Following on from the current poll, how fit do you reckon you are – and what are you doing about it?

Me, I went for the “Quite unfit (so about average for non-cyclists!)” option… and that only because I have no illusions about how fit the average omnibusser is!

From being an immensely fit and dedicated cyclist 20 years ago, the entirety of my cycling life now consists of cruising around behind a four year old!

I have done no serious exercise for the last 10 years, and while I’m slim I have no illusions about the underlying state of my health – and even if I had, this year’s heart health scare would have dealt with them for sure!

So, no worse than average, but only because I think the average is so poor. What to do about it? I’ve just started crossfit, which seems perfect for me – others there to motivate me, friendly and social, different stuff each time. Cycling wise, I’ve held of joining folk for rides these past few years on account of how slow I know I’ll be, but I’ve just told a couple of friends to drop me a line if they’re heading out for a dawdle and don’t mind some company – not much, but hopefully a start to getting back into riding (not just for the fitness) for me…

So, where are you at?

I’m overweight but can cycle faster than people who are thinner & taller than me. Can you be fat and fit?! Who cares! Let’s Ride!

I’m decently fit, but nothing more than that.

I could get fitter quite quickly, but I’m trying to lose weight so I’m trying to do less riding than I could do, but really dieting hard.

Then when (if!) I lose a decent amount of weight I’ll go back to training more.

You don’t have to spend hours doing mega miles by the way, you can improve a lot with short sessions. They can be fit in after kids bedtime or around work.

Can you be fat and fit?!

Yes, but only when it’s flat. When it starts to go uphill you’ll always be at a big disadvantage.

A lot fitter than the average person in the street

Less fit than the average person riding drop in sessions at the Velodrome

🙂

But enjoying a glass or 3 of wine on a school night !

Not very. And this week very little.

After starting riding seriously 2 years ago … i was the fittest I have been since my early 20’s in the summer ( i turned 50 in September ) … but after two months off the bike I can really feel the slip in fitness….

so I’m back on it…. set up a turbo trainer in the garage …. plan is 2 evenings a week on it…. an evening out on mtb and longer (50 mile ) rides on weekends…. thats my plan for winter!

I can play squash for 80 mins with three of us rotating, one of the lads is an ex county star and still has the skills.
I can ride flat out for 30 mins found the local res which is just shy of 8 miles, that however makes my lungs **** hurt!
I have no idea how fit I am but I’ve noticed I’m out of breath on that fast ride more than I used to be.

I’m well overweight but (think I am) fitter than I should be (wtf!)

8x200m sprints on foot with 30s in between. Do that twice a week for a couple of months, you’ll never be out of breath on the bike 🙂

Reasonably fit, but I’m only 22, and have been better at other stuff in the past than I am now (running being the main one). Next year I’m going to have a proper go at XC racing, after dabbling this year. I’m not rally sure how fit I need to be, but I figure nobody will be starting the first race of the season thinking they are going to be way too fast!

Trying to be more consistent with my riding this winter- 2 hard interval sessions, daily commute (5miles SS each way) and a weekend long ride (3 hours) should see me through I hope!

Pretty fit: this year I’ve managed a gold-standard time at a major Spanish (road) sportive, run a marathon, and a month ago finished a 100km running ultra… had a month off since then, now signed up to a gym to start training for the next 🙂

Best shape I’ve ever been in, which is probably a bit below enthusiast-cyclist-average but good enough for my purposes. I improve it by riding teh bieks, and a wee bit of directionless light weight work, but mostly I ride bikes despite the fitness benefits.

About as unfit as I’ve been in 6 years. Still above average I guess.

Fitter than I have ever been. 200 – 300 miles a week on the bike and all dayers are now a giggle instead of a chore.

Unfit, doing nothing about it, eating badly, drinking too much, high blood pressure, family history of heart attacks. Luckily I’m miserable as ****, so hopefully it will all be over soon.

Fitter than i was 2 yeas ago. Less fit than i was 5 yeas ago. Faster and stronger than i was 5 years ago.

35 and as fit and slim as I was 15 years ago when I used to play football 3 times a week. different kind of fit. lost about 10kg in the last year.
still not as fit as I’d like to be and only really conditioned for cycling so I’m trying a bit of squash, running and circuits on top.

What is ‘fit’ exactly? Apart from the obvious ‘Whoaa, she’s/he’s fit’ thing.

Reasonably fit i think.
46yrs old, 9 stone in weight at 5’2″, resting heart rate of 45bpm according to my HRM. Cycle to work every day on SS bike etc.
According to my HRM my recovery time from exercise puts me in the highest bracket with a bpm of 57 5 minutes after a turbo session.
Not particularly fast although i can average 17.5mph over a 35 mile circuit.
Suppose that puts me in the ‘middling’ category on here.

Overweight a unfit… Ride my bike everyday though.
not getting anywhere because: love of pies > amount of exercise done

I’ve just eaten a toblerone and scoffed much of a bottle of red 🙂

Wonder why I am below average at velodrome ? 🙂

Fitter than most riders but not as fit as most racers….

Still fairly fit but beginning to panic as my hip is getting in the way of my riding, what am I doing about it? Thinking of turbo trainers

Apparently even thinking about exercise is beneficial – soi will think about it a bit more 🙂

Very unfit and trying to ride a lot. Uphill struggle

After the 20mph thread on here a while back, I went out to try and do a local 20 mile loop in under an hour. Averaged about 19.3 mph, but then I realised that waiting at traffic lights was enough to cost me at least 1 mph

‘Feeling’ fit, but noticeably weaker than the average younger club member.
Among my same age peers I’m in pretty good shape, just knocking 54.
Won an LVRC road race this year, constantly top 10. 3rd in age in a 3hour XC race. Laying 3rd/4th overall over 50 in the Central CX league.

Main aim now is to change the way I ride to prepare for the next 10 years as I still want to race into my 60’s.
I lost a lot of weight after the cross finished last year, and intend to do the same again this year. I don’t like to drop weight whilst I’m racing.

Oh, bought a power meter and started tagging onto Sunday club runs with Cat2 roadies instead of just riding on my lonesome if I can’t get out on the mtb.

Very very unfit.3 years ago I was 10.5 stone and very quick.
Now nearly 15 stone due to shitty medications.
This makes the depression side of my bipolar a lot worse.

Comiserations iolo, that must be shit.

You cannot believe how shit
Thanks

not too bad, I manage a 14 mile ride 5 days a week, and a longer ride on a sunday, all this has been managed the last 3 yrs with a heart problem
also got down from 23 stone to 18.5 stone in the last 18 month.

mid table mediocrity here 🙂

I’m happy with it. Enjoy an all dayer, more trekking-touring than MTB, but definitely not roadie. Not competitive. Been gyming two or three times a week the last 18 months and have put muscle on and feel fit. My knees don’t like running though which annoys me a bit. I’m certainly not getting younger though and lack of MTB time was obvious last time I took it out, no mojo on the rough stuff. I’d quite like to drop half a stone or maybe a bit more, just for vanity, but I’m happy. Realise I’m lucky healthwise so far to be able to keep at it. Intervals and spin classes when not on a real bike, TRX, squats and resistance machines for strength. Would like to do more multi dayer trips/rides next year if work and family allow.

Feeling fitter than I have in a long time, though in reality that probably puts me about average!

Trying to keep the intervals going midweek on the turbo, with either a couple of hours out on the SS or a short blast on the road bike. Longer, brisk ride at the weekend.

Seems to be working well enough without making the additional sacrifices I’d need if I were racing…

Resonable base, I can ride and not die…

What am I doing about it? Entered a 4 day race in January to kick my arse. Over in Perth for work this week and the road bike came with me.

Ruptured bicep tendon 2 months ago – gym stopped, biking stopped, didn’t work for a month, gave up healthy food.

Went from 6ft 11.75st, reasonably bike fit and the makings of a 6 pack, to 12.75st, dreading my next strenuous bike ride and a beer gut.

Just about at the turning point of sorting it all out again though!

For cycling I feel fit enough to enjoy myself, but not so far up the scale to embarrass others!

However, looking around work, I feel a well above the average. I work on a drillship (ship with and oil rig on it’s back), and everybody here has to pass an offshore or seafarers medical, you could reasonably expect a higher standard.

I spend a hour a day in the gym, and normally I have the place to myself.

Fairly fit at the moment, sub 3 marathon, 1:20 half for running, ~4:50 for 70.3 and 11 hours for Ironmans. Aiming to knock over an hour off my IM time with a 15 hour weekly training schedule.

So fitter than quite a few, but still no-where near the fast guys, or girls!

Cheers, Rich

Got quite fit, lost 11lbs. Now work and weather combined have kept me off the bike, and I’ve put on 2.5lbs.

Still, I’ve just sorted my race diary to July next year with the YCwar and a Crit at http://www.abercyclefest.com and the bonty 24/12 solo as a goal, so will be back on it.

Very fit.

Set a pb in a 10m TT this summer. 4h for the three peaks, 51st in the national hill climb, regular price money at the local hill climbs and been 2nd at the last two CX.

Actually took the year off training for racing and just went out riding for fun. Because I wasn’t bothered about tapering do races I did lots more riding and seem to be faster.

Plan is to keep fit over winter and hit the road racing in spring. Not had a BC licence before but would like to be a cat 3 by the end of the year.