Author Topic: Convince me to bike  (Read 20018 times)

galliver

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #50 on: November 21, 2014, 05:05:56 PM »
Check out all the virtually unused ellipticals and treadmills you can find on craigslist.

And bikes!  I've seen bikes that originally cost upwards of $1K, being sold on craigslist with less than 100 miles on them.  Buying something fancy doesn't guarantee it'll get used.  And you don't NEED to spend hundreds of dollars to get a really nice and nice-looking bike.
Gah. I didn't say spend 1k on a new shiny bike.

...and I didn't say you did.  I said that it's not necessary to spend a ton of money on a bike, and that the OP can surely find one that she likes, but doesn't cost a fortune. 

My main point was that while buying something spiffy may provide a bit of initial motivation, it's not a guarantee.  People spend a ton on a bike and then don't ride it.  Therefore, a very nice, and nice-looking bike can be had without a huge upfront investment.

The choice is not between a piece of shit that barely works, and a brand-new super-fancy bike.  There is a lot in between, and imo, that's the best place to look.

We're totally in agreement then. :) I bet there's a sweet spot in the $100-250 range just waiting to be hit.

netskyblue

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #51 on: November 30, 2014, 03:10:19 PM »
Kudos to all you cyclists!  That stuff's wicked hard!  I thought I was pretty fit - 5'6" and 110 pounds.  NOPE. 

I rode my bike down a few blocks (Google Maps says 0.7 miles) and had to get off and wait a full five minutes till I felt like I wasn't going to have a heart attack!  I WALKED the bike home, put it back in the garage, trudged up the stairs to my apartment, and sat down.  47 minutes had passed since I left.  Checked my heart rate - 98 beats/minute.  My shape's not bad, but I'm as UN-fit as they come!  (It was 22 degrees with a wind chill of +8, but still.)

Biking to work's going to be more of a long-term goal, I guess.  Maybe I'll start out with around the block one time.  Then two times... then around two blocks, etc.

johnny847

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #52 on: November 30, 2014, 04:00:05 PM »
Kudos to all you cyclists!  That stuff's wicked hard!  I thought I was pretty fit - 5'6" and 110 pounds.  NOPE. 

I rode my bike down a few blocks (Google Maps says 0.7 miles) and had to get off and wait a full five minutes till I felt like I wasn't going to have a heart attack!  I WALKED the bike home, put it back in the garage, trudged up the stairs to my apartment, and sat down.  47 minutes had passed since I left.  Checked my heart rate - 98 beats/minute.  My shape's not bad, but I'm as UN-fit as they come!  (It was 22 degrees with a wind chill of +8, but still.)

Biking to work's going to be more of a long-term goal, I guess.  Maybe I'll start out with around the block one time.  Then two times... then around two blocks, etc.
It's possible that you've got your bike fit wrong. if your saddle isn't high enough, then you're going to be pretty inefficient with your peddling. Your saddle should be high enough that at the bottom of your stroke, your leg is almost straight (but if it's locked straight, then your saddle is too high - you'll experience some pain in the back of your knee if this is happening).

Mesmoiselle

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #53 on: November 30, 2014, 04:10:31 PM »
Kudos to all you cyclists!  That stuff's wicked hard!  I thought I was pretty fit - 5'6" and 110 pounds.  NOPE. 

I rode my bike down a few blocks (Google Maps says 0.7 miles) and had to get off and wait a full five minutes till I felt like I wasn't going to have a heart attack!  I WALKED the bike home, put it back in the garage, trudged up the stairs to my apartment, and sat down.  47 minutes had passed since I left.  Checked my heart rate - 98 beats/minute.  My shape's not bad, but I'm as UN-fit as they come!  (It was 22 degrees with a wind chill of +8, but still.)

Biking to work's going to be more of a long-term goal, I guess.  Maybe I'll start out with around the block one time.  Then two times... then around two blocks, etc.

I'd put distance rules on yourself. If it's less than one mile, you have to bike.

I'm just getting started biking and weigh nearly as twice as much as you as a 5'6 female. My rule will be two miles.  No excuses.

If your goal is to work up slowly, then you need to put dates adn times on it. If you leave it ambiguous, you are far more likely to fail.

good luck to both of us.

TerriM

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #54 on: November 30, 2014, 04:36:31 PM »
Here's a couple suggestions:
1.  As people said before, start easy--great weather, once a week.  Do it for a month then ramp up.   I stopped biking for 10 years and was gasping for breath when I started back up.  Within a year, it was no longer a workout.  Start somewhere where there's not a lot of traffic if you can, and maybe start just on a weekend.  I find weekend traffic to be much less than commuter traffic, so good to practice in if you're not an experienced biker.

2.  If you don't want to do freezing weather, don't.  Don't feel bad about skipping the rain.  It damages the bike and you'll have to change clothes at work.  I love biking, and before I had kids, I used to bike in freezing weather.  It's freezes your eyes and cheeks--I finally got a snowboarding helmet to keep my ears warm.

3.  Buy a cheap but functional bike off of craigslist that has multiple gears.  Then once you've gotten experience with it, you'll know better what you like.  If you haven't had an accident, you can sell it for what you bought it for after a couple of months.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2014, 04:38:39 PM by TerriM »

netskyblue

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #55 on: November 30, 2014, 04:53:23 PM »
Kudos to all you cyclists!  That stuff's wicked hard!  I thought I was pretty fit - 5'6" and 110 pounds.  NOPE. 

I rode my bike down a few blocks (Google Maps says 0.7 miles) and had to get off and wait a full five minutes till I felt like I wasn't going to have a heart attack!  I WALKED the bike home, put it back in the garage, trudged up the stairs to my apartment, and sat down.  47 minutes had passed since I left.  Checked my heart rate - 98 beats/minute.  My shape's not bad, but I'm as UN-fit as they come!  (It was 22 degrees with a wind chill of +8, but still.)

Biking to work's going to be more of a long-term goal, I guess.  Maybe I'll start out with around the block one time.  Then two times... then around two blocks, etc.
It's possible that you've got your bike fit wrong. if your saddle isn't high enough, then you're going to be pretty inefficient with your peddling. Your saddle should be high enough that at the bottom of your stroke, your leg is almost straight (but if it's locked straight, then your saddle is too high - you'll experience some pain in the back of your knee if this is happening).

No, I think if anything, it's on the big side.  It's not that I had trouble with the pedaling muscle-wise, it's the cardio.  I *have* an exercise bike that I borrowed from a coworker last summer when I was doing my physical therapy for the broken femur.  I'm going to have to start doing some endurance training, I guess.  I just don't like it nearly as much as the real thing.  You have to pedal all the time, and you don't even go anywhere!  But, it's far warmer in my house than outdoors!

In PT, they had me pedal for 5 minutes at the beginning of the PT session.  I just now did 10 minutes while clocking my heart rate at close to 180 bpm.  (I'm ashamed to say this was at 8-10mph).  Gonna try to do 3 10-minute sessions at first, until I can get up to at least 30 minutes without having to rest.

enigmaT120

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #56 on: November 30, 2014, 04:57:58 PM »
I wonder if you're just going too fast for now.  Biking slowly is easier than walking, except sometimes up a steep hill.

TerriM

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #57 on: November 30, 2014, 06:22:32 PM »
In PT, they had me pedal for 5 minutes at the beginning of the PT session.  I just now did 10 minutes while clocking my heart rate at close to 180 bpm.  (I'm ashamed to say this was at 8-10mph).  Gonna try to do 3 10-minute sessions at first, until I can get up to at least 30 minutes without having to rest.

No worries.  Keep it up every day for a month, and it'll be a lot easier!  The worst is the first week. :)

Kmp2

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #58 on: November 30, 2014, 08:24:59 PM »
Just make sure your tires are adequately pumped up... A mile on flat tires IS a lot of work.

mlejw6

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #59 on: December 01, 2014, 07:56:31 AM »
Also, terrain matters! The smallest uphill slope will have you winded in a few minutes, where the same slope downhill, you'll still have to pedal to keep the bike moving. The trail next to my apartment is like that. It's uphill coming home, but I only notice because of how hard I have to work!

2ndTimer

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #60 on: December 01, 2014, 08:50:39 AM »
Hi Netskyblue:

Biking is tough in the beginning.  When I first started 35 years ago I felt very put upon when my boyfriend insisted I bike a couple of miles mostly down hill in great weather.  Fast forward to now:  I am almost 60 and 50 lb. overweight and yesterday I jumped on my bike in 40 degree weather for an 11 mile round trip to the grocery store no problem.  Came home chortling to the Hub about how great the ride made me feel.  The take home lesson is that it gets a lot easier over time.

gillstone

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #61 on: December 01, 2014, 09:15:32 AM »
Good job getting out there and keep pushing, the early rides are always the hardest.  The first time I biked to work I had to walk it up the hills because I just couldn't pedal any farther.  Now I have to start considering longer or hillier alternate routes just to keep it as my workout. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Convince me to bike
« Reply #62 on: December 01, 2014, 11:15:06 AM »
Basic slow bike stuff to check:
- Are your brakes rubbing on the rim?  (Lift the bike up and spin the wheels to see, they should spin freely quite easily.)
- Is the chain oiled?
- Is the seat height properly adjusted?  (Get someone to hold the bike while you're on it, put your heels on the pedals and pedal backwards.  If it feels like you're having trouble keeping your heels on the pedal while doing this you're at about the right seat height.)
- Are your tires pumped up?

If you've fixed all of the above, that pain you're feeling is just the awesome entering your system.