How much will extra body weight effect performance?

[willhub]

Hi.

I seem to have gained around half a stone in the past month, maybe less than a month, it's really odd as I have not changed my diet and my cycling was pretty much the same up untill the end of last week where I was pretty active. Would this half a stone actually impact on hill climbing and on the flat that much? It's abit baffling as to why and where this weight could be put on as I look the same.


Thanks
Will.

 

[MacB]

it would have an impact but not as much as weight directly on bike, ie a pannier or something. I'm sure someone can come along and offer some specifics but my guess would be that active bodyweight probably has an impact around 25% of dead weight.

 

[Will1985]

The season is winding down if you're competing. Chill out about it and worry about next season.

Anyway, think of it as resistance training.

 

[Young Un]

The season is winding down if you're competing. Chill out about it and worry about next season.

Anyway, think of it as resistance training.

Yup, I see extra weight as extra training, if I can beat people who are little whippets, then just think what I could do if I lost a stone.

I've just started (last month) trying to cut down on my weight ready for cyclo-cross (cyclo-cross plus TT's means my season never winds down)

 

[willhub]

It's more about that I don't want this extra weight if it's bad weight like fat, if it's muscle then I'm happy with it, but I have a fatty stomach and chest and no matter how much riding I'd do it never seems to burn it off.

I mean last week I was climbing as normal, so going from 12.1 to 12.5 is not much? Maybe like 2 750ml bottles or a large saddle bag?

I'm trying to stay active on the bike as in trying to not loose any fitness and possibly keep at the level I am, or get better with as little training as possible, and with this comes the worry about weight gain. I don't really want to go swimming or go to the gym.

 

[Young Un]

It's more about that I don't want this extra weight if it's bad weight like fat, if it's muscle then I'm happy with it, but I have a fatty stomach and chest and no matter how much riding I'd do it never seems to burn it off.

I mean last week I was climbing as normal, so going from 12.1 to 12.5 is not much? Maybe like 2 750ml bottles or a large saddle bag?

I always think about this with water bottles - 1l of water is an extra 1 kg in weight right theer - do a ride with out them, then do one with - can you feel a difference?

 

[willhub]

I always think about this with water bottles - 1l of water is an extra 1 kg in weight right theer - do a ride with out them, then do one with - can you feel a difference?

I guess not really, I did 60miles the other week with saddle bag and 2 750ml bottles on and still managed 20mph avg over rolling terrain.

 

[Young Un]

I guess not really, I did 60miles the other week with saddle bag and 2 750ml bottles on and still managed 20mph avg over rolling terrain.

Theres you answer then - it doesn't really matter (unless, like me, you think you have a flabby stomach and moobs, in which case, excersice more, eat less - although this hasn't been helping me shift the weight)

 

[willhub]

See I have a large appetite, I do indeed think and I know I have a flabby stomach and moobs lukilly no one would think it unless I've not got a shirt on. I used to be cycling most days, it certainly removed fat from around my face, neck, arms, legs but not the rest, I can't exercise more I'm having to drastically cut back cycling at the moment.

 

[Young Un]

See I have a large appetite, I do indeed think and I know I have a flabby stomach and moobs lukilly no one would think it unless I've not got a shirt on. I used to be cycling most days, it certainly removed fat from around my face, neck, arms, legs but not the rest, I can't exercise more I'm having to drastically cut back cycling at the moment.

I'm exactly like you, I eat a lot portion wise, but you wouldn't think I had moobs and a flabby stomach if I had a t-shirt on. it's just that I know its there and it bugs me. I will never fly up hills as I am built rather well (I currently weigh in at 13 stone or 83kg)

 

[willhub]

I used to weigh 13.5stone last year, lost about 1.5 stone in the space of a month or two, I'd say I'm a good all rounder but I can do hills faster than allot of people I guess, in my club anyway, on the flat TT's compared to the Hilly TT's I'm closer the 1st than in the flat TT's.

 

[montage]

How tall are you both?

I'm just over 6'2 and weight in around 12 stone ..... I can really notice the difference between carrying 2 full water bottles and carrying nothing. As a rough guess, if I were to tackle a 0.5mile long climb and do it in 4 mins I would say that the water bottles would slow me down 10-15 seconds.

I'm not bothered about my weight until next season.... I know I won't put on more than half a stone, and I doubt I can loose more than a stone. When I am stripping down weight.

Try and do 20-30 mins twice a week before breakfast...even if this is just fast walking. I would also say eat lodes at lunch and then less at dinner time. Use fruit for snacks and cut out fizzy drinks etc ..... easy on the booze aswell. Simples.

 

[willhub]

I'm about 5ft 10" and find I'm mostly hungry around 7-10PM. If I stopped cycling or only did like 1 or 2 rides every 2 weeks or so then I'd end up going back to 13.5 stone, I find it very easy to gain weight but very hard to loose weight.

 

[Young Un]

Bout 5" 9 1/2 for me


I go for a run about twice a week before breakfast (30 mins) and sometimes once in the afternoon some other time. I don't eat much junk food - I cut it all out but Iive noticed it's creeping back in - that will change tomorrow. I easily get my 5 a day, and I don't drink that often either. The weight still won't shift though, even though I am doing around 140 miles a week

 

[willhub]

I think the weight stopped dropping on me when I went down from 300miles a week to around 160-200.