Hiking vs cycling?

[WingedMonkey]

Yeah, what are you doing, trying to start a fight

Anyway, I guess it's the thought that counts http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0722-bikes.html

You really gotta stop with the foreign press stuff, I don't ever get it.

Oh BTW I got a new thing going on in my compost pile with Black Soldier Fly Maggots. I've adjusted my whole system to raise them for my herps while I raise the earthworms. It's amazing but it's all based on foreign research.

[Pedaling Fool]

My dirty little secret -- I am a foreigner

[Lone Wolf]

bicycling is tougher than walkin'

[coach lou]

bicycling is tougher than walkin'

Yea, if your tryin' to pedal that big ole Hog of yours. It would probably be easier if you would just use the sticks.

[Lone Wolf]

Yea, if your tryin' to pedal that big ole Hog of yours. It would probably be easier if you would just use the sticks.

seriously. the long distance bikers that stay at The Place are more physically exhausted than any of the hikers. they hit the rack early and get up early. they don't party or usually take days off. they're more committed to their goal. truth. hikin' is just walkin. most of us can do it. long distance cycling is a different ball game

[rocketsocks]

Yeah, I gotta bicycle, a Boulder 520 made by Huffy, hehehe, that biking is way to much cardio for me, I'm more of a saunterer I guess.

[DaSchwartz]

I bike and hike often. Hiking is much harder in my opinion because you never get to coast. Climbing downhill can be harder then climbing uphill when hiking.

[max patch]

Hiking is my main form of exercise, followed by running and biking. I do not get as near as good a workout when biking as its easier to cheat.

[ChinMusic]

Once I met up with Garlic the idea of a trans-continent thru-bike seemed appealing. I have not biked in years due to it killing my butt and putting my hands to sleep. I would think that with proper gear something could be worked out. I have a local buddy that does at least one long ride a year and keeps asking if I'm interested. He rides a recumbent which must be a bitch on sustained climbs. He does have quads of steel tho.

I think I have him convinced to leave his comfort zone and join me for a section on my thru-hike next year. I may have to explore entering his domain.

[Hawker]

Again folks, thanks very much for your thoughts and advice. Since I live in the area, I'm heading back to Blood Mtn. this weekend to see how I feel this time. Since I originally posted I've been trying to get my heart rate up and do more hills when I ride...we'll see if it's had any effect.

[Pedaling Fool]

Yeap, gotta get the heart rate up, go anaerobic everyday, that's what I do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUyMYHG_Vcg

[jwalton]

Again folks, thanks very much for your thoughts and advice. Since I live in the area, I'm heading back to Blood Mtn. this weekend to see how I feel this time. Since I originally posted I've been trying to get my heart rate up and do more hills when I ride...we'll see if it's had any effect.

Hawker, just park at Turner's Corner and pedal up 129 to Neals Gap before you climb to Blood Mtn...

[stumpknocker]

Hello, ive been lurking for a while and wanted to say hi. Im an older guy (62) but in good shape. Typically i ride my road bike 60-75 miles per week at a 15mpg average pace. Last week my wife and i hiked from Mtn crossings to the top of blood mtn and back down. Frankey, i was a bit astonished at how out of breath I was several times on the way up. Apparently my good cycling shape isnt translating that well into hiking conditioning? Or perhaps its just getting older that is catching me off guard? Any thoughts on how conditiong for one activity compares with the other? Thanks much!

I see Cookerhiker mentioned my name early on in this thread. I figured I would give my thoughts on this subject since I have enough experience in both activities.

I enjoy both backpacking and bike touring. I go at each one differently and that probably has a lot to do with my opinion.

When backpacking, I'll sleep in my tent each night when on the trail, but I do try to stay in a motel at least once a week. I like to get an early start on town days and have maybe fifteen miles done by noon. Hitch into town and get a motel room, hop in the shower with my hiking clothes and wash me first, then wash my clothes.

I'll get dressed in my wet clothes and walk to lunch. (clothes usually dry on the walk to the restaurant) Eat lunch, then kick back into the room and rest until dinner. Eat dinner, then back to the room for the night. Eat breakfast, resupply with enough food to get me to the next town, then rest in the room until 11am checkout. Eat lunch on the way out of town. I'll then try to get in fifteen miles in the afternoon. I get a full 24 hour rest for my body, I am well fed and I still get in the miles. It doesn't always work out like this, but this is what I shoot for when backpacking.

Biking is completely different. I never need a full 24 hours of rest. I usually go from town to town, trying for an average ride of maybe 60+ miles. I carry everything I need for self sufficient camping, but rarely camp unless I'm somewhere like the C&O. A shower feels wonderful after a day's ride...and if it's available, I take advantage of it. I can usually eat breakfast in a restaurant, ride, eat lunch in a restaurant, ride, get a motel and shower, then eat dinner in a restaurant.

Biking is most likely easier for me because of the way I bike. I would never carry anything on my back while biking. The bike carries everything. I travel 3 to 4 times faster on a bike than while backpacking....and I am still going at a snail's pace. On one 7,500 mile ride I averaged 63 miles a day and averaged a 12mph pace even with going through the Appalachian Mountains twice and the Continental Divide twice. Going up steep hills while biking is usually about 6mph compared to maybe 2.5mph going up hills while backpacking. My pace doesn't change going downhill backpacking, but I've had my fully loaded touring bike up to 49mph three times. Never could hit the 50mph mark, and I think I'll stop trying for that. :-) My pace on more level ground is about 3mph backpacking and maybe 14 or 15mph biking.

When I wake up in the woods, I usually walk from dawn to dusk when backpacking. I'm ready to crawl into my tent after that. When I'm bicycle touring, I only spend at most about six hours in the saddle to get the miles in and have plenty of time and energy for other things.

I really thought I was in great shape when I pedaled my bike into Millinocket, ME at the end of that 7,500 mile ride. I shipped my bike home and got ready to start a sobo thru hike. I climbed Katahdin and it was hard. I've climbed Katahdin maybe two dozen times and I can only remember one time that was harder than this time. I woke up the next day and could hardly walk. I just rode a bicycle 7,500 miles, so I had lots of leg muscles to easily ride a 100+ mile day by 3pm any day I wanted. Those were different leg muscles than the leg muscles I used for climbing Katahdin.

I got to White House Landing, sounded the air horn and had to work at it to lay down on the dock until Bill came to pick me up into the boat. I saw Bill walking down to his boat to come get me and I didn't want him to see me get up, so I started trying to get back on my feet. It was painful, but I did it. When I got back to the White House Landing side of the lake, Linda came out and looked real surprised to see it was me. She said she thought it was me when she first looked through her binoculars, but changed her mind when she saw me try to get up. It was hard to even walk until I built up my trail legs again.

In just over 20,000 miles experience of backpacking and just under 20,000 miles of loaded bicycle touring, I can say for me that it is much easier to bicycle. You and I are real close to the same age. It is also much easier for me to go from backpacking to the bicycle.

I find I do quite a bit of both activities each year so it never is too hard to switch gears from hiking to biking or the other way around. Both are great activities...after-all, it's just walkin' or it's just pedalin'....pedalin' being easier for me.

[Slo-go'en]

Biking uses different leg muscles then hiking, so doing one doesn't get you in shape to do the other, except for the general health and stamina benifits each gives.

[fiddlehead]

bicycling is tougher than walkin'

Tennis is harder than both!

Just depends on how hard you try.

[Hawker]

I really thought I was in great shape when I pedaled my bike into Millinocket, ME at the end of that 7,500 mile ride. I shipped my bike home and got ready to start a sobo thru hike. I climbed Katahdin and it was hard. I've climbed Katahdin maybe two dozen times and I can only remember one time that was harder than this time. I woke up the next day and could hardly walk. I just rode a bicycle 7,500 miles, so I had lots of leg muscles to easily ride a 100+ mile day by 3pm any day I wanted. Those were different leg muscles than the leg muscles I used for climbing Katahdin.

I got to White House Landing, sounded the air horn and had to work at it to lay down on the dock until Bill came to pick me up into the boat. I saw Bill walking down to his boat to come get me and I didn't want him to see me get up, so I started trying to get back on my feet. It was painful, but I did it. When I got back to the White House Landing side of the lake, Linda came out and looked real surprised to see it was me. She said she thought it was me when she first looked through her binoculars, but changed her mind when she saw me try to get up. It was hard to even walk until I built up my trail legs again.

Stumpknocker, now that's pretty interesting. Obviously we use different leg muscles for each activity, but after the riding you did, I would have thought your legs would have been in pretty good shape for just about anything. Very interesting.

jwalton, Indeed...that ride up would certainly get you heart beating. I've done it once. Oh, to be 22 yrs old all over again.