Whats a moderate ride speed

Albert Fisher said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to buy
myself a mountain bike.
My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should travel at
to acheive weight loss.

And what distance should I ride, and how often ?
In short can someone give me a exercise guide.

Thanks heaps...

If your doctor thinks you should lose weight, he should be able to tell
you what sort of intensity to start with.

Average or cruising speed for your purpose is a bit pointless I think
because it depends on many factors. eg. terrain, your bike, your weight
& fitness, etc.

I think if it's your doctor's suggestion, then any amount at any speed
which is challenging, will benefit you.

Just start riding and gradually increase your distance/time as you feel
comfortable. You'll probably find it really hard at first. Try to get
over that hurdle and you'll find your speed and distance will increase
anyway.

The sad thing is, you'll realise how many years you have wasted
not riding 😉

--
Nick

Albert Fisher said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to buy
myself a mountain bike.
My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should travel at
to acheive weight loss.

And what distance should I ride, and how often ?
In short can someone give me a exercise guide.

Thanks heaps...

I took up triathlons 2 years ago after the better part of 10 years
without exercise. For the first 4 months of training I had one aim and
only one aim - don't get injured. It applied to running but also to the
cycling. Start out slow. You're better off taking it easy for the first
few months while your body gets used to exercising again than to go
hard, get hurt, and give up. Also, if you have dodgy knees stay off the
hills initially if you can. Anyway that's my 2cents worth. Apart from
broken bones I've been pretty much injury free.

DaveB.

"Albert Fisher" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to

buy

Quoted message said:

myself a mountain bike.
My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should travel

at

Quoted message said:

to acheive weight loss.

And what distance should I ride, and how often ?
In short can someone give me a exercise guide.

Thanks heaps...

- be carefull, you're learning to ride
- choose light gears only
- heartbeat not over 120/130 depending on age to stimulate your body to burn
fat.

--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu

"Albert Fisher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided
to buy myself a mountain bike.
My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should
travel at to acheive weight loss.

How long is a piece of string? The harder you work the more calories you'll
burn. Just don't blow it by going home and stuffing your face full of
doughnuts. Cycling is not a panacea. It will help you get fit and it will
help burn some calories but your diet is still the key to your weight loss.
It took time to put the fat on and it will take time to burn it off. 500
calories below maintence is 1lb of fat loss per week, which is a sustainable
and safe rate of loss. If you are obese you may be able to lose weight even
faster.

Quoted message said:

And what distance should I ride, and how often ?
In short can someone give me a exercise guide.

Your goal, as a recreational rider, should be ten hours per week. Try
working up to this split or something similar:

Monday: Rest day.
Tuesday: 90 minutes. Warm-up, put in some sprint work or short intervals.
Get the heart pumping.
Wednesday: 120 minutes. Emphasise endurance. If necessary, do 2x60 minute
sessions, one hard session before work and one easy one after.
Thursday: 90 minutes. Maybe a group ride or training race.
Friday: 60 minutes. Take it easy.
Saturday: 60 minutes. Take it easy.
Sunday: 180 minutes. Endurance. This is ideal as part of a group ride.

Ten hours per week is ideal for recreational riders to optimise their
genetic potential but it's a goal - you have to work your way up to it. The
numbers might sound frightening but they're not really. For example, I live
in St Kilda. Riding to Sandringham and back is a reasonable 60 minute (25k)
ride for me. 25k is not an outrageous distance.

Of course, if you're going to weight train as part of your body
recomposition program then that changes everything.

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Albert Fisher said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to buy
myself a mountain bike.

Good decision. A MTB is versatile, comfortable, perfectly geared and
suited to the intended lose weight/get-fit task. To make the exercise
fun which is important, buy something with (Shimano) Deore/Alivio kit
as a minimum, and fit a set of 26 x 1½" semi-slick tyres intended for
road and bike path use. eg: Michelin City or Continental Town &
Country.

Quoted message said:

My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should travel at
to acheive weight loss.

Forget "moderate speed". Exercise associated with maximising weight
loss is all about intensity + duration. If that's *your* goal you
*need* to buy yourself a heart rate monitor. A basic, inexpensive one
for around AUD$80- such as a superseded Polar Tempo or Beat will do.
An expensive one with fancy 'bells and whistles' is superfluous.

Maximising weight loss *safely* means riding at *your* sustained
60-70% MHR several times a week *every week* for extended periods.
Between 1 & 2 hrs per session is ideal when starting out. This is
relatively low intensity. Your aerobic fitness will improve naturally
in conjunction with your initial program such that as you lose your
weight and improve your overall fitness, you can refocus to target
improving your aerobic fitness with a higher (80%+) MHR and increase
the duration/intensity as required.

Quoted message said:

And what distance should I ride, and how often ?

2 hours at 60-70% MHR 3 preferably 4 times per week *minimum*. Your
average speed and distance travelled will vary depending upon local
terrain, ie: hilly or flat, your bike setup, ie: tyres and pressures,
and your own fitness/potential.

As a very general guide, if on starting out you can achieve a 17kph
average on a MTB riding as described, you're doing OK.

Quoted message said:

In short can someone give me a exercise guide.

As above. Keep it simple. Eat right and stay hydrated, but more
importantly don't overeat. Stay focussed. Help yourself in doing this
initially by finding a mature group with similar goals to ride with
which will make the activity social and less lonely until it becomes
fun and naturally addictive. If you don't now, you will come to
understand what I mean by "addictive". Until then riding in a
non-competitive group will assist in maintaining your motivation on
the "I don't feel like doing this today" days.

PS: Polar publish inexpensive easy read booklets containing focus
activity related training guidelines for Running, Cycling, etc. They
are available from most Rebel Sports stores.

K

Albert Fisher said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to
buy myself a mountain bike. My question to this newsgroup is, whats a
moderate speed I should travel at to acheive weight loss.
And what distance should I ride, and how often ? In short can someone
give me a exercise guide.
Thanks heaps...

Just get out and ride for a few weeks at a very easy pace. (where are
you?) Learn how to enjoy it, above all else. after a few weeks when you
start to get 'your cycling legs' (dont gauge things by your first half-a-
dozen rides) you will notice you can push a bigger gear on the flat or
go up that hill just a bit easier. And then your hooked😄 !!!

Above all else dont get sucked into thinking that the bigger gear you
can grind, the better it is (for you or your speed). If weight loss is
your aim 'twiddling one smaller gear faster will get you there faster
every time!

PS is commuting an option for you? (will give you easy access to 'ride'
time, get you fitter/lighter and is most likely cheaper!)

--

Albert Fisher said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to
buy myself a mountain bike. My question to this newsgroup is, whats a
moderate speed I should travel at to acheive weight loss.
And what distance should I ride, and how often ? In short can someone
give me a exercise guide.
Thanks heaps...

Hi Albert:

If you are to gain, first you have to minimise the risk. You haven't
mentioned your age and how obese are you. Besides, the length of time
you've been obese has a role in your current physiology and
cardiovascular condition.

My advice is not to take any unsolicited advice on exercising. Starting
a sport in high 30's (if this is the case) should be approached with
care. All advice here is relative depending what is your ideal pace and
what's your perception of comfortable exercise. Pushing before it's time
can do you more harm than benefit. The best person to talk to first is
your GP. Depending on your age, you may need to take a stress (exercise)
test to evaluate your cardiovascular fitness. All your exercise options
can be planned from there.

Riding is a low impact exercise and is a very enjoyable one provided
that a few criteria are met. You need a bike that suits your need, and
fits your body properly. A good local bike shop can help you with
choosing the right equipment. Your initial need may be dictated by your
physical/medical circumstances, so I'd suggest you consult your GP and
work that side out before rushing to buy the bike.

Walking is practical in the interim so long your heart beat is
maintained at the rate determined by your doctor. So a reliable heart
rate monitor could be a must one way or other.

Good Luck, Amir.

--

Albert Fisher said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to buy
myself a mountain bike.
My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should travel at
to acheive weight loss.

Really irrelevant.

Firstly, you should take it very easy. for the first few weeks it is
important that you are not doing any damage to yourself. You will need
to spend a bit of time adjusting the bicycle to you, wearing in the
saddle, carrying adequate water, etc.

Also give a little effort to keeping your cadence up (pedalling rate).
Definitely over 60, if you can. This means you are spinning the pedals
rather than pushing. Pushing with a badly adjusted seat will cause long
term damage to your knees.

To start off with, try to do 30 - 60 minutes. This puts you into the
aerobic exercise range. Just take it easy. Do not worry asbout distance.

After a few weeks, you will find that easier and easier to do, if you
are doing it at least three times a week.

You can also start taking your heart rate from the beginning. Go for a
ride, stop and instantly record your heart rate for 15 secs. Wait a
minute and then record again. Over time, you will find the recovery rate
improving.

Other stuff follows on from this basic beginning, but riding speed is
not a training effect.

"Albert Fisher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have been told by my doctor to lose some weight, so I have decided to buy
myself a mountain bike.
My question to this newsgroup is, whats a moderate speed I should travel
at
to acheive weight loss.

And what distance should I ride, and how often ?
In short can someone give me a exercise guide.

Thanks heaps...

hi,
when i first started out i was 120+kgs and just started riding for a bit of
fun. (in jan 2003)
I was happy if i stayed around 15-20kph on bike paths (riding an older
shogun mountain bike). i started out riding around 7km's and then over a few
months built up to 10 to 20km rides. I didnt really set out to acheive any
weight loss..it just happened. then i wanted it to continue happening🙂 I
found that my overall speed improved faster than my endurance for distance
riding.

I rode every few days? sometimes 3 or so days straight and then not ride for
a few days? this was during a summer when it was still light after work.
nowdays i usually ride to / from work and on weekends i'll do a 70-100km
ride.

i'd say, just dont bust your ass on some long / hilly ride to begin with,
otherwise you'll have pain that'll put you off riding for a while..

"flyingdutch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Above all else dont get sucked into thinking that the bigger gear you
can grind, the better it is (for you or your speed). If weight loss is
your aim 'twiddling one smaller gear faster will get you there faster
every time!

It's better for your knees too.

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