due to injuries and the traffic just became too aggressive.

    Think you are smart to begin without a large investment in equipment, but if it is something you enjoy and plan on pursuing a quality bike fit to you by a good shop will really add to you enjoyment. Always found it easier to buy titanium to lose weight :)


    Enjoy!
  • jaded082
    jaded082 Posts: 107 Member
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    Thanks for the info everyone. I do think I will upgrade my bike in time. I KNOW Walmart is about as cheap as you can go. But like I said I wanted to make sure I was going to use it. ;-) I bought a pretty nice Trek right after having kids and never used it. Ended up selling later on for a loss. Learned my lesson that time.

    I figure I will use this for awhile and now that I know I LOVE it, I will upgrade when the time is right. :-)

    I'll have to look into some of these GPS computers. But I really do love using my Galexy S2, on my bike phone mount. So far it's working for me, and heck it was free. I only ride around my neighborhood 5 miles a day right now, so I am not a big die hard biker...yet. ;-)

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