Weight watching for an amature?

CyclingObsession

I'm wondering am I being crazy worrying too much about my weight, I do a few club races just started this summer, do I really need to pay attention to my weight, I'm 5ft 10" and 147lbs I tend to weigh myself each day to make sure I stay there, is this obsessive, I want to be a decent enough climber.

dave35

No your weight is fine! I'm 5 ft 6 and weigh 168lbs, if you want to be a decent climber then train on hills.
I can't climb for toffee but got better by doing hill intervals, a 3 to 5 minute climb done 3 to 5 times once a week-done seated.

simon_masterson

Weight is a factor in your ability to climb, but only once you reach peak fitness and performance (eg. being able to maintain high cadences for prolonged periods). Once you reach the point at which you're being held back by your weight, even with the weight loss and associated diet from all the training you'll be doing, then you should worry about your weight in earnest.

It's good to keep an eye on your health (it will affect your performance as well as your weight), but if you eat the right stuff in the right quantities and train hard, you should reach a good weight. Apart from anything else you'll probably put on some weight in muscle!

Jez mon

Huh weight is always a factor in your performance in climbs, climbing performance is a combination of how much power you put out against how much mass you're pushing up the climb. If you reduce weight and merely maintain power, you're going to go faster.

Having said that, most races in this country are pretty pan flat, there's no real point in being a whippet.