Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bicycle and training

Kid doesn't want to learn how to ride a bike. Do I make him?

Lucinda — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:40:11 -0800

Am I doing my son a disservice by not making him learn to ride a bicycle? My son just turned eight, and really has no interest in learning how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. When he plays outside, it's usually kickball, or baseball, or roller skating, or running around with the kids across the street (who don't seem to ride bikes much either).

Our house is on a fairly busy suburban street, with sidewalks. Many of the middle school students bike to school (this will not affect my son until the 2010-2011 school year), but as a general rule most of the kids in the neighborhood seem to walk places.

I don't want to force it on him if he doesn't want to do it. He has a bike that he got a few years ago but I think it might be too small for him now, and if he's not interested in riding I'm not going to spend the money on a bike he'll never use. On the other hand, if it's going to cause him issues in the future (either as a middle school student or even older), I might be a little more forceful in my suggesting.

So - those of you who didn't learn to ride a bike as a kid - did it ruin your life for good? For those of you who had a kid who really didn't care about bikes -did you force them to learn?

How to get to work faster on a bike?

Siberian Mist — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:50:10 -0800

Two years ago I sold the car and started riding my bicycle to work, about 26 km a day. However, over those two years, my average speed has not increased, in fact I think I'm actually a little slower than last year. Help me get to work faster! I'm interested in a simple approach: a basic training program, maybe- I don't want to change bicycles or go single speed.

Please help me find a cycling specific training plan.

sequential — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:20:12 -0800

Please help me find a cycling specific training plan. I am currently gathering information on training plans. There are two sites I am looking at specifically: activetrainer.com and Cyclo-CLUB. Unfortunately, I haven't found any useful reviews of either site's products. Does anyone have any experience with either site's plans?

I'm also open to any suggestions: books, coaches, other sites, and so forth. What I am looking for specifically are training plans that include strength and core training specifically for cyclists. I am already following an on the bike training plan, so any additional cycling workouts would be useful, but not necessarily critical.

One last word, since it's bound to come up, Joe Friel's Cyclist's Training Bible is an excellent resource that I already own. As useful as it is, it does not contain a training plan. Instead, it contains the tools to build your own training plan. Though I am a dedicated and a motivated athlete, I have found am much more likely to succeed if I have a clearly defined plan than if I am left to choose my own adventure. I tend to over train and not get enough variety or sport specific training if left to my own devices. As such I am looking for a ready to use training plan.

Thank you for your help.

Make my cycling faster! Plus vite! Macht schnell!

The Michael The — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 08:19:42 -0800

How should a newly-serious but just beginning road cyclist work on becoming a faster and better sprinter and hill climber? Background:
I want to start building speed and hill-climbing ability with an eye to joining faster rides with local clubs in a year or two, and eventually racing when I reach a point at which I won't be embarassed. Mostly, I just want to be a better and faster cyclist. I'm a 6'2" 195 lb (mostly centered around the midsection) 25 year old male, currently riding a Specialized Allez with triple-chainring Shimano Tiagra/105 parts, in Philadelphia, where there are lots of good routes both flat and hilly. I ride Look clipless pedals, will soon have a computer, and I have a Bianchi Pista that I ride around town that I could use for cadence drills and whatnot.

Currently, riding flats are no problem, but I'm not fast. I'm guessing that I average about 10-12 mph, and ride 25 miles about 4 times per week, occasionally doing 45-50 mile rides on flatter terrain. Hills are difficult, even with low grades, especially over longer distances; I usually have to drop down to the granny gear. and sometimes have to stop on the way up. I know that weight loss will help on all fronts (= less mass to push forward and up). How, then, should I approach riding such that it will help me improve? In lieu of your own methods, is there a book or website that you know to be particularly helpful in this?

Recomendations for good indoor bike trainers?

40 Watt — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:40:15 -0800

I want to purchase a bike trainer so I can ride indoors during the winter months. What sorts of things should I look for? What's the difference between a magnetic and fluid trainer? Are there certain brands that are better-built than others? Do I need one that has a remote control cable to switch resistance, or is that unecessary? I want to go into the shop well-informed so as not to get sold something I don't want or need. Any recommendations?

How to keep my lungs warm when biking in the winter?

kaibutsu — Fri, 19 Dec 2003 17:04:50 -0800

I'm wanting to do some outdoor bike training this winter, in preparation for going over the Rockies next summer. But, of course, riding in the winter isn't pleasant. The biggest problem I've run into is that my lungs start freezing when I get into a hard climb, while the rest of my body is overheating from the extra layers (essential for big downhills). Any tips on clothing choices that get the best of both worlds, or ways to keep my lungs warm?