Body Weight Question

craigleese

Hi All

Ok,so this is my dilemma:

Started road cycling last year & weighed 13 stone. My power steadly increased over the months & managed to complete all my long rides (60-80 miles on the weekend - not racing but hopefully will be next year) in the big ring & on the big climbs however at Christmas i became ill (not serious for the worried people out there ), therefore losing over a stone in weight.

At the moment I'm 12 stone (6ft 4 = skinny) & can no longer manage big ring on the big climbs, but my cadence is high in the small ring to help me keep up with the group.

My question is.. should i remain at 12 stone & continue to put in the miles or return to my previous weight of 13 stone like last year ? I originally thought.. the lighter i am the better for the climbs therefore i expected to fly up the big climbs but its just not happened!

Apologies in advance for bad grammar/spelling mistakes

Thanks in advance
Craig

antfly

I expect that you are slower because you have lost a bit of fitness, as long as you are losing fat and not muscle being lighter will make you quicker, not just on hills. Having said that 12 st is getting a bit skinny for your height.

poynedexter

any sickness which is causing a 14lb weight loss is going to have an impact on cycling.

craigleese

poynedexter wrote:

any sickness which is causing a 14lb weight loss is going to have an impact on cycling.

I'm terms of losing muscle ?

junglist_matty

craigleese wrote:

At the moment I'm 12 stone (6ft 4 = skinny) & can no longer manage big ring on the big climbs, but my cadence is high in the small ring to help me keep up with the group.

Big climbs? You mean steep or long?

The small ring is there for climbing.... When in the big ring were you riding a low cadence? And in the small ring higher cadence? If so, there's not much to worry about, everyone's style is different, but in most cases brute force power and low cadence climbing a very inefficient way to climb, whereas higher cadence and more consistent power is much more efficient.

ut_och_cykla

If you keep up with others still - don't worry. Big ring /small ring each to their own. power /speed is the key. If you feel good at 12 st stay there. If you get up to 13 and still feel/perform well stay there. BUT if you've slost speed/power/fitness give yourself a few weeks to get back on top of things. Losing a stone from illness can't have been very good for you!

poynedexter

craigleese wrote:

poynedexter wrote:

any sickness which is causing a 14lb weight loss is going to have an impact on cycling.

I'm terms of losing muscle ?

in terms of muscle loss, dehydration, nutrient depletion etc. your body has been fighting an illness and using up its reserves to do so. its top priority is not cycling performance for a while after the the symptoms have eased up.

craigleese

junglist_matty wrote:

craigleese wrote:

At the moment I'm 12 stone (6ft 4 = skinny) & can no longer manage big ring on the big climbs, but my cadence is high in the small ring to help me keep up with the group.

Big climbs? You mean steep or long?

The small ring is there for climbing.... When in the big ring were you riding a low cadence? And in the small ring higher cadence? If so, there's not much to worry about, everyone's style is different, but in most cases brute force power and low cadence climbing a very inefficient way to climb, whereas higher cadence and more consistent power is much more efficient.

A mixture of climbing to be honest, i live in staffordshire so there are plenty of good climbs around - often do gun hill & the cat & fiddle in macclesfield (long climbs, steep in places).

Your right in what your saying regarding cadence in terms of what i did last year .. big ring, low cadence - generally trying to grind it out without dropping down into the small ring.

Over the winter I've been trying to concentrate on a high cadence on the turbo, improving my latic threshold & power (3lc dvds).

sloppyschleckonds

What about replacing the weight you've lost?

craigleese

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

What about replacing the weight you've lost?

I don't understand pal sorry ? I can be very simple minded at times