Dieting and Biking

Its Thanksgiving time and there will be lots of great food on the table. My wife is a fantastic cook and I know I can gain two pounds just breathing in the fresh aroma’s. This post is about losing weight and using your mountain bike to get to your goal weight.

Dieting is not easy. I don’t care who you take to or which Guru you listen to. I have a rather logical and scientific mind. Lets first look at the basics that will frame our understanding of how to lose weight. Just so you know, you MUST combine diet and exercise (bike riding) to lose weight effectively and keep it off. New habits must be formed.

Lets look at the math first. One pound of Fat on your body is equal to roughly 3500 calories. So, if you are going to lose just one pound, you have to go below 3,500 calories in the course of a week, 7 days; about 500 calories day. How many calories do I use a day just doing nothing? Assume you are sick in bed watching Oprah all day. There is a website that will calculate you daily calorie burn doing nothing all day. This daily calories burned calculator provides a simple estimate of your basal metabolic rate (BMR)

It turns out that my basic rate is about 1,800 calories per day; give or take a few. If I want to lose one pound a week, I must not exceed 1,300 calories per day. Now let me caution you that if you go below 1,000 calories a day, your body goes into “starvation mode” and secretes nasty metabolism slow-down hormones and really inhibits your long term weight lose trend. The long and short of it is that losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint.

So where does the mountain biking part come in? Well it turns out that Mountain biking, can burn a lot of calories; and since my Warhorse is 35 pounds I get to burn a lot of calories on the bike. The estimate vary depending on how vigorous your riding style is, but generally speaking, here are some sample estimates for an hour of continuous riding:

Cycling 5-6.5 mph 288

Cycling 6.5-8 mph 324

Cycling 8-8.5 mph 374

Cycling 10 mph 540

Cycling 12 mph 639

Cycling 13 mph 702

Cycling 14 mph 806

Cycling 15 mph 873

I am on my bike for 45mins to 1:15hour 6 days a week, so I know I can add up to 500 calories to my 1,300 that I am allowed and still lose weight.

I know some of the community may say, where is the proof. Well, in my case, I started this diet on September 1st of this year and now its November 19th. I have lost 15 pounds in these 6.5 weeks; that’s about 2 pounds per week and my calorie intake has ranged from 1500 to 2500 per day; less of the later and more of the former.

Jeff, my Winter Park Mountain bike racing buddy, and I discussed dieting this week. He remarked on how funny it was that some weekend bikers obsess over 100 grams of weight in a new shifter or a seat post. He told me that the best way for me to get a lighter bike is to lose ten pounds. You will be surprised how fast you can go up a hill. There is nothing like passing on Hills!!

Mike, my old college roommate, used to tell me that you can’t diet without exercise…I disagree, mountain biking isn’t exercise, its my passion! See you on the trails!

Passing on Hills

I have a great ride twice a week, usually weekends, at Cherry Creek State Park in South Denver. There is a loop that goes around the outside of the park. You can ride on the inside of the loop, but when you get to the backside, there is a reservoir earthen wall that forces you to ride around on the outside of it. Here’s a map of the ride.

It is about a 15-mile loop, more or less, and I usually manage to make it around the loop in 75 minutes. There are about 2 miles of trail and about 13 miles of pavement or cement sidewalk. The ride has 2 big hills: The first is about an 8% grade for about a mile and the second is about a 6% grade dropping to a 4% grade for about 2.5 miles. This second hill, averaging 10 MPH, takes about 15 minutes for me to get up it on my 35 pound mountain bike.

This second hill is really the focus of this week’s story. If you look back at the Map, listed above, this hill is on the outside of the earthen dam, along route 225. It starts at the North, and about the halfway point, going to the West, you hit the nadir and then you have your long uphill climb. It’s a great hill for interval training and I’ve seen some real rock stars take that hill at 20 mph all the way to the western part of the earthen dam. They were on road bikes; mountain biker stars can take that hill at around 14-15 mph.

This past Saturday, as I hit the nadir, I steeled myself for the long ride up. I was passed at the start by a couple on new mountain bikes. The woman, a young blond, in her early twenties, weighing 120 pounds, with a helmet threaded blond pony tail, waving in the wind, passed me with about 6 inches to spare. It always amazes me that people would pass that close to me with a 6 foot wide concrete walkway to ride on and never say a thing: The male, a little bit older, did say: “on your left” and then gave me about a foot clear passage. That was appreciated.

Within the first half mile, this couple had a 50-yard lead on me. I was thinking there was no way I was going to catch them as we moved up the hill. They were too aggressive, too strong, and they were half my age. Then I noticed a few things: 1. They were peddling at a high gear. Their feet were moving at roughly half the RPM’s than I usually cycle at. 2. They were wearing sneakers, not bike shoes. 3. Their bike’s seats were lower than they should have been; resulting in a lunging pedaling motion.

I remembered the story of the Tortoise and the Hare and thought to myself, that if I stayed in form, I could catch them by the top of the hill. I knew a few things about climbing: 1. Keeping your RPM’s up (around 60) gives you a smoother ride and doesn’t burn out your muscles; adjust gearing to the slope of the hill. 2. Wearing bike shoes, which are hard soled, is a more direct transfer of energy to the pedals, verses sneakers that lose energy when they flex on every down pedal. Proper seat height, custom fitted for your height and bike results in a much more efficient pedaling motion. Bike shoes can give you a direct energy efficiency estimated at 3-5%.

Over the next mile, it was all I could do to stay close to the jackrabbitting couple. I stayed at 60 RPM’s and I resisted the urge to just go all out. On the second mile, I started to creep closer and closer. I saw the blond glance back at me and she redoubled her efforts; but she was laboring, still in a high gear and she finally stood up to get her leverage working for her.

At the end of the second mile, I was still feeling strong and I passed the gentleman and had the blond in my sights. I stayed in form; kept adjusting my gearing for the magical 60 RPM, in a comfortable cadence. With two hundred yards to go, I quite easily passed her and politely said: “On your left” and blew past her. I could hear her grunting and then, when I got to the light at the top of the hill, glanced back and she was stopped; bent over, exhausted.

My buddy Jeff, an avid mountain biker, who races in Winterpark, told me that you win races on the hills, where you break their spirit. There is a reason Lance Armstrong won 7 tours in a row; he won them in the mountains.

See you on the trails.

The Ride at Waterton Canyon, Colorado

The Waterton Canyon mountain bike ride is really quite spectacular. Its about 30 miles south of Denver. There’s a gravel service road that goes up to the Colorado Trail. Its about 6 uphill miles with an elevation gain of about 500 feet; 5,490′ - 5,925′! My friend Dan took me there several weeks ago on a sunny afternoon to ride there. Here are directions.

The trail follows the South Platte River for the entire distance. While I was riding there, I saw numerous fly fishermen casting in the water. The water is so clear, that on the trail, you can see the fish swimming and coming up to snatch a tasty insect or a fly lure. The trail passes by 3 dams, which are very picturesque in the bucolic countryside.

About the halfway mark, a dozen mule deer flitted across the road and startled us. These were magnificent creatures, full of energy and bounce. There are signs along the trail telling you about the mountain sheep and goats. The ride is really a feast for the eyes. You will see young families, hikers, and fisherman carrying their poles, all enjoying the beauty. It is hard to believe that it’s all up hill; you hardly notice it. Bring your cameras. I would even guess that kids as young as 8 could ride with mom and dad to the top.

At the top of the six miles, you see the largest Dam to the right. Its huge with several bore holes spewing water at a high rate. I assumed it was for hydroelectric power. If you stay straight, there is a trail to Lenny’s Rest. The trail is quite technical. That’s “bike-speak” for: single track, switchbacks, narrow, deep center ruts, rocky, dangerous, nasty riding. Naturally, I decided that I could take that track. Halfway up, I ran out of water; shortly after that, I ran out of desire and will power.

My excuse to the Mrs. was that I ran out of water and that I started too late in the day. We didn’t hit the trail until 2pm that afternoon; but I have to tell you the single-track technical piece just really kicked my butt. I was bathed in heavy sweat, eyes stinging, wet clothes, breathing hard at 6,000 feet, darkness approaching, and I just whimped out. I plan on hitting it again in the Spring and I will bring three times the water and start off at 8 am.

There are rules in Colorado about hiking and biking in the summer. Colorado has over 30 peaks above 14,000 feet. When you hike/bike in the summer, the thunderstorms roll in every afternoon sometime around 12 noon. Be sure to summit by 11:30 am or you have no place to hide on a deforested mountaintop where you are the tallest object for lightening to find.

The ride back down to the parking lot was really a lot of fun once I made it back to the service road. Imagine a 6 mile downhill; relaxing, scenic and with the river below you to your right. What a ride!

See you on the trails.

Cool Places to Ride in Colorado – Winter Park, Colorado

The first time I rode in Colorado was about 10 years ago in the Winter Park Resort Area. We were renting a cabin for a family re-union and I rented a bike for a week. My older brother, Mike a committed biker, also rented a mountain bike.

Winter Park is just up I70 to Route 40 and up straight over the pass to a piece of Heaven.

What is cool about Winter Park is that in the summer, the main chair lift operates for Mountain Bike Kamikaze’s and you know whom I am talking about; that’s right: “YOU!!” You take this lift straight up the mountain; tie your bike on and then it slows down for you to take it off at the top of the lift. It’s a nominal fee for the day.

Ok have to stop. Did you know that they make these bikes called “Down-Hill” bikes? They aren’t meant to ride for speed; they are meant to RIDE downhill like a maniac….ok ok ok, It helps to have suspension and steel frames. Carbon Bikes tend to crack when abused. Ask the good folks at MTOBikes.com. to help you pick one out.

Ok, so, you take the lift to the top and then it’s all down hill from there. Make sure to have elbow pads, kneepads, and full gloves. Do I have to say a good Helmet? You can get in about 10 rides in one day. Its called downhill “technical” riding by the purists, but I think its just about the most fun you can have mountain biking.

Drawbacks? Well, a few, one is altitude sickness, its easy to dehydrate at 12,000 feet and the symptoms are flu like; stay well hydrated and no beer the day you fly into Denver. The other is that it is damn dangerous; easy to break arms and legs and necks, but the views are spectacular; heaven on earth is in Colorado. Also, your shoulders and hands will feel like you are an arthritic old man after about 5 rides, but man is it fun; take your Camel-backs; water is a requirement.

There is also an attraction at Winter Park called the “Alpine Slide”. It is basically a concrete track that goes down the fall line under the afore-mentioned chair lift. You get a car that has a rubber brake and down you go. There are no safety rails and broken limbs are an every day occurrence. Here’s the link: Winter Park, Colorado Summer Activities - RockiesGuide.com

Ok Winter Park for Mountain Bike Riders is the place to go in the summer. I have a good friend who bought a summer cabin in the area; not for his kids, or for the skiing, but for the Mountain Biking. His bike costs 10 times what mine does…sigh. Check out Winter Park for some of the best Mountain Biking in the world!

Old Man Mountain Biker: Why I Ride

The Old Man lives in Denver, Colorado and rides 6 days a week.

I am 51 years old, 5’8” and a tad over 200 pounds. I used to be 41 years old, 5’9” and 170 pounds. How the hell did I get to be so old? There is grey in my hair, on my face, and lets not go into the back hair.

I started riding a mountain bike when I moved to Denver from California 4 years ago. I bought one off the Internet; got myself a double suspension Motobecane Mountain bike. The bike came in a big box, delivered by UPS. The local bike shop put it together for 35 bucks and I was in business. It was sized for a guy who was 5’ 8”.

I started to ride every other day. I didn’t have a helmet; no gloves, no water bottle, and none of those faggy bright bike clothes. I rode for 15 minutes at a time….went up a “big” hill and rode back down; broke a small sweat and man, I was “exercising”. I had bought the bike in the fall and when Winter came along, I didn’t ride for 4 months…and I gained another 15 pounds. WTF was I thinking?

Spring awoke and daylight started to come along a bit early…and there was this big huge state park that my home backs up to. I decided to go exploring; the problem was that the park was downhill and it was a long ride back up. What did I see when I started to explore the park?

Well at first, all I saw were “Road Bikes”. I HATE Road Bikes, but that’s another story. I went “off-road” through the walking trails, through the woods, along the reservoir, into the “hiker-only” trails. I started to ride every day. I saw deer, foxes, coyote’s, Big Horned Owls, mice, bright yellow little birdies, and on occasion hikers, who gave me the finger when I was riding on hiker only trails. I sure as hell didn’t see any road bikers. I also developed some favorite trails, learned to stump jump, and oh yeah, got stuck in the mud….did the face plant over the handlebars in the mud, and broke my back axle.

I eventually got a water bottle holder, some bike shoes and socks; finally got 3 pairs of biking tops; one a cool Irish racing team one….but my daughters refuse to let me wear spandex shorts;;;”euuu Dad Grosse…even gay men don’t look good in Spandex”…ok ok ok, so I wear cargo shorts.

So why do I ride? I wake up every day and think to myself, what trail out of hundreds am I going to ride today? Do I want a hard ride or an easy ride? Do I want to jump stumps? Do I want to ride on the ice? The snow? Do I feel like “mudding” today? I need my FIX. I have to ride. If I don’t ride, I feel like something is missing. I need an hour on the bike EVERY day. Work gets in the way, the wife gets in the way, travel gets in the way, school stuff gets in the way, my daughters get in the way and the dog needs to be walked, but damn it…I NEED to ride.

My articles aren’t about what a wonderful technical rider I am and how much I know about Shimano shifters and graphite forks. After all I ride a POS Motobecane. Its about the Ride; mistakes I have made and Graces I have enjoyed by riding. Here are some of the topics I will be covering with you over the coming weeks and months.

1. How to buy a Mountain bike; how to fit your size to the frame, and the critical positioning of the seat post and how to keep from becoming sterile. (lol)

2. Riding a Mountain bike over frozen lakes and what to do when you hit “slick Ice”.

3. How to ride in the snow.

4. How to fit your bike riding into your work schedule.

5. How to dress for riding.

6. Cool place to Ride in Colorado.

7. Downhill Extreme Mountain biking

8. Why Assholes on Road bikes pass you easily.

9. How to break your back crankshaft while jumping tree logs.

10. Best way to warp your frame; or the difference between carbon and aluminum and why you should care.

See you on the Trail…