[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How to ride a bike is something many of us tackle very early on. For some of us, it may even be one of our first things we remember learning. As a child, you bike to your friend’s house, to school, maybe to get some ice cream. And as an adult, you may have found
cycling as an enjoyable form of exercise. An excellent way to train the cardiovascular system, cycling has truly taken off as a means of working out. Cycle studios have popped up everywhere, at home bike workouts are all the rage, and once the Tour de France airs, everyone wants to be out on the roads. While some people couldn’t imagine biking inside, and others prefer staying inside, it is always good to switch it up. The good thing is there tend to be very affordable options for both road and stationary bikes, making them a fairly accessible piece of equipment. Here we have created a list of the pros and cons of outdoor versus indoor cycling to help you decide where to take your next spin!
Outdoor Cycling
The original way to ride your bike, outdoor cycling is the way most people imagine taking a ride. From the road to trails there are many options for biking outdoors, and with the combination of beautiful scenery and a breeze,
it truly is one of the best ways to get in your exercise.
Pros
You can travel
Unlike indoor cycling, biking outdoors actually gets you somewhere! Whether you are actually trying to get from point A to point B or just enjoy having a destination when you exercise, cycling is one of the best (and quickest) ways to do this.
Great views
With your journey, you are guaranteed to see lots of different things along the way. This can help keep the workout exciting. Many people use cycling as a way to tour a new city, or to get out in nature. You may even forget you are exercising!
Varied terrain
If you really want to capitalize on good scenery, you can take your bike to the beach or to the mountains! Not only will the change of terrain keep your workout interesting, but it will certainly increase the intensity.
The refreshing breeze
Nothing beats the breeze you get when cycling outdoors. A nice breeze can
help reduce sweat, keep you cool and help you feel connected with the great outdoors.
Involves more body parts
Because of uneven terrain, having to keep the bike upright, making turns etc.,
cycling outdoors is more likely to involve more core and upper body. While cycling is not enough demand to build serious strength in these areas, you can feel good knowing you’re not neglecting your upper body.
Cons
Safety risks
Unfortunately, outdoor biking comes with its risks.
If you do opt to take your workout outside, make sure to ALWAYS have your helmet on snug, to obey all traffic rules and keep your eyes peeled for any hazards. And if possible, try to stay on roads that have a bike lane.
No music
This goes hand in hand with safety. As you want to stay alert at all times, you should never have headphones in while on a road bike. If in a low traffic area, it is possible to use a portable speaker, but you still don’t want to have the music on too loud.
Weather
If you opt to bike outside, you are at the mercy of the elements. A rainstorm, lightning, intense wind gusts are all situations where you’ll want to hop off the bike ASAP. Check the weather frequently if you plan to head out so that you can spend your time enjoying the ride, not racing the rain.
Tough to do a set workout
If you are hoping to work in intervals or be able to easily adjust intensity and resistance, you may want to opt for an indoor bike where you have more control over the settings.
Indoor Cycling
While it has been a popular method of exercise for many years now, indoor cycling has really gained traction in the last decade. From group classes to a wide range of at home bikes, it is more accessible than ever and a guaranteed good time (and sweat!).
Pros
Safety
One of the best things about indoor cycling is how safe it is. You don’t have to worry about
wearing a helmet, oncoming traffic or watching lights. This makes it easy to get in the zone and focus just on your workout.
Easy to adjust intensity
Indoor cycling is elite if you are trying to get in a specific workout, as you are able to adjust the metrics pretty easily. So if a HIIT or Tabata workout is your goal, indoor is definitely the way to go.
Music
Because there’s no cars or pedestrians to cross your path, you can plug in and tune out. Once again, this makes it much easier to push yourself and
get an intense workout in.
Take a class
Whether you actually go to a studio for a class or want to pull up a Youtube video, this will all be done indoors. Nothing gets you locked in like a dark room, loud music and moving your legs.
More efficient
Due to all the above factors, indoor cycling tends to be a much more efficient exercise. What may take you two hours to get from outdoor cycling will take about half the time indoors. This is mainly due to increased sweat rate which spikes your heart rate and thus your effort.
Cons
Lack of views
Unless you have your spinner bike located by a window, it is unlikely that your morning indoor ride will provide you with any noteworthy views. So if this is something you’re looking for when you hop on the bike,
you may want to take it outside.
You won’t really get anywhere
At times indoor biking can feel similar to being a hamster on a wheel, all this effort but no distance to show for it. You are sure to still break a serious sweat though!
You are going to sweat, a lot
While this may not be a “con” for everyone, the lack of wind means there is nothing to help
dry off your sweat. That means increased heart rate and effort, as mentioned earlier, which may be good or bad depending on
what you’re trying to accomplish on your ride.
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