do you enjoy it?

yes? carry on, **** the weights

no? find another sport

Nah.
5’9″ here, & nearly 16st.
Never been a time when I havent struggled with my weight.
Lost several stone on a few occasions, but always end up putting it back on.
On the bike I can keep up with most folk, & even pass a few occasionally. 🙂
Worried that my engine is having to work a lot harder though.
And I’m not getting any younger. 🙁

Its a stamina thing.
Did Kitbag Hill on Cannocks Money Trail yesterday & a couple of chaps much slimmer/fitter looking than I asked if we had actually ridden all the way up… 😕

Who cares if you make a good cyclist or not?

If you enjoy it, carry on! There’ll always be someone quicker/bigger/better/worse/smaller/richer than you.
Forget the comparisons and enjoy the ride 🙂

Define “good”? Climbing hills is all down to power to weight ratio. At 14 stone you’re around 40% heavier than a reasonably lightweight rider weighing 10 stone, therefore you would have to maintain 40% higher power just to keep up which is a huge amount.

That doesn’t mean you are unfit or not a “good” cyclist but unless you can up your power by 40% or decrease your weight by 40% then you’re stuck (or a combination of weight loss/power improvement).

Oh and if you’re not losing weight through cycling (and think that you’re above your natural weight) then you need to ride more, eat less or both.

Are you fat or heavily built? If you’re fat then lose some weight and the climbs will get easier. If you’re heavily built then you might just want to ride uphill more often 🙂

What kind of weights do you do? Big, muscular, and strong doesn’t necessarily translate to strong on the bike, as all the skinny types in the peleton prove. Maybe focus your gym work on leg strength more – squats, lunges, etc. Use weight but do more reps. Also work on your cardio if you’re blowing on climbs – find a good spinning class if you like to go to the gym.

And then of course technique – everyones different but generally spinning is better, with spds so you have a more efficient pedal stroke.

Apologies if this seems condescending or rude, not my intention!

Of course you could always upgrade your bike 🙂

It depends on what you want to do.

If you want to earn a living from professional mountain biking, then I think you are going to struggle. I’m not saying it won’t work, but I would think it would be tough.

If you want to enter some events and not be dead last, then you’ll be fine. Just enter; the first few you’ll be dead last but then you’ll start finding you’re passing people and doing OK. Pick events that suit you. Most importantly, enjoy it, and don’t worry too much.

If you just want to ride your bike and have fun then do that, and stop overthinking it!

Single speeding helped me lose weight – you end up being forced to do lots of intervals. And getting gall stones also helped as I now have to avoid fat in my diet. I’m not sure how practical that one is though.

I’m 5′ 7″ and 14 stone as well but I was 16.5 stone 3 years ago.

I lose weight really gradually but, over the past couple of months, I’ve increased the average speed on the MTB to 11mph from 8mph.

I’m still no lighter but just keep pushing more and I’ve definitely got faster but I ride alone 90% of the time so will probably get dusted on the next forum ride 😳

I’ve just got a road bike and I feel a lot quicker on the MTB now, might be a placebo but it works

Well OP you are shorter than me but 2 stone lighter so I wouldnt worry

Do you NEED to be good at cycling? Just do it for fun.

Weights will make it less fun as they’ll make you heavier in the wrong place. Extra heft to lug about that won’t be helping.

You may want to change your weights programme
Youtube stuff
Climbing stuff on youtube

6ft, 14+ stone, auld bloke and always been useless on hills ❗

As you say, 70 hilly road miles at 18mph, don’t think you have much to worry about. If you lost 3 stone you could be a pro roadie 🙂

what is a “good cyclist”…baffling………………

As a 5’8 13st 8lb cyclist, riding a 34lb bike, I’d ask how much your bike weighs

The secret to riding uphill is just practise. And lots of it.

Get fitter, get faster, last longer on the trail – it’s that simple. However if you’re trying to turn pro then mebbe lose a bit

6ft and 17st, always been pretty heavy and prob always will be, never going to win an enduro but I can ride up most things and I enjoy riding my bike, that’s all that counts.

Weights will make it less fun as they’ll make you heavier in the wrong place. Extra heft to lug about that won’t be helping

He surely doesn’t take the weights with him ???.

Im really slow, I keep stopping to look at views, wildlife, every 5 mins

What wonderful replies.

OP – Do what you want. As pointed out, the skinny race-whippets are first up the climbs. Do as you will, do as what you want 🙂

5′ 8″ (on tippy toes my wife says) and was 13st a couple of months ago.

Lost 1.5st recently…but still struggle on the ups especially techy climbs.

Due to my cancer treatment I’ve lost over two stones (and I’m struggling to put any weight on) it hasn’t helped my climbing at all. 🙂

Edit: 5ft 10 and 10st 11 now BTW

There’s a saying in the climbing fraternity that the best climber is the one who is enjoying emselves the most. Reckon that can apply to cycling too.

Let’s not try and ignore physics though. At your weight (for your height) you are never going to set any records. The people cola inning about not managing techie climbs despite losing weight are really admitting to bad technique. You can be fat slow but have good technique, they are not mutually exclusive.

From personal experience I know how much weight affects climbing ability in a race (or not as the case may be) situation. There is a weight for me (ironically 14 stone) that above that I struggle and enjoy it less, below it it becomes a real joy. But that’s just me.

Is your weight bulk from weight training? If so change your training regime. Bulk is just dead weight, lean and mean is the way.

Or just accept things the way they are and carry on having fun.