so what are YOU built for?

[bcipam]

I'm tall and heavy so hills are not my friend but I have strong, massive legs and on the flats I can hang with the best of them (averaging between 22 - 25mph)! If choosing between a climber, sprinter or time trialist, I would be the sprinter but I also have alot of endurance and can ride forever, even with some hills thrown in - I'm just not fast!

[caligurl]

hills and distance/endurance... i haven't been blessed with speed yet.... i always say i'm a tortoise: slow and steady.... that's my pace!

[RoadRaven]

I haven't done enough yet, but everyone who has seen me says I'm made for shortish distances at sustained speed...
...hence my "title" <<<<< TT Wannabe
I want to TT competitively - its where I feel most comfortable and right

I don't think hills will ever be my strength

[betagirl]

I'm definitely a distance girl. As you can see from my fast twitch post, I'm not a sprinter. I can climb pretty well also, I can do 18 up a moderate hill. A big hill slows me down to about 13. I also get this weird gratification from one of those long gradual climbs that seems to go on forever. But for me I'm happiest on a loooooooooooong steady, flat ride. When I was in H.S. I was a swimmer, and all I wanted to do was the 500 freestyle. So I think that's ingrained in me. I would like to broaden my skills though. I think if you can hang for the distances, you're ahead of the game. Now we just need to work on being speedy

[CorsairMac]

before cycling?? I would've told you I was built for bearing many children and pulling the plow all day. Now: not a clue. No matter where you go in this town ya gotta climb so I just accept that. I do seem to climb faster than most women but not at some of the speeds ya'll are talking about. I sprint at the green light, to cross lanes of traffic, and sometimes just coz but I don't think of myself as a sprinter. I get bored on short rides just coz I don't feel like I"ve really ridden. I don't mind doing long rides and my avg on 1/2 and full centuries is about 15 mph. I guess I'm just an average all-around Jill!

[KSH]

Texas sized hills and a head wind. That always helps me stay with a group... because neither one bothers me. I LOVE TEXAS HILLS!!!!



What I am NOT made for... decending DOWN any kind hill. Scares the crap out of me.

[cindysue]

with these hips? I must be built for bearing children, but until that day - I'm a better climber than a sprinter and I can usually hang with long distance rides.

[nuthatch]

before cycling?? I would've told you I was built for bearing many children and pulling the plow all day.

Ha, ha! That's what I was going to say!

So far I seem to be extremely well engineered for falling off my bike

Hey, you're on my team!! What are the "builds" of all these varieties of specialization? I know climbers are little, light fellers. What are big, heavy riders good at? Are they all-arounders? Big Georgie seems to be keeping up with his much lighter boss in the Tour.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Me? I'm an endurance and distance rider, no speed at all! But happily staying on the bike all day and maintaining the same strength at the end of the day as I had at the beginning supports my touring habit very well.

--- Denise

[betagirl]

"you are fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on our local climb we all practice on.. i'm lucky if i can do 10 mph up it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Caligurl, I live in IL so my idea of a moderate hill may be different than your idea of one I'd love to see what I'd do in some mountains, I suspect I'd be slower. We do have a few big hills up north of me, and on a century I did this year the last 10 miles had about a 2 mile climb at about a 7% grade. I did about 14 up that thing. Riding up to it it just looked like a big wall lined with trees. You don't see that a lot around here so I was like oh this should be fun.

On a related note I would love to do the Seattle-Portland ride, but I'm curious as to how I'd train for that other than going up to WI or something to get in some decent hills.

[CR400]

I can hold my own on hills but not as fast as the women that are much lighter. Even though I love the challenge of a long steep hill. I love decents and have been known to pedel faster to get up more speed. Can hold my own at a distance did a ride today of almost 70 miles with an average of around 15. I did better on the first half of the ride with and average over 18. But on the way back a strong wind picked up and got dropped back to 12-14mph most of the way, didn't help I did most of it solo. What I love the most is speed, I try to hang with the fast pack of men as long as I can.
I guess I consider myself an all around cyclist at least I try to be.

[caligurl]

I can climb pretty well also, I can do 18 up a moderate hill. A big hill slows me down to about 13.

you are fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on our local climb we all practice on.. i'm lucky if i can do 10 mph up it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

when i did breathless agony (12000 feet total of climbing)... there were times i was even as slow as 4 mph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spazzdog]

When I was running I preferred sprints, as distance nothing longer than 5K. I ran plenty of 5 milers and 10K's, even trained for and did a 1/2 marathon and a marathon. The distance training killed me... my body hated the impact and I started resemling an AAMCO transmission ad, parts falling out everywhere.

With cycling I'm not sure yet what will be my stronger suite. I love speed, descending is a blast, climbing makes me swear like a marine. I just don't know... with my build (long/lean and gettin' older) I'm guessing climbing wouldn't be a natural fit.

clueless spazz

[snapdragen]

Spazz, I'd say you're the fast on the flats racer girl.

I have always had "ample" thighs - even at my skinniest - 110 pounds. When I'm in good form - I like climbing. I figure that's why I have these legs!