Are some people just faster and what can you do about it?

Hi All

This may have been covered but recently I have been questioning a few things about my cycling.
First of all Im only about 5ft 7 and im skinny. I have always enjoyed riding and have been road riding a few years and now enjoying some MTB action.

I have been on my exercise bike every other night doing 10, 15 and 20+ km depending on time. I certainly feel much fitter and can ride my usual route much faster.

BUT the other day a friend who literally never ever rides did a 25km ride on an apollo mountian bike in 58 minutes. My usual 25km route takes me about 59. My total elevation was around 900ft and his was 1025ft. He is also pretty tubby and smokes!

My boss, who is very tall and rides a bit got on his exercise bike last night and smashed out 20 km in 30 mins!

Now, the odd thing is when i ride with other friends I smash them so I know im not totally crap.

But are some people just better and just faster even if they are less fit and fatter? and on a rubbish bike? and are really tall people going to have a mechanical advantage on a static bike when weight is not an issue

I have been on my exercise bike every other night

why?

My boss, who is very tall and rides a bit got on his exercise bike last night and smashed out 20 km in 30 mins!

I presume you can set this exercise bike to different difficulty levels?

Your mate is probably still recovering from smashing himself stupid just to prove a point.

Most people have the ability to go for it for a bit, but its the ability to sustain that that matters.

A woman passed me last night on my commute home, I was on the cycle path taking it easy after a 4th brutal headwind home in a row, she passed and quite frankly the amount of work she was doing to get past looked ridiculous, she was all over the place, out of the saddle, heaving a big gear, on the drops, then on the tops, she got about 2 metres in front of me and just couldn’t maintain her pace – she died an undignified death, I passed maintaining my previous pace, the elastic snapped and she was gone.

So in short it’s easy putting a huge effort in if you want to **** yourself, its a different matter maintaining that pace.

Yes, some people are just better.
Yes, large (height and girth) have an advantage on a static bike or flat route (power scales with weight)
KM readings from static bikes are worthless, no 2 are ever the same (even the same make and model).

As a short and skinny rider, you are best suited to long climbs, something we are sadly lacking in the UK. Get yourself over to the alps and enjoy breezing past the larger riders on the climbs.

An exercise bike is really heavy; Takes a lot of effort to move one 20Km. No wonder you’re slow.

In reality, though. What does 20Km even mean on a static bike?

In reality, though. What does 20Km even mean on a static bike?

The only useful thing you can deduce from it, is that they didn’t go for a proper ride.

As above, static bike figures basically meaningless unless you both used the exact same bike, and even then its mostly bollox as how do you even start to compare to a real ride with rolling resistance, air resistance, gradient, temperature etc.

Either ride you bike, enjoy it and ignore the numbers, or do it properly, training plan, power meter etc.

Some people may have a slight natural edge, but unless you’re both at the peak of your sport already then it’s nothing that can’t be overcome with training.

Also don’t forget that just cos someone can smash out a 30min workout, once, doesn’t mean they can do it again 20mins later, or even the next day, or that they can do the same intensity for 4 hours etc.

You need to compare like with like, so go out riding with them. It’s the only way to be sure.

Or nuke them from orbit, that’s the other only way.

But yes, some people are naturally fitter, or get fitter faster.

In the grand scheme of things 20km in 30 mins (on the flat) is nothing exceptional. Particularly on an exercise bike with no drag and potentially set to low resistance.

Do your friends have fitness from other sports? Do they incorporate explosive efforts into their other activities, giving them better recovery? Do they eat better, sleep better? Are they simply working harder than you?

Do you enjoy the riding that you do?

You can spend the next several months ‘training’ or hundreds of £ on ‘better’ parts…you may then ‘beat’ your mates. The thing is, there will always be someone else faster than you – even Gwin gets beaten sometimes! so once you’ve smashed your boss, who is next?

My take, for what it’s worth is to enjoy the riding that you do. Or, do the riding that you enjoy. Smash yourself, smash your local routes, smash new routes but you’ll never ‘win’ or ‘beat’ everyone so don’t worry about it. have a laugh with your mates and colleagues, keep riding, enjoy it and chances are you’ll get faster anyway but you’ll be having fun along the way.

I don’t mean that in patronizing or condescending way, apologies if it sounds like that.

I’m a lardy – but have always had huge legs and ‘reasonable’ aerobic fitness. On a flat course i’ve frequently smashed riding partners, and have always put it down to power:weight ratio.

Hills have always been a different story. I used to despise them, but a few years ago I made a conscious effort and managed to lose around 30kg – suddenly I was climbing everything and loving it. I would frequesntly lead MTB rides with friends on a SS and still kick their butts.

Now i’ve put most of that weight back on im really feeling it on the climbs.
Strava regularly has me in lower 15-25% on climbs, and upper 5%-10% on decents. The extra weight is unstoppable downhill – it can be a pretty hair raising experience!

So in summary – if you want to beat your tubby mate – take him out into the hills.

My boss, who is very tall and rides a bit got on his exercise bike last night and smashed out 20 km in 30 mins!

You know this is a fairly meaningless thing to say? The only way to know for sure is to actually ride with these people. If the tubby smoker disappears into the distance, then yes, he’s faster.

Oh, and once you accept that there are an awful lot of people who are faster, stronger and generally better-looking than you, life becomes easier.

First of all…thanks so much for all the replies! This is my first post here after lurking for a bit and this is just awesome!

All great points and very gratefully received.

I will try and address a few of them

Why an exercise bike? Well i have two young kids and getting the time in the evenings after a long day at work to get out on the bike at 8pm etc is tricky so i sit infront of the tv and do what i can to get fitter and ride out on the weekends.

It is great o know static bikes are all different and its also nice to hear my giant legged boss might have the edge on the flat and static side of things…that makes sense.

I very much enjoy my riding, im really loving the MTB side of things now, it feels more fun, and much cleaner ironically seeing as im always plastered in mud at the moment.

I will get out and ride with them and see how they go. I think my mate just hammered it out for a charity ride and made it through bloody mindedness rather than training but fair play non the less.

I do appreciate 25 km is not even much of a ride on the road but on trails its OK.

I am planning the L2B off road this year so need to train as much as possible.

once again, thanks everyone!

Either ride you bike, enjoy it and ignore the numbers, or do it properly, training plan, power meter etc

and then race on the same day on the same course. I use strava and occasionally contest the odd segment, but I still know that in the grand scheme it’s a load of bollocks, if you want to test yourself against others proper racing is the only way to do it (and even then you’ll have sprint, “normal” and endurance racing to further differentiate)

My cycling buddy is the same age, weight, size and shape as me yet even when I’m absolutely choking my lungs out at maximum effort he can breeze off into the distance. You’ve just got to accept that some people are faster than you.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sports-Gene-Talent-Practice-Success/dp/022409162X This may explain 🙂

Get an electric static bike ftw

BUT the other day a friend who literally never ever rides did a 25km ride on an apollo mountian bike in 58 minutes

That’s not *that quick*, and that’s not that hilly either.

Are you both young, by any chance? Relatively new to cycling?

I have been on my exercise bike every other night doing 10, 15 and 20+ km depending on time

That’s really not much training either.

Why an exercise bike? Well i have two young kids and getting the time in the evenings after a long day at work to get out on the bike at 8pm etc is tricky so i sit infront of the tv and do what i can to get fitter and ride out on the weekends.

I’m in the same boat, but you can get a nice hour’s blast on the road this time of year, before it gets dark.

Why an exercise bike? Well i have two young kids and getting the time in the evenings after a long day at work to get out on the bike at 8pm etc is tricky so i sit infront of the tv and do what i can to get fitter and ride out on the weekends.

The outdoors are generally still available for use after 8pm. I have 2 kids as well and after 8pm is the time I mostly go out.

That’s not *that quick*, and that’s not that hilly either.

Agree, for someone who cycles an average of 15mph off road is nothing special, but the context was someone who never rides a bike, is overweight and smokes in which case I would say that is pretty good. An hours cycling off road at a brisk pace is not that easy for someone who never does it.

Being ‘fast’ over a few miles is great, but I am more impressed by people who cover lots of distance and/or lots of elevation and do so regularly… Not that I fit in either category…

Read The Hour*, by Dr Hutch, for an insight into what it’s like for someone who’s just really good at cycling. Off the top of my head, his VO2 max before he took training seriously was about double the average person (who might be able to improve theirs by about ten per cent if they trained really hard). You’re just not going to beat that, no matter how hard you try.

* Or anything else by him, he writes ace books.

Agree, for someone who cycles an average of 15mph off on road is nothing special, but the context was someone who never rides a bike, is overweight and smokes in which case I would say that is pretty good.

Oh yes, it’s good for a fat smoker, no question. But the OP should be able to beat it with some real training or riding easily enough.

Well i have two young kids and getting the time in the evenings after a long day at work to get out on the bike at 8pm etc is tricky

Get lights, get out. It feels weird at first, but you soon get used to it. If you are in a reasonably well used MTB area, you’ll also see loads of other bikers around too 🙂

molgrips – Member

That’s not *that quick*, and that’s not that hilly either.

25kph (15+mph) for almost an hour, on a MTB, off road, isn’t that quick?!…it’s pretty bloody quick in my book.

I only managed 29kph average for 52mins on my roadbike this morning on the way to work. Admittedly there seemed to be a fierce headwind and it was piddling down, but still…those’re just excuses.

Power to weight does matter. Regards the other blokes, if you didnt see it it didnt happen!

Focus on time spent in the saddle (accepting kids) so instead of looking at speed/distance, look at cadence (RPM), you should be able to replicate this to be the same both on bike and your trainer. Do this for a few months, dont even worry about hills, just focus on spinning. Spend as long as you can spinning along at the same cadence, same gear, high cadence as possible. Concentrate on lifting the pedals not pushing and pedalling circles etc. Honestly do this for about 3-4 months, 4-5 times per week. Also, get a traditional set of chainrings, 53 x 39 and a decent casette, 11 x 25. Just my 2 cents but it matters I think. The modern chainsets are really very ‘toury’.

You are exactly the same height as Eric Zabel and he won Milan San Remo loads 🙂

OP didn’t say if the fat bloke was riding off-road, just that he was on an MTB…?

Also, get a traditional set of chainrings, 53 x 39 and a decent casette, 11 x 25. Just my 2 cents but it matters I think.

I won a TT last night with a compact – against people pushing 400W. If you constantly run out of gears on a 50/11, then contact a few pro teams.

I think what matters is riding the bike hard a lot, and resting a lot. (that is somewhat simplified 😉 )

20km in 30mins on an exercise bike means nothing.

I won a TT last night with a compact – against people pushing 400W. If you constantly run out of gears on a 50/11, then contact a few pro teams.

I think what matters is riding the bike hard a lot, and resting a lot. (that is somewhat simplified )

Congratulations for the win!
I dont agree with riding hard a lot until you have a steady base, but if you are a tester, that’s your mantra!

I prefer the gearing from 53 x 11, personal choice. Using a 39 inner offers better spinning on normal riding in my mind (I used to race/train with a 42 inner, 39 in the mountains). Time trials the inner gear is not so relevant IMHO. The main thing I suppose is what you are comfortable with.

OP didn’t say if the fat bloke was riding off-road, just that he was on an MTB…?

Good point. 15mph for an hour on road is very slow and takes very little effort which explains how the fat lazy smoker managed it.

I think it was in Michael Hutchinson’s book he describes being persuaded by his father in law to have a go at a local TT despite only being an occasional recreational cyclist at the time. He won it by some margin. Mostly due to having a massive VO2max (mostly determined by your genes.)

Everyone’s different, some are just naturally faster than others, some respond better to training, etc.

If you think back to school days when you first stared doing competitive sports, some kids are just faster, stronger, more coordinated, etc. And then because of that they tend to do more sport which just reinforces that.

When most sports people say it was hard work that got them the results, well that’s a bit silly because everyone is working hard, it’s mainly having had good luck with your genes!

15mph for an hour on the road is very slow is it? That’s the average I aim for and it takes a lot of effort! However, I am 5’2“, 53kg and live in hilly Devon.
As for people being faster than others, what’s the guy’s history? There is a growing body of evidence that suggests childhood/early adult fitness is linked to a person’s ability to become fit or regain fitness in later life.

15mph for an hour on road is very slow

I wouldn’t call it very slow – it’s pretty decent *for a fat smoker on an Apollo MTB*, but not incredible.

History – yes, worked with a guy who’d been a highly competitve XC skiier as a youth, then gave up, started smoking and got a bit porky in his mid 20s. Could still ride reasonably well though on a couple of recreational MTB rides we did.

Found him on FB a couple of years ago, he did a 2.30 marathon.

Wasn’t there a chap who was a fairly handy road rider as a junior, laid of the bike for a lot of years, smoked, not particularly healthy lifestyle then had an epiphany and got back on the bike and went from 0 to elite category in a year?

Ah grasshopper you have much to learn 😉

I’m generally fairly happy with a 15mph road average on an mtb with knoblies. Am i setting my aspirations too low?!

mechanicaldope – Member
I’m generally fairly happy with a 15mph road average on an mtb with knoblies. Am i setting my aspirations too low?!

With a name like that, yes.

15mph for an hour on road is very slow and takes very little effort which explains how the fat lazy smoker managed it.

Its not its reasonable on a BSO with knobblies

My cross bike fully laden i do that sort of speed commuting to work. Its comfortable but it is not effort free.

Wasn’t there a chap who was a fairly handy road rider as a junior, laid of the bike for a lot of years, smoked, not particularly healthy lifestyle then had an epiphany and got back on the bike and went from 0 to elite category in a year?

there was but i forget his name

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests childhood/early adult fitness is linked to a person’s ability to become fit or regain fitness in later life.

Probably still comes down to genetics. Being fit in early life probably means you had a natural aptitude for fitness.

Wasn’t there a chap who was a fairly handy road rider as a junior, laid of the bike for a lot of years, smoked, not particularly healthy lifestyle then had an epiphany and got back on the bike and went from 0 to elite category in a year?

Discussed on this very forum…
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/4th-cat-to-elite-in-1-season