Originally Posted by
wolfchild
Your "theory" doesn't make any sense. I am sure all those pro racers with their light bikes pedal much harder then an average commuter on their heavy bike...A 30 pound commuter bike will not increase your bone density anymore then a 19 pound race bike, it doesn't matter how hard you pedal... The only way to increase bone density is through weight training, plyometrics and sprint running.
you push hard to beat inertia and inertia is related to mass and change of motion, not speed, F=ma. Speed and acceleration are not the same. An average commuter is heavier and has an heavier bike and tend to stop at red lights and must beat inertia every time he/she must reach his/her average speed from no velocity. But... pro racers usually have a more intense training.
I noticed though that bicycle weight has a huge impact on how hard you push on the pedal when some lightweight people i know told me they couldn't handle my heavy bike for long due to the bicycle weight. 120 pounds on a 70 pounds bike is not the same as 220 pounds on the same 70 pounds bike.
The weight ratio of the bike in the first case is 36%
in the other case it is 24%
Originally Posted by
wolfchild
The only way to increase bone density is through weight training, plyometrics and sprint running.
Have you tried to ride a 200 to 300 pounds bike with groceries + 220 pounds of rider weight on a 5 to 10% up hill on a big gear ratio?
you don't necessarely need weight training.