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Old 09-30-04, 03:17 AM
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SSP
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redding, California
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Bikes: Trek 5200, Specialized MTB

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You're kind of tall for a competitive cyclist, and with your current weight and height, your Body Mass Index is 26.3, which is on the heavy side for competitive cycling.

Of course, BMI doesn't tell you about your body composition (fat vs. muscle), but it is a good rough indicator of whether or not your weight is in the ballpark. Your goal of 185 would give you a BMI of 22.5. This is low, but not "scary low". However, it may be difficult to achieve - everybody's different in this regard and some people can lose weight without much trouble, while others struggle for every ounce they lose.

You can get an idea of your body fat percentage from here: http://www.he.net/%7Ezone/prothd2.html

A competitive cyclist should have a body fat percentage under 15%, and preferably around 10%.

Even if you get down to 185, you'll probably struggle to keep up with the pure climbers in the mountains (the 5' 9" 155 lb, and smaller, guys). You might want to focus on sprinting (especially if you have explosive power), being a team "domestique", or time trialing - disciplines that will play more to your strengths.
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