Ride, Sally, ride

Sporting News, The, July 1, 2005 by Steve Greenberg

Who? Chris Carmichael, personal coach of six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and founder and CEO of Carmichael Training Systems (trainright.com).

What? July is Tour de France month, so we called Carmichael and asked him whether bicycle riding cuts it as the primary form of exercise for people of average health and fitness. "It's very effective," says the 1984 U.S. Olympian. "Especially for someone with joint pain, like knee problems, it's great for cardio workouts because bikes give nonweight-bearing support."

When? Uh, now

Where? "Pick a park where traffic is minimal or even closed," Carmichael says. "A lot of city parks have cycling paths or roads going through or around them with minimal traffic, and they tend to be flat or gently rolling."

Why? "You generally can exercise longer and stay motivated with the stimulus of being outdoors. It's much harder to stay focused indoors. In 30 minutes outdoors, a beginner can put in 5 to 6 miles and see more interesting things. That's how people start getting hooked on cycling."

HOW? "I recommend a hybrid mountain bike, with its smooth tires and high handlebars and larger-ratio gears. You can upgrade to a road bike, but a lot of people might find it uncomfortable initially. Start off with 15 to 20 minutes three days a week, for two weeks. Keep your pedal cadence up to 60 to 65 RPMs, which you can measure by counting with one leg for 15 seconds; count how many times your knee comes up and then multiply by four. After two weeks, push it out to 30 minutes; after another two weeks, stretch it out to 45. That's when you put some 'periods' in there: 20-second intervals of raised RPMs, like 80 to 85."