heavier bike + saddle time

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Originally Posted by canonsue

I would strap on a heart monitor and try your experiment and report back. It would be interesting just to see what the results would be. I would try it, but I only have one bike.

-Sue

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Granted, I'm no expert on any of this, but it seems to me that heartrate only tells part of the story. Wattage, along with heartrate, would tell a fuller story.

Just because you're riding a lighter bike doesn't mean you're using less energy/strength. Doesn't it depend on what gear you're using--assuming you're on a relatively flat road?

It takes less energy to ride a lighter bike than a heavier bike at the same speed but that doesn't prevent you from working harder on the lighter bike. Just up your speed, lower year gear and/or increase your cadence. By the same token, riding a heavy bike does not--in itself--guarantee a tougher workout or one that uses significantly more strength. You still have to push yourself.

Try this and see if it helps. It gives you estimates (mind you these are ESTIMATES) for where your max heart rate probably is.

http://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=4736

There's a fairly good explanation of what all this means as well.

So, again, you measure cardiovascular benefit by monitoring heart rate and duration.

If you can get your heart rate into the Zone and then MAINTAIN that level of exercise, you're getting a cardiac workout. It doesn't matter how much your bike weighs, it doesn't matter how fast or slow you are going- the cardiac workout is the same for the same heart rate and duration.

If you are doing cardio training, you should be aiming for a certain percentage of your MHR (Maximum Heart Rate) for a set duration. ALL the formulae available are rules of thumb for determining your MHR. The only way to determine your true MHR is to have a cardiac stress test. But that's ok, as long as you use some common sense when you're trying to estimate your MHR and the Target Heart Rate (THR) you are going to use while training. THR can range from 50% to 85% of your MHR.

Basically, if you're out of shape, use more conservative estimates of your Maximum Heart Rate. Start at the low end of the scale (50%) for your Target Heart Rate

If you have health problems of any sort CONSULT A DOCTOR before trying to determine your MHR and THR

If you are significantly over or even slightly underweight, be conservative in estimating your MHR/THR (again, consult a doctor before starting)

Work up slowly from lower to higher target heart rates. Start at 50%, then when this is comfortable after a few weeks, increase it slightly, work at that rate until you're comfortable there, etc. In a stepwise fashion. DO NOT compare your target HR to anyone else's: if you've got a friend who works comfortably at 80% of his/her MHR, and you're ready to drop after 10 minutes at 60%, you need to BACK DOWN, not up. Current level of fitness is part of this too.

Here is a "MHR calculator" that uses several of the different equations to determine an estimate of your MHR:

http://www.stevenscreek.com/goodies/hr.shtml

Start with the most conservative estimate at the lowest range and work your way up from there.

Again, CONSULT A DOCTOR if there is the least concern about your health. Age, a sedentary lifestyle, weight (under as well as over), and any known medical conditions (not just heart conditions but even something like diabetes or arthritis or joint problems) are all reasons to consult a doctor before beginning an exercise regime. Also if you're on any medication.

Again, regardless of how heavy your bike is or is not, IF you are interested in a cardio workout, you should be aiming for a particular THR of a particular duration. It doesn't matter which bike you're riding, for cardio training you should end up with the same THR and the same duration. It's likely you will achieve this THR more quickly and at a lower top speed on a heavier bike, but you get NO ADVANTAGE whatsoever as far as cardiac conditioning is concerned.

As for duration, research has shown that there is no cardiac benefit to be had for working your heart at it's target rate for more than about 20 minutes. Your total time on the bike will be longer than 20 minutes because you will need to ramp up to your THR, and then cool back down. You don't want to cramp up by just hopping off the bike after 20 minutes at your THR! Plus it's good cardio care to let your heart "cool down" too before you quit.

However, there are additional training considerations when we're talking about cycling. These involve developing stamina, endurance, and strength.

A complete training program includes sprints, hill climbing, interval training, etc etc etc. It's these aspects of training where the heavier/lighter bike becomes more significant.

If you're REALLY interested in training, you need to get a good book on training for cycling.

If all you're interested in is cardio training, you still ought to get a good book on cardio training.

In either case, you need to stretch before and after and work up to and back down from your THR. Don't measure fitness by time on the bike, but by time at your THR.