about what "fitness" look like on bicyclists

[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

[nomummytummy]

I agree - I am actually rather thin - too much so lately and I've realised from another thread that I need to eat more. I started climbing hills with a baby on my MTB in an embrace bike seat. http://www.embrace.co.nz/catalog/ We live at the top of a hill and so up was the only way home! As a result on a road bike by myslef I can climb and keep up with the guys. But.... I always lose them going downhill. Last weekend for example we went down this great hill, lots of twists and curves and had worked rather hard to get up it in the first place. I rode down, touched my brakes maybe once, but still got left behind. I would love to weigh a bit more so that I could benefit from gravity and really get that speed rush from going faster & faster!!

Some of the best cyclists in the group I go out with are not reed thin at all. As a society we have equated thin with fit & fit with healthy. It's the biggest myth. At work I see so many people who look "fit" who are actually not healthy at all and heading in a terrible direction b/c they have bought into the idea that if they are thin there are fewer health consequences.

[atombessy]

I just saw this article myself on another forum and stopped by to make sure someone had posted it here I'm a healthy weight but not skinny, so I really appreciated the fit but not thin report!