Is cycling really that good for weight loss?

[pimping]

I have piled the weight on in the last year and am looking at buying a bike. I used to love running, going the gym etc but it all seems so boring now for some reason. Will cycling be the low impact good cardiovascular workout I hope it to be?
Bike will be a mountain bike on slicks for mainly city peddling.

[NorthDave]

Yes in a word. Biking makes a real difference to me.

[a311]

pimping said:

I have piled the weight on in the last year and am looking at buying a bike. I used to love running, going the gym etc but it all seems so boring now for some reason. Will cycling be the low impact good cardiovascular workout I hope it to be?
Bike will be a mountain bike on slicks for mainly city peddling.

In a word yes. The thing to remember like with any form of exercise the end result will be down to >80% of your diet. Cycling is great but unlike running it’s easier to slack off IMO i.e. free wheeling avoiding hilly routes etc. If you enjoyed running in the past you could stick with the biking until you loose some weight then include some running too.

Unless you’re cycling massive amounts don’t expect the weight to drop off unless you look at your diet too.

[Smitters]

Any exercise will help. As above - do a diet overhaul at the same time if you're up to it - this will magnify the change which is a great boost.

There are lots of arguments about needing to cycle for hours to burn calories, but in reality getting out three times a week and doing a hilly route or two will do you good.

If the winter gets too miserable/wet/cold/dark you could always get a turbo trainer and download some Sufferfest movies to motivate the training!

[anonymous-user]

It will do you more good than sitting around.

It's not as efficient a way to burn fat as running when you compare running for an hour to cycling for an hour. If you're unfit though, it's more likely you can cycle for an hour than run.

[isv]

Works brilliantly for me. Cycled 100 hilly miles yesterday and burnt off 6500 calories. Did 135 miles last Sunday and burnt 8000+. I'm doing about 220 miles a week. Sure I've tweaked my diet but so long as I keep up the pedaling effort I can eat and drink as much as I like and simply won't gain weight. 2 stone lighter than at the start of the year... Never felt better!

[GarryA]

HIT work on a cycle would be good.

[Magic919]

Peddling won't help, but pedalling certainly will.

[lost in espace]

isv said:

Works brilliantly for me. Cycled 100 hilly miles yesterday and burnt off 6500 calories. Did 135 miles last Sunday and burnt 8000+. I'm doing about 220 miles a week. Sure I've tweaked my diet but so long as I keep up the pedaling effort I can eat and drink as much as I like and simply won't gain weight. 2 stone lighter than at the start of the year... Never felt better!

Hats off to you isv. I run, and my wife cycled to work. We log everything via run keeper and she realised that I was burning far more calories in a much shorter time, try doing a mix of exercises.

[Engineer1]

Just watch you don't slack off or reward the exercise.

[Hoofy]

GarryA said:

HIT work on a cycle would be good.

Agreed. Or more specifically, HIIT. When I go back to steady state doing about 70km a week, the fat seems to start accumulating again. I now do about 20km a week, all HIIT.

[Hoofy]

Engineer1 said:

Just watch you don't slack off or reward the exercise.

I saw a great quote: don't reward yourself with food - you're not a dog!

[BlackVanDyke]

Best mate is 15kg lighter and 10mph faster after a year of taking her cycling Relatively Seriously. Think the key thing is probably whether or not you actually like doing it enough to do it lots.

[otolith]

Hoofy said:

I saw a great quote: don't reward yourself with food - you're not a dog!

On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog.

Woof!

[Gargamel]

I have lost a stone in three months, averaging around 200 km a week.

In fairness though I have also cut back on Beer (a bottle a day) - no crisps, no chocolate, no late biscuit raids. However I continue to eat as many bacon sandwiches as I can.

[mattikake]

pimping said:

Will cycling be the low impact good cardiovascular workout I hope it to be?

Lower impact, yes. Good caridovascular, yes.

pimping said:

Is cycling really that good for weight loss?

No. Cycling is one of the most efficient means of getting around under human power, this makes it bad for weight loss.

For equal effort*, cycling will burn less calories than: Walking, Running, Swimming, Skipping, Stepping, Rowing, Cross-trainers etc.

• time for time, distance for distance or speed for speed. E.g. 1 hours biking will not burn as many calories as 1 hours walking. Biking for 1km will not burn as many calories as rowing for 1km. Biking at 20kph will not burn as many calories as running at 20kph.

Edited by mattikake on Monday 27th August 15:17

[Hoofy]

Indeed. It's not efficient but if someone enjoys it, it's much more efficient than them not running or swimming at all.

[otolith]

I like cycling because it doesn't knacker my knees and it isn't as boring as swimming or sitting on a rowing machine or cross trainer. After not using the bikes much for a while, I've put some less knobbly tyres on them. The mrs and I have just got in from a 20 mile ride, soaked to the skin. Did 32 miles yesterday and 26 miles on Saturday and a few 15-16 mile rides in the week.

Unfortunately, the break from cycling means that my arse now feels like I just woke up in Barrymore's swimming pool.

[MacGee]

I row a it but it doesn't get me anywhere! At least cycling could get me to work! I'd live to do it but it's very hilly and busy with cars!!!