Greif8

Hello to everyone. I have read this forum for a few months, and learned alot. I would like to have the opinions of other, more experienced members about using my road bike for training. I live in Germany and play football, soccer in America, at a fairly high amateur level. I would like to use my road bike, a Trek 1500, to improve my physical abilities and reduce wear on my legs. Currently I have a VO2 Max of 57, Rest Heart Rate is 50, Maximum Heart Rate is 194. I am 166cm tall and weigh 73 kg, and I am 27 years old. I train with the team two times a week and play a match once per week between August and June during a year. I have two goals using my road bike.

One, instead of running to maintain fitness on non-team training days I plan to ride. On two days I will ride 45-50 kms maintaining 60-65% of my Maximum Heart Rate. During the other two days I want to do interval training using the methods I have read on this forum. I think this will reduce the stress on my knees and ankles and, hopefully prolong my playing career at my current level. Also I think the interval training will improve my quickness over 10-15 meters and improve my anerobic condition. I do not plan to use my road bike to train sprinting as I get enough of that during team training.

I am interested in the opinions and any advice other forum members regarding my plan. I apoligize for the long post and stilted English.

Eatadonut

No worries about the english - It's better than some of us native speakers could do!

Sounds like you've got a solid plan, if you're really worried about your knees and ankles, it's a MUST for you to get a professional bike fitting. If that bike isn't set up properly, it'll tear your knees up faster than soccer will.


Best of luck!

plin

Welcome to the forum. I have a couple of suggestions:

First of all, cycling can certainly improve your cardiovascular fitness. However it will not improve by riding at 60-65% of your max HR (116-126). These slow sessions are good for active recovery and should be placed the day after your football practice or game.

To obtain better cardio fitness, you need to add intensity to your training. However, I am against adding intensity or interval sessions to your week since you are already doing intervals during football games and practices. There is really no point in going hard on a bike because you are just going to tire yourself out and see your performance decrease in football.

Cycling for you is just a complementary sport besides football. There isn't much point in improving your cycling abilities. Just use it for active recovery by riding easy. Cheers.

Greif8

Thank you for the reply. I have been fitted for the bike and rode it Monday. My knees and ankles did not ache as they usually do after running, for which I am thankful.

Greif8

plin, thank you also for your reply. I did not do a good job explaining myself about riding at 60-65% MHR. Those days are planned as recovery days. In the past I have just rested, but in the past year I have noticed that the next training day, I was very stiff and sore, and it took 15-20 minutes of stretching and warm up before I felt better. After reading many comments in this forum concerning recovery rides I decided that they should work at fending off stiffness and soreness for football also.

Regarding the interval workouts, in football quickness is more important then 100 meter sprint speed, though that is also important. During training I get to sprint alot, but I thought adding interval training on my road bike two times a week would improve both my quickness over 10-15 meters and my anerobic stamina. I play in the midfield and the ability to quickly and strongly over those short distances for 90 minutes, not constantly, to gain seperation and create space are very important. While I do ok now, I would like very much to improve in that area.

I think using my road bike to train or recover during the four days a week I am not on the pitch might extend my career at this level by saving wear on my legs.

plin

If done properly, one single session of max power intervals (anerobic efforts) on a road bike can really wear you out. You legs will certainly be sore the day after. Since your day after is most likely going to be a football practice, you will certainly have lower quality football training.

I am also very uncertain about the benefit of cycling on your 10-15m quickness even if you do add intensity to your cycling training. In fact, in my personal experience, I find that I am a lot less quick and agile after years of cycling. I played varsity basketball before I tore up my meniscus. Back then, I had a very quick first step (I played point guard) and my lateral movements were very good. Nowadays, when I get back on the basketball court I am ashamed of myself because I am slow as a molasse. Of course, you can say that I didn't do enough basketball training while I was cycling.

Anyways, my point is that cycling should only be used as recovery sessions if your main sport has strong requirements on short sprints and lateral movement. Adding intensity to cycling to improve cardio fitness is probably detrimental to having good training for your main sport.

Good luck.

Greif8

plin,
again thank you for your reply and insights. Your advice makes alot of sense. I rode on Monday at a slow pace, HR about 55% of maximum and my legs felt more fresh and less stiff during Tursday training then they do when I just rest. I like to run for fitness, but I have noticed in the past year that after running on hard surfaces my knees and ankle ache. Soft surfaces, like grass are no problem, but running in the woods during dark hours is somewhat unsafe. I think I will use my road bike for recovery and prehaps cardio maintainence.