From my experience in the gym, those bicycles don't seem to burn many calories, compared to the eliptycal machines and the treadmills...but I have a mountain bike now and after a good ride outside, I feel like I get a workout.....or maybe it is in my head?
2007-03-16 08:17:15 · 9 answers · asked by Courtney 3 in Sports ➔ Cycling
You have to work hard to burn lots of calories. If you are using more muscle groups (like your arms AND your legs) you obviously burn calories faster, which might explain the difference between the elliptical trainer and treadmill vs. the stationary bike.
However, if you are riding a mountain bike off-road you use more muscle groups than a normal road bike or a stationary bike because it requires more balancing skills and effort. Mountain biking is very aerobic (whoever says that it isn't has never used a heart monitor while riding a mountain bike!).
Also, many people enjoy mountain biking because you are outside enjoying nature. If you can enjoy what you do for exercise that makes it that much better for you!
2007-03-16 12:35:53 · answer #1 · answered by Rexxie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally you will always burn more calories exercising outdoors than indoors on a stationary machine. Bicycling can be a very good exercise to burn calories depending on how hard you work. Enjoy the outdoors and ride the trails!!!
2007-03-16 11:04:06 · answer #2 · answered by CM 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The healthiest rate is to lose 2-3 pounds of body fat per week. Any more than that is considered unsafe. You can probably achieve your goal in 2-3 months, which is not bad. Just make sure to religously stick to your plan. Any cheat day will only make your goal further. At around the 5th week you will notice that your weight isn't going down any more. This is called hitting the plateau which means that your body has adapted to your work-out and diet routine. When you hit this point, simply change your work-out routine to give your body a "new shock" which will make it feel that its working harder therefore burn more calories.
2016-03-29 01:56:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that mountain bike is a great sport, but it might not be as good for calorie burning. Well, it's more an anaerobic sport, vs aerobic for road cycling.
You do more sprints, here is a steep climb, puff puff, oh.. a bit of downhill...wheee..... a nice flat to take it easy.. my what a nice view... oh, another climb... puf puf puff....
On the other hand, I think that you do excercise more of your body that a road bike.
2007-03-16 09:19:06 · answer #4 · answered by Roberto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can feel it, it's working. You don't need an electronic display to tell you how many calories you've burned. If you are tired and huffing and puffing and you can feel the ache in your muscles, you're getting a good workout.
2007-03-17 09:04:35 · answer #5 · answered by Jim 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Few of the indoor cycling machines I have encountered have the electronics to vary the load and rpm while you are using them. Meanwhile, outside, you are probably encountering those same variable load and rpm conditions, and in many cases, cycling outside will take longer than inside, therefore increasing your workout potential. Enjoy the cycling, and be safe.
Good luck.
2007-03-16 12:27:49 · answer #6 · answered by Unforgiven Shadow 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi, the broad, and general rule is 40 calories a mile, could easily be more or less depending on whether sprinting or pacing it.
2007-03-17 04:08:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah.. if you use it..
I know some people who has a mountain bike... but never use it.. they hang it up there on the wall like a trophy.. just to show off..
2007-03-16 08:26:29 · answer #8 · answered by Think Richly™ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all in your head.
2007-03-16 08:25:23 · answer #9 · answered by IKB 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋