Biking questions

[savageskaterkid]

Talkin to a few buddies tonight about biking, and we all had diffrent thoughts on it, and I wanted to get some ideas on working out on a REAL BIKE( I hate using a machine, it bores me and seems worthless to be inside on a bike machine when I can be outside in the fresh air)

 

Would you get more of a work out in an hour being on a BMX bike or a mountain bike(on the street, no off-roading, few hills)

 

I would think that I'd get more of a work out on my BMX bike, seeing as how most BMX bikes are a 20" wheel design, and single gear. Where as you have a mountain bike, which mine is a 26" wheel I believe, with 21 speeds. You would take more actual work to keep a bmx bike at speed, whereas you can be cruising a fair speed with very little work on a mountain bike.

 

Weight would play a factor too wouldn't it? Even with all my brakes removed and running a fairly bare frame, its still chromoly vs. the aluminum mt. bike which is quite light.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Also, would there be any advantage of a bike machine vs. a real bike? Other then the obvious being that your inside, away from the elements, and don't actually have to go anywhere. The fake bike doesn't take wind resistance, or turning into account, it lacks balancing skills and reaction. I see know actual benifit to using a fake bike other then the ease of it. Wouldn't fresh air and actual wind resistance also help with cardio more then the stale windless air of the gym?

 

Sorry for the long post, I just wanna know.

[woldson]

Just eating right and being active is all most need.

Any more than that I would have to ask, "why?"

[savageskaterkid]

its not a why question, but which one would do better for excersice purposes

[ShaggyZ]

Just eating right and being active is all most need.

Any more than that I would have to ask, "why?"

 

Is that your subtle ploy to make people feel bad for getting in better shape than you?

[buZy]

its not a why question, but which one would do better for excersice purposes

 

Depends your style.....Which ever one will kick your ass more, make you sweat, droll and gasp for air to the point of passing out. I recommend a high powered two stroke and start racing 3hr GNCC's if you desire a REAL work out lol.

 

A proper diet does wonders few understand...

[savageskaterkid]

any thoughts? Mikelly perhaps?

[m4xwellmurd3r]

i would think a BMX bike would be more of a workout. ESPECIALLY if it's a high ratio long stroke bmx bike (like mine is) a mountian bike I can be lazy and kick it into a lower gear and cruise around effortlessly on a bmx bike, you can't do that. also, my specialized rockhopper only weighed about 15-20lbs (for a 26in mountian bike) and my Haro Revo bmx bike weighs in at 35+

[woldson]

Is that your subtle ploy to make people feel bad for getting in better shape than you?

 

Naw just have work very hard in my life, a little too much, think I've worn a few things ahead of my time. I don't really eat all that well and drink beer but with as active as I'am I still stay fairly fit.

I have found that my wife a kids were eating out once in a while and started to get a little bigger. They stopped eating out and ate in; problem went away. Go figure.

[zero]

I would probably go for a fixed gear road bike. You only get one gear, but you can still get up to pretty high speeds because of the high efficiency wheel/tires. Also with a fixie, since it is direct drive, you have to work on the downhill sections as well. I have built up two fixies in the past year, one steel and one out of bamboo, I loved them both and they have brought back alot of the fun of riding that I missed.

 

Here are my babies: Steel

 

Bamboo

[Canadianz]

It really doesn't matter what type of bike you get, if you are biking hard any bike will give you an awesome workout. It more matters what kind of style you are into, if you like dirt jumps and playing around in skate parks buy a BMX bike, riding bmx is a really tough workout and is great for your arms and back along with your legs. However you have to have alot of guts to ride BMX hard and you can get pretty banged up too, also BMX bikes are slow around town and not as comfortable. If you live near some trails go buy a mountain bike and you will have a pretty darn good workout, riding a few km of trails with alot of hills and obstacles will get you in shape darn quick too. Only you can really decide what kind of bike fits your style or riding best, so you have to decide what you like. Biking as a form of exercise will only get you as fit as the effort you put into it. If you ride around your block and think your getting a work out well maybe you should find something else. I have no experience road biking but I know the guys that go one 30+ Km rides are in damn good shape again only because they work their ass off. So pick a style of bike you have fun on, expect to get banged up a bit if you are riding hard enough to get in shape and go out 4 or 5 times a week for an hour and you will see a big change in about a month. Hope this helps, Ive ridden alot of different styles and biking is a great way to get in shape if you push yourself.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[skib]

find yourself a rusty s30 and just knock out the floorboard and bam...

 

 

like the flinstones

 

that'll give you a workout and you'll still look cool in a Z

[jeffer949]

i say what ever type of bike will keep you interested and keep you riding.

[Titus_RacerX]

locally we have several forums that answer the questions asked.

bikesbl.org, sorba.org, atlbike.org and then there's sadlebred.com to keep up with rides and races (of all types).

 

I am sure you can find your answers locally. Check with your LBS (local bike shop) avoid the temptation to save a few $ by buying from Walmart. Craigslist has great listings for used bikes. Most important is proper bike fit! I can not stress fit enough!

 

I have a Titanium Titus RacerX mountain bike titusti.com and here's my new whip. Wilier is a 100+ year old Italian company and they make some fine carbon <18lb. bikes.

 

 

This thing almost climbs hills by itself!

 

My commuter is a Trek 5500 with tougher tires and lights on both ends!

[cygnusx1]

I have a lot of bike experience. Raced BMX, Freestyled BMX, Raced Mountain Bike, and road a lot of Road Bike riding as well. I also sold and serviced bikes for four years in a local bike shop.

 

They all work out different areas and muscles. Any one bike style is NOT a substitute for the other. Now the real workout comes from what you are doing on the bike, not the bike itself.

 

I can ride a BMX bike and jump curbs casually, all day long. On the otherhand, a race-style BMX sprint is going to wind me out in about 2 minutes.

 

The same applies to the other bikes. Get on a road bike on a level terrain and try to hold an average speed of 35-40mph. Let me know how long you can do it for. If you average 15-20, you should be able to ride all day long, no sweat.

 

Mountain bikes. Where I ride you can see elevation changes of 400-500 feet in 1/4 mile. THAT is some steep terrain. Most people say that for every hill you climb, there is a downhill to assist you. Well two things that non-riders miss: 1) Downhill on a mountain bike over technical terrain is NOT a resting period. 2) Climb 500 feet takes about 20-25 minutes. Descent 500 feet takes 5 minutes. Timewise, it feels like you are ALWAYS climbing.

 

Whatever you pick to ride. IT'S NEVER THE BIKE. It's your LEGS and LUNGS. This applies to a $50 bike and a $5000 bike, no different.

 

Spend more and get a better bike. Support your local bike shops!

 

A fake bike won't make a you a better rider per-se. It will improve your cardio when used properly and may allow you to spend more time on your real bike.

 

Sidebar: when I trained, I used rollers. Roller have a few benefits: 1) You are balancing while you train which makes it more fun and realistic. 2) If you are using clipless pedals or pedal straps, the rollers will train you to pedal in SMOOTH FULL CIRCLES or else the bike will start bouncing. 3) You can't stop pedaling or you fall over.

 

My dad was a VERY competitive bike racer who road raced in the Italian Alps and here in the USA for many years. He also rode and trained with the US Olympic Team. He taught me a lot about cycling. He used to ride from the Bronx to Bear Mountain, NY and back, three days a week before work. Anyone unfamiliar with this area, that is about a 100 mile round trip over moderately hilly terrain. He rode a '54 Campagnolo equipped Pogliaghi (we still have it), and now rides an Aluminum Bianchi at age 72. I still have my Legnano mini racing bike from the early seventies that he bought me.

[rustrocket]

The way i see it, "better workout" is a broad question. Are you looking to burn more fat, increase your conditioning, or what?

 

I think a mountain bike gives you the abilitity to tackle both ends of the spectrum, being that you can change the gears to reach the desired work and heart rate level.

[jkh280zx]

Hey,

Another “bring back memories†thread!! Awesome.

You seem to be focusing on BMX and mountain biking. As stated by several, “it is what challenges you the most and will get you out the door to the fresh air that you seem to be leaning towardsâ€. Machine bikes & hand weights have their place; but breathing fresh air was always my first choice.

Since I have not ridden a BMX or a mountain bike, I can not talk from experience in these areas but believe me one can get tremendous benefits with road bike riding and a good nutritional diet, which has been already stated. My road biking experience started when the running doc stated that he would have to cut the sheath around my Achilles tendon to stop the pain. So I purchased a commuting bike (Univega nuovo sport), yes the one with those funny brakes on the handle bars…. Well, riding on weekends lead to 5-days a week and slowly lead to changing out the component parts; of course, the first to go was the bakes, etc. Trained mostly alone from Mountain View to other parts of the Bay Area (CA), up & down with increasing time out. Eventually purchased a Titanium Titus bike and rode 100 milers, etc. and had a great time. So pick your poison, be discipline, select your routes for training/safety & record your time out each day, join a biking club and go to group rides. Based on my running experience, never exceed 5% work load for a 3-week period; it will hurt you.

Great thread!! Zcars breathe and so do we!!

john