Body Imagery and Cycling ...

[XXtwindad]

A number of the recent threads had me pricking up my ears, especially given my profession as a personal trainer. The subtext - expressed either implicitly or explicitly - concerned weight.

I'm curious about that.

I know the pro peloton is rampant with eating disorders and body image issues. Here's a really good read by a blogger and Rapha-sponsored rider: https://totalwomenscycling.com/lifes...age-in-cycling

Perhaps the most salient quote from the blog post:

"And it’s worse for guys too. I’ve dated three bike racers, all of whom have been borderline anorexic. It’s no laughing matter. My friend James described to me the ideal male cyclist look is basically, “you look sick, if someone asks you if you’re feeling alright, you look sickly and gaunt, you’re over the moon […] no man in his right mind would want to look this way, and yet, that’s the ideal”. We even have a term for this body-weight-image obsession: “cyclerexic”.

I love cycling. It is my sport. But I just need to be honest about how it sometimes makes me (and many, many others) feel about our bodies. Cycling culture makes anorexic tendencies totally acceptable. You’re allowed to skip dinner, go to bed hungry, because it’s a good way to shed the pounds."

The irony of having Chris Froome as unnatural aesthetic ideal is that it's something women have had to deal with for eons.

I'm wondering if this preoccupation with weight, body image, and obsessive dieting is prevalent in the recreational cycling world as well...