Pedal power: how to get the best from your bike

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OCTOBER 17, 2009 7:19PM

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According to the cycle charity Sustrans, almost one third of commuters in the UK now use the National Cycle Network. In London alone, more than half a million bike journeys are made daily by commuters, a figure that has doubled since 2000. Cycling is not only greener and an effective way of beating the rush-hour, it also provides a daily workout without the need to visit a gym. But is the bike alone enough to guarantee a high level of fitness?

Cycling is among the best cardiovascular activities and works all the leg and buttock muscles. Coasting along at a snail’s pace will burn about 180 calories an hour, and more intensive pedalling can consume up to 400 calories an hour or more. The bad news, however, is that not all your fitness needs are met on a bike.

“Cycling isn’t the best route to all-round conditioning,” says John Brewer, professor of sports science at the University of Bedfordshire. “If cycling is your only form of exercise, it may be worth adding other activities as well.”

So where does cycling fall short?

Bones Unlike running or weightlifting, cycling is not a “weight-bearing” exercise. Bones react to external stress through impact with the ground or resistance by stimulating growth so that the skeleton becomes stronger. “Cycling is great for people who suffer from joint injuries,” Brewer says. “But it does not prevent osteoporosis.”

Studies have shown that cyclists who spend long hours in the saddle are more prone to brittle bones. One, published this year in the US journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that almost every member of a group of male cyclists in their 20s and 30s had signs of osteopenia, a medical condition one step below full-blown osteoporosis. In March researchers at the University of Missouri found that cyclists had lower bone density than runners or weightlifters.

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