Originally Posted by
Willbird
I can average 15 for two hours :-)......PB is 15.66 average for 30 miles svh HR 160 but just did 15.27 average Saturday and kept heart rate mostly under 140.....there was an 8mph South wind to deal with too, and what passes for hills here. That also included stop signs and one stop light :-).
Not on a road bike either, I ride a hybrid with 700x35 tires. I really have not pushed much past 2 hours so far, did one metric this summer but 5 hours on a hybrid is not nearly as much fun as it sounds :-).
i can find any calorie burn number I'd like if I look hard enough, but 400 calories an hour makes the most sense to me, and at most I only eat 100 or so of those back.
Bill
I'm sure it's not an exact chart, but it came up first on the Google. I have a hell of a time holding 15 mph for three hours. But I have no problem averaging close to 18 mph during a 1 hr sprint. Two hour rides against wind are closer to 15. My 3's usually go 14mph unless I'm fresh after a day or two of rest and really pushing it. I can average a tad over sixteen on those days, but then I'm spent.
I don't disagree that cycling alone can shake off pounds. Hell, if it did, I'd still weigh 185. Most of my weight gain came while I cycled approx 100 miles a week but ate like each meal was my last.
Now, when I cycle 200 miles per week and cut down on eating, I do lose weight. Even 200 miles per week at 20 mph, while eating 5000 calories per day, would probably still result in weight gain. And, it's easy to eat 5000 calories. Losing real weight probably requires a 2500 cal daily diet with 2 hours of strenuous exercise.