Fitness vs image
Discussion
t what other people ride/how they do it, as long as they don't crash into me. I ride a heavy MTB on slicks on my London commute for a number of reasons.
I get a good workout on the 20 mile round trip whilst not going particularly fast. On a lighter bike on narrower tyres I'd be going at least 5mph quicker on a lot of sections if not more. In terms of mph the difference in stopping distance between the low 20 and high 20's is vast. With the number of close shaves I have per annum less speed is a GOOD THING in my book.
It's also extremely comfortable (fat grips, far tyres, chunky saddle, air forks).
And it has hydraulic disk brakes which are a God send.
It's probably over-engineered for my commute but I'm happy with the trade offs.
I get a good workout on the 20 mile round trip whilst not going particularly fast. On a lighter bike on narrower tyres I'd be going at least 5mph quicker on a lot of sections if not more. In terms of mph the difference in stopping distance between the low 20 and high 20's is vast. With the number of close shaves I have per annum less speed is a GOOD THING in my book.
It's also extremely comfortable (fat grips, far tyres, chunky saddle, air forks).
And it has hydraulic disk brakes which are a God send.
It's probably over-engineered for my commute but I'm happy with the trade offs.
When most people say "improve fitness" what they really mean is "maintain fitness", there is no way riding a bike for a few hours a week will have much of an effect on improving your fitness unless you are following a structured plan which also looks at nutrition and heart rate, pacing etc. If you want to improve fitness you need a baseline which can only really be accurately measured by something like a VO2 test and then you need a goal, be it to increase power, stamina etc.
People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of ina Renault Clio in real life.
People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of ina Renault Clio in real life.
pablo said:
When most people say "improve fitness" what they really mean is "maintain fitness", there is no way riding a bike for a few hours a week will have much of an effect on improving your fitness unless you are following a structured plan which also looks at nutrition and heart rate, pacing etc. If you want to improve fitness you need a baseline which can only really be accurately measured by something like a VO2 test and then you need a goal, be it to increase power, stamina etc.
People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of ina Renault Clio in real life.
Really?People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of ina Renault Clio in real life.
Are you saying that following a structured training plan on a 'cheap' bike will serve no purpose?
Why could you not keep your HR in a particular zone?
pablo said:
People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike.
Total crap.
LimaDelta said:
A few of the guys I work with ride road bikes - fancy carbon framed lightweight things. Very nice and one guy competes regularly so I can see the point there. Others however claim to ride to improve fitness. My argument is that surely dragging around a cast-iron $100 supermarket bike with two flat knobblies and draggy brakes will make you much fitter than some $6000 race machine? If fitness is the end goal why try to make things easier? Am I wrong? Surely the heavy bike will give you the same energy expenditure in much less time and for much less money? Is it simply that they don't wan't to be seen on some cheap POS?
I can see where Pablo was going with this. Work done will be the same regardless of the weight/type of bike, therefore to improve fitness effort would have to increase. i.e. ride the mountain bike at the same speed as the road bike. Your fitness gives you a specific output, it makes no difference what you ride.TheFungle said:
pablo said:
When most people say "improve fitness" what they really mean is "maintain fitness", there is no way riding a bike for a few hours a week will have much of an effect on improving your fitness unless you are following a structured plan which also looks at nutrition and heart rate, pacing etc. If you want to improve fitness you need a baseline which can only really be accurately measured by something like a VO2 test and then you need a goal, be it to increase power, stamina etc.
People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of in a Renault Clio in real life.
Really?People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of in a Renault Clio in real life.
Are you saying that following a structured training plan on a 'cheap' bike will serve no purpose?
Why could you not keep your HR in a particular zone?
anonymous said:
[redacted]
There's a bloke who tackled the Outlaw long-course triathlon on a BMX last weekend...but a £100 supermarket BSO is just no fun unless you're very lucky and get a batch of components on it that work consistently. More likely to put someone off riding altogether than to offer any sandbagging value.pablo said:
I'm saying you will really struggle to make good use of your time by following a structured training plan aimed at increasing fitness on a £100 bike.
Yeah, that's total bull. I doubt you'd have seen which way my gramps went on his steel fixie (56 min 26's in 1939) You realise it's just pedalling right? 14hrs a week pedalling 'anything' will make you faster. okgo said:
Its a mixture of placebo and cycling folklore/tradition (which as with many other examples - load of balls).
The good thing is that because powermeters (and HRM) are becoming more common place, people understand that a certain effort is a certain effort, you just may go further on one bike than another.
I did a 25 mile TT on the weekend in 50 minutes on x power, I know full well that the reason for this is because the TT bike and me on it is a hell of a lot more aerodynamic than me on my roadbike where I'd be lucky to get within 3 or 4 minutes of my time for the same course with x power.
I'm liking that you didn't rip my last post to shreds though. The good thing is that because powermeters (and HRM) are becoming more common place, people understand that a certain effort is a certain effort, you just may go further on one bike than another.
I did a 25 mile TT on the weekend in 50 minutes on x power, I know full well that the reason for this is because the TT bike and me on it is a hell of a lot more aerodynamic than me on my roadbike where I'd be lucky to get within 3 or 4 minutes of my time for the same course with x power.
I'm guessing you see some sense in it - even if you don't agree entirely?
pablo said:
People don't train to increase their fitness by using a cheap bike because it serves no purpose, to increase endurance for example, you need to ride harder, for longer, keeping your heart rate in a particular zone for long periods of time which just isn't possible on a cheap bike. Then you have the issue of racing on a different bike to your training bike which of also counterproductive for the same reason that Lewis Hamilton uses a n F1 simulator to learn a track rather than driving round of ina Renault Clio in real life.
Have to disagree with this. Again, keeping it very simple.I tend to always ride to the end result being a really good workout. Usually a 1.5 to 2 hour slog whatever I do. I can promise you, repeated rides of this nature on a bike that is fine, then yields a fab result on a better bike.
We have a PH guinea pig already - Gruffy rode to high fitness levels on his Triban for over a year ( IIRC ) - he now has a decent Canyon and look at how that has translated...
Dizeee said:
okgo said:
Its a mixture of placebo and cycling folklore/tradition (which as with many other examples - load of balls).
The good thing is that because powermeters (and HRM) are becoming more common place, people understand that a certain effort is a certain effort, you just may go further on one bike than another.
I did a 25 mile TT on the weekend in 50 minutes on x power, I know full well that the reason for this is because the TT bike and me on it is a hell of a lot more aerodynamic than me on my roadbike where I'd be lucky to get within 3 or 4 minutes of my time for the same course with x power.
I'm liking that you didn't rip my last post to shreds though. The good thing is that because powermeters (and HRM) are becoming more common place, people understand that a certain effort is a certain effort, you just may go further on one bike than another.
I did a 25 mile TT on the weekend in 50 minutes on x power, I know full well that the reason for this is because the TT bike and me on it is a hell of a lot more aerodynamic than me on my roadbike where I'd be lucky to get within 3 or 4 minutes of my time for the same course with x power.
I'm guessing you see some sense in it - even if you don't agree entirely?
I ride whatever takes my fancy on the day, over whatever terrain suits, as long as I'm riding I don't care. Some days I don't get a bike out and go for a run, sometimes on the roads, sometimes over the moors. As long as I'm not stagnating in the house I'm not bothered what I'm doing, or what equipment I'm using, as long as I'm out there doing it.
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