Road Cycling Essentials

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I'm trying to lose a few lbs (I weigh about 145lbs and want to be around 138lbs) I'm tempted to cycle but don't know much about it. Is it as effective as jogging for losing weight and increasing my fitness?

How many miles would I have to cycle to equal say..45 minutes of cardio?

The main problem I have is my calves seem to be terrible, I used to do a lot of sports and cross country running when I was a teenager then I stopped for 4/5 years and now I've started to do some jogging.

I managed to jog for about 20 minutes for a few days in the past week or so, but after around 15 minute my calves started playing up and I got this tight strain feeling in both my calves which caused me to stop. I did stretch properly and everything..I can't understand they are like this, does anyone know as I want to get into some sort of fitness regime again and cycling could be a fun option.

I'm assuming if I start cycling it could strengthen my calves and that might stop this from happening everytime I do anything that involves running/jogging?

Would love some advice from you guys :p
 
I'm no fitness expert but at least personally the calves have been the least-stressed muscle involved. My knees and quads go first, but even on a long ride my calves don't feel a thing. And I'm certainly no athlete.

Cycling is less abusive on the leg muscles but more strenuous - that is you're avoiding the short, sharp shocks that come from running and replacing them with repetitive movement. I can't run to save my life because I get shin splints too easily, but I've never had any problems cycling for obvious reasons.

Have you cycled at all before? You're not going to lose weight if you don't enjoy it so I'd work that out first.
 
Right that's good to know, cycling can only help my calves I guess lol.

I used to ride my bike for hours everyday when I was a teenager and I loved it :p

It's nothing to do with "enjoying" cycling because I know I will to be honest.

I just want to lose a few lbs (around 5-7) and get into a fitness regime to improve my stamina and health :p. I do free weights about 3/4 times a week too so this will be my cardio part of my workout.

Any idea how many calories on average people burn a hour cycling around 10mph?

And is it as effective as jogging for losing a few lbs?
 
Rossuk89 said:
Any idea how many calories on average people burn a hour cycling around 10mph?

And is it as effective as jogging for losing a few lbs?
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its insanely variable but its actually works out to be give or take the same as jogging.

The big difference I find is that with cycling I can push myself a lot harder as it gives a positive increase in adrenalin & enjoyment, sprinting doesn't really do that...

this is kind of interesting: http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/running-vs-cycling-burning-calories.html
 
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Siliconslave said:
its insanely variable but its actually works out to be give or take the same as jogging.

The big difference I find is that with cycling I can push myself a lot harder as it gives a positive increase in adrenalin & enjoyment, sprinting doesn't really do that...

this is kind of interesting: http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/running-vs-cycling-burning-calories.html
Click to expand...

That's an interesting blog, thanks for the link mate. I guess it's set then, I'm going to start cycling :p, quite excited now haha. According to that blog, I would have to run roughly 5 miles to equal the calories burned in a 20 mile bike ride @ 10mph. On average you burn 110 calories per mile if you run compared to around 25 calories per mile if you cycle it at 10mph. So a 2 hour/20 mile bike ride a day will burn about 500 calories.

I have a standard mountain bike with 18 gears. It's a good bike and would be fine for my area. However I don't have any gadgets or devices. Can anyone recommend me a device to count how many miles I'm doing, the speed I'm riding at and maybe how many calories burned?
 
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Well we got back from this years cycle tour on Sunday and we were absolutely shattered.

Highlights - cycling almost entirely from coast to coast in a day, climbing up through Eskdale onto Birker Fell, my introduction to Cartmel's famous sticky toffee pudding, Tan Hill pub and missing almost all of the wet weather.

Not so great, cycling a full day around the Solway Firth in 25mph head winds and struggling to maintain 8mph (on our so called easy day).

At some point we may even type up a blog entry on the trip and run through the photos. In the mean time:

P1010301.jpg

You have to love the warning.

P1010304.jpg

Why is it that climbs never look that steep in photos?

P1010310.jpg

But it's worth it.

Total tally for the trip 5 days, 360 miles, 27717ft ascent, 38.5 hours in the saddle, longest cycling day 9hrs 18mins (first day), two punctures (the first within 10 miles, thank-you to the youths of Newcastle for the glass strewn cycle paths), highest pint (not point, alcoholic beverage thank you) 1732ft above sea level, fastest unpowered speed 40.4 mph, slowest powered but still pedalling speed 1.8 mph :)
 
Nice job! Can't wait to read the blog entries (obviously after you've recovered and everything!) and hear more about the trip.

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First time using a presta valve today - wtf is up with them. My pump wouldn't stay attached (Topeak Mountain Morph, recommended by quite a few people...) and I ended up losing more air from the tire than I put into it. I'll have another stab at it tomorrow, but it was infuriating earlier...maybe it's just my technique or something :/
 
apeZ said:
Nice job! Can't wait to read the blog entries (obviously after you've recovered and everything!) and hear more about the trip.

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First time using a presta valve today - wtf is up with them. My pump wouldn't stay attached (Topeak Mountain Morph, recommended by quite a few people...) and I ended up losing more air from the tire than I put into it. I'll have another stab at it tomorrow, but it was infuriating earlier...maybe it's just my technique or something :/
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Did you check to see if the nozzle of your pump was set for Presta or Schrader valves, in my experience they are generally set for Schrader in which case it will be too big for the Presta valve.

Screw the end off, take out the rubber insert with the hole in. Take out the plastic insert and turn it round. Put the rubber insert back in but also turn it round first. screw the end back on.

Hope that makes sense.

This might help http://www.bicyclinglife.com/howto/ConvertAPump.htm
 
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New personal best yesterday - moving average 19.1mph over 26.75 miles. Combined with the fact I handed my dissertation in only a few hours before it made for a pretty good day!

Had been off the bike for nine days too - the last ride before yesterday was 50 miles and it turned out that while the saddle adjustment I made just before it did make my back problem go away, it replaced it with a saddle sore. :( I now have to balance not losing any fitness with not making things worse. Time will tell if the new saddle helps.
 
Chap at work had a new carbon Ribble delivered yesterday. He was going to leave it at work and ride his old bike home, returning with the pedals today to take the new one home. I talking him into riding the new one home yesterday.

Given it pee'd down yesterday evening and today is a beautiful cloudless day, did I do the wrong thing?
 
My tyres are rated for 110 psi, what pressure do you think I should run them at given that I weigh 20stone? I currently run them at 90 PSI but the rear feels/looks soft. Am I safe to run 110psi then put 20stone of weight on them?
 
Should be fine. You should actually only run them at lower pressure if you are lighter, by running at 90psi you will be risking damaging your rims if you hit potholes.
 
Rusty_Noob said:
My tyres are rated for 110 psi, what pressure do you think I should run them at given that I weigh 20stone? I currently run them at 90 PSI but the rear feels/looks soft. Am I safe to run 110psi then put 20stone of weight on them?
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Apparently there is an ideal tyre compression of 15%, less than this and losses due to frame vibrations are high, below this losses due to the tyre flexing are high. So you need to work out your weight distribution on each wheel and check the width of the tyre and then use this graph:

bicycletyrepressure.png


Source

For myself I weigh 75kg bike about 15 with 23c tyres so it comes out about 90psi front 120 rear. If the tyre doesn't go as high as this recommends then inflate to the maximum it will take.
 
teulk said:
Did you check to see if the nozzle of your pump was set for Presta or Schrader valves, in my experience they are generally set for Schrader in which case it will be too big for the Presta valve.

Screw the end off, take out the rubber insert with the hole in. Take out the plastic insert and turn it round. Put the rubber insert back in but also turn it round first. screw the end back on.

Hope that makes sense.

This might help http://www.bicyclinglife.com/howto/ConvertAPump.htm
Click to expand...

Cheers for the reply.

I did check, and am pretty sure it is set properly. It fits fine and everything, but unless I hold it in place, it leaks air. I'll have another stab at it later.
 
jak731 said:
For myself I weigh 75kg bike about 15 with 23c tyres so it comes out about 90psi front 120 rear. If the tyre doesn't go as high as this recommends then inflate to the maximum it will take.
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As that article also states; tyre PSI is dependant on the weight distribution F/R for your bike.
My bike is about 60% rear and 40% front so for me weighing 86kg on 23c tyres the PSI is about 80 PSI front and 112 PSI rear.
 
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