Should I ride every day?

[enduro2]

Apart from a 6-8 week break over the darkest coldest part of winter, I have been riding 2-3 times a week for just over a year now. Prior to that I've been riding most years for at least 6-8mo. My flat road speed is about 30km/hr with an average of about 24km/hr. My route is coastal and has gentle 7-8m undulations.

My current regime is mostly doing 2x20km and 1x 30km rides a week with 1 or two days break in between. Sometimes I have to drop the 30km down to 20km or drop it entirely ... you know how life is.

I've got a 10 day mountain hike coming up in NZ in late Feb and want to do my best to peak my cardio for then, increasing gradually and mixing in some other exercises too.

So back to my main question: Should I aim to cycle every day for ~20km or more or stick to my current plan and increase the speed/distances?

[RonK]

You are going on a 10 day tramp? Then you should be training by walking.

Cycling is great cross-training, but you are doing enough. You need to be walking with plenty of hills - working up to carrying whatever load you'll be carrying on the tramp.

[Derny Driver]

You are going on a 10 day tramp? Then you should be training by walking. ..

Agree. You should be walking, or possibly light running.
Bike riding makes you good at ....errr riding a bike

[trailgumby]

I agree with the above. I'm OK at cycling, but atrocious at running, and a few hours walk on uneven terrain really tests my knees and lower back - not used to the load.

You recruit your muscles quite differently to pedalling a bike.

[Thoglette]

plenty of hills - working up to carrying whatever load you'll be carrying

+several. Especially walking DOWN hill with a load over rough ground.

[madmacca]

I agree with the other posters. Training is generally sport-specific - you need to be working the specific muscles you will be using for your hiking, and cycling won't really do this.

You should be walking (especially hills) possibly light running, and some pack carrying (with increasing loads as the date of your hike approaches.

Keep the cycling to just 1-2 days per week - enough to keep the cycling muscles going, and allow you to pick it up again easily after your hike.

[Tim]

I used to work as a Project Fire Fighter (6 month contract, paid summer fire fighter) in the Vic Alps. Great job, until a great big fire started.
Part of the job entailed a fitness test that involved carrying a 15kg pack and 11 laps around the Swifts Creek oval at a fast walk. The cut-off time was about 40 minutes.
Most years I breezed it in having trained with a loaded pack walking fast.
One year I struggled finishing the walk. I was work fit but had done no specific training.
I'm just repeating the other's advise but you'll also enjoy the holiday much more with a body specifically trained for a loaded walk in hilly terrain.

[uart]

So back to my main question: Should I aim to cycle every day for ~20km or more or stick to my current plan and increase the speed/distances?

I'd stick with 3 or 4 rides a week and go for extending the distances.

Regarding the issue of walking vs cycling for training, I think the answer depend a lot on your current health, fitness level and age group.

If you're older (like me) or have ever had any knee problems, or if you're overweight, then time on the bike could be better than too much walking training. You'd still do walking training of course, but doing enough to get you really fit might exacerbate other problems before you set off.

I recently hiked the "six foot track" from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves and training on the bike was pretty important for me. I did some walking as well, but I had to "save my joints" (dam that sounds like a drug reference) as much as possible for the actual walk.

My hike was only 3 days, but a fair bit of mountains and carrying everything food/water/tent etc. I was pretty well stuffed by the end of it. .

[RonK]

My hike was only 3 days, but a fair bit of mountains and carrying everything food/water/tent etc. I was pretty well stuffed by the end of it. .

So what does that tell you?

As a walker who has done quite a number of long high altitude treks in the Himalaya, who is also in the older demographic, and who also has bad knees, I consider that poor advice.

[uart]

My hike was only 3 days, but a fair bit of mountains and carrying everything food/water/tent etc. I was pretty well stuffed by the end of it. .

So what does that tell you?

Given that it was mostly my knees that were stuffed, it tells me that if had I trained too much harder with the walking aspect, particular in the month just prior to the walk, then I may not have been able to even start. More is not always better with degenerative conditions like arthritis of the knee Ron.

I consider that poor advice.

I stand by it.

[RonK]

My hike was only 3 days, but a fair bit of mountains and carrying everything food/water/tent etc. I was pretty well stuffed by the end of it. .

So what does that tell you?

Given that it was mostly my knees that were stuffed, it tells me that if had I trained too much harder with the walking aspect, particular in the month just prior to the walk, then I may not have been able to even start. More is not always better with degenerative conditions like arthritis of the knee Ron.

I consider that poor advice.

I stand by it.

As I have pointed out - I also have osteoarthitis. The degeneration cannot be reversed, or prevented. It's only going to get worse. The reality is, it's a use it or loose proposition. Exercise is essential to managing the stiffness and discomfort.

The OP is planning a 10 day walk, not a three day stroll. If he had arthritis bad enough that he could not walk to train then he should not be even considering such a walk.