Hills and rider weight

leshere

Hi
Thanks for all the helpful posts. Am I right in assuming that weighing heavy (97 kilos is the bad news 5 kilos lost is the good news) is a particular :?: disadvantage on up-hills and if so is there a corresponding advantage downhill. In the same vein is this disadvatage much less pronounced on the flat :?:

Pross

You will benefit from it on the uphills but it won't make much difference coming down or on the flat where aerodynamics are by far a bigger issue. Also, in the vast majority of cases, you become fitter as part of the weight loss process (assuming exercise is part of that process rather than just starving yourself!) so you hopefully get the double wammy of a better engine powering a lighter vehicle.

phreak

To put it very basically, speed up hills is down to your power/your weight.

On the flat your speed is more down to just your power as aerodynamics are not 'that' different between different sized people. Bigger folks can generally put out more power than smaller folks, so tend to be faster on the flat, but the smaller guys do well up hill.

paul_mck

Im big and struggle on the hills. but I got bigger legs so maybe it evens out

benno68

phreak wrote:

To put it very basically, speed up hills is down to your power/your weight.

On the flat your speed is more down to just your power as aerodynamics are not 'that' different between different sized people. Bigger folks can generally put out more power than smaller folks, so tend to be faster on the flat, but the smaller guys do well up hill.

Particularly after drafting the bigger guys on the flat sections!

Well done to the OP on losing some weight, losing weight gradually should help you maintain power - don't crash diet or try to lose weight quickly as this will have a negative affect!

I too am a big guy at around 85kg and I struggle on hills - aiming to get to 80kg (realistic target), I got back into cycling 3 years ago at 100kgs.

hulla the hulla

Benno68 wrote:

I too am a big guy at around 85kg and I struggle on hills - aiming to get to 80kg (realistic target), I got back into cycling 3 years ago at 100kgs.

85kgs and you struggle on hills….. try 115kgs, that'll separate the fatties from the whippets…. (I am one of the fatties not the whippets BTW and it frustrates me no end !)

That said I have a huge penis - go figure !

ianbar

i am 98 kg and yeah i guess you might say i struggle up hills but i can make it and if you practice them enough even without much weightless you get better, i have a few cat 4's nearish so tend to hit one of them most times i am out and when i am on long rides try to hit more. although its hard i think the fact i am poor on hills makes me want to be good on them more and so hit them more often than other people i know and thus has the knock on effect of improving my general power and fitness more too. when I'm back from honeymoon in a couple of weeks i have a once a week session in mind where for an hour or so i intend to essentially do hill laps round 2 of the cat 4's probably amount to 4 climbs and about 1500+ ft of climbing, it has the benefit of making you more powerful on the flats too.

ugo.santalucia

As you climb, by far the most important parameter bocomes your power/weight ratio. This becomes the only parameter when the road steepens at 10% or more, as any other friction/drag becomes irrelevant.
A reasonably fit rider (cat 3-4) has an aerobic power output of 4 Watts/Kg... that means to be a fit 100 Kg rider, you need 400 Watts of aerobic power output... that's impossible to achieve, unless we are talking of 100 Kg of pure lean thighs... only the top PRO riders get to those numbers (with a lower weight)... it comes without saying that the way to increase the power to weight ratio is by reducing weight... every Kg you lose, you will need 4 fewer watts to push you up that hill at the same pace as yuor fit mates... if in the process you increase your power output, you get the double whammy!

izza

ugo.santalucia wrote:

As you climb, by far the most important parameter bocomes your power/weight ratio. This becomes the only parameter when the road steepens at 10% or more, as any other friction/drag becomes irrelevant.
A reasonably fit rider (cat 3-4) has an aerobic power output of 4 Watts/Kg... that means to be a fit 100 Kg rider, you need 400 Watts of aerobic power output... that's impossible to achieve, unless we are talking of 100 Kg of pure lean thighs... only the top PRO riders get to those numbers (with a lower weight)... it comes without saying that the way to increase the power to weight ratio is by reducing weight... every Kg you lose, you will need 4 fewer watts to push you up that hill at the same pace as yuor fit mates... if in the process you increase your power output, you get the double whammy!

+1. Agree on all Santalucia says

hulla the hulla wrote:

85kgs and you struggle on hills….. try 115kgs, that'll separate the fatties from the whippets…. (I am one of the fatties not the whippets BTW and it frustrates me no end !)

That said I have a huge penis - go figure !

At 115kgs how do you know? Surely unless you are over 7 ft tall then the beer gut prevents direct viewing. And as highlighted by Meat Loaf (another individual who has clearly gotten over his anorexia, "Objects in the rear view mirror may appear larger than they are."

okgo

ugo.santalucia wrote:

As you climb, by far the most important parameter bocomes your power/weight ratio. This becomes the only parameter when the road steepens at 10% or more, as any other friction/drag becomes irrelevant.
A reasonably fit rider (cat 3-4) has an aerobic power output of 4 Watts/Kg... that means to be a fit 100 Kg rider, you need 400 Watts of aerobic power output... that's impossible to achieve, unless we are talking of 100 Kg of pure lean thighs... only the top PRO riders get to those numbers (with a lower weight)... it comes without saying that the way to increase the power to weight ratio is by reducing weight... every Kg you lose, you will need 4 fewer watts to push you up that hill at the same pace as yuor fit mates... if in the process you increase your power output, you get the double whammy!

What duration are you talking of for 4w/kg? As over an hour I think is probably beyond most 4th cat riders!

Zoomer37

Dont let the fact that you weigh more than some of your cycling chums get into your head though. Your mind will destroy you much quicker than your legs will on hills if you let it.

No matter how heavy you are, hills we become more manageable the more time you spend practising riding up them.

wishitwasallflat

my forum name says it all - but there is no hill on my area left now that I haven't conquered (albiet with SRAM APEX groupset and much swearing and effort) persevere and you will get there!

phreak

I've grinded my way up the Mortirolo at about 7kph so any hill is doable. It seldom really gets easier, you just end up going faster