Cycling in general good exercise or need to push it

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Leemi1982

Active Member
Hi been off the bike for 3 months due to some minor work injuries started to notice myselfeeling a bit slow and sluggish, heavier at home..

Today was my first day back on the bike didn’t feel as difficult as I thought it would be.

Just wondered what people would call it enough exercise on a bike, I would describe myself as a gentle pace cyclist doing about 10 to 15 mile rides and hit some hills. But I never go for speed..

do you think you need to be a fast and hard cyclist to get fit or is just getting out and about enough.
Thoughts
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
depends on what your riding for, if your happy with your fitness then its enough .
A track sprinter would train differently from someone doing lejog , an example i remember was chris hoy comparing himself to cav , hoy is a faster sprinter but he wouldnt be able to ride the distance to get to the end of a normal road race.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Fit for what and enough exercise for what is the question

If you want to ride the Tour de France then you’ll need to be riding min of 20-30 hours every week. If you don’t have thst ambition then a little less will probably suffice.
 
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Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
Hi been off the bike for 3 months due to some minor work injuries started to notice myselfeeling a bit slow and sluggish, heavier at home..

Today was my first day back on the bike didn’t feel as difficult as I thought it would be.

Just wondered what people would call it enough exercise on a bike, I would describe myself as a gentle pace cyclist doing about 10 to 15 mile rides and hit some hills. But I never go for speed..

do you think you need to be a fast and hard cyclist to get fit or is just getting out and about enough.
Thoughts
Depends on just how fit you want to be.

If you just want a reasonable level of general fitness, then 2-3 rides of 10-15 miles per week, at a pace where you feel you are working reasonably hard would be enough.

If you want to be fit enough to be able to compete successfully in some sport, you will need to be doing a bit more than that.

And if you are just ambling along, not really working at it, then that mileage isn't really going to give you a decent level of fitness.
 

alchurch

Active Member
I have to challenge myself a bit. I can fly along at 17 mph but the slightest reduction in effort plummets my speed to embarrassing levels.I need the challenge in every ride, somewhere new, faster or longer , hillier.Once my on off switch hits off I can barely pedal sometimes. There is something to be said for mindful riding, enjoying the process, the scenery , the journey. I am still learning how to do it
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
 

mpemburn

Well-Known Member
Cycling is my only exercise (except for yard work). I think it keeps me young—certainly better overall than I was when I started five years ago. If it makes you happy and staves off the worst of aging, it is sufficient, in my book.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Since performance doesn't seem to be of interest, I assume that the question really should be "Would 10-15 miles of gentle cycling a couple of times a week keep me healthy?"

I think the answer to that is "You would be healthier than not doing your gentle rides, but not as healthy as if you made a harder effort from time to time"!

For maximum health & fitness benefits, you should aim to get your pulse rate high for at least a few quick bursts here and there. How about doing 30-60 seconds of hard effort 2 or 3 times per otherwise gentle ride? You would generally still be riding the way that you like to ride, but those intervals would make a significant difference. Do a 10-15 minute warm-up before your first hard effort and take whatever time you need to recover for the next one.
 
Hi been off the bike for 3 months due to some minor work injuries started to notice myselfeeling a bit slow and sluggish, heavier at home..

Today was my first day back on the bike didn’t feel as difficult as I thought it would be.

Just wondered what people would call it enough exercise on a bike, I would describe myself as a gentle pace cyclist doing about 10 to 15 mile rides and hit some hills. But I never go for speed..

do you think you need to be a fast and hard cyclist to get fit or is just getting out and about enough.
Thoughts
Just go a little further at the end of each month. Your body gets conditioned in time and it will tell you if you are overdoing it. Speed is not for everyone.
 
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