Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.The Confessor
12-26-08, 12:43 PM
I'm gearing up for an eventual long-form tour, but opportunities for +30-mile biking days away from home (where my job duties are limited, but I'm generally expected to be "on call" at all times) are few and far between. I'd like to build lung capacity, leg strength, and endurance using an exercise bicycle instead.
I'm leaning toward a recumbent model (specifically the Schwinn 231, as it seems to be the best consumer-grade product) to facilitate possible multitasking with my laptop (and use by another member of the household who would have trouble mounting an upright model or using other forms of fitness equipment), but I'm curious about the extent to which muscle development using a recumbent model will apply to upright biking. Lung/cardio development aside, will I basically be back to square one when it comes time to actually tour on a Trek 520 (which I already have on order)?
(Feel free to challenge my basic assumptions in answering my question; I'm new to touring.)
I'm leaning toward a recumbent model (specifically the Schwinn 231, as it seems to be the best consumer-grade product) to facilitate possible multitasking with my laptop (and use by another member of the household who would have trouble mounting an upright model or using other forms of fitness equipment), but I'm curious about the extent to which muscle development using a recumbent model will apply to upright biking. Lung/cardio development aside, will I basically be back to square one when it comes time to actually tour on a Trek 520 (which I already have on order)?
(Feel free to challenge my basic assumptions in answering my question; I'm new to touring.)