How cycling changes your body

[Bike Chick]

Perhaps an even more important question is, "How does cycling change your mind?"

I think most here would agree that we are happier when we ride our bikes. And that happiness extends to the rest of our lives when we are off our bikes. We are more relaxed and generally have a better attitude.

Wouldn't you agree, ladies?

Absolutely!!! You definitely have to consider the WEEEEEEE factor! Even if I never lose a pound riding my bike, the enjoyment I get from riding is invigorating.

[Catrin]

Absolutely!!! You definitely have to consider the WEEEEEEE factor! Even if I never lose a pound riding my bike, the enjoyment I get from riding is invigorating.

+10000 on this - for me the WEEEEEE factor is key There is something so joyful about being out on my bike in the country enjoying the weather, hearing the sound of my tires on the pavement, and feeling my body chugging along on the bike. I feel alive and connected to the world around me, and I CANNOT obsess/focus on stressful things while on the bike.

I've other forms of stress relief, but none have the pure WEEEEEE factor that my bike has. It is amazing what this can do to one's budget though

[redrhodie]

After many years of of poor body image, dieting, being emaciated but feeling fat, cycling has been a godsend for me. I finally have a strong body that I feel great in. I eat. I love my body. I never thought I'd be able to write that. So, the transformation has been both physical and mental for me as well.

[Librarygirl]

Yes, I agree 110% with all the comments made here about the psychological and physical benefits of cycling!

I have always been prone to depression and anxiety, particularly during grey cloudy weather (which we have now despite it officially being the beginning of summer here in Australia! ) and cycling really helps with that. Once those endorphins get going, wow it is just such an excellent feeling - calm, centred, relaxed yet more awake than before! Plus I think that mastering bike handling skills and achieving goals like to ride a certain distance or to beat a personal time, is SO good for one's self esteem. I feel really good about myself after most bike rides.

On the physical side, I have lost about 5 kilos (not sure how many pounds this is...) in the last 6 months, since getting the stamina to start doing longer harder rides. Also, my leg and butt muscles rock (if I may be a little immodest ) and I feel so strong! I'm the happiest I've ever been with my body, I reckon! But I agree, it is a real danger to start thinking you can eat whatever you want. So hard limiting the eating damage after a long ride - usually right after I'm not so hungry, but the two days after, OMG get me away from the fridge!

To sum up, just over a year after getting into bike riding, I love it, am completely addicted and never want to give up the amazing benefits!
Go for it, you'll love it too I'm sure!

[smurfalicious]

It depends. Get yourself a heart rate monitor and use it if weight loss is your primary goal. At a certain your body switches from burning fat to burning carbs. There's no real way of knowing exactly where that is, but I'm sure you've seen things that talk about your "fat burning zones." There are tons of good articles on training with heart rate that will give you information and tests to do to gauge where that point is for you.

For me, I keep getting smaller but I don't lose weight. I'm more on the sprinter side of things so I'm probably bulkier than a lot girls and it's getting tricky to fit my thighs into pants, but not horribly. Depends on what your body tends to do. I started swimming again and WHAM! My man shoulders got out of control. That's just me. I also have hormonal imbalances that mean I have more testosterone than most women, which could be a factor.

As others have said, you do need to work your core and such separately, but most of the female cyclists I know how pretty cute figures. Even the so close to pro she can taste it racer friend I have doesn't look all massive. Now, if you wanna race track like Chris Hoy who is dead to me because he married someone who isn't me, you'll get big legs:

[chicagogal]

I agree with everyone who said that it depends on body type, and how your body has historically responded to training.

I, for one, am tall/thin and can eat pretty much anything and not gain weight (please don't hate me). I do a huge amount of on the bike training including a mix of long rides (100+ miles) and short intense interval training sessions. During short sessions, I don't eat on the bike and rely on water for hydration. However, I try to eat right after my workout to replenish what fuel I used and to jump-start the recovery process. I am not trying to lose weight, however. Nonetheless, it is important to eat something right after a workout because it really does aid in recovery.

On long rides, I eat bars and gels and drink Gatorade. Even if you are trying to lose weight, it is important to stay on top nutrition on the bike, because if you don't, you run the risk of running out of glycogen stores and bonking - this is serious.

How has my body changed? I have lost some weight even though I try not to. My legs are super toned although not massive (my quads are pretty defined, however). My core is stronger, but my arms are like sticks.

Overall, I feel great. I feel strong and healthy, and this is the most important thing to me!