How many people ride a bicycle for exercise?

[Rob43]

Hi, I own a bike but it is hard to get started riding a bike again. In Tennessee I hate all the hills I will have to go up. I'm not at all considered in excellent shape to ride a bike up hills.

Rob

[lgvincent]

I rode one about 20 miles a day until I wore a gear out and haven't been able to get it fixed. I liked going up hills. There is one really tough one a few miles from here that I'd go up each day. The fun part is going down the other side. I could hit 40 MPH coasting. Watch those potholes, though! I once hit one and slide a few feet on the asphalt (ouch!). Could only pedal with the right leg on the way home so it took a while to get there. I've still got the scars on my left knee and elbow.

[Penny]

Before I got so sick a few years ago, I rode a bike a lot. Now I have trouble staying on one. I have trouble balancing anymore, and really fear falling off. I wonder if it is because of all the medication I take. I miss riding my bike since I do not drive, it gave me a small sense of freedom to be able to go when I wanted.

[Harold]

Schwin AirDyne no hills, no traffic, and I can use my arms and/or legs. :captain:

[Penny]

After reading this forum, I started feeling guilty that I have not been exercising on a regular basis. Got my old exercise bike out of the garage and rode for about 15 minutes. I did not get dizzy or feel unbalanced, so tried riding my 10 speed again, didn't work! :ahhhhh: I got less than half a block before I felt I was falling. Maybe if I ride the staionary bike for awhile, I'll try again. :ridinghor

[am1977]

No, I don't generally exercise by riding a bike, though I think it might be a fun way to do so :bike: . Actually, I thought you were talking about stationary bikes at the gym when I first answered this poll, but it wouldn't affect my vote anyway. I can't remember when the last time was I actually got on a bike :dontknow: The only thing is, knowing me, I probably would end up getting run over by a car :driver: . Sounds far fetched, but not if you know :biggrin: me, lol

[mg_2204]

I have one which monitors your heart rate, calories burned, you can choose different exercise programs, etc. A bike is a bit boring to use though. You must have a really nice collection of CDs to use it :thrasher: I would recommend if you want one to buy it second hand. Because (1) you don't know if you're going to like it and (2) you don't know if you will use it on a regular basis and finally (3) if it will only catch dust and take up room for nothing.

[KickStart101]

Ya, I still ride my bike, spring, summer and fall, but I don't
drive everyday, usually 2 or 3 times a week now. No hills
around here just inclines which get you working a little harder.



Hi Penny: That is weird about the dizziness. It could be your
medication or the combination plus other conditions. As long as
your sure it's not low sugar. I hope you ask your Doc about
the possibility of meds. Do you also feel dizzy when walking? I was just
wondering. Put vertigo in Google and see if that sounds familiar.
Ask your Doc about Vertigo also. I'm glad that you don't feel dizzy on the stationary bike. It is just as good exercise as an outside bike although can
get boring for some people. :sleep: ;)

[Penny]

[


"Hi Penny: That is weird about the dizziness. It could be your
medication or the combination plus other conditions. As long as
your sure it's not low sugar. I hope you ask your Doc about
the possibility of meds. Do you also feel dizzy when walking? "

I do have problems with dizziness anytime I exercise, bouncing on my exercise ball, sometimes even just walking into another room. I am anemic because of a combination of circumstances. I've had two heart attacks, cancer and the diabetes, and take a bunch of different meds daily. My doctor thinks the anemia causes the dizziness, and keeps looking for reasons for it. I've had about every test there is, but so far only found scratches on my stomach lining. I do sometimes get very low blood sugar, in fact it happened today, after a very high reading earlier. Anyway, I am afraid to be alone riding my bike because of the dizziness.

[Mick]

I'm a major cyclist. I own a Trek 7200 hybrid road bike, which replaced my 25 year old Schwinn 5-speed after it blew out a year ago. I also own a stationary bike, for use when the weather is too cold, rainy, snowy, etc., so I can keep the proper muscle groups toned year-round. I enjoy it very much, and even abandoned my car for most of this past summer in favor or riding to work most days. It's great exercise, low-impact, and tends to not give me lows the way some other types of exercise will.

Michael
T1 since 1965

[KickStart101]

I am anemic because of a combination of circumstances. I've had two heart attacks, cancer and the diabetes, and take a bunch of different meds daily. Anyway, I am afraid to be alone riding my bike because of the dizziness.[/QUOTE]

Wow, you sure have a full plate Penny. I sure hope you feel fairly
well most of the time. Ya, I wouldn't ride the outside bike either if
you feel dizzy and fearful on it. Not worth it. It would be Great if
your Doc could figure out exactly what's causing it. It could be the
anemia. Feel better. :)

[KickStart101]

I'm a major cyclist. I own a Trek 7200 hybrid road bike. I enjoy it very much, and even abandoned my car for most of this past summer in favor or riding to work most days. It's great exercise, low-impact, and tends to not give me lows the way some other types of exercise will.

Hey Mick. Well, I'll say you are a major cyclist alright. You sound totally fit. Good for you and you're doing the air a favor also by polluting less. That
sure sounds like a fancy bike. I bet it cost a pretty penny. I just use a
cheapy $175.00(tax not included :) ) 12 speed. Does the job.

[Dewey]

I used to Love bike riding, but got out of it (for a while). :( I also love roller & ice skating, but have put those on hold as well...(Actually, put alot of things on hold, but hopefully soon will be able to do more). I'd love to get back into all, as they're all great forms of exercise. My personal favorite is roller skating, though - great music, jam skating, etc. :thumbsup:

[DONS]

I live in East Tennessee and still ride my bike, I just load up my bike and pick my roads carefully (few hills). I also have a recumbent exercise bike for bad weather. I find the recumbent bike soo much easier especially on my rear.

[Lori M.]

I bought myself a bicycle last night and took it out on its maiden voyage this morning. :vroam: I was only able to go for about an hour. I had been walking a good 2-4 miles per day for the past month or so and the weight isn't coming off, but my numbers are consistently staying in the 90's and low 100's :D I'm going to try riding the bike in the mornings and walk some in the evenings after dinner and see if that makes a difference. I should've put on enough muscle by now to start losing weight.


Lori :trytofly:

[delta]

I hope you don't mind a pre-diabetic with a full blown diabetic brother to comment, but I use the same thing as Harold: the Schwinn Airdyne. I Tivo many of my favorite programs, put on my headphones, and go to town. You could probably do 20-25 minutes three times a week on this machine and get a great cardio and fat burning. You'd be surprised how time flies when you have something to watch. I actually do more days and about thirty-five minutes with a five minute cool down which if you so desire you can work up to in about three weeks.

I also do dumb bells at my local gym which is also good for raising the heart rate and doing good things for yourself.

:top:

[Diana]

I love my bike... I just bought a new one as my old one got pinched, and the new bike is really great. Its a combination of a comfort bike and a mountain bike, so it has a soft squishy seat and shock absorbers! So good to ride! So i ride to uni pretty much every day during good weather, which is about a 25 minute ride each way, with a couple of medium hills. Im scared of cars though, so i tend to stay on the footpaths, which technically speaking you're not meant to do unless your under 14... Hmm, if i get pulled over by the police, i will try to convice them that im just a little kid... might work!

[Mazarin]

I do but not as much as I should...

[F€đ Üp & 17]

i voted no. I dont believe riding a bike puts blood sugar down. I ride a bike because of transportation not exercise and thats only thru force due to circumstances involving my VW. Already lost a bike because I had to dodge a truck because they dont make sidewalx everwhere they should. The only thing that puts down BG for sure are barbells and barbells alone. :adore:


plus people in cars always act like jerks blowing at you and hootin like rednecks and so on. And I noticed some bad hills but Tennessee doesnt have that many unless you actually are on the mountain!

[sbremmer]

I ride a road bike with a single gear. This makes hill climbling a hassle and downhills exhausting. Flat cruising is awesome! My single gear bike is more fun than any 10, 12, 15, 24 speed out there. It's a light simple bike that's a blast to ride. The only noise that I hear on a ride is the rubber touching the road!! I usually log 15 to 30 miles at a time...
http://diabeticathlete.blogspot.com/

[Ritehsedad]

Yup.

I try to ride my bike to work each day. Not so easy this time of year, but I've been able to log >2200 miles this year. Next year trying for 3000.

[Simon]

I keep my bike at work and just use to get lunch each day. This works well because I don't have to worry about what the weather's going to do and it's always daylight at lunchtime.
The downside with riding a bike in town is that statistically speaking I'm nore likely to die young than if I don't exercise at all! :frown:

[mrwall]

i love bike riding!! i quit riding a couple of years ago, cause i got so out of shape, i have a giant 870, nice bike, i used to ride at least 50 miles per week, well i got it down from the hooks, and pumped the tires up, and rode it a couple of days in november, but the windchill was too cold!! and now we have had nothing but rain for the last month.. so i will walk until end of feb. then get the bike out again, i need to take it in for a tune up, and get some road tires put on it, as i live in the city now, and probably will not go off road much anymore.... but it is fun and you can burn a lot more energy than walking, i will do both though, i am going to keep my walking program going, and try to ride 3 times a week...
mike

[cynic59]

I like riding my bike. Unlike a previous message I find it lowers my BS. Of course overtime, I have to ride further and harder to achieve the same results.
This next summer I am going to try riding to work (40 miles one way).

My bike is a mountain bike because fortunately we don't have sidewalks either. That and some teenager attempted to have me ram his car by pulling in front and slamming on the brakes. So mud riding is a requirement.:thumbsup:

[Simon]

When I was first diagnosed and before I had access to insulin I measured my BG at 17 then went for a 30 min bike ride and measured it again at about 8. There is no question that it lowers your BG alright.

[lelggren]

I love to go biking :) It is winter right now though, so it is mostly the stationary bike for now. But, I'm looking forward to summertime to go biking in the mountains :)

[Irish_Fiona]

I have an excercise bike at home. I used to go on it a lot but haven't bothered recently. I'll have to start up again. As for a real bike NO WAY. I still have scars on my knees and elbows from when I was a child. LOL! :stickyman

[jenet]

The only thing is, knowing me, I probably would end up getting run over by a car :driver: . Sounds far fetched, but not if you know :biggrin: me, lol
Not all that far fetched. My hubby used to ride his bike everywhere, until he got hit by a pick-up truck. :ahhhhh: Result: one concussion, two broken shoulders, one scrapped bike. He replaced the bike, but hasn't ridden since.

cheers,
j

[Omaha]

Started riding 6 years ago, lost a ton of weight, and my A1C came down considerably. Watch for numbness in the feet, as some cycling specific shoes are a tight fit.

[Apple]

Im ashamed to say i have hardly rode a bike in years! :thumpdown

Mianly becos i can drive now so use the car to go anywhere.

Although i have been going on the excercise bike at home recently

[Vince1]

Hello to all, i enjoy bike riding, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself,your working your lower body (legs) and heart, i like to mountain bike in the summer and take spinning classes in the winter, i think the trick to these disease is to keep active , we can all beat this lets not let it beat us, :marchmell

[Tokyo Cate]

I need to get my bike repaired. It seems like everybody in Japan owns a "shopping bike"--a one speed bike with a basket on the handlebars and carrier on the back. They are very uncool and nobody could hold their head up riding a bike like that in Canada, but here everybody rides one so it is not a big deal. I used to ride mine every day when I lived further from the station, but that was to shorten my commute, not for exercise.

Still, spring is here and it is a good time to pick up some new exercise habits!

[psilocybin]

i ride the excersize bike...lol, to tell you guys the truth i have never had a bike in my whole entire life

[Ronin]

Hi Rob!

You didn't say anything about your weight, nor the vintage of your bicycle. Yep, those hills are tough, but getting your glucose levels is pretty tough as well. The real question is: do you like riding a bicycle?

If you do, you might want to upgrade to one of the more modern models with a tripple chainring that provides some really low gears for getting over those hills. Keep in mind that any ride you make to and from the same spot is, on average, flat. Okay, that isn't all that funny -- except to cyclists. The reality is there is a double prize for climbing that hill. The first is using all the energy and getting stronger. The second is that marvelous downhill reward.

If you have a significant other who motivates you you might even want to get a tandem and have somebody enjoying the experience.

Ronin (a.k.a., George N. Wells, CPIM)
Co-Leader of the DOGS (Doubles Of the Garden State) NJ's Premier Tandem Bicycle Club