Originally Posted by
chaadster
It has been said upthread already, but let me say it this way: train with purpose.
Going out and just riding is not good enough, you need intensity (as has been mentioned). There are many ways to achieve workout intensity— hill repeats, max intervals, etc.— but the “with purpose” part is establishing a regimen which works with your schedule, employs targeted workouts, and assesses improvement.
Naah, that's a one size fits all approach. Regimens are not for everyone. Some of us achieve intensity by just riding without any particular goals in mind other than to have fun and try to go as fast as possible when conditions are good. For me, labeling what I'm doing as some sort of drill and charting blah, blah, blah, etc. would just serve to take the fun out of it, and I'd probably end up doing less, not more "training". Also, unlike you, I do think quantity of riding at any intensity makes a difference to overall fitness and strength. The training needed for being a racer is really irrelevant to someone who's just looking to be able to climb hills with a reasonable effort.
To be clear, I'm not knocking the benefits of training for people who want to train, I'm pushing back on this notion that I think will discourage people from "just riding". The health benefits of just riding is actually the appeal of bicycling for very many people who engage in the activity.