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Cycling

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Bonjour tout la monde from the Dordogne where I'm half way through a lycra lovers ideal holiday.

Being on top of a 300m hill and surrounded by river valleys, any direction you go is gonna have some nice ascents. In a 40km leisurely ride from the front door you can easily clock up 1000m of ascent with views like these at the tops (this is Roccamadour)

cycling2.jpg

and pound it along the river valley when you've had enough.

Have also been getting used to the Garmin 705 Edge. Fully recommend this site to use with it, awesome http://ridewithgps.com/
 

Reddy!

Bob Davidson (42)
Okay I've taken up riding to some extent. I've been slogging it out on my old mountain bike - done some 60km rides along bike paths out to the bay and back, which took just under 3hrs my first time.

Also I have done some proper mountain bike rides along the fire roads and down hill trails found in the bush/hills in Brisbane's West. It's pretty special being out in the dense bush where it is really silent. These rides are only really about 10km but are pretty hard and slow due to hills at every corner and you are riding up loose gravel and rocks. I highly recommend mountain biking, it is a nice change from the city and suburbs and cars! I must look like a massive rookie (or legend!) as I ride past the middle aged men in their lycra and $3000 mountain bikes while I'm wearing my trusty red flannel shirt and running shorts hahaha

I have found my epic 3hr bike rides have helped with my running - did a 10K fun run on the weekend and despite having a bit of a layoff from running I did a good time as mentally the cycling has prepared me well.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Been meaning to say Reddy that they're decent rides you're doing in decent times. You should get a proper bike and a some decent threads.....
 

MajorlyRagerly

Trevor Allan (34)
I have found my epic 3hr bike rides have helped with my running - did a 10K fun run on the weekend and despite having a bit of a layoff from running I did a good time as mentally the cycling has prepared me well.

I have found exactly the opposite. Went out for a 5k run the other day & was absolutely stuffed by half way.

Was then playing football and once again, could barely even move after about 5 mins of sprints.

to be honest, I'm losing faith that I'm achieveing anything with the riding apart from a hell of a lot of sweating!
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
MR, there is some truth to that. I find the more I ride, the more I struggle when I run. I put it down to riding working different muscle groups and when I get out on the track it's like my body has forgotten how to put one foot in front of the other.

The riding is helping in other ways though.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
If you're not using clip ins, then it won't help your running muscle groups much. Pedals just work the quads, it's only with the clips that you properly work the hammies and glutes. Still, it works muscles more akin to climbing stairs than running flat.

It should still work cardio well, but only if you push a good pace on the flat (hard to do with MTB) or get some climbing in
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
If you're not using clip ins, then it won't help your running muscle groups much. Pedals just work the quads, it's only with the clips that you properly work the hammies and glutes. Still, it works muscles more akin to climbing stairs than running flat.

It should still work cardio well, but only if you push a good pace on the flat (hard to do with MTB) or get some climbing in

I have clips, but not clip ins. I find the quads are worked in different ways now and the glutes are actually worked better, but not the hammy's. Overall it's been a good experience though. I'm a shitload fitter and healthier as a result.
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member

Reddy!

Bob Davidson (42)
I have found exactly the opposite. Went out for a 5k run the other day & was absolutely stuffed by half way.

Well for me I found it helped mentally. Just knowing that your body is capable of doing 3hrs of hard exercise is good - when I do a 40minute run you can just smash it out knowing the pain is only really short. You have to do some running still I guess so your body doesn't forget. But the different muscle groups thing is right...I think any fitness stuff you can do is going to help you in whatever sport in the long run.
 

MajorlyRagerly

Trevor Allan (34)
Looks like a bargain, but inspect it first. As you're going to be using this as transport rather than serious cycling could I suggest you get your local bike shop (you'll be seeing a lot of them if you buy it) to put on a set of straight handlebars.

How come? I commute daily on a bike with the handlesbars the same as the one in the picture. Am I making a major fark up here?
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Personal preference. Straight bars more comfy if not used to the drops.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I opted for the flat bar because I find it more comfortable, but it's harder work riding into the teeth of that bloody SW wind in the evenings. I fully expect to end up with a drop bar bike at some point.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
Track rider in my teen years, road racing really not my go but managed to fudge my way through 3 Goulburn - Liverpools and the greatest test of torture known to man, the Grafton-Inverell. Raced Heffron/Homebush regularly as a vet. Raced a little in Italy/UK. No longer licenced, but have some good 40-50km loops that I now ride locally.

Have an Eddie Merckx MX Leader (steel is real) with a ridiculous array of retro bits, including Suntour Superbe Pro Cranks, Ambrosio Durex Rims with Phil Woods Hubs, Campagnolo Super Record Brake Calipers with Mavic Levers, Selle Italia Turbo Seat, Time Seatpost, 3TTT Stem and Bars, as well as the poor man's STI, Shimano 7 Speed Bar End Shifters

Somehow I missed this post PHD. Where do you ride now?

Looks to me like we need to put together a G&GR Cycling Team (based around you)
 

Ruggo

Mark Ella (57)
You bokes into cycling, what is your take on spin classes? I have been doing a few to mix up my excercise plan to drop some weight and get fit again and have found it to be close to immitating what playing a game of rugby is like with the constant change in pace and intensity. Do you blokes who ride and play find it to have any benifits to your rugby?
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
I have found exactly the opposite. Went out for a 5k run the other day & was absolutely stuffed by half way.

Was then playing football and once again, could barely even move after about 5 mins of sprints.

to be honest, I'm losing faith that I'm achieveing anything with the riding apart from a hell of a lot of sweating!
MR, what Gagger said - without being set up "properly" you will not really use all the muscles properly - end up with big quads, weak hammies and glutes, and wasted adductors and abductors, thus stuffing lateral movement (like you need in footy). As for fitness - need to do intervals, just banging along the flat does not a lot. It's like any exercise, there is a right way, and many wrong ways.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
You bokes into cycling, what is your take on spin classes? I have been doing a few to mix up my excercise plan to drop some weight and get fit again and have found it to be close to immitating what playing a game of rugby is like with the constant change in pace and intensity. Do you blokes who ride and play find it to have any benifits to your rugby?
Tis good, although I don't do them. Intervals. Also very high female : male ratio in most of them. :)
 
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