Weighty issue

jed1978

Hi everyone,

new here, but so far everyone has been very helpful.

I have (tried to) start training in road cycling.

So far I have only done two runs, bith 22.5 miles.

Times are 1st run - 1hr 20m
2nd run - 1hr 10m

I am 6'3 and 16st

I am currently riding a scott speedster.

My main question is whether or not dropping some weight would help my times?

May seem like stupid question, but i thought i would ask.

Any other advice very welcome.

Steve_F

People pay a fortune to shave ounces off bike components, people like you and me are in a great position as we can lose stones of weight from ourselves!!

You will find a huge difference in cycling performance, and I suppose any sports, as the weight comes down, Probably a direct link between weight reduction and fitness increasing as you cycle more.

Those distances and times don't seem bad at all.

jed1978

thanks

was thinking about dropping about 2.5st

Steve_F

That would make a HUGE difference on your performance.

Remember that you put on muscle very quickly which weighs more than fat so it might take longer to come off than you hope (unless your will power is far greater than mine!)

feel

jed1978 wrote:

thanks

was thinking about dropping about 2.5st

wow :shock: wish i could lose a stone.

Lose that amount of weight and you will be much quicker up the hills.
Cycling will undoubtedly make you fitter, feel better and lose inches off your waist, as you lose fat and increase muscle, but you might also find that it increases your appetite.

paul_bhoy

Wish I could cycle 22miles in 70minutes

dcab

i was 17st after xmas and decided to lose weight , i opted for the wifes weight watchers program this might sound a bit soft but i am now 13st 8lb ? i struggled a bit stamina wise at first but after i lost a couple of st i used to fill up with energy foods before a long ride and just burn it off! im also a keen mountain walker and now find all my walking mates struggle to keep up, it also does wonders for your self asteem the down side is its costing a fortune in new clothes?

timbo58

its when 'other' women start noticing you, you know youve got it made!
lol
at work a couple of the gay guys commented on my bum when Id lost 3 stone last year -I took it as a compliment as they said it was 'their hobby' after all!! (ie looking at blokes bottoms!) lol

Bronzie

jed1978 wrote:

My main question is whether or not dropping some weight would help my times?

Probably not a huge amount if your route is flattish, but certainly it pays dividends on the climbs.

I'm 6'2" and just about my racing weight of 11st 6lbs - when I was 14 stone, I used to struggle like mad on any climbs - now I still struggle like mad on climbs (but I'm moving faster :P )

FSR_XC

22.5miles in 70 mins.

Averaging 19.3 mph, do you really need to speed up?

Just a theory:

If you lose 2.5st that's a 16% weight loss.
Does this mean you'll get 16% faster?

If so you'll average 22.3mph and get the 22.5miles done in just over an hour!!!!!!!!

Adamskii

More miles on the bike and you'll drop weight easily providing your diet is good. It's great when you get to the stage where you almost can't eat enough to keep the weight on!

Mar ge

I'm not too dissimilar coming in at 15 stone, though I don't have so much fat.
I've got rather a muscular upper body & relatively thin legs from other sports which is really quite stupid combination for cycling.

I'm about the same speed (20mph average or so) on the flat but christ I am slow on hills. really incredibly slow.

Even though I am training quite hard the weight isn't dropping at all though my physique is certainly reducing on the top & strengthening below, but I think this will take quite some time.

I ride mainly MTB but have just got into race bikes and the difference in bike weight (7lbs or so) alone I can really feel on climbs. I can only dream what it must be like to be carrying 3 stone less.

(I also make a stupidly large windbreak so the guys behind me barely need to pedal )

bobpzero

well i did it the stupid way (no i dont hav a really expensive bike i wish) i starved myself at lunch time(im 9 and a half stone like a roadie tho thankfully i dont have thighs the size of tree trunks) . tho i do believe one thing that burns fat the best is a 40mile cycle path some what flat and smooth and some inclines with 14-15mph average or 12mph and have some real good fair trade coffee few minutes before you start. anyways have fun thats the main thing

jed1978

looking to break hour mark

is that possible?

VERY new to this

so looking to learn.

was inspired by a guy called Mike Devlin while doing training at his bike shop.

Thanks Mike

Mike Lyon

timbo58 wrote:

its when 'other' women start noticing you, you know youve got it made!
lol

My misses said "i don't want you not to be fat" i know what she meant by that. lol

Bronzie

jed1978 wrote:

looking to break hour mark - is that possible?

Almost certainly, although it took me a few years to get things right. I very much underestimated the level of fitness needed to do it, but with better training techniques and more focus I finally managed it at the age of 39.

davelakers

Mar ge wrote:

I'm not too dissimilar coming in at 15 stone, though I don't have so much fat.
I've got rather a muscular upper body & relatively thin legs from other sports which is really quite stupid combination for cycling.

I'm about the same speed (20mph average or so) on the flat but christ I am slow on hills. really incredibly slow.

Even though I am training quite hard the weight isn't dropping at all though my physique is certainly reducing on the top & strengthening below, but I think this will take quite some time.

I ride mainly MTB but have just got into race bikes and the difference in bike weight (7lbs or so) alone I can really feel on climbs. I can only dream what it must be like to be carrying 3 stone less.

(I also make a stupidly large windbreak so the guys behind me barely need to pedal )

Im in exactly the same boat. After years of gym training, football and squash, I have a huge upper body and biggish legs. When I started cycling seriously last year I was 17.5 stone and the weight dropped off really quickly to 14.5 stone. No matter what I do, I cant get below this weight. Im 5'10" and well built and I dont have much fat on me. But my problem is that I can ride for hours and hours no problem but Im slow on the hills. I can get up the hills (99%) but my riding partner is out of sight. (10stone piss wet through)

Any tips to lose weight? I have a reasonable diet and cycle over 120 miles a week normally.

scapaslow

There is a thread going on the training forum at the moment about "Fat Burning" which might be worth a read.
As i understand it the basic message is to burn more calories than you consume at whatever speed/zone you are riding/training in. Hill training may be the best thing for losing weight.

I'm one of the sub 10 stone brigade and still find hills hard! They never get easier - you just go up them a bit faster. Remember that you heavier types tend to go down the other side faster :!:

Mettan

jed1978 wrote:

My main question is whether or not dropping some weight would help my times?

May seem like stupid question, but i thought i would ask.

Any other advice very welcome.

It'll certainly be helpul for when going Uphill - as your training continues you'll typically find that you'll lose weight (assuming your diet's sensible?), in addition, you'll improve your fitness - the combination of the two will lead to "easier" "faster" rides (over the same route). I lost roughly 2 stone over a 9-10 month period, and that, combined with increased fitness meant that familiar training routes became "easier" and my Avgs improved "substantially". Although, as said, Hills never become easy, you just tend to be able to get further up them before they start hurting you.

lochindaal

I was 15 1/2 stone from playing rugby and started training in February. Now down to 13'10. Hasn't taken a great amount of effort, eating less, more sensibly and cutting out snacks.

I have noticed a difference on the bike already. Hills are easier but I'm still crap at them. Hoping to get to 13 stone by the end of the year as I think it will be tougher from here on in.

Anyway starving now from all this food chat, time for lunch

ColinJ

jed1978 wrote:

I am 6'3 and 16st...

My main question is whether or not dropping some weight would help my times?

I am just under 6' 2". I've cycled in hilly West Yorkshire at weights between 11 st 10 lbs and 16 st 5 lbs. From personal experience, I can tell you that weight makes a massive difference on hills (probably a pun in there somewhere?).

The 'longest continuous uphill gradient in England' is just down the road from here (Cragg Vale to Blackstone Edge). It isn't steep, gaining only about 1,000 feet in about 5.5 miles, but if you try and ride up it quickly it is a good test of fitness.

When I was otherwise moderately fit, but 16 stone odd in weight, that hill would take me about 35 minutes to get up. I had to use a 30 tooth chainring in places.

When I was moderately fit, and weighed 13 stone 7 lbs, I could do it in about 25 minutes. I was happy using my 39 tooth chainring on the climb.

When I was moderately fit and weighed sub-12 stone, I could get up that hill in about 20 minutes (though I never actually timed myself at that weight). I did it all on the 52 tooth ring, having forgotten to change to the 39, it felt that much easier!

If you only ride flat roads, your weight won't make much difference once you are up to speed, unless you have to keep slowing and accelerating for junctions, bends etc. when it will.

Increased weight helps you go downhill quicker, and you will be affected less by the wind, so if you ever had to do a downhill time trial, it would come in very handy!

I shot past a small woman on a long descent into a headwind the other night. She was pedalling as hard as she could and I was freewheeling. You'll never make up for the time you lose going uphill though.

If you lose a couple of stone you will be amazed by how much better you feel on the bike.