# ideal weight



## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

Hi
what would the best weight for a 5ft 7in male at the moment i am 11 stone if lose any more weight will it affect my performance on a road bike. Feeling fit at the moment but do not want to go to far


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## ColinJ (29 Mar 2013)

It is impossible to say whether you are overweight just from your height. You might have anything from a very heavy build to a very light one.

So, try an experiment .. (For the sake of modesty, let's assume that you have a pair of boxer shorts on ) ... Jump up in the air while looking at yourself in a full-length mirror and tense all your muscles. When you land, can you see anything wobble? 

If the answer is 'no', then you probably don't need to lose much weight, unless you are one of those people who stores a lot of fat internally.

If the answer is 'yes' then you have surplus fat and could definitely lose some weight. Surplus fat doesn't help your performance so losing it wouldn't hurt your performance. 

If you don't cycle up a lot of hills then a few pounds here or there isn't going to make that much difference, but if you do a lot of hills then every pound lost will help as long as you don't overdo it and lose power.


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## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

hi i am small frame and there is a bit of wobble not short of hills so must get and train on the hills


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## uclown2002 (29 Mar 2013)

If small frame then 10 stone probably good weight.


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## ColinJ (29 Mar 2013)

uclown2002 said:


> If small frame then 10 stone probably good weight.


Sounds more like it! 

Losing a stone off 11 stone would make a significant difference to climbing. Not as much as getting really fit, mind you ...


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## derrick (29 Mar 2013)

Am 5ft 8ins am 11 stone at the moment need to get down to 10 stone or just obove, thats when i feel my best on the bike, am about a medium frame, but i think it's down to the individual, you will know when you feel good or not.


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## Garz (29 Mar 2013)

ColinJ said:


> It is impossible to say whether you are overweight just from your height. You might have anything from a very heavy build to a very light one.
> 
> So, try an experiment .. (For the sake of modesty, let's assume that you have a pair of boxer shorts on ) ... Jump up in the air while looking at yourself in a full-length mirror and tense all your muscles. When you land, can you see anything wobble?
> 
> If the answer is 'no', then you probably don't need to lose much weight, unless you are one of those people..


 I am one of those people Colin


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## G3CWI (29 Mar 2013)

Body Mass Index is one indicator. Not perfect but a widely used guide to weight. http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx


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## Mr Haematocrit (29 Mar 2013)

I'm 5ft 7 and I'm 9st 4 (59kg) and I don't feel I'm lacking due to my weight


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## Garz (29 Mar 2013)

I am 5'6" and currently 12st 4, when I drop into the 11's you can see the ribs and abs. If I got into the 10s people would say I was chronically ill, so yes use the bmi as a 'rough' guide but its definitely not accurate - much like the HR training bpm formula people use.


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## Mr Haematocrit (29 Mar 2013)

BMI is not accurate and basically worked to make the question fit the answer. BMI is a stupid formula which decides your weight by your height squared. It makes no consideration regarding how your body is constructed and your percentage of muscle mass. It treats muscle and fat the same.
Under BMI when Lennox Lewis was heavy weight world Champion he was obese, Slyvester Stallone, Will Smith and Kobe Bryant are considered overweight. Brad Pitt when he was preparing for the film Troy had a higher than ideal BMI.
I fail to understand why its still used so much.


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## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

I would like to get down to 101/2 stone do around 30 miles a day on rollers sprinting and so on When weather gets a bit warmer i will be doing 30 miles on road with my new kuota carbon di2


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## G3CWI (29 Mar 2013)

V for Vengedetta said:


> I fail to understand why its still used so much.



...because it's easy to use and gives a rough indication of how appropriate a person's weight is. No simple index will ever be infallible. It provides a handy starting point, no more.


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## Monsieur (29 Mar 2013)

I'm the perfect weight - just 4 inches too short for that weight


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## Mr Haematocrit (29 Mar 2013)

G3CWI said:


> ...because it's easy to use and gives a rough indication of how appropriate a person's weight is. No simple index will ever be infallible. It provides a handy starting point, no more.


 
its not a rough indication imho, its a guess. It has no foundation in science and is no more an indication than looking in a mirror and yelling fatty. 
according to Bradley Wiggins profile on Sky he has a BMI of 19 which means he will spend a vast amount of the season underweight.

http://www.teamsky.com/profile_news/0,27292,17578,00.html

Would you suggest that underweight people have the energy levels required to complete and win the TDF? -- BMI suggests this very thing.


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## G3CWI (29 Mar 2013)

V for Vengedetta said:


> its not a rough indication imho, its a guess.



There are plenty of papers discussing where and when BMI is a useful indicator. Suggest you have a look at some of them. As you rightly point out, it is not always a useful indicator but for most people it is a useful indicator. That's why doctors and hospitals use it. Mr Wiggins, along with other athletes, is not typical.

PS if you don't like BMI the waist to hip circumference ratio is a better indicator.


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## Ningishzidda (29 Mar 2013)

ColinJ said:


> It is impossible to say whether you are overweight just from your height. You might have anything from a very heavy build to a very light one.
> 
> So, try an experiment .. (For the sake of modesty, let's assume that you have a pair of boxer shorts on ) ... Jump up in the air while looking at yourself in a full-length mirror and tense all your muscles. When you land, can you see anything wobble?
> 
> ...


 
The mirror test,  can't beat it.


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## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

I think you will know when you are under weight you will start getiing colds and feeling ill most of the time


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## G3CWI (29 Mar 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> The mirror test,  can't beat it.



With you on that one!

http://theskinnymirrors.com/why-the-skinny-mirror/


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## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

wife and kids think i am a old fool


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## Rob3rt (29 Mar 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> Hi
> what would the best weight for a 5ft 7in male at the moment i am 11 stone if lose any more weight will it affect my performance on a road bike. Feeling fit at the moment but do not want to go to far


 
In performance terms your optimal weight will be dictated by your discipline, which will be dictated mostly by genetics and to a lesser degree by training.


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## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

so i will not get any better by loosing 1/2 stone if i have not got the right genetics


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## Rob3rt (29 Mar 2013)

That is not the point I was making.

To clarify. If you are a climbing specialist, loosing 1/2 a stone, even if you lose some power output may increase your power to weight ratio, hence you will be better. If however you are a timetrialist where it is all about raw sustainable power, then loosing half a stone will either cause little to no increase in performance and may indeed make you slower if you end up loosing some raw power. If you are a sprinter, there will be little to no real benefit in the sprint. Likewise the benefits of loosing half a stone to other disciplines will vary.


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## ianwoodi (29 Mar 2013)

right i am with you thanks just love climbing hills and want to get better at it


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## LarryDuff (29 Mar 2013)

I'm 13st 4 and 6ft1. I would ideally like to get dowm to 12st 7. That's my goal anyways.


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## ColinJ (29 Mar 2013)

LarryDuff said:


> I'm 13st 4 and 6ft1. I would ideally like to get dowm to 12st 7. That's my goal anyways.


I was just under 13 stone when my avatar photo was taken. I'm a medium build and 6' 1" tall. My face was already starting to look slim but I could easily have lost another stone off my body. The trouble is that I start to look ill below 12 stone. I'll settle for (say) 12 st 2 lbs - 12 st 7 lbs.


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## deptfordmarmoset (29 Mar 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> right i am with you thanks just love climbing hills and want to get better at it


''Love climbing hills?'' pervert.


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## ColinJ (29 Mar 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> ''Love climbing hills?'' pervert.


It's the kind of perversion that I'm into too! Assuming that my old CV system and legs permit it, I intend to take advantage of my steadily diminishing bulk and ride up the hills somewhat more quickly than I was doing before I got ill ...


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## C Wood (29 Mar 2013)

I'm 5ft6 and weight just 8st 8, but I've got a very light build.


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## Typhon (30 Mar 2013)

I'm 6'2" and when I started cycling I was 14 stone 12 and looked slimish in my clothes but significantly overweight with my shirt off. I'm now 12 stone 7 lbs and I still look slim in my clothes and I still look significantly overweight with my shirt off.

Thought I'd be getting close to my ideal weight but I'm really not. I'm a light build I guess, although I do have a fair bit of muscle in my legs and arms. I'm going to need to get down to 11 stone I think.

I'd have thought that losing fat was good in all cases though, as long as you don't go crazy and go below say 3% body fat? I can imagine how starving yourself and losing muscle mass would lose you speed and hill climbing ability but if you maintain the same muscles and lose fat surely that can only be a good thing?


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## cyberknight (30 Mar 2013)

As said above it depends a lot on your build and what you want to do when you ride, if your a mesomorph that loves to sprint then losing weight might not help but an ectomorph who loves to climb it will help a lot .
Age can also be a factor as you get on a bit you can put a bit on.
I am 5 foot 7" with a medium build and i currently hover around 10 and a half stone but ...
i like food
i have a job that involves lifting
i do not get enough miles in.
having said all that i found i now fly up hills compared to a few years ago when i weighed over half a stone more and my strava times have tumbled .


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## Andy_G (30 Mar 2013)

Im 5'10 and 15st, fair do's i could do with dropping another 1-1.5 stone but any more and ill look ill, and according to the NHS BMI calculator im obese.
I dont give a crap about weight calculators and i hardly weigh myself anymore even though im still kind of dieting, i spent to long sticking to a calorie controlled diet and running on empty, so i now just eat healthy but a bit more of it and i can still shift weight but then screw up weekends, but i have loads more energy.


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## Kies (30 Mar 2013)

I'm 5-11 and used to weigh 15.4 stones.
By xmas 2012 i was down to 13.4 stone.
Rare winter riding means i'm now 13.10 stones

Bike speeds have been very telling across all 3 weights,and i'm trying to shift 1/2 a stone and get into the low 13's. The extra has made me slower on the hills and where my buddy leaves me standing


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## uclown2002 (30 Mar 2013)

I'm 5' 9.5", small frame and keep between 143-147 pounds, which I think suits me. Been down to 137 pounds, just to have a look but definitely looked too thin.
3 years ago I was tipping the scales at 14 stone before I got my backside moving. On the theme of "I/others tell me I/look ill at xx stone, I was getting this at 12' from people who knew me and were conditioned to seeing me in a certain way. It was ridiculous as I was still carrying far too much weight:My goal at the outset was 11 stone, as I thought that'd be a good weight. I didn't get my bike until I reached my 11 stone goal, and with the better eating habits and increased exercise that come with it, my weight naturally kept dropping. Consequently, my fitness and speed kept improving.

So my message to OP is take with a pinch of salt what others tell you; like my experience they are conditioned to seeing you in a certain way, so will naturally think you have lost too much weight if you don't meet their expectations. When I was 12 stone I certainly didn't look overweight in clothes but I knew!

I very much doubt your performance levels will drop if you lose some more weight; you more likely will see an increase in performance and energy levels like I experienced.


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## ColinJ (30 Mar 2013)

People seem to think that I am no longer fat because of how much slimmer my face is. I point to the roll of fat round my waist and they say "Yes, but everyone has a couple of inches of spare tyre!"

That isn't true - there are quite a few slim, athletic people about.
I don't care about everybody else - they can be whatever size they want to be - I want to be slim again!
My 'spare tyre' is not a couple of inches - it is more like a foot!


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## Ningishzidda (30 Mar 2013)

The 10 mile TT course I ride is mainly up a slow gradient for the first half and down a slow gradient for the second half. One of my team mates who is about the same height as I, decided he needed to lose some weight. We were both around 200 lbs.
I decided I would increase my FTP and not worry about my weight.

How it ended at the season's close was I won 7 races and he didn't win any. He lost his power. I gained.

In the 10 mile TT, I gave it full bat up the slow gradient, knowing I had FLA ( fat lad's advantage ) in the second half. 


He was a big guy,,,
http://www.recordholders.org/en/records/roller1.html


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## steve52 (30 Mar 2013)

some sort of variable mass system would be my ideal, im off to the shed to work on it, just as soon as i find mr corkscrew


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## karl61 (30 Mar 2013)

i'm 5' 7" and also 11 st, i'm trying to get down to 10.5 st to see what the difference will be to my riding. i come from a body building background but as i've got older i have found it more difficult on the recovery side, so now i do just light weights and cv work. i used to be 13.5 st in those days, as the weight as been coming off i do find i feel a lot colder, especially yesterday on my ride out. this year i'm doing lejog in august so hopefully i will have found an ideal wt.


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## deptfordmarmoset (30 Mar 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> The 10 mile TT course I ride is mainly up a slow gradient for the first half and down a slow gradient for the second half. One of my team mates who is about the same height as I, decided he needed to lose some weight. We were both around 200 lbs.
> I decided I would increase my FTP and not worry about my weight.
> 
> How it ended at the season's close was I won 7 races and he didn't win any. He lost his power. I gained.
> ...


Did your mate's weight loss give him any advantages over longer distances and hillier climbs?


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## Ningishzidda (30 Mar 2013)

No.


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## deptfordmarmoset (30 Mar 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> No.


I'm not surprised that his raw power declined but his power-to-weight ratio may still have improved.


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## Ningishzidda (30 Mar 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I'm not surprised that his raw power declined but his power-to-weight ratio may still have improved.


 
Tomorrow's Sunday 50 club run will prove I am dominant,,,


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## Garz (31 Mar 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> Tomorrow's Sunday 50 club run will prove I am dominant,,,



Proof or it didn't happen!!


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## Peteaud (31 Mar 2013)

I am 6 foot and 13 stone 4 with careful eating etc.

Would love to get to 12 stone 8 but i dont think it will ever happen.


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## Ningishzidda (31 Mar 2013)

Peteaud said:


> I am 6 foot and 13 stone 4 with careful eating etc.
> 
> Would love to get to 12 stone 8 but i dont think it will ever happen.


Big Mig was 6' 2" and 12 st 9. Why not?


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## Peteaud (31 Mar 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> Big Mig was 6' 2" and 12 st 9. Why not?


 
As others have said, it depends on your build.


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## ianwoodi (31 Mar 2013)

If i sick to my careful eating for the next few months i should reach 101/2 stone and ready to fly up the big hills around here so watch out behind you


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## vickster (31 Mar 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> If i *sick* to my careful eating for the next few months i should reach 101/2 stone and ready to fly up the big hills around here so watch out behind you


Bullimia / anorexia isn't really a healthy way to lose weight


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## cyberknight (31 Mar 2013)

An example on todays club run was perfect.
One of the guys on the run is well built and on the flat he could probably drop me but on the hills i can big ring hills he needs to granny ring up .
Horses for courses.
Weighed myself and i was 10 stone 9llbs, it was after a weekend of eating to much and after a full sunday dinner


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## DCLane (31 Mar 2013)

At 5'9" I'm now 10st 7lb and I've been that weight, give or take a couple of lbs, for the past year.

Does it help with hills? Absolutely, although I'm not planning to drop further.


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## ianwoodi (31 Mar 2013)

Yes i can big ring hills and blown one or two off hills but the problem i have is the desent cannot hold my nerve reach 30mph and then slowdown to many things going through my head


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## ianwoodi (31 Mar 2013)

What i need now is a good training plan to work on the hills not in emplyment at the moment so will be able to train every day if wife lets me out


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## DCLane (31 Mar 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> Yes i can big ring hills and blown one or two off hills but the problem i have is the desent cannot hold my nerve reach 30mph and then slowdown to many things going through my head


 
That's practice and positioning. It's also partly in the mind - I have the same issue once the bike goes over 50mph.

You've got the hills around you. Can I suggest finding a straight descent without potholes (are there any?) and keep trying.


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## Becs (31 Mar 2013)

A lot of girls don't find scrawny men attractive . . . . . just saying


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## stevey (31 Mar 2013)

Currently 12st 2lbs and 5' 9" would ideally like to get to around 11st 10lbs.


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## bicyclos (31 Mar 2013)

Just short of 6' by a natts head. I usually put on weight through winter and loose what I want through summer. Winter weight usually 13st 10lb and go down to about 13st 6lb by mid year. I am heavy boned and sink in water like a brick not like my wife who floates in the sea.....Im happy with my weight/s as I don't race the bike I have no issues. I can climb hills in my time and enjoy it plus I can sprint not bad for a 53yr old who enjoys good food and drink! I do creak and ache though.


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## ianwoodi (31 Mar 2013)

hi same age as me gave up drink. I ache but i think i push it to hard up hills


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## srw (31 Mar 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> Big Mig was 6' 2" and 12 st 9. Why not?


Big Mig rode 100 miles a day, six days a week, at race pace or near offer. Fine if you've got the aptitude and someone paying you to do it - not so fine if you're human.


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## Mr Haematocrit (31 Mar 2013)

Becs said:


> A lot of girls don't find scrawny men attractive . . . . . just saying


 












For some reason when I look at these pictures, I'm not convinced its the scrawny guy who has problems with the ladies


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## redcard (31 Mar 2013)

Becs said:


> A lot of girls don't find scrawny men attractive . . . . . just saying



Wonder if I would get away with saying something similar about men and fat chicks.

No?

Thought not.


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## edindave (1 Apr 2013)

redcard said:


> Wonder if I would get away with saying something similar about men and fat chicks.
> 
> No?
> 
> Thought not.


 
My mum's always saying stuff like "if you get any skinnier you'll fall down a drain'.
It seems to be socially acceptable to comment about thin people.
However, I would never say to someone 'if you get any fatter you might not fit through that door' to anyone.


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## Becs (1 Apr 2013)

redcard said:


> Wonder if I would get away with saying something similar about men and fat chicks.
> 
> No?
> 
> Thought not.


 
Yes you could. It's a statement of fact. What you can't say is all fat chicks are bad people because that is not a fact. Anyway the chap in the picture didn't look that scrawny to me - although he does look like a bit of a short arse!


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## StuAff (1 Apr 2013)

Becs said:


> Yes you could. It's a statement of fact. What you can't say is all fat chicks are bad people because that is not a fact. Anyway the chap in the picture didn't look that scrawny to me - although he does look like a bit of a short arse!


The 'chap in the picture' is Mark Cavendish. A mere 5ft 8, definitely not scrawny though.

As an actually scrawny person, I have had thousands of horrible phrases about my weight and various other 'deficiencies' (genuine or alleged) aimed at me over the years (and that was some of the less unpleasant abuse I've had). I'm not unhealthily underweight, what's their problem? I don't like my body very much, but frankly compared to some of the under & overweight specimens I see around, it's still in better shape than lots of others.


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## Mr Haematocrit (1 Apr 2013)

I'm just to wimpy to fight for my share of the pies


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## StuAff (1 Apr 2013)

V for Vengedetta said:


> I'm just to wimpy to fight for my share of the pies


Whereas I eat the pies and don't put the weight on.


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## redcard (1 Apr 2013)

Becs said:


> Yes you could. It's a statement of fact. What you can't say is all fat chicks are bad people because that is not a fact. Anyway the chap in the picture didn't look that scrawny to me - although he does look like a bit of a short arse!



Yes, yes. How controversial of you.


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## ColinJ (1 Apr 2013)

V for Vengedetta said:


> I'm just to wimpy to fight for my share of the pies





StuAff said:


> Whereas I eat the pies and don't put the weight on.


If I ate the pies, then I would put the weight on, but despite being quite big I'm too wimpy to fight for my share of the pies so I chose to drink lots of beer instead - there was plenty to go round!


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## Becs (1 Apr 2013)

redcard said:


> Yes, yes. How controversial of you.


 
Indeed. Anyway using Cavs as an example of a scrawny bloke is rubbish, Froome on the other hand . . . . . this thread just sounded incredibly anal, thought I'd add a bit of common sense. As you were


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## vickster (1 Apr 2013)

And Wiggins! 6ft3 and 70kg is pretty scrawny but perfect for cycling up hills and the like

Rowers and rugby players...


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## Garz (1 Apr 2013)

Cyclists typically have below normal % of bodyfat even among sports people. Your average man should be between 10-20%, pro cyclists are not 'average' coming in around the 5-10% range.


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## Becs (1 Apr 2013)

Garz said:


> Cyclists typically have below normal % of bodyfat even among sports people. Your average man should be between 10-20%, pro cyclists are not 'average' coming in around the 5-10% range.


Which is why, in general, rowers and rugby players are a lot hotter than cyclists


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## Garz (1 Apr 2013)

Becs said:


> Which is why, in general, rowers and rugby players are a lot hotter than cyclists


 
Good job I look like a rugby player and not a cyclist then!


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## StuAff (1 Apr 2013)

Becs said:


> Which is why, in general, rowers and rugby players are a lot hotter than cyclists


In general indeed. Depends on the cyclist. From the heterosexual male perspective, lady cyclists rock


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## cyberknight (1 Apr 2013)

StuAff said:


> In general indeed. Depends on the cyclist. From the heterosexual male perspective, lady cyclists rock


You mean these ladies do not rock your boat? snap you in half


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## StuAff (1 Apr 2013)

cyberknight said:


> You mean these ladies do not rock your boat? snap you in half


Now, I did not say they didn't.......


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## Ningishzidda (2 Apr 2013)

Victoria Pendleton.


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## ColinJ (2 Apr 2013)

Garz said:


> Good job I look like a rugby player and not a cyclist then!


The problem is when you also ride like a rugby player!


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## vickster (2 Apr 2013)

Erm...some may enjoy that


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## Garz (2 Apr 2013)

Depends on what context..


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## david k (7 Apr 2013)

ColinJ said:


> It is impossible to say whether you are overweight just from your height. You might have anything from a very heavy build to a very light one.
> So, try an experiment .. (For the sake of modesty, let's assume that you have a pair of boxer shorts on ) ... Jump up in the air while looking at yourself in a full-length mirror and tense all your muscles. When you land, can you see anything wobble?
> If the answer is 'no', then you probably don't need to lose much weight, unless you are one of those people who stores a lot of fat internally.
> If the answer is 'yes' then you have surplus fat and could definitely lose some weight. Surplus fat doesn't help your performance so losing it wouldn't hurt your performance.
> If you don't cycle up a lot of hills then a few pounds here or there isn't going to make that much difference, but if you do a lot of hills then every pound lost will help as long as you don't overdo it and lose power.


 
errr..... i have this 'mate' and he did this experiment yesterday and its still wobbling, what does that mean?


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## Ningishzidda (7 Apr 2013)

david k said:


> errr..... i have this 'mate' and he did this experiment yesterday and its still wobbling, what does that mean?


 
If it appears on here, he's in trouble.
http://earthquake-report.com


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## ColinJ (7 Apr 2013)

david k said:


> errr..... i have this 'mate' and he did this experiment yesterday and its still wobbling, what does that mean?


It means he either needs to stop jumping, or to jump up and down millions of times and burn away whatever was wobbling!


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## tyred (8 Apr 2013)

Becs said:


> Which is why, in general, rowers and rugby players are a lot hotter than cyclists


 
Really

Dumps bike in river and starts reading "Rugby for dummies"


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## tyred (8 Apr 2013)

V for Vengedetta said:


> For some reason when I look at these pictures, I'm not convinced its the scrawny guy who has problems with the ladies


 
Are those before and after pictures?


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## ColinJ (8 Apr 2013)

tyred said:


> Are those before and after pictures?


No, _these_ are before and after photos ...!











(The young Cav is the one in black! )


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## david k (12 Apr 2013)

ColinJ said:


> It means he either needs to stop jumping, or to jump up and down millions of times and burn away whatever was wobbling!


ill do that, err i mean ill tell him


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## Jonathing (13 Apr 2013)

I'm 5'9" and 8 1/2 stone and can't climb for toffee. Whenever I meet new people on the bike they always say that I'm like some sort of racing snake and that they'll have to watch me on the hills. Then always seem bemused that I'm one of the worst climbers in Yorkshire (a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one). I find that if I can get my weight up to 9 stone, while keeping my fitness up, I ride much better. I can't maintain that weight though, I have a job, I can't actually spend all day eating, which is pretty much what it takes.


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## david k (14 Apr 2013)

Jonathing said:


> I'm 5'9" and 8 1/2 stone and can't climb for toffee. Whenever I meet new people on the bike they always say that I'm like some sort of racing snake and that they'll have to watch me on the hills. Then always seem bemused that I'm one of the worst climbers in Yorkshire (a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one). I find that if I can get my weight up to 9 stone, while keeping my fitness up, I ride much better. I can't maintain that weight though, I have a job, I can't actually spend all day eating, which is pretty much what it takes.


im the other end of the scale and i also cannot climb ha ha


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