When will my legs stop hurting/sore after riding daily?

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  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    If you're doing it for weight loss, I'd recommend my fitness pal for an estimate of calorie intake, with strava as an estimate for calories burnt.

    Your body is going to "burn" fat all over, so don't bother with press ups to target the tummy fat, unless you particularly want big stomach muscles. Abs become visible at a certain percentage body fat anyway.

    I'd take a couple of days off each week as a minimum. But it depends on all sorts of factors, your experience may vary.
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    One newbie riders anecdotal evidence of weight loss - I started road riding in January. I haven't changed anything about my diet. I've lost over 2" from my waistline.

    So cycling can definitely help you lose weight.
  • rumbataz
    rumbataz Posts: 796
    You should vary your exercise routine. Weight training is excellent for toning and weight loss. I switched from 100% cardio to 80% weight training, 20% cardio about 1.5 years ago and lost a lot of weight. However, I haven't exercised for 2-3 months so have put some weight back on.

    Increasing muscle mass will mean you burn more calories every day as your muscles will need to be fed more energy.

    You may want to do strength training on non-cycling days. Also, don't forget core strength training and stretching. I found doing goblet squats made cycling much easier as it developed a lot of strength in my legs. Pull-ups develop excellent grip strength which was also useful for cycling.

    I was running a lot for a while and found that my legs were getting quite strong but my upper body was weak. Hence, a full body workout over a week is probably better than just cycling if you want to keep fit and lose weight, and also look toned and in proportion.
  • g00se
    g00se Posts: 2,221
    The recieved knowledge is that you get fitter recovering from exercise - not doing the exercise. So taking a break is good for you, or do proper recovery rides. Foam roller may help but if you really want to use the bike as a gym and loose weight, make sure you're doing something stuctured and not just trying to get better average speeds and a great weekly mileage in strava.

    (This is all assuming you're putting some effort in - not just going out for an easy long spin every day - in which case, it sounds more like fit/injury issues)

    For long hard rides, you'll need to fuel during the rides, and after, you'll need to get some carbs and protein in you - otherwise you may start to feel it too. All of this will limit weight loss through the excercise. It's better than not doing anything but it's still going to be 80% what you eat and 20% what you burn.

    So if you want to get fiter and loose weight, the best thing is to look at some structured plans. But if you just want to enjoy your rides and hopefully loose a few pounds, just take it easier between rides.

    Have a look at the training forum for some ideas. There was an article about weight loss on the bikeradar homepage recently too.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    Zmac31 wrote:
    Sometimes my right shoulder hurts for like 20 minutes after the ride.

    This doesn't sound normal. Try pedalling with your legs.

    Happy to help.
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    lettingthedaysgoby wrote:
    So cycling can definitely help you lose weight.


    Be honest, have you changed weight, or changed shape? Cos they're different.

    For the OP, exercise alone will help you lose weight but at a very slow progression. One hour of INTENSE exercise per day every day will see you lose something like 1lb per week*. A food optimising plan will help you lose weight, but at a faster progression. Following a strict plan will help you lose 1.5-2lb per week*. Combine both and you're golden. The plan I follow doesn't really limit your carbs or protein intake.
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • Zmac31
    Zmac31 Posts: 34
    Mouth wrote:
    lettingthedaysgoby wrote:
    So cycling can definitely help you lose weight.


    Be honest, have you changed weight, or changed shape? Cos they're different.

    For the OP, exercise alone will help you lose weight but at a very slow progression. One hour of INTENSE exercise per day every day will see you lose something like 1lb per week*. A food optimising plan will help you lose weight, but at a faster progression. Following a strict plan will help you lose 1.5-2lb per week*. Combine both and you're golden. The plan I follow doesn't really limit your carbs or protein intake.

    So I have been cycling since July 8th. I started counting calories last week. Trying to stay under 1850 calories for a 6 foot man. Not sure if this is dieting. Someone commented to me that I looked thinner and said I looked good yesterday! So something is changing not sure if it is weight though! Never weighed myself though.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Zmac31 wrote:
    Never weighed myself though.

    Hi Chris!
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Just wear black, that's slimming.
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    Some of these suggestions are ridiculous, you don't need to foam roller doing 40 miles a week.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    The OP has now been edited - he said he was doing 200 miles a week, although I'd still say foam rollers might be a waste of time compared to my more traditional lie on the couch watching telly approach to sore legs.

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