Has gravity lessened its Iron Grip?

[Tmogul]

How much weight have you guys lost so far this year? I've been trying to slim down and basically stopped lifting as much rode more and tried my best to kick out all the bad stuff. I've lost about 15lbs so far over the summer months.

Also I remember reading that some of the forum member's weights would fluctuate by a sizable range (like 30-40lbs) in a year's time. Did a big swing in weight affect the performance of your bikes? (for the better or worse? ride quality?)

Thanks in advance.

[Cadence230]

Well I'll tell you what...I was just starting to notice last week that my riding has been getting squirrely and fast turns don't feel as dead-on. I haved noticed this now twice after dropping about 15lbs(about 2 mos.). Wind also makes me feel...well I just get affected by the wind easier. I assume I will acclimate to this because my bike handling never seemed to be affected when I was even 15lbs lighter still. Good posting by the way... was tinking of doing a similar one myself. And boy o boy it sure is nice feeling the antigravity effect take hold again!

[csb]

ginger ? _ at least it appears so from kirk's special photos of the happening.

[dirtdigger88]

csb-

remember this thread?- look at post #21


http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=5486&page=2&pp=15&highlight=weigh

183# this morning

Yo fly- how am I doing?

Jason

[Tmogul]

Way to go guys. I know what you mean about the antigravity thing. After I lost my first ten, I found that my HR was actually 10bpm lower while riding with my 135lb buddy up some climbs. I had gotten down to 210.

I still lift weights though since I've been doing it all my life and since cycling isn't a weight bearing exercise (bone density). I don't much care for the male prepubescent upper body look and the lack of strength that goes along with it. I guess its kind of hard to let go of size/strength after you've worked so hard since highschool just to get it. You know when you're losing mostly body fat because you're strength in the gym stays the same but you're getting lighter and more defined. Another good indicator is that my pants are much baggier now then at Xmas even though I still weigh a couple pounds more than I did at that time.

Anybody else having great success?

[Ken Robb]

yeah,I'm having great success--I'm 62 and still alive and riding. (slowly).

[Climb01742]

last feb, after 4-5 months of lots of gym workouts, i was just over 160, maybe 162. normal in season "fighting weight" is about 155. day of mt washington i was 140. riding both vertically and horizontally feels better.

[Ginger]

Ha! CSB, that's about a 20lb difference. I weighed in at 170 at last year's TDFL, about 150 at this year's Giro, and hope to be back to my pre-mortocycle accident weight of 125/130 at next year's gathering. ;-) I think 20lbs a year is as fast as I care to loose weight. I haven't lost much weight over the summer months. I think that has to do with just riding and not doing free weights...

Climbing is easier even though some might have thought I was riding about the same this year as last (slow...excruciatingly slow) I don't think I could have ridden the passes that I didn't wimp out on this year at last year's weight. The bike handles about the same, although I do notice less "off balance" feelings in turns and whatnot probably due to less "off balance" weight getting thrown around. I noticed it most when descending.

Check out the pics, Tom B. also has slimmed down quite a bit since last year!

[znfdl]

I was off the bike for quite a while due to a knee injury that could not be diagnosed. Well someone finally figured it out and was able to get back on the bike last December. Since December, I have lost close to 40 lbs. However, I still need to lose 15 lbs before I feel good again. I am hoping by next spring I can lose that weight.

[Tmogul]

Ken,
Yes you are successful indeed. I have ridden with some grey haired "youthful" guys and they were very strong. :)


Cycling is so weight dependent sadly. Climb you are correct in your assessment that being lighter will make you faster in both arenas. You got pretty slim for that event sounds like. Good for you.

Sorry to hear about all the injuries. I hope you two get back to pre-accident/injury weight soon. Glad to hear riding hasn't been troubled permanently.

[flydhest]

dirt,

you're way ahead. The three-week vacation in Europe was not a good thing. I'm down 7 pounds in the month back, though, so I'm trying to turn things around. I need to get below 190 by Thanksgiving or it's all over.

[Too Tall]

Flyguy, winter training rides with the tall one or it's all over.

[flydhest]

that too. we gotta find some way to work off the cassoulet I'm going to be making for you sometime this winter.

[Michael Maddox]

15 pounds or so for me, too. The problem with weight-loss measurement is that our bodies are so dynamic; weight bounces all around, based on hydration, bowel contents, and the like. And when you get up over 200 pounds, a 4-6 pound shift in the day is easy.

Personally, I tell everyone my heaviest weight, then my morning-low...makes me seem a lot more committed.

[KevinK]

I'm kinda on the opposite end. I am feeling stronger and faster now at 155lbs. (51 years old) than when I was racing (140lbs. 26-31 years old). I've been on a pretty strict weight training program the past 5 years, and my body fat hovers around 9-11% ( measured on a Tanita scale). I feel that I can climb at least as well now as I did back then when climbing was my strength, but I am much better pulling on the flats and into the wind now. I'm sure some of it is just maturity and being able to "suffer" more, and I'm guessing that my lactate threshold is higher now than then. Perhaps I am training smarter now, and I know my nutrition is better. I realize this is just anecdotal, but I know that my arms, shoulders and back are much stronger now than when I was younger and lighter, and I believe this core and upper body strength is beneficial to being able to lay the power down, even on climbs.

Kevin