about what "fitness" look like on bicyclists

[mimitabby]

another NYTIMES article!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/he...tml?ref=health
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/he...tml?ref=health

The Bicycling Paradox: Fit Doesn’t Have to Mean Thin
By GINA KOLATA

Andy Hampsten, the former pro cyclist, the only American ever to win the Tour of Italy, the first American ever to win the grueling Alpe d’Huez stage of the Tour de France, does his best to discourage casual riders from signing up for the cycling trips he leads in Tuscany.

“All of our trips are designed to satisfy experienced riders,” Mr. Hampsten writes on his Web site. To train, he suggests, “you should ride at least 100 miles a week for at least 6 to 10 weeks” on routes with “as many hills as you can find.”

So I had an image of what our fellow cyclists would look like when my husband, son and I arrived in Castagneto Carducci for a cycling vacation. They would look like Mr. Hampsten, who at age 45 remains boyishly thin and agile, bouncing with energy.

I was wrong. For the most part, our group consisted of ordinary-looking, mostly middle-age men and a few middle-age women.

These were serious cyclists. One of them was Bob Eastaugh, a 63-year-old justice on the Alaska Supreme Court who said he rode mostly to stay in shape for his true passion, downhill ski racing.

[Trekhawk]

Thanks Mimi for posting the link.

[SadieKate]

It's very easy to carry extra weight on a bicycle as it's a very efficient way to move weight, between the wheels and the gears.

On yellow's and my mtb tour last month, one of the other customer's was 6'5", 270 lbs, and in his mid-50s. Man, he could ride up them thar hills. His pedaling style was very economical.

[DrBee]

Thanks for the link. It's always nice to see articles that reinforce the idea that to be fit does not necessarily mean that you have to be thin as a rail.

[GLC1968]

Ha! This just confirms what I was thinking about my weekend experience.

My DH and I rode all weekend in the mountains of NC with 5 other couples. I was afraid that I wasn't fit enough and this fear was compounded when I met all the other couples (all of them are thin and fit looking - I'm not). I didn't sleep the night before the big ride worring about holding up everyone.

Turns out, I was the strongest female rider by quite a margin.

When we left, every single man (including the innkeeper) and 2 of the women complimented me on my riding and strength when we said good-bye. No one said anything to my husband who rode better than I did. My theory is that they said this because I look like I should be slower/weaker/etc because of my extra weight. I think I shocked a few of them with my climbing abilities.

[emily_in_nc]

When we left, every single man (including the innkeeper) and 2 of the women complimented me on my riding and strength when we said good-bye. No one said anything to my husband who rode better than I did. My theory is that they said this because I look like I should be slower/weaker/etc because of my extra weight. I think I shocked a few of them with my climbing abilities.

Congratulations! When I was doing a lot of club rides a few years back, I found that the women with a bit of extra weight (and super strong quads) were typically the strongest climbers. Not brand new riders, of course, but women who had been riding for quite awhile and put in a good amount of mileage, like you do. I, otoh, am a lightweight and despite looking like I should climb like a moutain goat, I am weak on the hills. I was stronger when I put in more mileage, but hills were still my weak point. I just don't have enough power and have itty-bitty lungs to boot. (Or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it! )

Good on you!

Emily

[Tri Girl]

Thanks for posting that article!!! Since I started cycling, I've been amazed by that also. There's one guy in a local cycling club (he owns my LBS) and while he's got quite the gut- that man can FLY on his bike (and he's not a bad runner either). Blew me away the first time I saw him race (he averages about 25 mph in the local duathlons).

all of them are thin and fit looking - I'm not

"What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
I saw your pictures on the thread about the weekend, and you are fit looking. You look shorter than some of the others, but you're definitely fit looking!!! I'm short, and I know that in order to look "thin" I have to be VERY tiny in weight. Not gonna happen again, so now I'm just going for the muscular look. I think it's hard to look thin on a short person unless you weigh next to nothing.
You look strong ladybug- those skinny women obviously couldn't hold a candle to you on the hills- so who'd want to be as thin as them anyway???