Adding weight to a bike

Old Git On A Bike

Has anyone tried adding weight to their bike in order to get fitter?

I was just mulling it over in my head, thinking about using those weights that you can attach to your wrists or ankles with velcro, and thought about getting some to attach to my frame to make it about 10 - 20 pounds heavier for training purposes, the benefits being, when going up hills after using them for a period of time, it will have strengthened you and you should be able to cope with hills a lot easier due to the added fitness and lighter bike with weights removed, anyone tried anything like that and found it worth doing? Or are their any bike specific weights that are sold for that purpose, I couldn't find anything on Google relating to it.

Milkie

Has anyone tried adding weight to their bike in order to get fitter?

Guys in the Army do it for training, but thats running.. I'm sure it would work for a bike though, as long as you add it to your back or bike, and not your legs.

What about riding with your brakes slightly on all the time? The effect would be like riding up hill... I guess...

Lower your tyre pressures would create more resistance too..

graeme_s-2

Why not buy a crap second hand mountain bike on ebay and ride that. Nice big chunky tyres, heavy bike made out of scaffolding tubing and a rusty chain, that should give you quite a lot of extra resistance to ride against

You could go all out and attach some sort of sail/parachute to provide further aerodynamic drag.

supersonic

Ride further, or harder! Harder gears. Adding weight to a bike will compromise its handling.

alf01

ride my bike or fill a rucksack with rocks or water bottles

toasty

Go for a week eating as many fry ups and cake as you can. When you burn it off you'll be much stronger!

colsa

just fit a dynano

muddylegs

You could go all out and attach some sort of sail/parachute to provide further aerodynamic drag.[/quote]

This is what you want we have guys on our team that use these.
http://www.morrant.com/sports_training_ ... 453_p.html

Surf-Matt

Buy a £70 Halfords special.

Find a hill.

Try and ride up it.

ride_whenever

By adding weight your trying to increase strength, just turn harder gears.

stevieboy

Yes you could add weight to your bike and you will get stronger, however i'd try pushing harder gears as suggested above and increase the distance/intensity of riding