Question about exercising on a bike

[marzjennings]

Fat burning takes about 30 minutes or so to kick in when you are exercising, and you need to be exercising at fairly moderate levels. Working any harder just burns off stored glycogen, which will be just as easily replaced. If you are a beginner, you'll need to build up slowly until you can go out for an hour or more at a time, when you can seriously start burning fat.

It's a slow process and you may even put on a little weight as you get into cycling and you build your cycling muscles, so be prepared to be patient and stick with it. Try to get out for a minimum three times a week.

As for the bike, I'd recommend a mtb-based hybrid. That would be robust enough to take off road as long as the terrain is not too rough, but give you a reasonable ride on the road. It's a myth that having a bike that makes you work harder on the road will burn fat off more quickly. It will just push you out of the fat-burning effort level and, in the longer run, may even discourage you from cycling all together.

Cycling should be fun, so getting out and enjoying the ride without working too hard is the way to make a difference.

Please ignore the above as most of it is wrong.

Burning calories is burning calories, whether riding for 5 minutes or 50. Obviously the longer you ride the more you burn.

If the OP can climb a set of stairs they can ride a bike enough to burn calories, no extra muscles mass is required (especially on a mtb with low gearing)

As you will burn glycogen during exercise (with increasing amounts depending on exertion) it can be easily replaced by burning fat after you've completed your ride. A win win.

As a personal note, hybrids are the work of the devil and others will mock you (well I would).

 

[RiflemanSmith]

I love my hybrid in fact I am going to buy a better one shortly.
To be honest though I can only keep one bike in the flat so it has to be a do it all bike.
If I had the space I would have a roadie and an MTB

 

[stu9000]

I started off a few months ago, on a mountain bike. If trail riding is your thing, go for it.
But, filtering out the testosterone, there are some good points raised in this thread.
A lot of us turned to cycling to get fit. Some of us are still a long way from being fit, but I'm finding the bike a lot more interesting than some stuffy repetitive gym. I'm no expert, but I assume this exercise I'm doing is better for me than sitting on the sofa knocking back the wine,,, must Google glycogen at some point.

After looking at various options I got a road bike. Yes I know the drop handle bars and razor blade saddle look uncomfortable but they are actually very comfortable, not to mention light, and that makes a big difference to your enjoyment. Why do I love it over the MTB? I go further, faster, more comfortably. Its just a great, ride-for-miles feeling that makes me feel like a kid knocking around child hood streets. The MTB now feels like a tank.

Cycling, like a lot of sports can be as simple or techy geeky complicated as you want it to be. There are some interesting characters on this forum with their own strong views, but a lot of good down to earth advice too.
I suggest reading around the subject while asking yourself what kind of riding you'll do next week, month and years. Have fun.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I agree with Stu 9000, Cowboy 728 will do well to read and learn. It's a free activity that may pay big dividends long-term. A mountain bike may suit best, as Cowboy 728 lives in a mountainous area, and mountain bikes can always be fitted with slicks for road riding. A few people fit drop bars to old "hardtail" mountain bikes to make 26" tourers out of them .

 

[John-Ellis]

I have a mountain bike with road tyres, I rode to work today there and back is 14 miles and I lost 64 calories according to my cycle computer, now the weather is better I am planning on getting out as often as I can to try and keep the weight off.

Fyi I will most likley be getting a road bike soon, but im not telling the wife till its in the shed ha ha.

 

[Sittingduck]

I have a mountain bike with road tyres, I rode to work today there and back is 14 miles and I lost 64 calories according to my cycle computer, now the weather is better I am planning on getting out as often as I can to try and keep the weight off.

Fyi I will most likley be getting a road bike soon, but im not telling the wife till its in the shed ha ha.

I would suggest this is way out. It would have been a few hundred cals. Variable, depending on many factors but either way - it's more than 64.

 

[Ern1e]

Hi Cowboy I also bought a MTB which I use mainly on road why because I lug shopping etc around on the old girl doe's me just fine ok faster would be nice but I get where I need to at my pace , so if your happy buying an mtb then go for it.

 

[Martyn H]

Until a month ago, I only had an mtb. As where I live is very hilly, the lack of speed has been no great hardship to me. I fitted semi-slicks and choose whether I stay on road, or head off onto some of the local tracks and trails nearby. Last year I took the bike to the Isle of Whithorn , and cycled approx 35 miles a day over the week. The best day out was cycling along the roads from Wigtown to Kirroughtree, having a coffee and a scone, then straight off around the blue trail before heading back home. Yes, It was hard work, but great fun. I now have a Dawes Galaxy to ride as well. If it wasn't for my Genesis Altitude, I wouldn't have got back into cycling, nor lost about five stone (partly as a result of the exercise) or have such a fun pastime.

 

[John-Ellis]

I would suggest this is way out. It would have been a few hundred cals. Variable, depending on many factors but either way - it's more than 64.

To be honest I never expected the cycle computer to be accurate where calories are concerned as it does not factor in my age weight and so on, but the distance and speed are spot on. If its more than 64 calories then that makes me feel better still

 

[I like Skol]

Hello Cowboy (that sounds sooooo wrong )

Welcome to the forum, you have come to a great site and are sure to get lots of friendly, helpful advice.

I am not going to recomend any particular type of bike, I have one of each, but I have to admit an MTB can do it all and can be enormous fun in the process. I commuted for almost a year on my hardtail MTB using 2.1" section slick tyres. These are very versatile, I can still hammer down flights of steps but give many a lycra clad roadie a run for their money

The main thing is to just get out there and ride. Ride to the paper shop, ride to the off licence, ride to the take away, ride to work, ride the kids to school, if the sun is shining just go out for a ride. I did and it is amazing how quickly the miles mount up and miles = fitness.

I love my hybrid in fact I am going to buy a better one shortly.
To be honest though I can only keep one bike in the flat so it has to be a do it all bike.
If I had the space I would have a roadie and an MTB

I love my Hybrid too. It is the default choice. Mudguards make it an all weather machine. Panniers make it a load lugger. fat tyres make it robust and semi-slick, high pressure tyres eat up the miles with ease. I also have a knarly MTB for really rough stuff and a skinny racer for the sunny Sunday rides when the feeling takes me (It was this or a middle aged bloke in a convertible car ). Despite this I still took the slicked MTB for a 100 mile run to southport last year and the kerb jumping, step hammering, wheelie popping, bunny hopping freedom it gave me was fantastic and I still had the energy for a bit of racing against my fellow riders in the last few miles!

 

[Shut Up Legs]

To the original poster: don't be too fussed about how long each ride is. I managed to lose 20kg (3.15 stone?) in 6 months just by doing a commute to/from work that was only 5km (3.1mi) each way, and took less than 30 minutes. The key is to be consistent, i.e. ride regularly and try not to skip too many days. So even short rides can have a big effect.

 

[boydj]

Has nothing to do with opinions, but completely re-writing all text on human physiology and being wrong is a bit hardcore for Beginners.

Nothing like a bit of exaggeration to make a point.

Right or wrong, the main aim is to set the OP's expectations that riding a bike is not a quick fix to losing weight. Cycling needs to become a regular, enjoyable habit and it takes time for the weight to come off, even with a sensible diet. I'd hate for the OP to buy a bike which in six months time is lying unused at the back of his garage.

 

[stu9000]

im not telling the wife till its in the shed ha ha.

You could go on about a gym membership for a while. After that the bike will seem a bargain!