Question: you talk a lot about “cross training” and you have “cross training” in your workouts. I assume that any endurance activity goes. The problem is that I am a terrible swimmer and I have bad knees so I can’t run. Any recommendations on how to get set up with a bike on the cheap?

– Anonymous, CA

Cross training is an integral component of the Riding Bumps SUP race training programs. In our opinion, every paddle athlete is gong to have to do some cross training if they are going to reach their potential as a paddle athlete.  Cross training will help you remain injury free by preventing muscular imbalances, assist your recovery (you can continue to build your endurance while your SUP muscles rest), give you a mental break from paddling to help prevent burnout, and give you an alternative when you cannot paddle due to weather events, travel, etc.

Our personal favorite cross training activity is running. It is an efficient workout that requires little equipment. For those who cannot run, cycling is a non-impact sport that will get your legs moving. Cycling however, has some “issues” that SUP racers will need to tackle before they integrate cycling into their SUP race training program.

1. Traffic (stop and go), coasting, and the nature of cycling is such that cycling can be a time consuming cross training activity. As a general rule cycling takes 25-50% longer  than SUP training to get an equivalent workout.
2. It can be expensive to get started.

To remedy these issues we recommend:

1. 

   An indoor bike trainer

   Use a bike trainer rather than riding on the road (especially if you are time limited). Because there is no coasting and you do not get any “free pedal strokes” your time spent on a bike trainer is equivalent to 1.5 hours pedaling on the road (e.g. a one hour trainer session equals riding 1.5 hours on the road). An SUP racer will rarely (if ever) need to spend more than 90 minutes on a bike trainer.

2. Follow our rules below for getting into cycling without breaking the budget.

Getting started with cycling as a cross training activity for the SUP racer

Get a bike fit: A good bike fit is not negotiable.  Get a cheap bike. Get an expensive bike. Go to a spin class. Do whatever you do but your bike needs to fit. Spend the money and go to a bike shop and get a bike fit.  Be sure that they give you your measurements. These measurements must include a “top tube” measurement.  This is the length from the center of the head tube to the center of the seat tube. This is the measurement you will need to consider when shopping for a bike.

Bike shorts: Good bike shorts are critical to your endurance and love life. Get bib shorts (shorts with those suspenders). That goes for women too. Bib shorts are only  about 1000 times more comfortable than non-bib shorts. There really is a difference in quality between cheap and expensive bike shorts. As a general rule, the more you spend the more you save. Good shorts last longer. All it takes is one trainer session in an ill fitting pair of shorts to ruin your week. If you want a bit of flash in your cycling wardrobe you might consider something from our sponsor Betty Designs . Men, please, whatever you do, do not buy shorts with a center red or white panel. You just gotta trust us on this one.

Shoes: Get something comfortable. Don’t go nuts here. More expensive shoes are stiffer which are better for transferring power to the pedals. They are also more comfortable on long (e.g. 3+ hour) rides. Finally, they have faster and easier to use strap mechanisms. If your goal is cross training, you don’t care about any of this. Shoes with a plastic sole are OK.   It is OK to get mountain bike shoes. They are a bit more comfortable and easier to walk around in.

Pedals and cleats: There are tons of pedal and cleat systems out there. They all work. We find that Speedpla y pedals are easiest to get in and out of. They are also the easiest to get fitted properly so that is what we ride.  More expensive pedals generally work exactly the same as less expensive pedals. The only difference is that more expensive pedals weigh less. You do not care about the weight of your pedals.  Get the  least expensive ones you can find.

The bike : For cross training purposes, the bike (as long as it fits) is a somewhat lesser consideration than the other items on our list. You can get a new one or pick up something used on Craigslist. An aluminum bike is fine. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that the major reason a bike is more expensive than another bike is that more  expensive bikes weigh less and are “stiffer” than less expensive bikes. This is very important if your goal is to go fast on the road. If, however, your goal is to get a workout or put the bike on a bike trainer (see below) it does not matter how much the bike weighs. Therefore you do not need to break the bank with your bike purchase. We recommend a road bike frame rather than a time trial bike or a hybrid bike. We are a little bearish on stationary trainer bikes like the Spinner bikes or other bikes with a heavy fly wheel brecause the fly wheel does a lot of the work and can damage your knees if you stop abruptly or you do not have a smooth pedal stroke.

Bike trainer: Getting out on the road is great but staying inside is more efficient and it is likely that you will be confined indoors because you are biking because the weather will not allow you to paddle. There are a lot of good trainers on the market but this is not one place you want to skimp.  If we know our athletes you are going to stand up and hammer away (this is good) during your workouts. There is nothing worse than a flimsy bike trainer that you do not feel comfortable on. We recommend the Cyclops Fluid 2 trainer but there are a number of good trainers on the market.  Don’t skimp.

Front wheel holder. Don’t forget about your front wheel. You need something to keep it in place.  Any brand is good but you are going to need one of these gizmos

Saddle : Saddles are personal items so there is no right or wrong here. As a general rule, less is more and smaller saddles (e.g. saddles with less padding) can be more comfortable.  Many of our athletes find that Specialized saddles are a good place to start.

Chamois Cream : Buttr up boys.

Those are the big points. Everything else is pretty much secondary if your primary goal is to get a cross training workout for your SUP training and you will be doing much of your riding on a trainer.

Now that you have a bike… sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter and we will feed you bike workouts to use during your SUP cross training workouts.