The Muscles That Get The Most Work From Bike Riding

Bike riding is one of those sports that anyone can enjoy and the benefits are almost limitless. Some use cycling as a means of getting from A to B, whilst others cycle to boost their fitness and tone up their muscles. The fitness benefits for your muscles varies quite a lot depending on which type of cycling you do. If you cycle very long distances at relatively low intensity, your muscles will become very good at endurance and will build many slow-twitch fibres. Conversely, if you ride at a high intensity over shorter periods, you will develop more fast twitch (powerful) fibres and build muscle size. So which muscles get worked the hardest when you ride a bike.

Quadriceps (thighs). When cycling, its is the muscles at the front of the legs that provide the majority of the forces and thus are worked hardest. These are the muscles that provide the rotating movement of the crack by placing down-force on the pedals. Racing bikes in fact are designed to locate the quads directly over the crack so that maximum efficiency is achieved. The quad muscles thankfully adapt quite quickly to exercise, which is lucky as bike riding forces them to work at quite a rapid rate.

Gastrocnemius (calf). The calf muscle is a great deal smaller than the quads, but no less important when it comes to propelling the bike forwards. Flexing the calf muscles when the leg is in a straight position, points the toes towards and adds a small boost to the overall power output. Pinarello make pedals that dynamically pivot to squeeze every last bit of power juice from the calf muscles.

Hamstrings. It may be the thigh muscles that provide most of the forward momentum when riding, but in order to flex the legs and prime them for the next downward push, it is the hamstrings that do the work. This doesn’t require much force on a standard bike as the rotation of the pedals pushes the leg up but when you use cycling shoes that clip to the pedals, a large amount of additional force can be generated by these muscles in the upward movement

Biking: Know Your Rides

If you want to start exercising, or saving gas, cycling is the sport for you. Not only is biking a great way to get around, it also a great form of exercise. As you might expect, there are many different disciplines within cycling. In the following paragraphs, you will learn out the different types of bikes out there, and what they can do for you.

Let’s talk about commuter bikes first. Commuter bikes, as their name suggests, are bikes designed just to get around town. These can be anything from old mountain bikes, road bikes, track bikes, or any other comfortable inexpensive bicycle. Because of the high gas prices today, commuter bikes are getting more and more popular. If you want to replace your car with a bike as much as possible, this is the way to go.

If you like things a little rougher, give a mountain bike a try. Mountain bikes are specially designed for all-terrain use. These bikes have large, knobby tires that make them ideally suited for off-road use. The two main styles are hard tail and full suspension. Today, full suspension bikes are by far the most popular. However they’re also the most expensive. If you’re looking to save money, hard tails might be the way to go. You can also save money by going for a used mountain bike.

If you are feeling the need for speed, road biking might be for you. These fast, sleek bikes are very fun to ride for long distances. Road cycling is also a great aerobic exercise, and a means of transportation. Today’s road bikes are made of many high-tech materials, such as carbon fiber. Buying a carbon fiber bike can set you back a bit, but the result is worth it for many. Buying a road bike can be a little tricky for new riders, but if you get somebody at the shop to help you, it shouldn’t be too bad.

If you’re looking for more of a hybrid bike, a cyclocross bike might be in your future. A cyclocross bike is a combination of a road bike and a mountain bike. These bikes closely resemble road bikes, but have knobby mountain bike like tires that allow them to handle basic off-road. Cyclocross is its own sport, where riders race over all sort of terrain, but these bikes are also great for just getting around. They are fast, yet rugged, so they are suited for a broad range of different activities.