| The ideal cycling weight for what? | | | | cycling performance improved. If he'd still been a |
| The word 'Ideal' implies that there is one perfect | | | | triathlete, his swimming would have suffered when |
| weight for a given cyclist but this is not true. The | | | | he did that. This is why I say that the ideal cycling |
| answer to the question posed in the article title | | | | weight depends on what type of cycling you do, and |
| depends on what the aims and lifestyle of that | | | | what your goals are. |
| cyclist are. The needs of a professional athlete are | | | | The specialist climber |
| very different to those of the cycle tourist or | | | | If you look at the 'mountain goats' of the pro |
| someone who just uses a bicycle for transport. | | | | peloton, you will soon notice that they tend to be |
| Having said that, there is a truth understood by | | | | incredibly skinny. The truth is that they constantly |
| anybody who has ever toiled up a steep hill on a | | | | battle to keep their weights down to that level and |
| bicycle - fat is hard work when the road rears up! | | | | some have eating disorders. That isn't a healthy thing |
| Cycling for health | | | | to do, but it is an individual choice to make. If you |
| If you only cycle to keep fit and well and are not | | | | consider yourself to be a climber, just be very careful |
| interested in performance, then you don't need to | | | | not to overdo your weight loss - winning a bike race |
| concern yourself with your weight, beyond keeping it | | | | isn't worth dying for and Anorexia Nervosa isn't |
| within a healthy range. Some people refer to Body | | | | something to play about with. |
| Mass Index (BMI) for this, but I don't like it because | | | | What is my ideal cycling weight? |
| it doesn't take into account how muscular your body | | | | I have a lot of experience of cycling in the Pennine |
| is. Muscle is good, excessive fat is bad but BMI | | | | hills of northern England. I have done it fat and I have |
| ignores the difference. | | | | done it skinny and I can tell you straight that cycling |
| My advice would be to use your cycling to help get | | | | round here is easier when skinny! I overdid it a few |
| your weight down to the point where you don't | | | | years back and got too thin. I looked gaunt, I kept |
| have a roll of fat round your waist, or at most just a | | | | getting ill and I didn't have the stamina that I have |
| small one. Don't go so far as to have all your ribs | | | | now. I could climb the first few hills quickly, but then |
| sticking out. If you achieve this then you will be | | | | I'd get exhausted and perhaps come down with a |
| maximising the health benefits of your time on the | | | | cold a few days later. |
| bike. | | | | Over the years, I piled a lot of weight on. Sure, I |
| Cycling for fitness | | | | stopped getting ill but I got to an unhealthy size and |
| If you are trying to maximise your cycling | | | | felt really unfit. |
| performance, you should pay close attention to your | | | | I'm 6'1" tall and a medium build. For me, as a cyclist |
| weight. Any excess fat is a burden to carry uphill. | | | | who enjoys riding in the hills and mountains, below |
| You will go downhill faster than your skinny buddies, | | | | 168 pounds is too light, above 182 pounds is too |
| but that will never make up for the time lost climbing. | | | | heavy so I'm aiming for about 175 pounds. You |
| The steeper the hills, the worse it gets. | | | | should be able to work out a range of weights like |
| Upper body muscular bulk will not help your cycling | | | | that for yourself. Aim to lose weight until you are |
| either. Lance Armstrong came from a triathlon | | | | slimmer and fitter. If you overdo it, put a couple of |
| background and his swimmer's upper body muscle | | | | pounds back on and maintain that weight from then |
| was a handicap on the bike. It was only when he | | | | on. |
| reduced the size of his upper body that his road | | | | |