Swimming- benefits to cycling?

With the dark nights and a new pool nearby I’ve joined up and started swimming. How does swimming benefit on the bike? Cardio and core? Does it really help?

It’ll be a handy skill if you fall in the canal 😀

I started swimming a few months ago, has increased my cardio capability massively. Also noticed an increase in upper body / core strength. Can only be a good thing?

Started a thread a while back, link here if interested: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/swimming-advice-please

Getting into a pair of budgie smugglers makes you appreciate the time you spent losing the gut over summer more.

Calamity how often do you swim?

fall in the canal

NO!

Good for upper body/core strength. I went out today on the mtb and hurt a lot – when I was swimming regularly it wasn’t a problem.

helps with core, breathing and stamina

As ‘they’ say, if you fall in Leeds/Liverpool, no point in getting back out.

..and yes, swimming is ace. Loads of health benefits & no negatives*.

*apart from having to break through the tedium barrier/womens’ perfumes sitting on the surface, divebombing kids & occasional idiots you find in any walk of life.

Every time I start getting back in to swimming, I get so frustrated with the posers ploughing up and down kicking, punching and swimming into me I give up again after a few weeks. I guess its just a very busy pool.

Perhaps I should try the canal 😉

There’s a new pool just opened near where I work so Monday is now my swimming night. Used to do loads of swimming at uni but after that I never had a pool near work/home. 🙁

Getting back into it now, it helps my legs recover from a weekend of cycling. Plus it’s nice to do something different.

This new place is nice and it’s pretty quiet, not had to deal with screaming kids or Olympic wannabes yet.

Loads of health benefits & no negatives*

I would put drowning down as a negative…

And lets face it you are much less likely to drown when not in water. 🙂

Swim every friday evening whilst No. 2 son has swimming lesson.

Great relaxing way to round off the week.

Swimming + cycling – perfect combination. I swim one time a week and feel cool.In cold weather cycling can be replaced with bike simulator – to keep best form

Every time I start getting back in to swimming, I get so frustrated with the posers ploughing up and down kicking, punching and swimming into me I give up again after a few weeks. I guess its just a very busy pool.

I drive an audi. I belong in the fast lane!
And last Wednesday some tosser stole my towel.I had to dry myself with one of those rolls of blue paper.
I tend to swim for an hour flat out. It works wonders on cardio,and it’s so bleedin’ boring it makes hour on the bike in the pouring rain seem like heaven on earth.

Probably a bit late in the season now but open water is way nicer than pool swimming.

chlorine puts me right off, makes me itch for hours

I got completely addicted to swimming, and cycle to the pool and back – always feel stronger after a swim warm up. Try to get 4 x 40 min swims a week as a rule. It’s a great way to lengthen muscles and relax the mind while developing upper body strength, stamina and breathing.

Swimming is great in itself but haven’t found it to be much help with cycling.

When I quit swimming I lost 4 kg off my upper body and went much faster on the bike.

As a biker trying fairly hard at swimming for a while, it made sod all difference. I also found it hard to do what I felt was a good workout in the pool. My technique improved hugely though and I got a lot faster (at swimming).

Swimming seemed to do nothing for my cardio, but on the other hand doing sprint running intervals improved my swimming hugely because it improved my cardio. I was then able to swim without gasping for breath after a couple of lengths, and I could do tumble turns without inhaling most of the pool.

Binners its the pool where you used to live.

Its full of dolly birds/crumpet 8)

I find it helps my back and the two bulging discs I have along with the piriformis syndrome. Which in turn means I can keep cycling.
I try to go at tea time when there are less people there which means I can plod up and down for my 40 lengths without having to dodge too many people. Stick something tasty in the oven, ride there, swim, ride home, eat. Happy days. I just wish it was cheaper. £3.30 for a swim including locker money. How much is everyone elses?

Ok its been a few weeks and boy swimming is dull however I’ve noticed my balance on the bike has subtly improved and I’m leaning out/around abit more too.

I think its been a definite benefits so far. Nice pool-hotties too 8)

swimming is dull however Nice pool-hotties

Edited that for you, the second part renders the first irrelevant 😉

My kids swam to quite a high level, there is no doubt full on training improves cardio and develops muscle. If you want to develop upper body you should focus on butterfly and breaststroke. If you think swimming doesn’t help cardio you are just cruising up and down, try 200m of butterfly with the correct kick.

Try and get a lesson or two, even if just to learn proper tumble turns so you can swim constantly, people do tend to take a cheeky rest on the turns otherwise.

I agree cardio wise. It definitely aids cardio and no I never take a rest. When I see people stopping and reflecting(?). For goodness sake just give up and get out.

it takes a while to see the benefits, but I reckon they are significant. Due to back and knee issues I only do front crawl and had some coaching from ‘Art of Swimming’ with is Alexander Technique meets swimming and similar to total immersion stuff. I do 3k on a Sat morning, which takes an hour and a bit and find that it helps on the cardio front and eases a lot of the aches and pains. The only downside is that I cant get into my L roadie tops anymore as my chest/shoulders/arms have got a bit bigger 🙂

You don’t stop and have a breather at the top of a steep technical climb on your bike?
Maybe wait for your mates?
If you do for goodness sake just give up riding.
You seem to be writing a lot of dribble these days ( more than usual). Is everything alright?

You don’t stop and have a breather at the top of a steep technical climb on your bike?
Maybe wait for your mates?
If you do for goodness sake just give up riding.

Cycling is fun; swimming in a pool isn’t! It’s purely functional.
Get it done and get out!

swimming in a pool isn’t! It’s purely functional.
Get it done and get out!

yes, but it’s great as a destressed and clearer of tne mind. The monotony of counting lengths is I find quite therapeutic 🙂

iolo I have to read your diatribe ramblings following my posts. Thats bad enough.

Swimming is a means to an end. Cycling is a glorious swooping, gliding through summer hazy days and crisp cold sharp-horizon mornings.

Not stuck inside a dank 1960’s building slightly damp smelling square puddle with a haze of stray urine in Basildon.

😆

My poor Hora, good luck with whichever problems you currently have.
I’m sure everything will be fine in the end.
If you want to talk I’m here for you.

Swimming is ace, it’s all about regulating your breathing and technique. I had to give it up after separating my AC ligaments, but since having surgery I’m keen to restart.

Its also a good alternative to dragging yourself through the sideways rain and snow to keep you moving.

The people stopping could be doing drills. If you want to improve your technique no point in re-enforcing bad technique.

A lot of people do their drills in the pool and their long distance stuff in open water.

Thats one thing I do like (swimmingwise). A few years ago we went to Palma and I swam in the open sea every morning. Loved it.

As mentioned above, lengthening muscles that cycling can tighten and shorten, especially road cycling. Improves cardio, lung capacity, stamina, core strength.

I find it relaxing if doing long stints at a steady pace. But then I do an intense hour of pool based circuits once a week, when my back is up to it. These are based on the Royal Marines pool workouts. They feel like hell on earth.

I certainly notice the difference when I’ve been out of the pool for a few weeks.

I love swimming in the sea and my favourite beach for swimming is Barmouth.
Then I saw this

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/big-beautiful-mako-shark-found-dead-on-welsh-beach-9908963.html

I know it’s probably very safe to swim there but I will always have the jaws dum dum dum dum music in my head from now on when I’m there.

I bought a water proof mp3 to try and make swimming more bearable.

I was fortunate to have a pool below or apartment and now have one on site as well. But I hate it. I used to be a summer as well but it’s the pure monotony of it.

One of my teachers seems for 30 minutes every lunch time slow front crawl everyday.

I dont get it.

It’s a bit boring sometimes, you need a routine or drills to make the time go quicker, definitely get some decent goggles as being able to see properly helps a lot, and it definitely improves core, upper body strength and breathing.

I always find the pool is usually quieter first thing on a morning or last thing at night.

Can anyone recommend a waterproof MP3 that actually works well?