Hill Wimp
Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
Who lives near Wiggo and can knock on his door and who lives near Vicky and can knock on her door ??
A question on ladies cycling
- Thread starter ClichéGuevara
- Start date
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deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Not only that but Jo and Laura have, I believe, been big agents of change in UK women's cycling, broadening out the Victoria Pendleton spearhead. But if Wiggle-Honda are now sponsoring a team here in the UK and UHC are picking things up in the USA, then I reckon it's moving in the right direction. And was it Hannah Barnes talking about how women's cycling was going out on national TV? Sponsors will follow, I'm sure. First, because it'll be relatively cheap, then because it's the new big thing.
Hill Wimp
Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
True i watched Hannah on the TV win that race in York, it was great to see and long may it continue.
Earlier i was watching Lance " im a liar" Armstrong on You Tube and his interview with Oprah. Linked to one of the threads was an interview someone from the International Olympic Commitee who said that due to all the doping they had considered stopping cycling all together as an olympic sport. Im not sure that there has been any suspicion on womens cycling but the more they come to the for they may just help the cleaning of the image of the sport.
Earlier i was watching Lance " im a liar" Armstrong on You Tube and his interview with Oprah. Linked to one of the threads was an interview someone from the International Olympic Commitee who said that due to all the doping they had considered stopping cycling all together as an olympic sport. Im not sure that there has been any suspicion on womens cycling but the more they come to the for they may just help the cleaning of the image of the sport.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Hoy would smash Pendleton and Wiggo would smash Trott!
Just look at the raw speeds and times, male athletes are faster than female athletes, bar the odd exception, usually occurring during ultra endurance events.
I can see what you're saying and I don't disagree, but I reckon that in a general group, the males will tend to be faster than the females at cycling. I'd also say that if it was as you say, me vs specific women, I'd be backing the women.
My question's more why should this be the case if it's fitness rather than strength? I'm not saying the argument about leg strength is wrong, I'm more trying to understand it more clearly.
Genetics.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
To be fair, women's cycling doesn't carry the same burden. The only woman I can think of who's been caught up in doping intrigues that I can think of is Jeannie Longo, those BC/Olympics girls seem beyond any whiff of suspicion.
(Maybe that's why the men are faster...
...only joking....)
i would imagine that mountain biking (presumably downhill) is more about technique than strength and therefore no reason why women couldn't compete alongside the men. however, as a woman, i would imagine that with general road cycling, it's to do with strength/power in the muscle. i don't think any female cyclist will match the best man on power/strength. even the worlds best body building woman would not be able to compete with the worlds best bodybuilding man. so road cycling will probably always be a separate competition for the men and women.
No reason at all why they can't have a female TDF. it doesn't need to be less tough either. that would be the insult, not the fact that they can't compete with the men.
vickster
Legendary Member
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ClichéGuevara
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kingston upon the River Hull
But that's precisely my point, it's argued on here that leg strength is largely irrelevant to cycling, it's purely down to fitness.
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ClichéGuevara
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kingston upon the River Hull
I'll have a rummage to see if I can find the thread. I agree it seems wrong, but the people arguing it are convincing. The basic thrust is that to climb stairs, you effectively lift your body weight on one leg which takes more strength than any cyclist uses up any hill, so therefore if you can walk upstairs, the limiting factor when cycling up any hill is fitness. I think one confusing factor is the distinction between strength and power.
Edit....here's A link to one thread on the topic. It's a poor example because it gets too personal, but I think it presents the basis of the argument.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cadence-speed-and-hill-climbing.109691/#post-2010654
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
I would argue it to some degree! You don't need to be strong to be powerful. Pedalling a bike is a continuous application of hugely sub maximal efforts and is ultimately limited by your aerobic capacity.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
So men have bigger lungs than women? I understand not a jot what you posted
They probably do yes, being generally larger, however I was not commenting in relation to the male vs female debate in that particular post, I was commenting in relation to leg strength not being particularly limiting in terms of cycling performance (unless you are a track sprinter!).
If that were true, you'd wonder why these 2 bother with the leg exercises. BTW the skinny one is Griepel
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...re-monster-thighs-and-picture-goes-viral.html
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Sprinters.
It is only natural that you will develop some leg strength and possibly some muscle mass through cycling, however unless you are a sprinter, where you will be applying (near) maximal efforts for a very short duration and need to have a "jump" i.e. very fast sudden acceleration, generated from applying a high instantanious torque to the cranks, it is unlikely that leg strength will be a primary limiter.
