Questions tagged [bicycling]
Questions about bicycle commuting, recreational biking or competitive biking.
183
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Should cyclists use weight training to strengthen underutilized muscles?
I've read (and it seems intuitive) that cycling exercises some muscles more than others. Other than the obvious lack of an upper-body workout from cycling, are there specific muscles that tend to be ...
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9
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How does bicycling compare to other exercises when it comes to fat loss?
How does bicycling compare to other exercises when it comes to fat loss?
I'm thinking about getting a single speed bike and riding to Uni which is about 10 minutes away by car. There is a nice trail ...
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14
votes
4
answers
901
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Are there stretches or exercises that promote knee strength and prevent injury?
I've started cycling some long rides lately, and am feeling some knee pain.
I don't know exactly what's wrong; I'm getting minor complaints from all over my knees. See my last question for more ...
- 1,077
14
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Lots of phlegm while doing cardio workouts
EDIT: 12/2019
Since this question still occasionally gets hits:
In the years since I asked this question I found out that I have sleep apnea. I also learned about the effects of mouth breathing ...
- 243
13
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2
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What is the correct posture to support my weight with my arms while biking?
When biking I find it natural to maintain my posture by keeping my arms straight and loading my weight on the handles. This has worked okay for me, until I need to get a hand off the handles to (e.g.) ...
- 233
12
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4
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Is there a specific, efficient way to pedal a road bike?
I know that this may sound silly, but I was wondering if there is a proper way to pedal the road bike? I've noticed that you can be pedaling more with the front, or balls of the feet, or by staying ...
- 3,398
11
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2
answers
1k
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Power while swimming?
Here is a scatterplot matrix of elapsed times for the overall, swim, bike, and run legs of the 2009 Ironman Championship in Kona.
Obviously, while the correlation is imperfect, it is still ...
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10
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3
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What is the best way to recover after a long bike ride?
I just did a long bike ride (75 miles) and my legs are starting to hurt alot (tightening up, soreness, etc). The ride was about 10 hours ago and this was more than i have ridden in the past.
What is ...
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9
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9
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How far should I go on my first cycle?
I want to take up cycling but I'm sure how much I should take on with my first cycle. I don't want to be out of action for a week just because I tried to go too far on my first cycle.
So how far ...
- 203
9
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1
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Does losing weight impede endurance training (Specifically cycling but also in general)?
This is somewhat related to the losing weight/gaining muscle question found here, but I would like to find out if there are any studies or knowledge of weight loss impeding the physiological ...
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5
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Is it possible to become relatively fit without going for runs?
My stats: Navel Waste 25" Height 5'9" BMI 24.8 Body fat: 19% 167.5 pounds.(from an online calculator) This is from a body weight of 147 pounds 2 years ago, and a Navel waste of about 33".
I have just ...
- 181
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3
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Slow Pulse Question
I have an extremely slow resting pulse. It is not uncommon for it to be around 50. Last night it was around 45. I know that super athletes have a slow resting pulse, but I wouldn't class myself as one ...
- 233
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2
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Cycling as rest-day cross training for running: good idea?
I'm training for the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back race next month, and I think I need to bump my efforts a little. I don't want to overtrain running, since I've got some lingering trochanteric bursitis ...
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What do Watts really mean on an exercise bike?
The bikes at my gym show your current power output in Watts and I'm trying to figure out what this means in some tangible form.
I know 1 Watt = 1 Joule / second.
I know 1 Joule = 0.239 calories.
So ...
- 173
7
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2
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764
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Can I train to improve my Lactate Threshold?
From Wikipedia:
Lactate inflection point (a.k.a. Lactate Threshold), is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to exponentially increase. Often ...
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380
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Why is my swimming fitness so much worse than my cycling and running fitness?
I cycle a lot, I run a bit, and I swim once per week. I have been training once per week for 5 months now. When I started, I could barely swim a length of freestyle. Now I can swim a lap with ease.
...
- 225
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3
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How to train for triathlons during business travel
I'm a quite avid triathlete. I do work with a coach and typically peak my training weeks at around 16 hours.
At one time, not too long ago, I was a traveling consultant. At times I would be on the ...
- 2,566
6
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3
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2k
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How does riding a unicycle compare to riding a bicycle for weight loss?
I see many on-line calculators for calculating calories burned while riding a bicycle. Would riding a unicycle be similarly useful for losing weight?
I notice there are several differences between ...
- 221
6
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5
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9k
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What is the best thing to eat before a long bike ride?
I am doing a 75 mile bike ride in a few days. I wanted to get some advice on:
what to eat the day / night before?
What to eat the morning of the ride (the ride starts at 8 AM)
anything else to ...
- 2,047
6
votes
2
answers
205
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Using energy stored in the body vs eating beforehand
I often go for a long ride on Saturday mornings, typically riding about 55km before breakfast.
I do the ride before eating anything in the morning. Another friend does the same ride but needs to eat ...
- 161
6
votes
1
answer
109
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How does the timing of the cool-off phase affect the recovery?
When I see descriptions of training sessions there is almost always a warm-up phase, followed by e.g. a HIT unit, and finally a cool-off phase.
From my understanding, the warm-up phase would be used ...
6
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3
answers
797
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How to compensate for elevation gains in a road bike challenge?
I am competing in a road bike challenge, which has considerably more elevation gains than I am used to. My problem is that I live in the plains and have no hills or other steep elevations to train.
...
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6
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2
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Why do elite cyclists seem to have higher VO2 max tham elite marathon runners?
For example, Chris Froome's VO2 max was 84.6. Some were at least 90!
http://blog.trainerroad.com/how-vo2-max-work-makes-you-fast-the-science-behind-it-all/
While marathon runners seem to fall between ...
- 391
6
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2
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428
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Should I use observed max heart rate from workouts for zone training?
I commute by bicycle every day, and sometimes I use my commute for training and to improve my fitness (I wear cycling clothes and shower when I arrive, so I can push hard if needed). About a month ...
- 193
5
votes
2
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666
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How to relax the palm muscles after cycling?
I cycled 200 km. My palms are feeling a bit numb and like a mild electric shock is passed through my palms.
Can anyone please suggest any relaxation exercise for my palms?
- 1,431
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1
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484
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What does it mean to bonk or hit the wall? [closed]
What does it mean to bonk or hit the wall during a run or a bike ride?
That is the main question, but to generate a more detailed answer here please consider these corollary questions:
Can this can ...
- 1,538
5
votes
2
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318
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How to optimize long term health benefits of 30 minute bicycle commute
I have a 7 km bicycle commute to and from work five days a week that I try to keep going all year round. This is the only exercise I get.
If I pedal like crazy (but still abide by the traffic rules) ...
- 153
5
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1
answer
2k
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What kind of workouts can I get on a bicycle?
I currently do running, but it just isn't that fun for me anymore, and I'd like to turn my enjoyment of biking into fitness routine.
Do I need a certain style of bike to attain a more productive ...
- 153
5
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4
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2k
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Is cardio really counter-productive to "gains"?
I've heard from a lot of different places, perhaps with their tongue planted firmly in their cheek, that cardio is antithetical to "gains". I've only started hitting the gym since about a year ago. ...
- 153
5
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2
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528
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Can I estimate a real world speed using a Cycling Machine in the Gym?
I am training to do a charity cycle ride and I want to supplement my road training with some work on a cycle machine in the gym. My difficulty is that I don't know what to set the resistance level to ...
- 233
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5
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Why is it hard to cycle when its cold outside?
I bike quite a lot (getting to work "15km one way" and general getting around) and been biking for past 12+ years, I also believe I have a relatively good sum of stamina. Unfortunately I would not be ...
5
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3
answers
184
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Food diet off balance
Every day i ride 20km to work with my bike. Then when my work is done i do those 20km again.
I'm doing martial arts 2 times a week and try to get 4 power workouts a week to gain some muscle.
I do ...
- 419
5
votes
1
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140
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First time indoor cycling (Spinning) with no fitness history?
Today I've enrolled myself on indoor cycling classes but I'm not sure now if that was a good idea. What I'm concerned about is if I will manage to cycle for about 50mins taking into account that I ...
- 153
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1
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Cycling for weight loss
I am a 30yr old male, and I have a 10km (20km round trip) commute to work.
- About 60/40 bike lane/road, and its a city = so can be stop-starty with traffic lights in rush hour.
I was only riding ...
- 284
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1
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Is cycling good or bad for lumbar hyperlordosis?
From Wikipedia about Lumbar hyperlordosis:
Commonly known as swayback, it is common in dancers. Imbalances in
muscle strength and length are also a cause, such as weak hamstrings,
or tight hip ...
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1
answer
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how many high intensity interval training (HIIT) schedules can/should I do per week?
I am currently training for marathons (half & full) coming up in quick successions.
My best is 1 hr 44 min for a half marathon. I haven't attempted the full marathon yet. But I have got the ...
- 1,431
5
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1
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426
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Increasing resistance vs increasing speed?
I am new to HIIT and would like to gain the most our of it. I mostly do indoor cycling for my HIIT workouts. As I am progressing, it is better to increase resistance or increase speed ?
Use case :
...
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5
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I have a pulse oximeter. Can I use the O2 readings to improve my workout?
My pulse oximeter displays both the heart rate and O2 saturation. Heart rate readings are useful enough. But what about O2 saturation? I'm thinking of cycling in particular, but I assume any benefits ...
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How can I keep my feet cool and dry?
I'm a bicycle commuter in Toronto, Canada. My feet sweat more than most. In the spring, summer, and fall, I wear closed-toe sandals. But in the winter, I don't, and my feet become overheated and ...
5
votes
1
answer
563
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What is a good upper body strength routine for a cyclist
I have previously done the starting strength program, which puts emphasis on compound exercises with a lower body focus. Recently I have started commuting to work on my bicycle, and my commute ...
- 225
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4
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Is it safe for high heart rate for extended periods?
I've mountain biked up a mountain a few times with a heart rate of 80%+ for over 2 hours. No symptoms, just exhaustion at the end of the day after a morning ride. I'm interested to know if there are ...
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5
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790
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How much more cardio for fat loss?
26 years old, 160 lb, roughly 20% body fat.
I eat a pretty normal vegetarian diet. I avoid soda, fruit juice, anything with sugar. Maybe one can of soda or a candy bar per week at the most. I do eat ...
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Are Vibram FiveFinger shoes good for biking?
Preface: I've used a standing desk before and loved it, I'm going to switch back very soon. I also bike every day, my commute is at least 9.8 miles. The bike I use has cages on the pedals and I'm ...
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What is a good routine for strengthening legs for mountain biking?
I am a pretty avid mountain biker and I want to take my fitness and skills to the next level with it. When I go on rides over 1.5 hours my legs feel pretty beat and start to cramp (in quads and ...
- 141
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1
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Are cardio exercises that involve sitting prone to any of the same risks of prolonged stationary sitting?
There are a number of articles and studies that have found sitting for long periods is harmful. A lot of them cite cardio exercise as a way to help combat the harmful effects.
Is this something ...
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1
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My Max HR declines the more I exercise
I am 49 years old and have been doing endurance type sports since age 6 and started tracking my HR on the popular devices since 2004, attending every major training coarse I can and reading a few ...
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2
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How to prepare yourself before starting to run regularly?
I am 22 years old, weigh 80 kg and 5' 7" (170 cm) in height. I have a tummy like a giant basketball, for which people make fun of me.
I wasn't always like this. I used to be VERY lean and thin until ...
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How much sodium after hard exercise?
After (or during) an hour or three of hard, sweaty running and/or biking, how much salt do I need beyond my normal diet?
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Why is the aerobic system not used anymore upon a certain treshold?
When i look at my performance diagnostic for cycling, from a certain point on (~after fat max zone) the amount of fat burned decreases to zero (with increasing wattage) and only carbs are used to ...
- 141
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1
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Are amount and location of knee pain good indicators of what is wrong?
I've started cycling some long rides lately, and am feeling knee pain. It doesn't seem serious, but it's insistent enough that I've mostly avoided riding for a few days. When I do cycle, I do so at ...
- 1,077