NotSoBigBen Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 As a skinny rider it is very frustrating to see all your hard work on the climbs undone when all the heavier riders fly past you on the downhill, making it look like I'm parking my bike! So it makes one wonder if it is really such an advantage being a lightie!Surely you spend more time climbing than descending so over the length of a race skinny is still better? Most okes I see near the front of races are anorexic .....
Dexter-morgan Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 I have always felt BIG as a cyclist @ 89kg 1.8M tall, obviously many guys much bigger than me.
HBO Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 I am in. What's the price Just bragging rights I guess.
LOOK695 Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Just bragging rights I guess.Was only meant as a joke, but agree, it would be good motivation. Would need to proof your starting and finishing stats though
HBO Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Is it not time for a December Biggest Loser competition ?  We have all stated our current weight and a little challenge to keep us on the straight and narrow it could be good motivation.  You must be over 90kg to join in and we score on % of bodyweight lost between 1 and 31 December. If I can just maintain my weight during this holiday, I'll consider myself a winner. We have already started to experience with banting biscuits, and there is some nice stuff that the wife will bake to snack on.
meathead Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 I am also part of the overweight crowd and I am slightly undertall. We love what we do and i do curse when the road goes up
GaryvdM Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 My favourite feature of Strava Premium: being able to view the 95 and over weight class on segments. It's a big confidence boost.Â
Lurch the stalker Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 My favourite feature of Strava Premium: being able to view the 95 and over weight class on segments. It's a big confidence boost. That's it, I'm going Premium today
New2tri Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Surely you spend more time climbing than descending so over the length of a race skinny is still better? Most okes I see near the front of races are anorexic .....I'm 1.73m. But end 2012 I was almost 120kg. Started riding and dropped quite a lot of weight, I'm about 85kg these days. But this is still pretty heavy for my length and climb are still not lekker. At the beginning of last year when my weight loss came to a stop, I could climb like a machine, but I think it was because I was use to pulling close to 120kg around. These days I struggle to get back to that power, as it eventually dissipated over time. I have the biggest problems with cloths though, as many of you guys probably also have. Chest 105, middle 85, hips 105....and I have short legs...so getting something that fits right is a nightmare. In regards to the post NotSoBigBen, I agree. On the TdF last year they discussed it in some detail. On many of the climbs the climbers would open a gap of up to 5minutes, and the bigger okes could only win back about 3min of that time on the decent. As you mentioned, you climb longer because you move slower.
Paul Ruinaard Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 My name's Paul and I'm a Buffalo. 1,8m, with a 38 to 40 waist currently sitting on 109kgs. My carbon wheels quake at the site of me every Saturday morning. There I said it. I ride bling bicycle toys and drool over carbon rims (a set of which I destroyed) and now ride ZTR Flows and some nice strong 32 hole road rims. I often get embarrassed that one of my road frames was a TdF frame as it stood at the time and also have an MTB frame that the Epic leaders used. Been down to 92kgs as a race weight but struggling with 109kgs now and am down from 119kgs. Age, less riding and less training etc.  On the way down again, though but it does take some doing. But my problem is I love bikes and love tinkering with them. I have certainly not got the physique to be a race snake. I did once get to the front of the A bunch and was in pretty great form for about 3 years when I raced there. Looked at vets racing for a bit and then gave that up as a bad idea. It took a lot to get ether though. Then i learned to pick my fights and race the flat races rather than the hilly ones. That worked well for my road career. And then I forgot all about it and went MTBing where the weight is so much more against you and you can't hide in bunches like you can on road. I often go on to the timing sites when I look up a current result and sit and look at that list of results and wonder how the hell i did them. There were some pretty lonely and tough rides in there. The advantage of the big diesel inside is that its also built to go for  a long distance and endurance rides became something I enjoyed. Many 5 hour 180km rides in there. Epic training and distances were also not on the results sites but were in the downloaded monitors list of results. Some long rides on there. Life's a bit of a bitch when the sport that really grabs your fancy is the one you are genetically predisposed to not doing well at. Oh and BTW I started cycling to lose weight because I was racing karts but was getting beaten but worse drivers who were lighter than me.  Go Figure. But yes - that diesel's turbo starts to build up boost pressure on the flat stuff and I have happily pulled a bunch along at 45 kmh when no one else could hold the pace - just out of a sheer bloody minded demonstration of strength and power. In club rides the weight weenies knew where on the route it would happen  and would start to fight for  a wheel so they didn't get shelled off the back. Just enjoy the downhills and the flats
Super J Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Man, I'm going to love shredding this thread, and most of you are going to swear at me, but hear me out and I think you'll understand what I'm trying to say.... YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF GIRLS!! I am over 2 meters (6,6) and race weight is around 95kg, I wear size 14 shoes and ride Alu 63cm Merckx's. I have won the Induvidual TT in just about every age group cat in Prov and National level. I have won, yes won SA hill climb champs in Grasskop for 4 years running. I have won the Magoebaskloof race 4 or 5 times, and many of the big races in SA and have been doing this awesome sport for close to 30 years. Being big and relatively heavy has its drawbacks but believe me, if your train correctly, use your power and be smart, you will crush any feather weight at everything! As a tall person, or heavy rider, your power will be much higher than a 70 kg guy, so use it, the only reason the climber drop you is because they can accelerate quickly, counter that.... don't allow the climbers a easy ride up to the climb, get to the front and ride hard towards the climb, and these things will be mud flapping off the back, and on the climb their legs will be blown. Big guys have Big power.... I can promise you, all you lot that are close to 100kg can easily push 400 Watts and due to weight and momentum can hold that a long time..... no climber can do that! Prioritise flattish races that will most likely end in a bunch sprint, but don't allow that, try get away with a small group towards the finish, a good few km out and get to the front and unleash that 400 Watts, every time you go through, go really hard, force the rest to struggle to stay on your wheel and not recover! Trust me, it works!! And train long intervals of 5km or more, not short bursts.... Remember a certain Big Mig Indurain, 5 tours in a row, he won those Tours in the TT and stayed with the climbers in the mountains,very similar to this years Tour of Spain.... Big guys can, and Do win!!
Pete the Pirate Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Don't sweat the small stuff  1.93m & 116 kg and I love climbing. If speed is your objective - train harder and eat less. If riding is your objective - eat, drink and ride your bike. Life is too short ( ) to want to look like Nino Schurter. Be a Greg Minnaar instead. Love life - love your ride.
Paul Ruinaard Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Oh and get a tandem and do the hyper to hyper/ The Fast one on it. With 2 x big guys (the stoker had legs he called Bill and Ben - the Baobab men) we averaged 44,7 kmh and did 105 kmh down Water board hill. Down one hill we had the pro group tucked in behind us. Â
Pete the Pirate Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Super J - HUBA HUBA - YOU ARE THE MANÂ All the big people. Read this post. Memorise this post. Repeat this post to yourself in the mirror every morning before work.
NotSoBigBen Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Oh and get a tandem and do the hyper to hyper/ The Fast one on it. With 2 x big guys (the stoker had legs he called Bill and Ben - the Baobab men) we averaged 44,7 kmh and did 105 kmh down Water board hill. Down one hill we had the pro group tucked in behind us. Pity that race doesn't exist in that form anymoreÂ
Prince Posted November 30, 2015 Posted November 30, 2015 Pity that race doesn't exist in that form anymore  At 68kg that race was a looong day for me!
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