Originally Posted by
Jarery
Well, a 25-30 min ride 3 times a week is probably less time riding than it takes to get ready each time. Id suggest a minimum of an hour each ride, and a 3 hour or so ride on the weekends. If you can only give up30 min per day to exercise, id be doing a fairly intense ride of hill repeats, intervals, etc.
I think this is a good point regarding time. If you have 60 minutes for exercise, but spend half of that time getting on the shorts, helmet, shoes, checking tire pressure, etc. so that you are only on the bike for 30 minutes you'll probably be better off doing a 45 minute run on those days FROM THE STANDPOINT OF GENERAL HEALTH AND FITNESS. But, if you want to be a better biker, than ride those 30 minutes and turn them into interval or hill work.
In good weather, I do the ride. In cold or rain I'll go hiking or running or to the gym because of the extra prep time for getting ready to ride in non-warm-sunny weather (only bad biking weather for me is too, too windy; storms; snow & ice). But my overall goal is good health, fitness, weight control, etc. Biking just happens to be my preferred way to reach those goals. So secondary to the overall goal are the biking goals - faster, farther, etc. Every once in a while the biking goals take a back seat to the overall goals.