So......these skinny 10 stone climbers ?

markos1963

carrock wrote:

Yes it's power to weight- with emphasis on weight

I'm 16 stone, very strong and muscular, with a bit of excess fat

My wife is 10 stone, and left me for dead cycling up crawleyside bank on the c2c last year- she rode all the way up and I got off and pushed

But on a sprint, or even a 10 mile TT with a couple of small hills, I'd win easily.

I need to get down to 13/14 stone to compete with her on hills

Similarly, if Wiggins hadn't lost the 6kgs, he'd have suffered on the climbs in Le Tour and not made the top 15

You can't really use this sort of analogy as muscle densities vary between sexes, a ten stone man should beat a ten stone women for the same level of training.

Pocket Rocket

I'm about 9 1/2 stone and have pretty much resigned myself that i'll never be a strong rider on the flat and will also suffer with everyone else on the climbs. I find conserving energy in a race to be essential!

jibberjim

In most of the UK there are no climbs where climbers actually dominate, the hills aren't long enough so it's actually pursuiters (those with high power at VO2max) who'll dominate. You need hills over 10% for the weight advantages to kick in, and any that steep here in the UK are over in less than ten minutes.

JimmyK

I got completely and utterly dusted this afternoon on a hill :oops:

today was my first proper outing on a road bike since before xmas and damn did i notice a lack in my performance. i was doing the ards - downpatrick -saintfield - ards loop which is 45 miles. once you get through downpatrick, then the hills start in earnest. my legs were really reminding me of my time outta the saddle and the cold was bleedin awful. i decided to back off the pace as my cardiovascular just wasnt anywhere near where it normally is , then from nowhere , this rider said hi and blitzed on up the hill. i could only watch as he made it look effortless and reminded myself that i need to get my fitness levels back up and of this thread.

the poxy weather over the last couple of weeks is the main culprit for my bum not being in the saddle and the indoor bike is just not nearly the same.

Jimmy

Garz

Can you do a bikehike route plan for me Jimmy?
Im also considering cycling from manchester to liverpool, then from belfast down to ballynahinch this year if I can plan roads right.

JimmyK

Garz wrote:

Can you do a bikehike route plan for me Jimmy?
Im also considering cycling from manchester to liverpool, then from belfast down to ballynahinch this year if I can plan roads right.

Garz, that would be easy, but do you know it isnt much of a distance ?. I checked it out and its 13.7 miles.

0.00 Start out on Victoria Street
0.02 Turn left onto Gloucester Street
0.05 Turn left onto Seymour Street
A20 0.10 Turn right onto May Street - A20
0.21 Turn left onto Alfred Street
0.47 Turn left onto Ormeau Avenue
A24 0.52 At traffic signals turn right onto Ormeau Road - A24
1.21 Ormeau Bridge
2.00 At roundabout take the 3rd exit onto Ormeau Road - A24
2.40 Continue forward onto Drumkeen Manor - A24Entering Castlereagh
2.49 At traffic signals continue forward onto Saintfield Road - A24Signposted Newcastle
2.75 At traffic signals continue forward onto Saintfield Road - A24Signposted Newcastle
4.34 Continue forward onto Saintfield Road - A24Entering Carryduff
5.98 At roundabout take the 4th exit onto Ballynahinch Road - A24Signposted Newcastle
13.75 Arrive on Belfast Road
Section time 0:25, Total time 0:25


thats the directions from belfast town hall in the city centre right through to Ballynahinch.

Jimmy

Garz

Wow I thought it was way more distance wise!

In the car to the international airport it seems to take around 40 minutes, perhaps thats why I think it would have been more distance..

JimmyK

Garz

Belfast City Centre
Sydenham Bypass to Bangor
Bangor centre to Ards Centre
Ards South Street
Straight ahead to Comber dual carriageway
Straight ahead at roundabout following signs to Downpatrick
Through Killyleagh
Follow road straight to Downpatrick
Come to roundabout and turn right towards ballynahinch / saintfield/ comber
Some nasty hills on this road, keep straight thru Crossgar
Straight across roundabout towards Comber
More hills
Go thru Saintfield
Over crossroads , go straight until signpost to Comber , turn right
Follow road to Ballygowan
Go straight to Comber
Follow signs to Ards and go down carraigeway
Follow signs to Belfast and go down big dual carriageway to Dundonald
Go down upper newtownards road past stormont
Cross over the Knock Carriageway junction and follow road straight to lower newtownards road

Follow main road straight back into Belfast City Centre.


you are easily looking at a 70 miler with this route Garz


Jimmy

Garz

That's more like it jimmy, would be even better if you could join me for the journey!

Wouldnt want to loop belfast btw, more attracted to the ard's scenery and the mourne's.

Pokerface

At 13 stone, I can only hope that if I drop a stone without losing any power, then I would climb better. Better yet, drop 2 stone. I have the fat to spare!

shockedsoshocked

Pokerface wrote:

At 13 stone, I can only hope that if I drop a stone without losing any power, then I would climb better. Better yet, drop 2 stone. I have the fat to spare!

I'm 76kg (12 stone) and I'm aiming to get down to 70kg (11 stone) by march/april, currently sitting at about 12% body fat so it will be an interesting challenge, certainly the most serious of my efforts to lose weight. The rub is like you said, keeping the power and strength up. Hopefully some structured interval and weights sessions will see to that for me.

DanEvs

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

I'm 76kg (12 stone) and I'm aiming to get down to 70kg (11 stone) by march/april, currently sitting at about 12% body fat

I'm in exactly the same position at the moment (75kg and 12% body fat) with the same target of hitting 70kg but maintaining power and endurance. I climb well now so I'm looking forward to seeing the results of some serious (controlled) weight loss. 8)

JimmyK

but surely there is brick wall situation to deal with here ? there are guys here who i am guessing are in mid 20s and the weight drop issue aint no biggie for them, but once you are in 35+ territory........different story.

im 40 years of age and im not carrying much weight , despite having MS , and i could train until the cows come home and its 100% harder to drop weight. the typical 40 yr old sits on his jacksy and is content to watch his gut expand, thats just not me , but it is frustrating just how much more effort people my age have to make to keep weight in check

Jimmy

Pokerface

Well - I'm 39 (a week ago), but 2 years ago I weighed 6 stone more! I lost it ALL in 3 months, so age isn't a barrier to weight loss. However, I seem to have hit a plateau at 13 stone and despite my best efforts have not been able to drop below it for any length of time despite still carrying a fair amount of extra body fat still!!

But that's probably due to my eating habits. I have a weakness for sweets which kinda defeats the point of a diet!!


THis time round I am aiming to drop just a few pounds a week until race season, rather than the severe drop all at once. (And to those that say you can't lose weight fast and keep it off - it's been 2 years now and I haven't put any of it back on!)

Mr*Paul

Well that brick wall has certainly been hit ! I'm also 39, and I recently dropped down from 106kg, yes i did say 106 ! and am now at a slightly better 96kg; a little easier to throw up a hill I must admit ! ...but how the hell do i get over this blasted wall ? I know the winter is here ! I have a turbo trainer now and a structured plan ! I get out on the ole Mtb a little more and try to structure in some clever riding ! eat relatively healthily ...managed to not over enduldge over the yule time binge ! and live a regulated, active life ...and i still can't get past this blasted 96kg I know i'm 6'1" and will never be a Wiggins lookie likey but at 19 i always stayed at 12 and a half ...come on some tips please ! ESPECIALLY FROM THE GUY WHO LOST THREE STONE SO QUICKLY !

brownbosh

WEnt from 126 kg to 95.5 (so far). They key to continued weight loss is to keep challenging the body in different ways. Core strength work on larger muscle groups will increase calorific demand. Also dont just keep doing the same things on a bike and expecting different results. Switch it around a little. Double workouts on rest days - hour hard intervals on turbo a.m and 3 hour tempo ride p.m for example. Also dont make the mistake of starving yourself you still need to give your body the fuel to run itself during a hard training schedule and also prevent the 'hunter gatherer' fat storage cycle.

John C.

Well I'm 50, 63 kg . I can climb, lead a line out and dragg the arse off bigger riders when I have too. I am also a liar . I am 50 and 63kg, my problem is when the elements turn against us, I get cold quicker than my heavier friends and have to dig a lot deeper as the miles roll on. Those long drags mid way through a sportive kill me, no problems with the 33% on the 100 mile mark though.

Pokerface

Mr*Paul wrote:

come on some tips please ! ESPECIALLY FROM THE GUY WHO LOST THREE STONE SO QUICKLY !

My weight loss was based on a low-carb, low fat cal, low fat diet. We're talking 1000 calories a day MAX. Mostly protein.

Took various supplements to keep my metabolism kicking over at a high rate. And did LOTS of exercise.

Only problem is.... with few few carbs, I tended to get low on energy quickly. So if you;re training for racing, etc - the diet isn't a good choice. At the time I just wanted to lose weight so it didn't matter.

Now I'm training to race so can't do the same type of diet as I need my energy! So have to reduce the calorie intake, but get the right kind of calories to fuel the old engine!

I once went to a weight loss clinic where they followed the same diet, and gave you vitamin B12 injections 3 times a week. I was losing a pound a day. The vitamin B helps keep your energy levels up.

But changing your routine every few weeks can help. "Shock" and "confuse" the body before it can adapt to your new routine and slow your metabolism down again.

But mostly - burn more calories than you take in. Eventually the weight comes off.

Mr*Paul

Cheers, I struggled to get it the weight loss started as I had back surgery two Xmas's ago so had to take it properly easy for the first year afterwards. Have got back into road riding again in hope "of mixing it up" as well as getting out on the mtb, unfortunatey have a few hangups over running again though ...that was the catalyst of the back issues and so don't want to be going back down that road ...in more ways than one ! Any special diet suggestions ? as i think I have already started a little more down the gatherer track starving myself a little too much in attempts to try anything ! :?

Mr*Paul

Thanks Mr PokerFace, sorry my last response was a little premature in response to the earlier comments I think I 'll give it a go ! i was also intending to lose weight gain power to weight ratio for some road events too.

Pokerface

October 2007:




January 2008:

Murr X

Wow PF! What a difference, you look fantastic in the later pic and could pass for a pro - perhaps a Gert Steegmans when he was in Quick Step 2008.

Good work.

Brian B

I have seen guys who weigh much less than me falter on steep sections whilst other guys who clearly are built for speed are still able to turn the pedals. Weight ratio on the hills is a definite factor but its as much a mental effort as it is physical. Whilst 10st may be acceptable on a 5ft6" person it clearly does not look good on someone who is a bit taller.

I am over 6 foot and weigh in at 85kg. I used to be about 97kg and have noticed a big difference on the climbs in terms of speed but just suffer still the same. I will never be a great climber but with the weight loss and years of hill training I am able to more than hold my own on hills. I am comparing myself to the average sportive rider.

I dont race so dont get hung up on weight but surely there must be a point where power must be lost if you loose too much weight and speed would be compromised on flatter sections.

sportbilly1976

well I have set myself a target for the 12th March (weekend away).

i'm currently 15st 5lbs and 6'2", after a rather lenient ttime exercise-wise pre-christmas and a couple of choclates and glasses of wine too many during...

I am expecting that the first 10lbs or so will be relatively easy to lose with me upping the miles I cycle and going for a run 2-3 times a week (i.e burning more calories) but my target is to lose 2 stone ( average 2lb a week).

One other comment on the hills - most of the tour ones are max 12-14% (okay they are much longer than the UK ones in total), but I wonder how they would fair on the ascents we see on UK sportives at 20-25%+...(I am assuming better than the rest of us, but it would be interesting to watch!)

Splottboy

Weight I've added is,some fat but lots of muscle, due to various injuries I've had to re-hab.

Now Christmas is over, it's back to jogging/running to lose the Christmas excess.
Heaviest was 13st.1lb, but this fluctautes to around 12st 10lbs so 12's the target for March.

Got me own gym room, and living near empty beaches/local mountains, no excuse to slack!

Climbing is just a bit harder, so the extra effort will no doubt be beneficial to increase my fitness. Imagine that I'll be "flying" when the Quality Street and Terry's Chocolate Orange is gone away...

Abdoujaparov

Completely agree that challenging the body in different ways helps weight loss. I used to run a lot and was thin, but could have still about 5kgs without being unhealthy. Then I took up cycling (and dropped the running becaise of injury) and dropped the extra weight in no time at all. Weight training helps too.

oldwelshman

sportbilly1976 wrote:

well I have set myself a target for the 12th March (weekend away).

i'm currently 15st 5lbs and 6'2", after a rather lenient ttime exercise-wise pre-christmas and a couple of choclates and glasses of wine too many during...

I am expecting that the first 10lbs or so will be relatively easy to lose with me upping the miles I cycle and going for a run 2-3 times a week (i.e burning more calories) but my target is to lose 2 stone ( average 2lb a week).

One other comment on the hills - most of the tour ones are max 12-14% (okay they are much longer than the UK ones in total), but I wonder how they would fair on the ascents we see on UK sportives at 20-25%+...(I am assuming better than the rest of us, but it would be interesting to watch!)

How would they fair? Pretty good and probably on the big chain ring!!
Even the bigger guys on the pro tour and sprinters would beat the UK pro Tour riders and so called climbers up UK hills which are too short to really challenge them, which is why the TOB is nearly always won by time bonuses.
Even Cav broke away in TOB on a climb two years ago
I was told Magnus Backstedt used to go over Caerphilly Mountain on a 53 x 12 training for strength!!

Mr*Paul

PokerFace ...Big wow :shock: you certainly have nailed the weight loss game ! you've done amazingly well ...obviously worked , I'll be trying it out myself and hope for similar results.

Roscobob

Pokerface, that's some effort mate. I'm 6'3" and 19 stone and looking to lose about 5 or 6 stone before next summer.

You've proven it can be done 8)

Pokerface

Roscobob wrote:

Pokerface, that's some effort mate. I'm 6'3" and 19 stone and looking to lose about 5 or 6 stone before next summer.

You've proven it can be done 8)

Before THIS summer (2010) or NEXT summer (2011)?


It's possible (2010) - but my weight loss isn't typical. Big trade-off between fast weight loss and performance improvement. You can't do both.


Just cut out everything fun and tasty in your life and up the exercise - and the weight will come off. Once I quit drinking I lost a good stone just from that!