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I am looking for a good endurance building, cardio workout. I am not a big fan of running. So, I have been giving some serious thought to purchasing a road bike. The question is: Is road biking going to build the kind of endurance that would help in climbing?

I know the best training for climbing is climbing, but I feel like I could benefit from some overall endurance training.

Any road bikers/ climbers have any thoughts?

With improved cardiovascular health, your body is going to be a more efficient machine but from my experience the effects are minimal. You should stand on your head and pedal with your arms for a workout more targeted to climbing.

My ex bf started cycling like mad last year and he told me recently that it has helped his climbing endurance tremendously, but he can send 12d off the couch ... or so he says. I should mention that he rides 200-300 miles/week. Maybe more now.

Cardiovascular endurance can be helpful if you are powering your way up a brutal offwidth or even a tight chimney, but rarely comes into play in most of the single pitch climbs in the gorge. It will help you make it up the appoaches, though.

Although cardiovascular exercise is important for good health, I agree with SCIN that road biking is going to have little impact on your climbing level.

ZSpider

Good point about the offwidth/chimney climbing.

I too don't like running, unless it's trail running or hills off the hardtop. If you have good trails around give it a second thought. Biking is great too and a little less hard on the body unless you crater of course. I've found that running hasn't really increased my climbing ability gradewise, but it has helped me climb more pitches and have less recovery time. I would assume a similar cycling work out would be ths same. Like SCIN said, the body becomes a more efficient machine seems like climbing single pitch stuff is still way to anaerobic for it to make much difference to single pitch performance level. However, if you have some weight to lose, you will likely climb harder if you incorporate cardio into your routines. Most any trainer or whatever will tell you to get minimum of 3 45 in sessions/week cardio.

I think you should just have sex more frequently. It's the best cardio there is.

Spragwa wrote:I think you should just have sex more frequently. It's the best cardio there is.

A good ab work out as well

AHAHA SPRAGWA IS A PETIFILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!