A few Cycling related questions,please answer 1 or all.much appreciated!?

Question

1)training on a stationary exercise bike I have been getting sore knees.How can I fix this,is there techiques to help?
I've just begun and tonight did 45mins including approx 5mins slow warm up of 50 rpm,then i did 6 sets in the middle of workout of 6 x 2 min drills at 90-95rpm each time with 2-5min intervel rest periods.I have the level set at a moderate resistance.

question 2)I have done simular workouts on 2 different exercise machines.One York brand exercise bike says I burn't 3000 calories in approx 70mins with a workout as mentioned in question 1.And the second machine (both new machines)said I burn't 375 calories in 40 mins,and seemed even harder at times.So which machine sounds more accurate in your opinion please?

3)Any good websites/links you may know of for cycling tips etc

4)any good training dvds on cycling?possibly with Lance Armstrong as he seems to be the poster boy of the sport,or just any other good dvd title.

5)any good tips you may have on diet,training

Thanks again in advance!

Answer 1

The 375 calories is more accurate. Here is a quick link about it.
http://www.nutristrategy.com/fitness/cycling.htm

Answer 2

1) The gym-style trainers (like life cycle) are notoriously bad for bio mechanics. The easiest solution is to adjust the seat height, making sure that your leg has a slight bend at the fullest extension. If it's too high you will hyper extend the knee and stress the posterior ligaments. Too low and you will stress the anterior ligaments at the top of the pedal stroke. Still, your position over the pedals is generally too far forward on these bikes, so if you have other biomechanical issues, the seat height may not solve the problem.

the real solution is to get a decent bike, have it fitted to you, and then get a stationary trainer to mount it on.

2) There is no way to correlate what you actually burn in terms of calories with what the machines say you do. Actually, these machines give a number based on the amont of power generated by the machine as you pedal. The math and physics are based on completely different parameters. In order to correctly calculate what you are _burning_, you need to have a machine that is calibrated to a load/torque standard, Then you have to plug in such factors as your weight, age, resting heart rate, anaerobic threshold, and max heart rate.

Use the numbers on the machine as guide, and stick with the same machine. The numbers don't mean anything except as a reference to what you do every day in your workout.

3) You obviously are exercising at a high enough level that you would benefit from a quality heart rate monitor. I usually advise people in this forum to go to walmart or target, and get a cheapo HRM that just shows your heart rate. In your case you need something that you can program zones into and download the info to a PC. Something from Polar, like the 500 series.

I recommend the Cyclops training videos. They are some of the best workouts I've ever had on a indoor trainer in 25 years of racing.

Answer 3

I suspect that the pain in your knee is caused by position on the bike. Exercise bikes are never really setup to give your body the best position when riding hard. They are usually geared to lower intensity workouts. Look at a spin bike and see how different the setup is.

Regarding the calories, I think the 375 number is more accurate. In a very rough sense, an average cycling at an average speed burns about 25 calories per mile on the road. That means that to burn 375 calories you would be riding about 15 miles on the road. 15 miles on the road takes anywhere from 45 mins to 1.5 hours depending on the rider. Seems reasonable. If the 3000 calorie number were correct, you' be burning your entire daily diet in 70 minutes. Doesn't add up.

Answer 4

first off,you need to learn how to pedal.Doing the up and down piston stab will alwaus hurt your knees.You have to learn to pedal in a circular motion.As far as dvds...are you a roadie or a single tracker?.They are two very different styles and training is different for each.Diet and training,I need specifics.Feel free to e mail me through here.I am a certified personal trainer also. I'd be more than happy to help.i am an avid mountain biker who races and does du-athalons

Answer 5

Are your knee joints sore or the muscles around the knee?

If it's the muscles you just have to gut it out and once you develop some power you'll feel better.

If it's the joint have someone who is on the ball observe you on the bike and see if your pedaling stroke is aligned properly. You could be throwing your knees out to the side or a seat adjustment might be in order.