I can give a personal testimony fwiw. I was seriously unhappy with my weight so my aim was to concentrate on weight loss for a month, even though it meant losing time in the saddle. Once I had my weight down, I readjusted my exercise routine and diet. I actually lost weight quicker by incorporating cardio with supersets in my weights workouts with higher reps - 15 to 20. I would do weights 3-4 times a week, (starting with a warm up of rowing, spinning etc to boost my heart rate) and cardio every alternate weight day (cycling, running and stepping). Weight workouts, done the right way, will help you lose weight and build lean muscle just as much as cardio. Exercising early in the morning on an empty stomach burnt fat and also boosted my metabolism for the day. I ate healthily, reduced my meal sizes, and cut out every ounce of junk food. Also lived on protein shakes. In 30 days my weight dropped from 85 to 75kg and although I had built muscle, my build was leaner and I was still lifting heavier weights and running as fast as when I was 10 years younger. Admittedly, losing 10kg in a month is probably a bit drastic, but it got me to a point where I could focus on my cycling without the weight disadvantage. Each person's build and metabolism is different, but the above worked for me.
