G-Unit

A 15lbs. road bike

or a

25lbs. mountain bike?

Considering you're willing to put in the effort to ride for about 1 hour a day, and push yourself hard.

Will you see better results with one bike vs. the other?

The_Convert

not really, riding one bike for an hour at X% of your max hr will give the same results as riding the other.

You will just be going slower on the mountain bike and be more/less comfy.

simplyred

What are you trying to work out? ^^
Muscle strength or fat burning?

Oh and either bike will do... you just need the right path now...

rmwun54

Both if your got the gumption to do so.

G-Unit

I meant burning calories, not building muscle. I find that interesting that the weight of bike used would not have an effect on the resulting work out.

I should really get a HR monitor! They seem daunting though, I'm bad enough at math, I would probably mess up calculating my resting HR.

** I still count in my head using imaginary dots (don't ask, it's a system I devised in elementary school).

lilHinault

A schwinn beach cruiser with a narrow seat and bars is a better *over the same distance* than a skinny road bike.......

alanbikehouston

If someone is riding to lose a little weight, and relax, a beach cruiser is a great option. I spent a couple of hours Friday afternoon riding a one speed beach cruiser through some hilly areas in north San Antonio. Across dirt construction sites. Over some gravel roads, up a lot of hills, with climbs that last a hundred yards or so. I was having so much fun, I kept thinking, "well, let's ride another few miles". Did not want to get off the bike.

On Saturday, my legs were a little sore, something that rarely happens when I take a long ride on a road bike. The one speed beach cruiser was working my legs a bit harder and I suspect I was burning quite a few more "calories per hour" than on a road bike.

I suspect that even the guys who own "mega-buck" fifteen pound bikes with "unobtainium" frames might enjoy an afternoon on a one speed beach cruiser. "Low tech" can mean more fun, more relaxation, and a good fitness workout, all at the same time.

dfw

You don't really have to do any math to realize a benefit from a HR monitor. Just observe what your HR range is on what you would consider a good workout on the bike and use that as a reference for future rides. 150-155 is about the maximum HR I can maintain over a long period without burning myself out prematurely. I know this from experience, not from anything I've calculated. Now I can look down at my monitor and if it's say at 130, I know I can put out a lot more effort. If it's at 165, I know I need to ease up a bit. On mine, I can set alarm limits and my monitor will beep at me if I get outside a predetermined range. Some people can estimate their heart rate with a reasonable degree of accurracy if you know how to judge what your body is telling you. So a HR monitor is really not required at all, but I like using one because it's one less thing I have to think about.

Umbra

Is "beach cruiser" an actual specific bike or model...or is it just slang for a low-tech vintage fixed gear?

-=(8)=-

If you are going to ride a mountain bike in areas that are trails and
grass, a mountain bike, by far. In fact, to me, one trail mile equals
3 road miles in energy expended.
Im sure many will disagree.