Inpd

How much do you cycle and how has it affected your other sports? Good and Bad.

I've only been cycling for 18 months seriously and racked up 12K miles.

Good
===

Hiking is easy! Particularly up-hill. Did a 4 miles uphill hike with 2000 feet of non-stop climbing and it was a breeze whilst others in my group really struggled.

My trunk strength increase and trunk width decrease(!) due to riding in the drops makes golf much easier. A proper swing involves some trunk rotation and if your trunk is smaller and stronger that helps.

Sports that require some level of endurance (i.e. Tennis) improved. By the 3rd set my legs are still fresh.

Bad
==

Cycling tends to dominate all my other sports as its: i) enjoyable, ii) great workout and iii) great way to clear out the mind and relax. Most sports only tick 1 or 2 of those boxes. Golf only ticks i)!

Ironically, because biking is so cheap, I do have the funds to golf, play tennis etc. just not the time.

BillyD

I hate to be the one to immediately take this off track, but golf only marginally qualifies as a sport. It's a stretch, a technicality, a culturally accepted norm to classify it a sport. Real athletes play golf when they retire, because of the competitive aspect, but not because it's strenuous in any way.

Just my 2 cents. Obviously others disagree.

ahanulec

It's impacted other sports by not doing those other sports so much. I agree that it's too much fun to pass on. I feel getting on the bike is better exercise than most other activities so it's not such a big deal.

BillyD

Now to come back on topic, I play softball and basketball. Cycling helps both of those aerobically, but it's not much help physically for my legs because it uses muscles differently. It probably helps the legs overall to some degree.

Cycling does nothing to help my upper body at all for my other sports.

Fun-wise, if I ever had to choose between cycling and ball sports, cycling would lose every time . . . at least, heavens forbid, until I was too old for ball sports.

PepeM

I hardly ever play football anymore. I'm better at cycling.

mcours2006

We'll ignore the slight against golf from the previous post. Anyhoo...

My running mileage has gone from 45-55 miles/week to less than 20 most weeks, and I'm also slower, but that might just be due to age.

rmfnla

I thought golf was a good walk spoiled...

jon c. 

Riding 40 miles on a 95 degree day is significantly less physically taxing than walking 18 carrying your clubs.

I don't think riding has helped my golf, but having played golf all my life made it easier when I took up cycling.

rmfnla

Cycling keeps me in good shape so I can drink more...

PepeM

That depends on how hard you decide to ride, doesn't it?

rmfnla

Depends on the course, too...

seau grateau

Other sports?

sevenmag

woodcraft

Cycling has seriously cut into my climbing.

The good climbing is 3-4 hr drive, while the good cycling

is out the front door.

There's also a GF factor- that works better if I'm not gone too many weekends.

Voodoo76

My Golf game gets worse whenever I get fit. Not sure why but my timing gets really sketchy. My Bowling gets a little better. Again not entirely sure why, I'm guessing good leg strength and a less muscled arm swing.

FullGas

golf is a 'skill activity,' not a sport.

anything a fat slob like John Daly can do well while drunk on his butt is not a sport.

my cycling and swimming go well together.

Tampa_Roadie17

I gave up ice hockey for it. Love everything about it.

Only wish I started much sooner.

noodle soup

Cycling helped my Nordic skiing, and speed skating helped my sprint. I'd hate to see my sprint without years of speed skating.

I do well on long steady climbs & 40k TTs, but still sprint like a climber.

alexaschwanden

i started biking 6 years ago and accumulated over 55,000 miles with different bikes and climbed mount Hamilton.

Inpd

Interesting. I found cycling put me off swimming. Why? Because swimming became monotonous and boring looking at the bottom of the pool hours on end. I used to swim a lot!

OmegaWolf

My other sport is chess. The only impact is time, since tournaments tend to take all weekend. I was planning on playing in my first tournament in over a year this weekend, but decided to go riding instead.

noodle soup

so how has that affected your other sports?

bakes1

Cycling keeps me in shape for pickup street hockey every Sunday morning

banerjek

It's had a huge impact on my other sports. I used to commute more than 40 miles by bike (RT) each day for more than 10 years. That gave me a base that got me into ski mountaineering and backcountry skiing. Because my cardio was good enough to let me climb fast, I was able to hang out with really talented people who taught me all kinds of things I never would have figured out on my own and wouldn't have learned elsewhere. As a result, I get to do and see things I otherwise wouldn't.

K.Katso

I haven't ridden my motorcycle at all this year. I even let my membership at the local circuit lapse.

Also, if you consider drinking a sport, then cycling is definitely getting in the way of my drinking. I keep saying "gotta leave early tonight, I've got a race tomorrow."