Training on a heavy or weighted bike.

[Arlberg]

Just wondering if there are any advantages by training on a heavy bike?

I have an aluminium hybrid which weighs a hefty 14kg. My carbon road bike weighs half that. Can I presume that if I train on the heavy bike for the same length of time as I would have on the lighter road bike I am likely to get stronger in the legs and lungs, and also burn more energy and therefore lose more weight?

[twizzle]

Only when climbing/accelerating. But in general, "yes".
But, given hybrid vs road bike, you will use muscles differently which means you won't necessarily train what you expect. On a positive note, a hybrid is also a crapload less aero, so will always be harder to ride at the same speed.

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[visrealm]

I recently bought a Specialized Secteur Disc commuter and with racks, guards, lights, Rack bag with panniers and my change of clothes, lunch, tools, etc she weighs around 17Kg. My commute is only 35km round trip with 600m of climbing. Suffice it to say, come the weekend when I'm on my roadie (which isn't especially light at around 8.5Kg) it feels amazingly quick.

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[am50em]

Hmm lets see - for example you put out 250W for 3 hrs on a heavy bike vs putting out 250W for 3 hrs on a light bike.
Total energy expended in both cases is the same - but you will travel further on the lighter bike especially if there are hills involved.
If you only ride a certain distance say 50km then you will use less energy (lose less weight, less fitness) on the lighter bike.
Group ride with everyone on light bikes and you on a heavy bike, you will have to output more power to keep up assuming you do your share at the front (more weight loss, better fitness). Really its less about the bike and more about what effort (power/time) you put in on the bike.

[visrealm]

Only when climbing/accelerating. But in general, "yes".
But, given hybrid vs road bike, you will use muscles differently which means you won't necessarily train what you expect. On a positive note, a hybrid is also a crapload less aero, so will always be harder to ride at the same speed.

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In my case they're both road bikes, though the commuter is slightly smaller 58cm where my roadie is a 60cm. The difference is noticeable, but overall position is *similar*.

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[RonK]

Just wondering if there are any advantages by training on a heavy bike?

I have an aluminium hybrid which weighs a hefty 14kg. My carbon road bike weighs half that. Can I presume that if I train on the heavy bike for the same length of time as I would have on the lighter road bike I am likely to get stronger in the legs and lungs, and also burn more energy and therefore lose more weight?

For sure - my mates dread me coming back from a month away riding my loaded touring bike.

[foo on patrol]

From my view, you should only be on your race (at full spec) is for a shake down and rehersal for a big race eg; a TT or team time trial.

Foo

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[twizzle]

From my view, you should only be on your race (at full spec) is for a shake down and rehersal for a big race eg; a TT or team time trial.

Foo

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My wife wants you to explain your 2N model to her.

And I thought N+1 was tough to explain.

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[jcjordan]

From my view, you should only be on your race (at full spec) is for a shake down and rehersal for a big race eg; a TT or team time trial.

Foo

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You need to ride regularly on your race bike to make sure you are users how it feels.

Even though my commuter and race bike are basically the same setup (both Madone's) the do have a different ride feel due to different wheels and tyres, plus a 4kg difference in weight.

This is especially true when it comes to TT riding. You just can't train on a road bike and expect to handle the ride the same.

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[Arlberg]

Interesting. I'm surprised more people don't train on a heavier bike (or perhaps put weights on their bike if they dont want to alter their setup) as it seems like it results in a win win situation.

[lobstermash]

Deliberately riding a heavier bike instead your light, new, expensive and nimble steed is kind of like looking at ultrasound pictures of your baby after they're born.

You have to be damned dedicated and goal oriented to get on the heavier bike.

[foo on patrol]

From my view, you should only be on your race (at full spec) is for a shake down and rehersal for a big race eg; a TT or team time trial.

Foo

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You need to ride regularly on your race bike to make sure you are users how it feels.

Even though my commuter and race bike are basically the same setup (both Madone's) the do have a different ride feel due to different wheels and tyres, plus a 4kg difference in weight.

This is especially true when it comes to TT riding. You just can't train on a road bike and expect to handle the ride the same.

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You blokes can't be racing enough, if you don't know how your road bike handles in race trim.

[jcjordan]

From my view, you should only be on your race (at full spec) is for a shake down and rehersal for a big race eg; a TT or team time trial.

Foo

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You need to ride regularly on your race bike to make sure you are users how it feels.

Even though my commuter and race bike are basically the same setup (both Madone's) the do have a different ride feel due to different wheels and tyres, plus a 4kg difference in weight.

This is especially true when it comes to TT riding. You just can't train on a road bike and expect to handle the ride the same.

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You blokes can't be racing enough, if you don't know how your road bike handles in race trim.

Race nearly every weekend.

Ride my alloy Madone through the week and carbon on the weekend.

The exception is my TT bike. Ride it at least once a week and everyday before a TT

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[Crawf]

Train/Commute on 11.5kg, Race on 8kg.
Although 8kg is not a light race bike, it still feels like i'm flying and is treated like a treat as such.
The 11.5kg bike is built for anything, 28mm tyres, disc brakes, mudguards, dynamo, Ti - a HTFU no excuses bike.

[ldrcycles]

Riding uphill a heavier bike will take more effort, so would be useful as a training aid, but on the flat I feel heavier bikes actually provide some benefit through their momentum. I have a couple of steel bikes that are a long way north of 12kgs and while they are hard work and jolly slow on hills, they tear along on the flat like nobody's business.

[Daccordi Rider]

Simple to sort this out. Do the pros jump on a heavy bike to train? Nope. Effort is effort. You can only put out so much power or push your heart so far. The weight is irrelevant, it's the effort that counts. Sure the light bike will feel nice after riding a heavy one but that's all.

[beanspropulsion]

Simple to sort this out. Do the pros jump on a heavy bike to train? Nope. Effort is effort. You can only put out so much power or push your heart so far. The weight is irrelevant, it's the effort that counts. Sure the light bike will feel nice after riding a heavy one but that's all.

+1

"It never gets easier, you just go faster".

~Greg Lemond

[lobstermash]

The pros substitute heavy bike riding with weight training in a gym. Between being out riding a heavier bike and being stuck in a gym, I know what I'd rather do....

[toolonglegs]

Do they?

[winstonw]

well track racers certainly do weights (in a gym). and despite the bro-science, I'm convinced weight training makes a diff for other forms of racing. esp for masters athletes, whose endocrine systems make retaining lean tissue harder when doing higher volume.

[toolonglegs]

Yes, but riding a bike 3 kgs heavier isn't a substitute for gym work. Like has been quoted a zillion times... The forces involved in riding a bike are less than that when walking up stairs.
You go to the gym to achieve things that cannot be done on a bike.

[ldrcycles]

The pros substitute heavy bike riding with weight training in a gym. Between being out riding a heavier bike and being stuck in a gym, I know what I'd rather do....

Unlikely, weight training (if we're talking about doing squats or leg presses) are only going to be a small number of repetitions, to attempt to replicate that on the bike you would need some extraordinarily high gear and only ride around the block once.