Does being overweight mean you're slow on a bike?

[KneesUp]

6 stone in the panniers is not the same as an extra 6 stone of muscle on the rider.
Of course, how much of the extra 6st is muscle and how much is lard, is a different question.

(for the avoidance of doubt I'm reasonably thin)

Well wear a 'fat suit' then - the point is that carrying more weight requires more effort, and the amount of effort a person can put out has a limit. 300 watts will move a smaller weight faster than it will move a larger weight. That's physics.

Of course you could probably find someone malnourished who is 6 stone lighter than Froome, who will of course be faster. But there is a reason racing cyclist look more like Stan Laurel than Oliver Hardy.

 

[Profpointy]

Well wear a 'fat suit' then - the point is that carrying more weight requires more effort, and the amount of effort a person can put out has a limit. 300 watts will move a smaller weight faster than it will move a larger weight. That's physics.

.

A bigger (that is to say stronger) chap should be able to put out more watts - that's also physics surely.
I did distinguish between muscle and lard

 

[KneesUp]

A bigger (that is to say stronger) chap should be able to put out more watts - that's also physics surely.
I did distinguish between muscle and lard

'Bigger' is not the same as 'stronger'

I expect the legs of Bradley Wiggins are quite strong. But they still look like drinking straws.

 

[Soltydog]

Well wear a 'fat suit' then - the point is that carrying more weight requires more effort, and the amount of effort a person can put out has a limit. 300 watts will move a smaller weight faster than it will move a larger weight. That's physics.

Of course you could probably find someone malnourished who is 6 stone lighter than Froome, who will of course be faster. But there is a reason racing cyclist look more like Stan Laurel than Oliver Hardy.

Thats ok if all the extra weight is 'lard' but the chances are that those of us carrying a little extra, also have a little extra power as we are used to lugging the weight around all the time I'm 6'5" & just under 18st now, about 3 years ago I was about 16st, but not noticeably faster, as the difference wasnt 2 stones of 'lard' but a mix of lard & muscle

 

[Profpointy]

'Bigger' is not the same as 'stronger'

I expect the legs of Bradley Wiggins are quite strong. But they still look like drinking straws.

Power to weight is what matters. Are you seriously saying bigger blokes (those who aren't fatties) don't develop more power?
I accept that it's the racing snakes that climb the hills, but the bigger guys win on flat and TT's I gather.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

short twitch and fast twitch and something in the middle, and CV fitness comes into it. And one's abilitly to sustain discomfort...
Does being slow mean you're overweight on a bike?

Does being slow make you overweight?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Power to weight is what matters. Are you seriously saying bigger blokes (those who aren't fatties) don't develop more power?
I accept that it's the racing snakes that climb the hills, but the bigger guys win on flat and TT's I gather.

Gentleman's agreement?

 

[KneesUp]

Thats ok if all the extra weight is 'lard' but the chances are that those of us carrying a little extra, also have a little extra power as we are used to lugging the weight around all the time I'm 6'5" & just under 18st now, about 3 years ago I was about 16st, but not noticeably faster, as the difference wasnt 2 stones of 'lard' but a mix of lard & muscle

Well I'm off to Ladbrokes to put £20 on Jean Claude van Damme for the Tour de France.

but then on the other hand

 

[Soltydog]

http://www.wenzelcoaching.com/blog/cycling-body-weight-chart/ shows 'ideal' weights for cyclists but according to the stats Chris Hoy at 6'1" & 203lbs was about 20lbs too heavy even as a sprinter. Imagine how fast he could have been if he's shed those 20lbs

 

[Profpointy]

Well I'm off to Ladbrokes to put £20 on Jean Claude van Damme for the Tour de France.

but then on the other hand

but even the great Scottish engineer would say it's power to weight

 

[KneesUp]

http://www.wenzelcoaching.com/blog/cycling-body-weight-chart/ shows 'ideal' weights for cyclists but according to the stats Chris Hoy at 6'1" & 203lbs was about 20lbs too heavy even as a sprinter. Imagine how fast he could have been if he's shed those 20lbs

Quite - he might have won something on the road if he was lighter.

 

[screenman]

I think the Mods have not put a good title to this topic.

 

[PK99]

Power to weight is what matters. Are you seriously saying bigger blokes (those who aren't fatties) don't develop more power?
I accept that it's the racing snakes that climb the hills, but the bigger guys win on flat and TT's I gather.

are you sure?

Cavendish 5ft9 11 stone
Wiggins 5ft11 12 stone

 

[uclown2002]

are you sure?

Cavendish 5ft9 11 stone
Wiggins 5ft11 12 stone

Wiggins is only 69kg according to sky website, so that's 152lbs

 

[screenman]

Tony Martin 11 stone 8 nothing lardy there, think how quick he could be if he ate all the cakes.