I've gotten myself back into Cycling & I'm loving it. My bike is a 10 year old Ribble Road Bike with 531 Reynolds tubing & weighs about 10 kilos. My fitness is advancing dramatically. I Cycle for the enjoyment as a weight management tool & to keep fit.
I've been thinking that after Christmas I may buy myself a new Road Bike thats around the 8kg mark & costing a couple of thousand £££'s. But I've been thinking that hauling a heavier bike around my 14 mile daily route must be better for my fitness & weight because of the extra effort involved. Am I right? Would a new super bike help my fitness etc or am I better sticking with my lump of lead.
Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
This is a subject I've mentioned before.
I cycle for the sheer pleasure of cycling. A by-product is that it keeps me fit. The harder the ride, the less miles I do, but the more effort I put in, so the fitter I get.
I have a Moulton now, and that is harder work than my 531c Mercian, and in 2010 I had a Raleigh Chopper that I rode from JOG to LE. That was VERY hard work especially so because I was towing all my stuff behind me in a trailer. I finished that ride, fitter than I've ever been ...... but I wasn't fast, I just put on heck of a lot of work into it.
In my opinion, lightweight bikes are for riding quickly. You go faster and further for the same effort. If that's important to you, go for it.
If you want to get fit, ride something heavier and be slower.
I cycle for the sheer pleasure of cycling. A by-product is that it keeps me fit. The harder the ride, the less miles I do, but the more effort I put in, so the fitter I get.
I have a Moulton now, and that is harder work than my 531c Mercian, and in 2010 I had a Raleigh Chopper that I rode from JOG to LE. That was VERY hard work especially so because I was towing all my stuff behind me in a trailer. I finished that ride, fitter than I've ever been ...... but I wasn't fast, I just put on heck of a lot of work into it.
In my opinion, lightweight bikes are for riding quickly. You go faster and further for the same effort. If that's important to you, go for it.
If you want to get fit, ride something heavier and be slower.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
I can't see that it would make any difference to me. I'd end up putting the same amount of effort in whichever weight of bike I was riding. I might go further/faster on a lighter bike so that might make it a more enjoyable experience. Having said that, the difference in weight between my lightest and heaviest road bikes is about 1.5 kg and I don't notice this, but I might do if it was say 5kg or more.
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
My 'Dobbin', a Salsa Vaya weighs in at over 14kg. If its a regular fitness ride its my steed of choice. I am constantly overtaken by Mamils and fixated Stradageeks riding flimsy and uncomfortable lightweight road bikes, so Dobbin is a great choice. A day out for pleasure demands the comfy steel Mercian.
Al
Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
A lighter bike is more fun to ride than a heavier bike. Also less daunting when faced with steep hills. Therefore you're more likely to do more cycling on a lighter bike simply because of the enjoyment factor. Therefore a lighter bike will get you fitter.
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
Out of interest, why do you do the same 14 mile route each day? Is it a commute?
Generally a fitness programme in any endurance sport will involve a mixture of long slow distance and shorter more intensive sessions. You can do this whatever your level and regardless of the type of bike you have. So a lighter bike won't stop you getting fitter as long as you adapt your training a little; and keep on adapting it as you get fitter. Therefore in some sessions you can increase the distance, but keep others short and increase the intensity.
It sounds to me as if your current bike is perfectly OK for what you're doing. A new bike is always nice though!
Generally a fitness programme in any endurance sport will involve a mixture of long slow distance and shorter more intensive sessions. You can do this whatever your level and regardless of the type of bike you have. So a lighter bike won't stop you getting fitter as long as you adapt your training a little; and keep on adapting it as you get fitter. Therefore in some sessions you can increase the distance, but keep others short and increase the intensity.
It sounds to me as if your current bike is perfectly OK for what you're doing. A new bike is always nice though!
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fatbelly33
- Posts: 18
- Joined: 6 Oct 2017, 10:33pm
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
JohnI wrote:Out of interest, why do you do the same 14 mile route each day? Is it a commute?
I'm semi retired and only work 2 days a week so I only cycle on a non work day.
I don't do the exact same route every day I just cycle the route that I know will have the last amount of traffic at the time of day that I'm riding & with the least headwinds. I aim to cycle for 50 ish minutes 4 or 5 days a week , I can't factor in bigger rides because I have other things to do during the day ?& because of my age then an hour is about right for my strength fitness and also lifestyle .
But you're right a new Bike is nice & if I can persuade Mrs FB of the importance I may just get a new Bike in 2018.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
As a teenager, I sometimes went out "training" riding a pretty heavy pre-war tandem solo. I don't know if it did me any good.
It's certainly more enjoyable to ride a light bike. You can test this by fitting a heavy saddlebag or panniers - MickF has been known to use a trailer laden with concrete blocks - and going for a longish ride. When you get home, ditch the luggage and go for even a short spin. It's a bit like stopping banging your head against the wall.
Ultimately, it's how much the individual thinks it's worth it. You can spend a lot of hard-earned to shed ounces from a bike. Reducing weight isn't the only thing that makes a bike easier to propel: decent tyres, properly inflated can make a noticeable difference.
It's certainly more enjoyable to ride a light bike. You can test this by fitting a heavy saddlebag or panniers - MickF has been known to use a trailer laden with concrete blocks - and going for a longish ride. When you get home, ditch the luggage and go for even a short spin. It's a bit like stopping banging your head against the wall.
Ultimately, it's how much the individual thinks it's worth it. You can spend a lot of hard-earned to shed ounces from a bike. Reducing weight isn't the only thing that makes a bike easier to propel: decent tyres, properly inflated can make a noticeable difference.
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
fatbelly33 wrote:I've gotten myself back into Cycling & I'm loving it. My bike is a 10 year old Ribble Road Bike with 531 Reynolds tubing & weighs about 10 kilos. My fitness is advancing dramatically. I Cycle for the enjoyment as a weight management tool & to keep fit.
I've been thinking that after Christmas I may buy myself a new Road Bike thats around the 8kg mark & costing a couple of thousand £££'s. But I've been thinking that hauling a heavier bike around my 14 mile daily route must be better for my fitness & weight because of the extra effort involved. Am I right? Would a new super bike help my fitness etc or am I better sticking with my lump of lead.
10 kg is a seriously heavy bike and akin, as you say yourself, to a lump of lead. It's probably unrealistic to expect to be able to go anywhere at all with it or get any enjoyment out of it. Only your advancing fitness is enabling you to haul it around. I think you've been incredibly brave even to ride it at all and I'm sure you have got some curious looks from fellow cyclists. I would say bin this pile of gas pipe and buy yourself a super bike like the pros.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
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landsurfer
- Posts: 5327
- Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
horizon wrote:10 kg is a seriously heavy bike
Yes, but only if you as a person have 0 removable body weight.
My SPA is the heaviest of my n= fleet.
If i want to lighten it the first move is to lose some of my body mass ..... and there's lots available to lose ....
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
I also have a Vaya that i use daily for commuting - in fact it's my only bike. I recently removed the rear rack and associated pannier (along with the accumulated junk that was in it and replaced with a Carradice saddle bag - total weight saving was 2kg or thereabouts. The first couple of times out it felt really sprightly and I felt I was going a lot quicker than before. After a few rides it felt just as it did before and my average speed or perceived effort hasn't changed from when the rack was fitted, so in my experience any feeling of the bike feeling lighter are short lived.
I also remember hearing the commentators talking in this years TdF about the difference in speed between current bikes and those of the '70s. Someone had calculated that the difference in speed only equated to around 1 hour for the top riders over the whole of the race - around 0.1 kph.
I also remember hearing the commentators talking in this years TdF about the difference in speed between current bikes and those of the '70s. Someone had calculated that the difference in speed only equated to around 1 hour for the top riders over the whole of the race - around 0.1 kph.
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
landsurfer wrote:horizon wrote:10 kg is a seriously heavy bike
Yes, but only if you as a person have 0 removable body weight.
My SPA is the heaviest of my n= fleet.
If i want to lighten it the first move is to lose some of my body mass ..... and there's lots available to lose ....
My post was ironic but yes I agree with you. I was taking a swipe at the OP not because a lighter bike might not be more fun but because describing a 10 kg bike (that's a 300 km Audax bike) as a lump of lead is taking us into an Orwellian hell. Mind you, the OP might have been writing ironically as well ...
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
KFT wrote: After a few rides it felt just as it did before and my average speed or perceived effort hasn't changed from when the rack was fitted, so in my experience any feeling of the bike feeling lighter are short lived.
Someone had calculated that the difference in speed only equated to around 1 hour for the top riders over the whole of the race - around 0.1 kph.
Really interesting points.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
horizon wrote:10 kg is a seriously heavy bike and akin, as you say yourself, to a lump of lead.
10 kg is what, 22lb? That's not light, but 531 racing bikes were around the 20-22lb mark. Hardly a lump of lead. More like a hollow lump of high-end steel, with very thin sides.
As others have said, a lighter bike won't make you fitter, because that's about the effort you put in. You'll probably go faster. You might enjoy riding it more.
But 22lb bikes are fantastic to ride. I should know - I've got some.
Just ride!
Re: Heavy Bikes make for fitter cyclists???
drossall wrote:horizon wrote:10 kg is a seriously heavy bike and akin, as you say yourself, to a lump of lead.
10 kg is what, 22lb? That's not light, but 531 racing bikes were around the 20-22lb mark. Hardly a lump of lead. More like a hollow lump of high-end steel, with very thin sides.
My post was ironic but it worries me a bit that it could so easily be construed as serious. I was also worried about the OP putting out a seriously misleading message.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher