"Society has better targets for your contempt..."
Actually this aimed at jonny_met, not the OP. He's semi-trolling, but then so am I 😀
XL is a normal size when you are 6ft4 not all of us are anorexic dwarves
Divagirl - Member
hmm, don't know about tubby but many of the mtb men I've seen look pretty good to me - nicely built in all the right places. Can't be doing with a skinny fella
+ 1
if say you were a medium size normally the addition of say single speeding (or riding a heavy bike etc where strength is req'd) could easily make you a large and a larger trouser size through increased muscle mass.Some people class this as being 'fat'. Same as some call bodybuilders 'fat' (when clothed) just because they are often very bulky with extra muscle. typicaaly these people have never been in a gym, so do not understand. they typically think thin is fit.However I do see the OP's point.Surely though it's why many get a bike and we should encourage everyone too ride, if they're interested.One of the beauties of cycling is it is accessable to all.
hmm, don't know about tubby but many of the mtb men I've seen look pretty good to me - nicely built in all the right places. Can't be doing with a skinny fella
Chubby gils have lower standards though 😉
partyboy - this one doesn't. 😆
dickhead, bonehead, idiot and your point is all spring to mind.
obesity / weight gain is not a symptom of old age like going grey or bald
Yes it is - your metabolism naturally slows down as you age, even if you exercise regularly. There's also the sociological aspect - which is equally valid IMO - that as you get older you have kids and if you were doing lots of exercise pre-kids you tend to do less after - the STW demographic includes lots of people like that.
dickhead, bonehead, idiot and your point is all spring to mind.
i hope that wasn't aimed at me?
it's a subject that plenty of people are happy to discuss, it's a genuine observation but some people seem to have taken it as a personal "oi fatty" attack which it quite obviously isn't.
some people have even answered the question after a bit of thought.
Yes it is - your metabolism naturally slows down as you age, even if you exercise regularly
well, I've not noticed it yet, but even were this so, that would only mean you needed to eat less food. But if your metabolism slows, doesn't that mean you become more efficient ? I mean, your temperature stays the same, so if you keep doing the same stuff it should require the same number of calories...
Doesnt help that because of the stenuous nature of MTBing most mountain bikers probably only get out for 20 miles or so often at a high heart rate. Not very good for fat burning but good for building a bit of muscle (which appears to beef you up even more) If you are roadie you get out for 4-6 hours at least and do 50 miles plus, most of it at a steady rate suitable for burning fat more readily.
Prize to that man for coming up with the old "fat burning" chestnut (I'm also wondering where the roadies doing 12mph ride). In reality if MTBers were doing 20 miles at high HR that would actually be pretty good for weight loss - better than doing the same amount of time in the "fat burning zone" - the trouble is that's not necessarily what they actually do.
I think the main point is 'regular' exercise, which is more than once a week. You have to live an active lifestyle if you want to keep your metabolism high. That means not using lifts or escalators, walking down the shops rather than driving, taking the dog out every day, that sort of thing. Hey, maybe riding more than once a week.
By doing all these things say, on a daily basis, you keep your body in fat burning mode. If you live a slow lifestyle all week and then do a bit of riding on the weekend you're probably not making much difference, in fact you're probably doing more harm than good by subjecting your body to kick ass effort after a week of eating monster munch.
A friends (young)husband died recently from a heart attack, I met him once, chubby chap. By all accounts though he was 'quite fit' because he played badminton once a week which had every one shaking their heads at the funeral. Once a week of strenuous effort after 6 days of doing nothing. That's not quite fit, it's a suicide pact. Load up on cholesterol all week, shock your body into doing something difficult for 60 minutes, repeat.....
No wonder it handed it's cards in. At least if he'd have just bloated out all the time there would have been no stress on the poor thing.
Load up on cholesterol all week
note that your liver has to synthesise far more cholesterol than you can easily consume - it's used all over the body
i feel better for a midweek ride or two then weekend rides, rather than just weekends.
I DO and always have:
Walk if its less then 2 miles
Dont take the car unless its absolutely necessary.
Run upstairs instead of lifts
Ride around 3 times a week, more if possible, 2 to 3 hour rides.
Adjusted my diet some what, reducing portions and only having takeaways as rare treats
The only thing that has really changed is i dont hit the weights as much and i've no room for a punch bag in the new house.
Yet I am still prone to putting on weight if i aint carefull....
Chubby gils have lower standards though
[b]partyboy[/b] haha, maybe. I'm slender though 😀
I do mtb, road riding and I also run. I am not a skinny whippet nor am I overweight. I like cake and do eat some rubbish at times but I road ride 30 miles a day 4 times a week, run 6 miles at least once a week (not a mega distance I know) and either do a 30-50 mile road ride on a weekend or a 30 mile mtb ride. I do this as I sit at a desk most of the day so don't want my sedentary job to give me a gut. Some (my family do 😆 ) say I am crazy but hey I am not a drinker any more (sooner go out riding than have a hangover) and I like riding 😀 If folk are out riding their bikes who cares what they look like?? I probably look a twonk to the serious roadies but I don't give a hoot tbh.
Yes it is - your metabolism naturally slows down as you age, even if you exercise regularly.
That is an observation but it is related to the fact that as people age they dont excercise as much, or are less active, hence metabolism slows. It is not an affect of age per se as it is due to the more sedentary lifestlye assoicated with aging. People are lazy
If you look at people of varying ages eating the same and doing the same amount of excercise you find they have similiar metabolic rates.*
Samurai I know people who think they are fit because they play Golf twice a week. My mum thinks walking to the bus stop is excercise.
van Pelt, R.E., Dinneno, F.A., Seals, D.R., & Jones, P.P. (2001). Age-related decline in RMR in physically active men: relation to exercise volume and energy intake. American Journal of Physiology, E281, 633-639
Realman- as a cyclist who's reasonably fit, I can say that hills are still NOT fun! But they're all part of the experience and if you're fit they don't necessarily hurt.
Being fit makes you better at DHs so it's worth losing some of those pounds in order to enjoy your sport more.
I don't understand why people are comfortable or happy being overweight. It's nothing to be proud of- it makes day to day stuff harder, it costs you your health, it impacts your enjoyment of your sport and makes your family worry about you- I certainly worry about my dad and he's around 3 stone overweight. You may go "oh, that's only 3 stone" but put that into perspective- that's 2 whole mountain bikes extra on his weight. That isn't an insignificant amount, and none of it is good stuff.
Being the right weight makes you happier and lets you get the most enjoyment you can out of life.
Being the right weight makes you happier and lets you get the most enjoyment you can out of life.
really? aren't slim people supposed to be miserable and overweight people happy?
Outside of the terrifying world of the interwebs, I'd say no. Aside from Father Christmas, there aren't that many jovial chubbers.
I seriously doubt there is a great relationship between obesity and mental health. I know happy and sad people of all sizes,...we are getting close to a gross over simplification or some strange from of body fascism now.
I mean that slim bloke above seem a bit of a worrier bet they have high stress level sthat affect their health etc
nothing wrong with being cuddly (as my wife puts it)
i am like it because my wife is an excellent cook (trained chef) and she is slim. she has just started mtbing, we both hit the climbs at a leisurely pace although i am sure we will climb faster as her ability gets better.
i sometimes ride with a mate who races XC and he gets pi**ed off with me on every ride. Yes he is quicker up hill but due to gravity i am a lot quicker downhill 🙂 But we both have a great laugh and all we are doing is getting out and enjoying the trails, no matter what the weather is doing.
with regard to the nonesense about weight gain being a result of getting old - as I write this there is coverage of the ****stan flooding tragedy on TV - none of the elders are overweight
aren't slim people supposed to be miserable and overweight people happy?
actually fat people pretend that they are happy with it and thin people just find other things to worry about 🙂
Good point, johnny - if you want to keep the pounds off go and live in poverty in the 3rd world.
I'm a reasonably fit MTB'er and I am overweight (I have 4 kilos of fat I don't need but hide it well as I'm 6'2) and that's because because I eat and drink too much - age just makes it easier to get cuddlier. Well, that and the rioja . . . . Simples! No excuses here. Well, right up until I get to the halfway point on the kielder 100 and I'll have thought of some by then 🙂
[i]"...that's 2 whole mountain bikes extra on his weight..."[/i]
I always think of it as lard.
3 stone is 42lbs, so picture 84 1/2lb blocks of lard in your shopping trolley, then imagine that inside you. 😯
3 stone is 42lbs, so picture 84 1/2lb blocks of lard in your shopping trolley, then imagine that inside you
or 21 litres of fat, roughly 2 bucketsful 🙁
Realman- as a cyclist who's reasonably fit, I can say that hills are still NOT fun!
You're clearly not trying hard enough then 😀
I prefer climbing on a road bike to descending by a big big margin. I enjoy climbing and descending equally on a mountain bike.
then you are clearly not descending fast enough!
it's all good for me.
The only difference between descending and climbing is that one takes balls, the other takes fitness. I enjoy using both.
I have noticed that a lot of my fellow mtb'ers carry a bit more timber than me. My mentality towards biking is to see it firstly as a sport, thats probably because I come from a running background. A lot of riders see it more as a social activity, which is fine and dandy by me. You get out of it what you want, and I really enjoy those social rides with the occasional rest to talk bollox for a while, so long as now and again I can go out and really thrash it!
I get a bit of stick for being competitive (trying to get up hills first) but in fact I just like pushing myself physically - it may be an illness 😆
Live and let live, and enjoy the sport/fun activity whichever way you want.
PS nothing wrong with the OP making his observation though.
It gives you extra momentum when going down a hill. 😀
RealMan - MemberRealman- as a cyclist who's reasonably fit, I can say that hills are still NOT fun!
You're clearly not trying hard enough then
I prefer climbing on a road bike to descending by a big big margin. I enjoy climbing and descending equally on a mountain bike.
Really! Each to their own I suppose. The only positive thing about hills is that they bump me up the results sheets when they are included in the club time trials. I haven't noticed mtb'ers being larger than normal, in the grand scheme of things we are at the very healthy end of the spectrum as we are getting out and doing something active which seams to be more than 99.9% of the population do.
Iain
I've ridden so hard I've thrown up at least 8 times this year. I like to think I put the effort in! There's a lot more fun in DHs for me though.
Beer.
Fair weather cyclists.
At least they are getting out and about, I suppose. It does make me wonder what they feel like on technical climbs or just normal climbs.
You very rarly get any overweight roadies though
Dunno. Most of the roadie kit we sell is XL-XXL (although I'll admit you see them less).
It does make me wonder what they feel like on technical climbs or just normal climbs.
I hope you ask before you grab ?
"You very rarly get any overweight roadies though"
very funny.
How about that bloke going up the Orme, Kev? He looked a little portly, din't he?
I wooduv done him, If I was on my road bike.
because of cycling I have to go up a trouser size due to my muscley legs and posterior
...and my gut
I think the original post is miles off over the last year I've ridden with 16 different people and all of them are completely normal weight wise.
Plenty of big guys ride but big isn't fat is it? I love the idea of a 9 stone man, bless, like a little jockey I'd want to take him home and put him in my garden with a fishing rod.
🙂
I ride with a couple of bigger guys, yet they are pretty decent on technical stuff, just blow out of their arse on climbs.
Doesnt make them worse people though, I have a good laugh with them. If I want to whip round a route ill either go on my own or with skinny arse whippets like myself.
If I ride my bike anywhere near regularly, I tend to lose weight.
When I don't, I put on weight.
Amazing but true.
5 pints of fizzy lager and pork scratchings.
I ride with 2 pals who are years younger than me, One is 22yrs younger and the 17 years younger.
The guy 22 years younger does not have an ounce of fat on him - he also does a fair bit of jogging - he rides a lightish bike and he is whippet fast over all sorts of territory.
The guy who is 17 years younger is of a more portly stature - he rides a mid weight bike and is fast on singletrack but suffers going upwards.
I am too short for my weight - I get out regularly - I ride a mid weight bike and dont seem to suffer going up hill as much as the 17 year younger person, My long term stamina is higher than both the above - however I would rather be the same frame as rider who is 22 years younger - I think the correct term is just get out and ride as often as possible - its not just about body fitness - its about having a healthy mind as well
Wasn't there some research recently that showed that being overweight but physically active is much better for you than being normal weight but not active? Most people I know are probably less chubby than me, but do FAR less exercise.
SpokesCycles - do you let your overweight customers know about your contempt for them? I don't think you are doing your business any favours with your attitude on here. You sound a little up yourself at times.
Some tubby mountain bikers a week yesterday:
[img] 
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Nom nom nom nom.
Fat biffers on bikes are an embarrassment, and should only be allowed out after darkness falls!
George Foreman was a fat boxer but a good one!