Beginner seeking advice

Joe S. wrote:
:: I would appreciate advice in two areas: choosing a bicycle, and, biking as aerobic exercise.
::
:: I am 59 years old and have been a long distance runner for the past 25 years; have completed
:: several marathons, though the last one was a few years ago. I run 4 - 8 miles a day, 5 days a
:: week; I lift weights (free weights) three days a week; do 100 sit-ups with a few crunches thrown
:: in and 50-75 pushups 7 days a week.
::
:: I'm concerned at the pounding my knees and hips are taking from running -- all my running is on
:: streets and roads and while I run on the grass as much as I can, it's 99.5 percent on the road.
::
:: I'd like to start biking to work and biking for aerobic exercise plus doing occasional
:: recreational trail biking (for anyone in the area, I live within a few miles of the Virginia
:: Creeper trail).
::
:: Most of my biking would be on streets with an occasional foray onto a well-maintained, fairly
:: wide, non-extreme local biking-walking trail. I'd like to be able to snap-on/snap-off a rack of
:: some kind that would let me haul a sack or groceries or my gym bag or my lunch when I go on the
:: trail. Also -- and I realize this is probably blasphemy -- but I want a rear fender so I don't
:: arrive at work with [censored] slung up my back.
::
:: $500.00 max.
::
:: What do folks recommend?

There are many models available. Do you want a road bike (or a touring model) with drop handle bars
or a hybrid with flat handle bars and smooth skinny tires? Both would work for road riding. My
Specialized (specialized.comSBCBkModel.jspOpen ↗
7oqeyd.j27004) can take a rear rack but is outside of your range. The next model down is about $800.
Try your local bike shop and then them what you told us. From the sounds of it, you may need to
spend a bit more on a good road bike (IMO).

::
:: Now, how about some of you runners out there -- are there any folks who backed off on running and
:: took up biking? If so, what was the effect on your aerobic conditioning? I run 4 miles in 30
:: minutes and do 8 miles in under 64 minutes -- my resting heartbeat is 46. If I put in an hour or
:: so on the bike, pumping hard and not coasting, will I get a similar aerobic effect?

Sure. Though I'm not a runner and an inexperienced bike rider (why no one else answered has
responded is beyond me), I can tell you that if you haul ass on a bike, you're keep or improve your
aerobic conditioning. You simply have to do it on a bike, which means moving faster than you can
run. You can spin faster and in higher gear (maybe not recommended to use high gear, tho). You can
use a heart rate monitor while you ride, to gauge your heart rate (and to compared to your riding,
maybe). You can sprint on a bike just as you can while running.

::
::
:: Thanks to all for your advice and assistance.
:: --
::
:: ----
:: Joe S.

I think that a lot depends on the level of your biking skills. Did you do a lot of riding when you
were younger? If you are learning, you may never develop the skills you need to go fast enough to
get really good aerobic exercise. Especially if you intend to stay on bike paths, where going fast
can be dangerous. And if you go on the road, are you going to be comfortable enough with traffic to
really hammer? Have you considered indoor biking - spinning or similar? If you want pure aerobic
exercise without impacting your knees, that might be a good choice. You can focus on your training
without having to deal with traffic, walkers, bladers, dogs, and darkness.

Mann

Quoted message said:

Now, how about some of you runners out there -- are there any folks who backed off on running and
took up biking? If so, what was the effect on your aerobic conditioning? I run 4 miles in 30
minutes and do 8 miles in under 64 minutes -- my resting heartbeat is 46. If I put in an hour or
so on the bike, pumping hard and not coasting, will I get a similar aerobic effect?

Thanks to all for your advice and assistance.
--

----
Joe S.

Joe S. said:

I would appreciate advice in two areas: choosing a bicycle, and, biking as aerobic exercise.

Get at least twice an expensive bike as you had intended and you will get more out of it. It will be
more enjoyable and you will be out there more often. As for aerobic exercising I don't think you can
find anything better. I'm 53 and have been commuting for some years. Last year I bought a roadbike
and joined a club, with weekly rides etc. At the same time goin to a gym. Today I feel like I did
when I was twentyone. I'll never be like twenty again 😉 but the difference is pretty marginal as
far as my cardiovascular system goes.

We have a 67 year old dude ( retired hockey player) in our club that just joined same time as
me. He's doing 30 km TTs in 47 minutes. That's faster than anybody else in our club except the
Elite racers.

As far as knees goes we have a 77 year old with two artificial knees that gets really upset if he
doesn't break 60 minutes on the same TT.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

In article said:

Joe S. wrote:

<snippage>

Quoted message said:

:: Now, how about some of you runners out there -- are there any folks who backed off on running
:: and took up biking? If so, what was the effect on your aerobic conditioning? I run 4 miles in 30
:: minutes and do 8 miles in under 64 minutes -- my resting heartbeat is 46. If I put in an hour or
:: so on the bike, pumping hard and not coasting, will I get a similar aerobic effect?

Sure. Though I'm not a runner and an inexperienced bike rider (why no one else answered has
responded is beyond me), I can tell you that if you haul ass on a bike, you're keep or improve your
aerobic conditioning. You simply have to do it on a bike, which means moving faster than you can
run. You can spin faster and in higher gear (maybe not recommended to use high gear, tho). You can
use a heart rate monitor while you ride, to gauge your heart rate (and to compared to your riding,
maybe). You can sprint on a bike just as you can while running.

I think the key is to use a heart rate monitor. Check your monitor when running, and then duplicate
on the bike.

Some of your running muscles may de-condition, like the tibialis anterior.

But what about this strategy:

Run less miles, but still do some fartlek, and maybe a LSD run on the weekend, and make up the rest
of your training on the bike.

Use the HR mon.

Use a timed run periodically to assure that you're not losing your essential core conditioning.

You may find your running improves.

Also, at your level, if you keep conditioned on the bike, even if it's less training stress,
you should keep your ability to get out and fun run for 5 years minimum, factoring in the
decline with age.

I only have anecdotal info, and no cites for this.

However, no matter how hard I ride on a bike (given I'm restarting after not biking for many years),
I find running is tougher, and the runner's high is greater.

I'm -hoping- to recapture that high on the bike, since my joints are not allowing me to run at
present. I'm 50-something. ;-)

-B

--
Email Replies to johnson<nospm>01j <att> ntelos <dott> net

"Joe S." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm concerned at the pounding my knees and hips are taking from running -- all my running is on
streets and roads and while I run on the grass as

much

Quoted message said:

as I can, it's 99.5 percent on the road.

This is why I gave up running -- certain joints wouldn't take it any more.

Quoted message said:

Most of my biking would be on streets with an occasional foray onto a well-maintained, fairly
wide, non-extreme local biking-walking trail.

As you become more experienced, you will find yourself more and more on the street. If there's a
local bike club in your area that does road riding, I suggest you ride with more experienced roadies
and learn from them while on club rides.

Quoted message said:

I'd like to be able to snap-on/snap-off a rack of some kind that would let me haul a sack or
groceries or my gym bag or my lunch when I go on the trail.

There's lots of these out there.

Quoted message said:

Also -- and I realize this is probably blasphemy -- but I want a rear

fender

Quoted message said:

so I don't arrive at work with [censored] slung up my back.

Not blasphemy at all. Most transportational riders want fenders.

Quoted message said:

$500.00 max.

What do folks recommend?

Going to your Local Bike Shop (LBS) and telling them what you told us, and seeing what they
recommend. If you don't like them, or their attitude, find a different LBS. Your relationship with
the LBS is as least as important as the bike you buy from them.

If you buy now, there are lots of shops trying to clear out their 2003 models and make room for
Christmas merchandise, if they haven't already, so you might be able to get a real deal.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com

Home of the meditative cyclist: home.earthlink.netWelcome.htmOpen ↗

Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at: bookcrossing.comCpeterskyOpen ↗