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[simonhill]

My guess is that a short steep hill could put more strain on your heart, lungs, etc than a well paced 30 mile ride.

I would scout out where you want to ride and then think about what bike.

A couple of mt trails might be fun at first, but could get tedious after a while. Cycling on the road, is generally much more rewarding. Different places, different routes, sometimes with a purpose, sometimes just for pleasure.

Personally, I wouldn't start off with a full on road bike, you may grow into that form if cycling, but by then you will have a much better idea of what suits you. To start with, something more general that you can get out on.

[Nigel]

Also…is my opinion that road cycling would be better for the heart to build up endurance or would mountain biking do the same?

What advice on exercise have you been given by your healthcare professionals?

Basically I’m limited in what I can do, but he wants me to push to the boundaries of what I can do. After 18 months of being told not to do more than a brisk walk (I’m only 38) I need to
A) build up the fitness
B) find my limitations and stick to it, don’t overload myself

I think that rules out the tougher end of off-road riding, because the heart output will be high for short periods. Lighter off-roading (along gravel tracks, better bridleways) ought to be possible.

I'd be looking at either a hybrid or a gravel bike, as bikes suited to roads and lighter off-roading. Flat-bars rather than drops unless you have prior experience of riding dropped bars. Try to get something at the lighter end of things (14kg finished bike (inc mudguards, racks, pedals, lights) maximum, ideally significantly less - some of those referenced in the thread earlier are quite heavy).

The hybrid/gravel will have wider tyres than a race oriented bike. Likely to have lower gears for getting up any hills. If your fitness improves, you can ride up the hill quicker on the same bike.

Keep the option of electric assistance in your back-pocket. This could be a retro-fit of an electric front wheel on a non-electric bike.
I have friends with cardio problems where the electric is allowing them to exercise and ride - it takes off the peak outputs, but still requires moderate input from the rider. The electric boost can be turned up/down as required.
At the price of some of the bikes referenced earlier in the thread, I'd suggest looking at Orbea and Ribble's electric models - same sort of money, but come with an electric assistance motor in the rear wheel. Available in a variety of configurations of handlebars, wheel types, etc..

[DevonDamo]

Amazing answers so far, thanks. To answer this it doesn’t help I’m also a bit indecisive. Cornwall isn’t flat and so I believe the road cycling would be hard although it is the one I’m slightly more drawn to. Also living where I am, the town itself is built for cyclists but outside of town not so great. Hills galore.
Probably to make my decision easier is the fact I live close to 3 gardens/forests etc that have official mountain bike trails.

To give some more context. It would get daily use on short road journeys to work, but if it was also capable I’d definitely try it out at the local trails too.

In terms of using cycling to push your fitness boundaries, there are loads of ways to skin that particular cat and everyone will have their own preferences and opinions. I've been exclusively a road cyclist for the past 40 years up until two years ago, when some friends persuaded me to try mountain biking on local trails and I've found that to be extremely good in terms of fitness. The reason for this is that it forces me to do short, intense bursts of effort - climbing back up the hill. I did used to do this on the road too, but it was always a chore, whereas climbing a hill in order to do a trail descent is a very different prospect for me, psychologically, and I find myself pushing harder and doing longer overall sessions without any problems about motivation - quite the opposite.

Other factors to consider. 1. I'm also in the South West and it's a bit soggy much of the time. You want to find out how your local trails hold up in the wet. I'm lucky - I've got a couple of decent rocky trails which are always rideable when the main trails in the woods have turned into paddy fields. (Which trails are you near to ? I might know them.) You can also do mountain bike training in a car park - e.g. learning to bunny hop, manual, do flat turns etc. Sounds daft, but these are all learning activities which will encourage you to knacker yourself out without realising it, and will vastly improve your abilities on the trail. 2. There is a whole set of riding techniques you need to learn to ride safely on descents. YouTube has some excellent content and I'd recommend you start with a YouTube channel called 'fluidride' and go through his basic techniques.

In terms of which bike to choose, you'd either want one bike to do both your trail riding and commuting (which would probably be a 'cross country' mountain bike - fast, lightweight, lockable suspension etc.) or one for commuting and one for playing. The latter option makes a lot of sense as I prefer to ride a dog of a bike for commuting, shopping and pubs so I can leave it padlocked outside without fear. It would also mean you could get a slightly more beefy mountain bike, e.g. 'trail' or 'enduro' bikes. (YouTube will explain the difference between the types for you.)

In terms of branding, most mountain bikes these days are made in 4 big factories in the far East, and just get the stickers put on afterwards to say they're a NukeProof or whatever. The key things you want to be looking out for is the design of the bike and the quality of the components. To decide about which design and which components are going to suit you, you'd first need to decide what sort of riding you want to be doing, then do your research via online reviews or seeking further opinions on forums like this.

One final option: there would be a lot of sense in buying a cheapo second-hand cross country mountain bike first as an experiment and seeing how you get on.

[Jamesh]

You could buy a cheap Argos hybrid or similar new or second hand try it and if it's for you, sell it and buy a better bike or keep as a winter/commuter bike.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/6145251 ... lsrc=aw.ds


Saves a large uncertain investment?

Cheers James

[nirakaro]

Cornwall isn’t flat and so I believe the road cycling would be hard although it is the one I’m slightly more drawn to.

I don't know Cornwall, but I think you can be confident, anywhere, that if the roads are hilly, off-road will be hillier.

[freiston]

My opinion (which could be considered biased):

The sort of exercise you describe (and that you live in a hilly place) suggests to me that you would benefit from low gears so that if you do get an incline, you can maintain moderate effort at low speed rather than finding the effort too hard or bust a gut grinding a high gear etc..

An all-out road bike is likely to have a less comfortable and more aggressive geometry, it is likely to be too highly geared for you too; a full-on mountain bike is going to be inefficient on the roads and paths.

To keep at it during the winter months, you will want a bike that is practical in bad weather and light - something with mudguards and lighting. Dynamo lighting is practically always ready, never needs charging or new batteries and never runs out during a ride.

If you're going to use it for commuting, you might want to carry some luggage too. It's almost always better to let the bike do the carrying rather than yourself - so a rack and bag of some kind might be good - this will also make the bike more versatile for other utility and leisure riding.

In line with my third point, you will need some decent wet/cold weather clothing because without it, you're less likely to use the bike on a regular basis when the clocks are GMT.

In my estimation, a hybrid style or touring style bike would fit the bill.

If it was my purchase and money wasn't an issue, I would be looking at this:

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s225p38 ... S-Wayfarer

...but there are loads of bikes that would fit the bill - basically, low gears, mudguards, wide tyres (32~40mm?) and possibly a rack for luggage. Avoid racing style out and out road bikes and suspension mountain bikes - for want of a better phrase, they're specialist tools that probably won't suit your requirements. If looking at hybrid bikes, unless you're going on some seriously bad tracks off-road, you won't need front suspension (it will sap away your effort too) but wide tyres will do the job.

[audaxjk]

Hi, I have a slightly different take on your query to responses given so far (all very sensible stuff about choosing a bike).
Without wanting to quiz you about your heart history, I suspect you must have (or had) some cardiac issue(s). My first thought here would be to exercise within certain heart rate limits, and a sensible thing would be to get a HR monitor/watch. Get guidance from your cardiologist as to how far and for how long you can push your heart rate and stick to that. There will be a (oxygen) supply & demand equilibrium for your heart and the idea is not to exceed it. As you no doubt get fitter you will get faster for equivalent efforts/heart rate and hopefully get more enjoyment out of it.
One thing about the bike too - regardless of what type/make/cost you go for, make sure it is the correct size & comfortable.

[slowster]

Also…is my opinion that road cycling would be better for the heart to build up endurance or would mountain biking do the same?

The one which would be better for you to build endurance, is the one which you enjoy the most. If you don't find it generally pleasurable, you will either give up, or you will do it as little as possible. Endurance is stamina, and you develop that by riding longer distances and doing so sufficiently frequently that the body maintains the fitness gained.

Ride whichever you prefer, whether it's country roads or off-road. An off-road trail that is glorious in the summer might be horribly muddy in winter, so being able to choose between road and off-road depending on the conditions and your own fancy, can make a big difference to keeping up enthusiasm to ride.

Basically I’m limited in what I can do, but he wants me to push to the boundaries of what I can do. After 18 months of being told not to do more than a brisk walk (I’m only 38) I need to
A) build up the fitness
B) find my limitations and stick to it, don’t overload myself

So I’ll never be doing 30mile rides

My interpretation of that is that controlling the intensity level of your exercising is very important, i.e. possibly not just avoiding high intensity bursts of effort to climb a hill, but maybe also trying generally to keep your perceived effort/heart rate within a given range, i.e. what feels like a constant steady comfortable pace.

For that you need a bike with a good range of gears, but especially a low bottom gear - probably *very low* if riding steep Cornish hills or off-road. If the bottom gears are too high (which they are on most off the shelf road bikes, including gravel bikes) you will not be able to keep your heart rate and effort level low enough when you come to a hill. If buying off the shelf, MTBs have lower bottom gears than road bikes (although there is variation between MTBs, so it pays to choose carefully and check exactly what the bottom gear is on whatever bikes you consider).

The best bike for you would probably be a touring bike. Some touring bikes are biased heavily towards riding on the road, others are designed to be more suitable for off-road riding and are essentially rigid MTBs (no suspension) with clearances for mudguards and fittings for a rear rack.

[thirdcrank]

Picking up on something that others have touched on, don't assume that buying the bike solves all the problems so don't throw money at it to begin with.

Adults new to cycling or returning after a long break often have trouble for the first couple of rides because the big muscles in the backside are not used to being sat on and exercised. The answer to that is to persist and it will go away but not everybody does persist and a lot of new bikes end up at the back of the garage. Something begged or borrowed should be ok for starters. We do get queries about ultra-soft saddles but there's no substitute for a few rides.

Unfortunately, many off-the-peg bikes are overgeared for their intended use and users. This is especially so when the rider is both new to cycling and has health problems. It's unfortunate but some shops will sell what they stock rather than what you need.

Don't be drawn to buy things like tractor tyres and suspension till you are sure what type of riding you will definitely be doing. Off road they may have a place but if you end up riding only on the road or smooth paths they just add to the effort of riding.

[biketips666]

I'm concerned that you haven't really given enough detail about your cardiologist's advice, their cycling experience, or whether you have told them you are thinking of taking up cycling. Forgive me if your cardiologist is a keen sports cyclist who knows your likely cycling routes and that you've discussed your proposed uptake in detail. But:

1. Some people, even doctors, give advice that encompasses a wide range. All the way from "try to be a bit more active" to a minute by minute exercise regime.

2. The range of stress put on the heart in cycling is very wide. Pootling along level ground, only pedalling to keep moving, coasting every downhill, etc. Is very different to cycling as fast as possible, and...

3. ...hills especially are a whole different level of strenuous. A short but very steep hill local to me saw my heart rate rise to 183 BPM. Which is astonishing considering that I'm well into my 60s and most definitely not an athlete. You may think to yourself - "this is OK" until you hit a hill (which I imagine in Cornwall would be soon). I worry that your cardiologist may not have imagined the sudden high stress placed on your CV system.

4. Again, tell me if you've already done this, but maybe a controlled Exercise Stress Test is a good idea?

Whatever bike you end up with, I second advice to get a heart rate monitor. I use a Polar H10 coupled with a M400 wristwatch device. The chest strap monitors are generally reckoned to be superior to wristwatch ones, and the H7 was found to be practically as accurate as "proper" ECG machines, in tests.

[eileithyia]

I haven't read all the later replies after your comment about steady / steadyer riding... When I saw your first post i thought maybe pushing it on a MTB trail might be a bit beyond what you should be doing at this stage.

For example our immediate local MTB stuff could involve going over Winter Hill (as we did today) a fairly hefty old ride.

I would concur with those who have suggested something that crosses between two disciplines; a Cross bike, (bear in mind cross season is starting so could be scarce supply) a 'gravel' bike or what we would have called a touring bike when I started. Ensure you can fit mudguards, it can get very wet as we head into winter, even on a dry day the road surfaces can be quite wet and leave a messy streak up your nice new cycle kit, lights and any form of bag you may wish to carry with you.
A bike that spans both disciplines can be used for flatter trails; sustrans, canalpaths, etc., flatter routes that will give you an endurance work out rather than flat out steep MTB trail putting strain on your heart.

I would also (as someone suggested) consider if you will be riding from home or doing park and ride.. and what sort terrain might you be able to access.

My go to shop for someone relatively new to cycling would be either your local bike shop (LBS) always worth being good friends and a regular customer. Or a shop such as Decathlon, you can get a lot of bang for buck in a bike from a shop such as Decathlon as lot of their kit is decent stuff just branded as their own brand.

[iandusud]

You have made a good decision to take up cycling to help with your cardiovascular fitness - so well done.

As you have local mountain bike trails I would suggest that you consider a decent mountain bike, not necessarily a full suspension job, but a decent hardtail will be relatively light and have the low gears that you will appreciate on and off road. I haven't done much mountain biking in recent years but did loads in the 90's and 0's and it is a fun way to build up and maintain fitness. A mtb will cope well with your commute (although a bike fitted with full mudguards would be preferable in the long term but not necessary). If you find that you enjoy road riding as well you can then get yourself a dedicated road bike later. Cycling is addictive

Something like this: https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/voodoo-bizango

[Tangled Metal]

The OP said he's been limited to a brisk walk. It sounds like he's making a change from unhealthy, unfit or similar. I had a work colleague who was mid to high 20s in weight in stone and very n unfit. He started by walking up and down the hill from his house. Over time he increased the briskness. Then he switched to a simple hybrid bike. A cheap one but it did its job. Up and down that hill. Then further afield.

His outcome was 18 stone, probably a drop of over 10 stone. By that time he b had joined a 5 a side football team and was competing in a local league. If he hadn't torn his knee apart he'd probably still be that weight.

I only mention this because it might be similar to the OPS position. What really worked for this guy n was something that fitted his interests and life.a gentle start walking then modest cycling., but what really worked was football. Being in a team and playing a game he had interest in made the hard pounds drop off. The OP needs to make sure that whatever bike he gets he is buying into m something he enjoys. Without the enjoyment motivation gets hard and failure in your fitness goals becomes more likely.

Sorry of that's negative but IMHO it's not n which is best for cardio but which is fun? If you're about b health then enjoyment makes the activity part of your life and health will come with activity and diet.

[Stevek76]

So I’ll never be doing 30mile rides

Hmm, obviously without knowing what medical limits you have but 30 miles on road is generally much less tough than most non cyclists tend to think it is!

As others have said, the one the you enjoy doing is the one that will be better for endurance. Personally, as much as enjoy a good road ride, I tend to be a bit of a fair weather summer rider for those, it's the mtbing that I'll keep doing through rain and the winter.

A true MTB will not double up very well as a commuter however while an adventure/gravel/tourer generally will. I would not recommend a thoroughbred road bike to a new rider at all, they will have high gearing, a hunched over riding position and if you're sticking to quieter country lanes then the tyres will be far too narrow for the surface anyway.

Brand wise, it's probably not one to worry about too much. At any particular price point they all run on broadly the same margins but just have slightly different priorities on how they spec up the bike, one that has higher spec components will usually have a more basic frame. It's worth bearing in mind that almost all of them are built of in handful of factories scattered around East Asia (quite a few of those owned by Giant), all the final bike shop is usually doing is very basic final assembly (attaching wheels, handlebars, saddle & pedals and a quick check over and tune up)

[LittleGreyCat]

My personal experience.

I bought an MTB in around 1995 which had no suspension at all, although the frame would take a front suspension fork.
I rode that exclusively until the last couple of years when I bought a touring bike.
The main reason for the touring bike was that I was not able to go fast enough in the top gear on the MTB - but that wasn't an issue for most of my riding.
Also, I just fancied a touring bike.

The best change I made on the MTB was to swap the knobbly tyres for slicks, the same size as the MTB tyres, which gave me a lot easier ride especially round corners, but still a soft ride on the road where I did most of my riding.

In my biased opinion if you are fairly new to cycling and not that fit you would be best off with something gentle to get you started, so an MTB without suspension, or a hybrid, and with flat bars.
The more upright stance gives you more confidence and more all round vision.
The hybrid or MTB allows you to change tyres for more off road adventures but the main thing at first is to get used to a stable and comfortable bike which is easy to ride and makes you feel safe.
Low MTB gears also make hills a lot easier.

My touring bike is not that far from my MTB - steel frame, no suspension, nice range of gears.
It does have drop handlebars but many people ride touring bikes with flat or butterfly bars.

I ride (in a leisurely way) with some who have hybrids with front suspension.
Most lock this out because it is a hindrance on road.

If you can find a used hybrid or MTB this would be a good starting point because your first task it to build up your confidence and knowledge of cycling.
Once you are sure about what you really want to do (and a lot of people find that their first choice of bike doesn't quite suit) then you can look at investing more.
No point in spending loads of cash for the bike to then sit in a shed most of the time.