Fitness

[bpsmith]

I have started commuting over the past few weeks and already feeling stronger and fitter. My overall mileage hasn’t changed much, but I am now doing 4 or 5 days of shorter rides rather than 1 or 2 longer rides.

My average power over the 25-30 minute efforts has improved from about 195 Watts to 233 Watts over the past few weeks. Same routes, similar weather and wind speed/direction, plus same bike and food/drink each day. Pretty pleased with that tbh.

Just wondering what other people have found more beneficial?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Regular short rides are more beneficial than the occasional long one.

 

[Cuchilo]

The rides dont bother me . The rest days are what i look at .

 

[screenman]

Swim, gym and bike, I have never felt fitter.

 

[bpsmith]

I am a very poor swimmer and bad knee stops me running. No issue cycling though as it’s rotational rather than impact. Not enough time to squeeze Gym in, so Commute is the best I can do.

I used to make the same journey on my CBR, before I got taken out by a parked car aiming for a gap that wasn’t there. Cycling the journey is far more fun than I remember the CBR being.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

Commuting like that is great for fitness. Get the average speed up too.

 

[Slick]

I have a 15 mile each way commute. I do the odd longer ride but when I do I definitely pace myself to ensure I get home. I feel the short commute is more important to my fitness especially as I do interval training naturally along the way. I'll go hard until I feel it a struggle then recover on the bike for a while before attacking the next small hill. Not very scientific, but it seems to work for me.

 

[screenman]

After years of riding and racing it was only when I started swimming and using a gym that I realised what being fit felt like.

 

[Alan O]

I think a combination of both approaches is possibly better than either one individually. Doing a couple of short-ish rides during the week (10-20 miles) and a longer one (50m+) each weekend seems about the right mix for me. And it seems to be paying off, as my weekend rides are getting longer without getting harder (last one was 87m, and I have a 100m planned for next month).

 

[uclown2002]

55 years old nearly, and the fittest and lightest I've been. FTP of 306 watts @62kg; measured on Quarq PM and cross-referenced to Tacx Neo. Don't take any unenforced rest days. Ride 14-18 hours a week at various intensities. Work full time 12hr shift work. Only days off are typically overseas holidays or away from home. Don't get this excuse to take days off. A gentle spin when fatigued is great recovery.

 

[ianrauk]

Commuting like that is great for fitness. Get the average speed up too.

This ^^^
Gives one a great level of base fitness.

 

[Drago]

Consistency is the key. Wjatever you end up doing, keep doing it, keep at it, dont give up.

 

[ColinJ]

I don't know anybody who commutes regularly by bike who isn't fit, even if their commutes are fairly short.

I know lots of people (myself included) who never quite settle into a regular pattern of cycling, whose fitness goes up and down like a yo-yo through the year. I sometimes do some fairly long, stupidly hard rides but then take a week off to recover. I'm sure that it would be better for me to do 4 or 5 easier rides.

 

[Globalti]

Yes I'm increasingly convinced that quality is better than quantity - a long ride tires you out and it can take an older rider a week or two to recover from the effort. On the other hand, doing a shorter ride means you have the energy to attack hills and sprints, you can finish feeling absolutely beasted but you haven't delved so deep into your reserves that you become chronically fatigued. I have done a couple of 9-mile rides after work on Fridays with 825 feet of steep climbing; I get home feeling pleasantly exercised but not tired and I can feel the benefit on the subsequent rides.

More and more nowadays I try to dream up interesting and fun escapades on the bike; for example taking the train out into the wind and riding back to the start point or vise-versa and I'm always looking around for fast swoopy roads to enjoy.

 

[User16625]

I am a very poor swimmer and bad knee stops me running. No issue cycling though as it’s rotational rather than impact. Not enough time to squeeze Gym in, so Commute is the best I can do.

I used to make the same journey on my CBR, before I got taken out by a parked car aiming for a gap that wasn’t there. Cycling the journey is far more fun than I remember the CBR being.

I know the feeling. I am a motorcyclist myself but I hate riding them nowadays. Too much speed cams and traffic altho I have yet to have an accident. However I simply cannot do without a motorcycle as I often end up having to filter through traffic or end up late for work. Work which I would not have if I kept turning up late. Plus overtaking is possible on a bike, cars are mostly way under powered. All my recreational riding is done by pedalling.