Does biking train one for hiking?

[Mark Schaefer]

Pushing too big a gear on either bike can lead to knee problems too.

Yes, I also agree. I always liked to stay in the highest gear. I suppose it was always a bit of macho pride to see who could go up that hill in the highest gear. And my knees are not the best anymore. I spin now more of necessity. Though I still don't like feeling like a gerbil.

The best thing about cycling is that unless you live in the middle of an absolute urban hell, you can start right from your door step and get a workout.

 

[DrewKnight]

My guess is (my vanity is...) that mountain biking is at least a slightly better cross-training sport for hiking for a few reasons. First, most mountain bikers spend a lot of time out of the saddle, especially on descents, absorbing shock and applying body English to steer the bike... Second, trail riding definitely sharpens you mentally -- you are constantly scanning the trail, adjusting your line, picking your path, not unlike descending on foot. Admittedly, it's not physical conditioning, but it does spill over, both for hiking and skiing. Oh, and third, unfortunately: depending on how skilled and fit you are, mountain biking often turns into hiking-with-a-bike anyway.

I agree with you, Doug, it's no where near the same degree of exertion as downhill hiking, but I do think that mountain biking does provide more eccentric motions in general than road biking -- certainly for duffers like me.

 

[DougPaul]

I agree with you, Doug, it's no where near the same degree of exertion as downhill hiking, but I do think that mountain biking does provide more eccentric motions in general than road biking -- certainly for duffers like me.

I tend to think of that as pounding. I don't know if it is effective for training, but I do know that it can cause injury--I had two nasty bouts of overtraining* in my weak-leg quads this winter from the pounding of lift-served skiing on icy/packed snow.

I have also developed several nasty bouts of overtraining* in my quads from hiking with only biking for training (both legs). Hiking uphill was fine, but on the downhill the inadequately trained eccentric contractions in my quads resulted in injury.

* This overtraining weakened my quads so much that I could hardly step off a curb or go down stairs without the knee buckling. Four to five weeks of rest were required to recover. In all of the above cases, the legs felt fine hiking downhill or skiing and the weakness appeared over the next few days.

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

According to my orthopedist and his recommended sports trainer, your best bet for the down hill are the so-called "functional" exercises combined with some standard gym routines.

Standard routines -
Squats (in my case, not to exceed 30-degree knee bends)
Seated leg press ( " " " ...)

Functional -
Step downs - front, back, side
Balance on one foot, standing on a pillow or something else soft, moving the other leg in a square (with pauses at the corners.)
Picking up bottles or cups and putting them down (in a semi-circle), while balanced on one leg

Anything stability-related
Anything core-related

Leg extensions and lunges, especially beyond 30-degrees, but even at lesser angles, were considered "bad".

As always, YMMV.

Tim

 

[yardsale]

Don't see why lunges would be bad as long as the knee remains flexed at greater than 90 degrees. In fact, it is the only exercise you mentioned that requires the eccentric contraction Doug and I have been talking about.

 

[DougPaul]

Don't see why lunges would be bad as long as the knee remains flexed at greater than 90 degrees.

Don't forget that Tim was recovering from chondromalacia patella so limiting the stress on the kneecap was an issue.

In fact, it is the only exercise you mentioned that requires the eccentric contraction Doug and I have been talking about.

While the lunge emphasizes eccentric contractions, any lowering moves will also use eccentric contractions, although not to the same degree. For instance, the lowering phase of squats or lowering weights.

Doug

 

[yardsale]

Yep, lunges are ok for healthy knees but not for anyone recovering from chondromalacia patella. I suspect you meant to say that while lunges emphasize eccentric contractions they also require CONCENTRIC contractions as the knee extends out of the lunge. Not to be nit picky but that might have confused others if they were unclear about the difference between the two
YS

 

[DougPaul]

I suspect you meant to say that while lunges emphasize eccentric contractions they also require CONCENTRIC contractions as the knee extends out of the lunge. Not to be nit picky but that might have confused others if they were unclear about the difference between the two
YS

That is more than I intended to say, but yes the lunge actually uses both during different phases of the exercises.

As I noted earlier, any exercise that includes both raising and lowering has both concentric and eccentric muscle contractions.

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

One orthopedist considered lunges bad in all cases. Certainly not helpful in recovering from CMP but possibly contributing to the demise of healthy (healthier) knees. It's just another opinion and/or data point.

My own personal data has shown that lunges are one of the few things I still cannot do without some, however minor, kneecap irritation. I don't miss them I don't miss running down hill either Hiking down hill, even the Carter-Moriah traverse (5700') and Jefferson and Adams (5000'+ with rock-hopping) never once gave me an inkling of stabbing pains while hiking them, and nary even a post-hike ache. My muscles were sorer than my knees after those two trips.

Tim

 

[kaseri]

I'm pushing about 68 gear inches on my fixed gear bicycle which is nice and low. Remember, "spinning is winning". Mashing huge gears will ruin your knees.

 

[Jay H]

If I was to run a fixed gear on my commute, it would have to be somewhere in the mid to low 30s in as far as gear inches is concerned, too many hills all concentrated into the first 3 miles from home. Either that, one of those old fashioned flip flop rear hubs with a different cog on each side.

Jay

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Consider how fast you'd have to spin that fixie on the way down. Most fixed-gear road setups are in the 66-72" range. That's usually a 42x18 - 42x15. I have a 42x16 which is about 66". I routinely turned 145-150 RPMs coming down a 7-8% grade. A little hitch at that speed can ruin at least the immediate future.

I stopped riding my fixie because I often had sciatica after riding it. Granted it was a converted older frame I used to deliver papers on as a teenager, and wasn't the same geometry as my road and 'cross bikes. I didn't have any problems the first two winters but the 3rd and 4th winters I was not happy, so I stopped.

Tim

 

[Jay H]

But consider trying to ascend my hill in 66-72"... On the way down, I could take the feet off the pedals and wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.... (before DougPaul chimes in, I'm just kidding. )

I could run a 34 tooth chainring so long as I sufficient low gears in the rear cassette. I use a MTB with an 8 spd drivetrain as my commuter as part of my commute is old woods roads. so if I have a 34x28 x 26" is about 31 gear inches there.... On the downhills, I usually coast anyway, I'm in no rush to get to work..

jay

 

[mookie]

48 X 18

my bike came with 48t front and 18t rear. guess i dont know any better because it is my first fixie, however, there are a few big hills on my commute that get me swearing! Only problem i have is my hands getting numb on long rides. i even did away with the drop bars and went to bullhorns.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Numb hands come from too much pressure on the bars. You need to lighten up on the leaning forward. My wife does this the one or two times a year she rides.

Gel gloves and thick bar tape help somewhat. Hold the bar like you are playing the piano, that is, elbows bent, a light grip with the fingers and the outer edge of your hand adjacent to the fingers. Don't lean, elbows locked, on the heels of your hands because that will certainly cause them to go numb.

A fixie is harder on your body in some ways because it is difficult to "unweight" the saddle as you cross over RR tracks, potholes, etc. Thus more of the shock and vibration of the road is not absorbed by your knees, elbows, and the padded part you sit with

Tim

 

[mookie]

and the padded part you sit with

my baby maker? i have noticed more pain here since i went to fixie.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

and the padded part you sit with

my baby maker? i have noticed more pain here since i went to fixie.

That's because it's harder to unweight the saddle on a fixed-gear. Any time you freewheel, you tend to shuffle around on the saddle and make minor pressure point adjustments. Hard to do when you can't easily lift your butt up and move it around. Or maybe the saddle just doesn't fit your anatomy. It took me a while to find one I liked and then they stopped making them.

I'm very (very!) pleased that the worst ailment my saddle has inflicted on me is an occasional (once every year or two) saddle sore, and they are only minor ones. If only hiking was so kind to my knees!

Tim

 

[mookie]

clipless

actually, since i went to clipless pedals (last week) i find it not as rough on me. maybee im just getting used to shifting my weight on my pedal strokes when going over bumps. i did take the saddle off my road bike which never gave me problems!! anyhow, no regrets on going fixed, i am absolutely loving it. guess i was getting bored with cycling.

 

[kaseri]

In terms of saddles you may want to consider "old school" technology in the form of a tensioned leather saddle. Brooks Saddles are by far the most comfortable saddles out there. They do require a break in period but once you get past that I'd be willing to bet that you wouldn't trade it in for anything else. It took me about 100 miles before my Brooks B17 broke in and formed to my sit bones. They really are worth the wait. It's sort of like good leather hiking boots. Initially they are a little stiff and slightly uncomfortable but once they are molded to your body nothing can beat it.

www.brooksengland.com

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I find that any aerobic exercise helps with hiking and vice-versa.