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Questions tagged [fitness]

Use this tag for questions related to the use of cycling to maintain or improve physical fitness. For questions about improving cycling ability on its own, use the [training] tag.

42 votes
9 answers
30k views

What cadence should I aim for?

I recently got a cyclocomputer that measures cadence and I'm not sure what a good speed is or what benefit I would get by altering my natural cadence. On good, level tarmac, I find myself doing about ...
Drew Stephens's user avatar
37 votes
15 answers
15k views

I wish to get fit, therefore should I have a heavy bike?

A lot of people seem take up cycling to get fit, and they'll talk about how light their bikes are. However, as I understand it, a heavy bike uses more energy to pedal it. Should someone that wished ...
Ian's user avatar
  • 6,153
35 votes
11 answers
10k views

I am a beginner to commuting by bike and I find it very tiring. Is it my fitness level or my single-speed bicycle?

Foreword: Sorry if this seems a bit long-winded. TL;DR: I can't figure out if there's something wrong with my bike or if I'm just out of shape. What's your opinion? I got the bright idea to commute to ...
julian's user avatar
  • 371
33 votes
16 answers
21k views

How to climb a hill as a beginner

I'm a complete beginner cycling and I've recently started 3 times a week commuting on a hybrid 8 miles to work and 8 miles back. On the way there is a 5% gradient hill about half a mile long which is ...
Gordon Copestake's user avatar
22 votes
9 answers
10k views

Why Do I Need a Better/Lighter Road Bicycle to Train For 'Fitness'?

I'm about to purchase a bicycle in the very near future and have been shopping around at different bike shops to see what I like and what they offer. My primary goal here is to commute to work. It's ...
Rob P.'s user avatar
  • 1,283
21 votes
7 answers
64k views

Could I bike 9 mile a day home from work starting with no current exercise?

I am thinking of getting a bike and biking it home from work on a mountain bike its 9 miles and reasonably flat, I'm not the fittest guy so I'm wondering if I would struggle??
Sam creevy's user avatar
18 votes
9 answers
26k views

Is it normal to stop so much because of thighs burning?

I've taken up cycling because of an operation I had in August 2015. My consultant made it clear I had to get regular exercise. I thought cycling was probably one of the best exercises I could do. ...
Martin 's user avatar
  • 389
17 votes
8 answers
35k views

How do I maximize my upper body workout from riding?

I often hear people say “your bike is a whole-body gym”. I know my upper body workout will never be close to the workout my legs get, but so long as I’m a bike commuter, I figure I ought to get as ...
Zac B's user avatar
  • 415
17 votes
4 answers
16k views

What's the most efficient riding style for losing weight?

I plan on setting up my bicycle with one of those devices that holds the rear tire and gives some resistance so I can exercise through the winter. I think it's called a bicycle trainer. When using ...
StrixVaria's user avatar
16 votes
5 answers
7k views

How much of a difference does giving blood make to recreational cycling?

I intend to give blood at some point this week at my local community centre. How much of a difference is this going to make to the effort required to keep up my usual pace? Or will the difference be ...
kaybee99's user avatar
  • 579
16 votes
6 answers
10k views

Is there a standard equivalent for effort between distance and elevation?

I'm starting to keep track of how far I ride on paper and while it's nice to have the data, I'd like to know how different rides stack up. I have one path I like to take which is really flat and goes ...
Premier Bromanov's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
8k views

I get dizzy when I dismount. Causes?

Saturday I went on a ride with the local cycling club. At a certain point in the ride (after about 20 miles/32 km), I was extremely tired to the point that I decided to get off of the bike and walk ...
EvilSnack's user avatar
  • 621
15 votes
9 answers
1k views

Bonk! And solutions

"What are the remedies for when one bonks in the midst of a long ride? What is the first aid so that one can continue?" – Discussion of how to prevent bonking is not necessary. Definition = ...
user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
11k views

For fitness's sake, is it better to ride with low cadence in high gear or higher cadence in medium gear?

I've started riding to get fit and lose weight. As part of that, I set little challenges for myself, eg: "I'm going to ride these next two blocks as quickly as possible in the highest gear". I'd be ...
MeltingDog's user avatar
14 votes
9 answers
2k views

Multi hour ride nutrition

Ok. We're talking about when you'll be on the bike for 5+ hours. For example, a Century or 200K. What is the best nutrition for a ride of this type? So, I'll be on the bike for 5+ hours, with few ...
user avatar

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