Long, high tempo bike rides

[ThePurpleCobra 0]

I've been hearing that long bike rides at a good pace is just as good as running if not better when comes to getting ready for the season. What is everyones opinion. Sorry if this has been mentioned, I looked through.

[troy 12]

I know there are some experienced cyclists on here, but I've always preferred biking if only because the lower impact.

[hamstercaster 2]

anything to get your heart pumping will work. But try to incorporate some intervals in your bike ride as in going at a moderate pace, then sprinting, then back to a moderate pace, then sprinting again, then slow, then fast, then moderate.. you get the jist...

[Kevin 5]

It's best to do intervals that mimic the demands of a hockey game, e.g., 35 seconds pedal very hard, 70 seconds of slow/rest.

[jsmart 0]

+1 intervals...work in some steep climbs if you have them around to really push it over the top...

[ThePurpleCobra 0]

all the advice already looks like it will help, the lower the impact that produces the same results is what i'm looking for

[Spreedizzle 1]

Max gear intervals are your best bet as increasing your performance on the ice. Granted longer, high intensity workouts on 2 wheels will increase your overall fitness and anaerobic performance levels, but hockey players rarely get to an anaerobic state for extended periods of time. We will go anaerobic and then get a recovery (ie end of our shift) for a couple of minutes.

Max gear intervals are pretty simple.......put your bike in your hardest gear and roll at about 5mph and then for 60 seconds put all of your power down including pulling on the bars and anyway you can to generate power bring the bike up to your max speed. Do the entire interval for 60 seconds, and then cool down for about 90 seconds and repeat. You do this continually for an hour and you'll be a stud. These will put some hair on ya pretty quickly.

Climbing intervals (as in elevation) are also effective replications of hockey as being out of the saddle with a deeper knee bend more closely resembles a hockey stride than being in the saddle. Find a hill that takes you about 5 minutes to climb at a pretty good pace, and simply up your level to whittle away your time, concentrating on being out of the saddle for the duration of the climb. Get the to top, turn around and recover on the downhill, then turn around and do it again. :)

[JR97 2]

I typically try to put 10-20 miles in a few hours before I skate. That way I'm not starting completely cold and usually get in a better stretch. Nothing too high impact.

I commute to work and just the nature of the trying to beat lights or sprint away from lights provides some good intervals. Plus I've got hills to climb. Occasionally I'll see other bike commuters and those make for good rabbits to chase down.

[forbs02 20]

Minnesota Wild's Derek Boogaard bikes into shape

Cycling helps Wild forward's offseason conditioning

By John Shipley

jshipley@pioneerpress.com

Article Last Updated: 09/20/2008 10:41:16 PM CDT

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — If you were out east of St. Paul some early morning this summer and saw a 6-foot-7, 260-pound guy on a 10-speed, it was probably Derek Boogaard. He likely was pedaling behind the pack but still doing remarkably well for a newbie.

"Well, the first two weeks was tough," Boogaard said of his new offseason training regimen. "First of all, I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning ..."

But, the Wild enforcer said, it was worth it. He reported to training camp Saturday morning feeling better than he has in a long time, hoping to put a frustrating 2007-08 season behind him. A chronic back injury limited him to 34 regular-season games.

Now, he said, "I feel awesome," in large part because of the 40-mile bike rides he took with teammate Brent Burns and a handful of local cyclists this summer. Of course, "bike ride" makes it sound a little more idyllic than it really was.

These were no set-pace sightseeing trips; it was essentially 2 1/2 hours of sprint racing and trash talking.

"We try to make you throw up, make it so you can't catch up," said Jimmie Kelley, manager of the Woodbury Penn Cycle and ride ringleader.

In fact, when Boogaard's brother Aaron joined the group, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect did just that.

"He crashed and threw up," Kelley said. "We call that a 'DNA ride.' That's when you leave a little DNA on the road."

Big brother Boogaard has done better.

"He does really well," said Burns, an avid cyclist who recruited Boogaard for his group. "On hills it's harder for him because he's bigger. It's hard even if you're 180 pounds; it's just physics. But on the flats, he does awesome. At the end of the summer, he was flying."

The group competed mostly on two-lane highways east of St. Paul and in Wisconsin, meeting at Penn Cycle for a 5:30 a.m. start time. Burns recommended cycling to Boogaard, who was looking for something to complement his boxing and kettle bells, another new workout.

"I told him he should ride a bike, and he liked the idea, so I met him at the rink and he had a hybrid, a mixture between a mountain bike and a road bike," Burns recalled. "I said, 'Boogie, I think you'd better get another bike.'

"He thought he'd be fine on that hybrid. He said, 'Oh, I'll ride this and keep up with you.' I said, 'That's not gonna happen,' and he kind of made fun of me, said I was being cocky."

Kelley put him on a 64-centimeter road bike.

"Two minutes into the ride he said, 'Thank God I'm not on that other bike,' " Burns said with a chuckle.

The rides were ideal for Boogaard, who got a potent cardio workout without putting much stress on his back and joints. The back injury has been an issue for a few seasons now, and it's a matter of finding a routine that will minimize its effects — much the way Marian Gaborik has tailored his workouts to keep from reinjuring his groin muscle.

"Everybody has something they have to look at," Boogaard said, "and this is my thing."

But the cycling is more than a cardio workout; the intense racing and cooldowns actually mimic the intensity of a hockey game.

"The lactic (acid) threshold you build up in hockey is the exact same you do in cycling, especially the way we do it," Burns said. "Most people go for a ride and keep the pace of 21, 22 mph the whole ride, but we race for every stop sign, we race up every hill.

"It's almost the exact same as a shift — you redline it, then you coast downhill, then you redline to the next stop sign, then you coast, and you constantly build up your lactic threshold. That's why in the third period a lot of times you can keep going."

Burns has been cycling since 2003, when he was inspired to buy a bike after watching Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France. Coincidence or not, Burns has in that time evolved into one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.

"I know (cycling) has made a big difference for me," he said.

Can it work for Boogaard? He's in the second season of a three-year deal that pays him $850,000 this season but still trying to solidify a spot in coach Jacques Lemaire's rotation. He played nine of the final 10 regular-season games last spring and even earned his first minutes on the power play.

Still, he went the season, and playoffs, without scoring a point. Then again, for Boogaard, goals are a bonus, not a necessity. He's primarily there for big hits and protection, with his fists if necessary.

"I'm not going to kid anyone that I'll be on the first or second line, the power-play units and stuff," he said. "I'll play the same role, maybe third line, fourth line. I just want to do my job again."

[SuperMan3 1]

I have back problems when running, and my knees stiffen up, will biking more be better for me?

[TCsnipes9 0]

I typically try to put 10-20 miles in a few hours before I skate. That way I'm not starting completely cold and usually get in a better stretch. Nothing too high impact.

I commute to work and just the nature of the trying to beat lights or sprint away from lights provides some good intervals. Plus I've got hills to climb. Occasionally I'll see other bike commuters and those make for good rabbits to chase down.

Wait a sec.... 15-20 miles, just a few hours before actually playing? The bike is a great way to get warmed up, but thats a LONG bike ride. Thats more of a complete cardio session/workout than it is a warm up.

[saba 0]

No 120 miles is a long day in the saddle. Biking will help with the joints, pains etc....only if the bike is fitted PROPERLY. Saddle height, stem, length, proper size rig etc...will make a great work out machine if fitted correctly. Not done with forethought makes for a very long painful turn of the wheels. Now I defer to Spred and the other jedibikemasters.

[Spreedizzle 1]

No 120 miles is a long day in the saddle. Biking will help with the joints, pains etc....only if the bike is fitted PROPERLY. Saddle height, stem, length, proper size rig etc...will make a great work out machine if fitted correctly. Not done with forethought makes for a very long painful turn of the wheels. Now I defer to Spred and the other jedibikemasters.

Or Spreed even. ;)

It is no secret that I have spent a majority of my life on two wheels, and for almost a decade averaging 350 miles per week, and spiking up to 550 miles per week. Cycling was my first love, hockey is what I am able to and enjoy competing in currently due to previous injuries sustained.

Cycling is the ultimate workout for any sport as you can cater your resistance and intensity levels to attain your personal goals, all the while with little to no impact on your joints.

I may not be able to compete the way that I used to, but a vast majority of my life revolves around 2 wheels on either the road or the dirt. If you have further questions on cyclings abilities to improve your fitness or power for hockey, football, or any other sport....simply ask and a number of MSH members are avid cyclists with a couple of prior racing professionals on the forum that are more than happy to lend their experience and advice.

[LarrieNation9 0]

For a hockey player, interval training is the best for you. I read an article a few months ago that said long jogs or bike rides at the same pace aren't only less beneficial but you plateua as far as gain for hockey after a few weeks. But if you are doing interval training its good to mix up your intervals. 30 on-30 slow, 60 seconds on, 75 off, 15 on off/30 on off/45 on off, a real killer is super high resistance 20 sec then 10 sec off. There are all kinds of things on a bike you can do with different purposes, you can work power or recovery etc.

[JR97 2]

I typically try to put 10-20 miles in a few hours before I skate. That way I'm not starting completely cold and usually get in a better stretch. Nothing too high impact.

I commute to work and just the nature of the trying to beat lights or sprint away from lights provides some good intervals. Plus I've got hills to climb. Occasionally I'll see other bike commuters and those make for good rabbits to chase down.

Wait a sec.... 15-20 miles, just a few hours before actually playing? The bike is a great way to get warmed up, but thats a LONG bike ride. Thats more of a complete cardio session/workout than it is a warm up.

On my drop bar road bike 15-20 miles is only about 45 min. actual bike time. Figure in lights, stop signs, and maybe a rest stop and it's only about an hour. I don't do intervals on my pre-game ride or anything. Just warm up the body and burn the lungs in a little. I don't even get in the zone on the bike until 3-5 miles.

[jeffw 1]

I started mountain biking back in the spring (3-4 days a week) & skated very little over the summer. When the new hockey season started up a few weeks ago I immediately noticed my legs were stronger, my balance was much better and my cardio was much better.

Ironically, my hockey training messes me up on the bike. I'm conditioned for a short burst then a rest, not a long sustained grind. :lol: The long climbs still kill me but it's getting better. Also, I can't think of a more fun way to get or stay in shape!

[#44wannabe 4]

+1 on the bike fitting. Try and find yourself a good LBS that can do 'boutique' style fittings. You will notice a HUGE improvement in the comfort of your ride.

Best advice so far has been Intervals (Ala Spree's recommendations) the correct fitting(ala Saba).

I would like to state that Saba and Spree are my fellow cycling Jedi's although they are probably better in the saddle than myself!

[Spreedizzle 1]

In all fairness.....my days of greatness in the saddle are well behind me unfortunately due to a career ending injury. I still ride, but not at my prior commitment or tempo.

On the plus side.....I have more time for hockey now. ;)

[biff44 0]

Any sort of exercise is "good for you".

However, since this is a hockey board, I should point out that long bike rides are especially bad for your hockey, for two reasons.

1) Hockey is a game of short(maybe 30 seconds max) of speed. Biking for long periods of time teach your body to play slowly for a long time--the exact opposite of what you need for hockey. If you could bike very fast for 30 seconds, and then go easy for 2 minutes, they go very fast for 30 seconds, that would be more like it

2) Upright bikes are very bad for your hip flexor. Hockey players typically have very tight hip flexors to begin with, so you are only making things worse.

[biff44 0]

"We do not use the stationary bike in the off-season because it can shorten the hip flexors, and the key to long-term injury prevention is to keep athletes extending the hips."

http://www.training-conditioning.com/2007/...puck_drops.html

One thing that is good is to use a stationary bike for 20 minutes or so, moderate intensity, to drive out the lactic acid from the muscles after a tough game.