# Cyclocross Training as Fitness Routine



## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

It makes sense, but I can almost see the apps and the Peloton bike commercial right now lol...

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a30447754/fitbit-jonah-becker/


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

It does give you more of a whole body workout for sure. I take my cross bike out every weekend and ride pavement to the local MTB trails. There's a couple of stream crossings and steep climbs that require shouldering the bike. There's a few loose climbs that if you spin out, you need to push the bike up the rest of the way. I also throw in a little Geo-Caching which gets you off the bike to climb over downed trees and up rock outcrops to find hidden treasures. All those things thrown in can make a 5 hour ride go by so fast. I think it keeps things interesting by doing more than spinning the pedals staring at your handlebar stem.

I also ride the bike to and from the dirt/gravel trails on pavement. It's funny that in my area, there's a huge anti-bike sentiment as far as trail access for bikes. And this is coming from hikers who drive their cars or SUVs to the trail head to hike on the open space trails. On a bike, I can easily ride 15 miles of pavement to/from a trail head. No way the average hiker could do that, so they are forced to drive their vehicles up to have access to the trail. So who is the more ecologically friendly, the hiker who burns a gallon or two of gas to go hiking or the cyclist who doesn't?

And with the current social distancing, things get even stranger in the local open space areas. Bike and horse traffic has been prohibited, hiking still allowed - but - parking lots have been closed. So this means that while you could ride a bike to the open space area, you can't ride that same bike inside the preserve!


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

I have been riding cross for years, raced in the past and trained a lot, now mainly just do it for fun and exercise. I also have two young sons and just haven't had the time, or desire, for long road rides for a few years now. And the less I do it, the less thrilled I am to have to worry about distracted/intoxicated drivers. Hate to say it, but that is just the reality for me.

So, if I have a free hour...I can hit the trails and parks right near my house and enjoy myself, get a fun workout in, and almost completely avoid dealing with motorists.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

I train at least once a week on my CX bike to change the same road bike routine. Training cross is great because the grass (in the big park I train in) can be thick and simulates hill climbing. You really have no choice -- you can't draft or free-wheel, because you'll simply come to a stop. It's instant zone 2 training, typically zone 3 with a pinch of zone 4. Overall great for endurance training and bike-handling skills.


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