Fitness Advantages Riding Heavier Bikes
 

Someone on a 25lb bike, riding the same course and same hills, will have to work harder and get more exercise, and will get stronger than someone on a 10-15lb bike. (Assuming, of course, times are not too different, and overtraining is not happening.)

Someone on a 45lb ride will achieve even more. The added weight could be in panniers, so the bike itself doesn't have to be so heavy. And the weight could be very adjustable. Weights from a weight machine or barbells would make it was to keep track.

A racer who actually went on a long tour with a very heavy load commented on noticeable strength and fitness gains from having to deal with such a heavy bike.

Heavyhands work on a similar principle, and there are marathon runners who sometimes train by wearing extra heavy footwear....

(Obviously those who are actually in a race wouldn't do this on race day, and the same would apply to those who have to keep up or compete with lighter competitive bikes in group rides, unless they are strong enough to make up a reasonable weight difference, or up their output. So this is meant to apply mainly to recreational fitness and training rides.)

There are many other reasons people like or gravitate towards lighter weight. Just from a purely fitness/exercise perspective, though, I'm starting to feel more accepting of heavier bikes.

Part of me thinks a sub14 or sub-10lb bike would be awesome. But another part sees it as very unnecessary and questionable, and would rather have the extra thousands available and at my disposal than not.

Or you can just go faster.

There is no level of fitness that can be attained on a heavier bike that cannot be attained on a lighter bike. Lighter bikes are more fun to ride. Therefore the right choice is a lighter bike.

QED

Can I chime in on this? :roflmao2:

Yeah, I hear you. And more fun = more likely to get on the bike (for many at least). And stay on it. Or stay with it.

And to romp around....

Please do

Except for some, like the hard core fitness or training or exercise types.

This bears repeating.

When my 26+ lb bike is loaded to the hilt with groceries and my gear, and I'm pedalling home against a gusty headwind, I tell myself that it's good for my fitness. Do I like it? Hells no! I'd much rather be riding my 16 lb bike sans gear and a 20 mph tailwind.

Something about this sentence made me think of a bear with a stutter.

And if someone is interested in upper body strength, and exercising more muscle groups, heavier bikes are better. Still not great though.

Some pro cyclists have sickly looking upper bodies.

Now you're just trying too hard.

Ok...my heavier bike feels more enjoyable to ride at times. There, I said it.

That's why step 1 in every training plan ever written is always: get the heaviest bike you can find, and glue bricks to it.

I have seen some groups climbing with full front and rear panniers, I believe they were training for an event. However, if memory serves, they were also all running identical pink or something panniers, so I believe it had something to do with a breast cancer ride, and they made the extra weight a part of the whole shebang. But, I have seen it done.

From my own experience, 24 cans of cat food on the top of a rear rack + forgetting its there and standing up to get going after a red light = almost dropping the bike. Thankfully I caught it but... that coulda hurt, I would have gone down FAST.

If you are that serious about fitness, maybe you should follow up riding your bike with some gym work - squats, leg presses, deadlifts, etc.

I have always believed the best training is to ride with better (faster) riders than yourself. Getting dropped because you ride a weighted-down bike isn't going to help you do that.

Your argument is flawed. A heavier bike does not necessary gives you a better work out. Between me and my sun we have 2 road bikes, 2 budget MTB and a cruiser. My road bike comes at 18lbs, my son's at just over 20lbs and both out MTB are over 30lbs. Lets not even talk about the tank that our single speed cruiser is.

With both our road bikes we can sustain a much higher cadence and for much longer. That's ultimately were the fitness benefits coming from. There is a particular short but steep hill near us that I can power through on the road bike that has me coming to a craw with the mtb using a much higher gear. I can promisse you that going up that hill fast on the road bike has a much greater benefit fitness wise than using the granny gear on the MTB.

I can also sustain a nice pace for 2-3 hours on my lighter road bike than I ever could on my MTB and that is priceless for any fitness gain.

I ride solo and have 2 bikes.... a very heavy surly lht, with panniers, fenders etc and a lighter cheap aluminium road bike that I commute with (but it's not very light)

The Surly rides better but is slower. It also has smaller wheels (26")

When I ride the aluminium bike after riding the Surly, it feels like I'm cheating :)

I also often ride my wife's heavy steel dutch bike with loop frame, 3 speed sturmy archer and basket when I go shopping

For training purposes, it does not matter which bike I ride.... The same effort is used.... the lighter bike just goes faster

I absolutely love/d riding my flat bar road bike.

I initially purchased it with the intent of turning it into a pack mule: rack, two large panniers, lots of lights, etc.

Once I did so, the added weight (and clankety noise of strapped on lock and cable) really destroyed the riding experience. It went from super fun, breezy, fast road bike to clunky, noisy, slow hauler. The weight, the noise, the slower acceleration, the big difference in balance (yeah, it tips over easily), make the bike a completely different riding experience.

I'm literally thinking of getting a second flat bar bike strictly for fun rides, and utilizing the hauler as a hauler. Or maybe just taking the car for utility runs instead.

Lighter bikes are without question more enjoyable to ride. This is especially true on climbs but also quite noticeable on flats as well.

I'm calling it now. This thought is the only unique and original thought that will appear in this thread.

Can't you just get a lighter bike and ride with barbells/dumbbells?

Heavyhands was a stupid idea, too.

Watts over time is all that matters. Really. Might as well talk about the advantage of towing a drag chute around.

There is no level of fitness that can be attained on a heavier bike that cannot be attained on a lighter bike. Lighter bikes are more fun to ride. Therefore the right choice is a lighter bike.

QED

Just ride a fatbike already.