Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - So, anyone else pass out while biking (and really pushing it)?

Allow me to paint the picture for you first.
There are two guys at work who used to be mountain bike racers. These guys were really into it for years and one of the guys' wife still holds some sort of record or title or something like that. Anyhow, they are older now, in their 40s and don't ride as much and I have been pestering them to take me out to one of the local trails and show me around. Always taunting them about how they were afraid that a fat guy would show them up and all that jazz. You know, the average ribbing that drinking buddies give each other ever now and again.
anyhow...
They finally cave in and we decide to me late afternoon / early evening of last Tuesday. I'm at home making chicken-and-dumplings and some home made bread for dinner and one of them calls me and asks if my medical insurence is up to date. Ha ha ha, funny. So my family and I sit down and eat, then I drive to the meet up point.
Now it's about 91*F with humidity of somewhere between 85% and 90% which made for a very steamy evening. We meet in the parking lot, unload our bikes and check everything out. all looks good with one exception, none of us brought any gels or sugar, just water. Oh well, at least we have plenty of water.
The ride in was all paved path with a nice uphill climb to start us off. I made that hill fine and kept up with the guys. then it turned into some nice winding downhill where I managed to pull ahead of them and gain a good 75 feet up front. I owe this to Mr. Gravity loving us Clydes on the downhill, as well as my 80psi knobbies. After a couple miles of paved path we hit the trail head and they took the lead.
Oh my god those guys are fast! But I held my own. this place was a switchback dream come true with rolling hills, though it had a decent ammount of sand too.
After a while of criss crossing we took this really tight switchback up a mountain. I never knew SE Michigan had any mountains. But by-gawd there it was and I was climbing it. Left turn, right turn, left turn, right turn, sand sand sand sand! I was spinning like I never had before and I began to lose control of my breathing. I was breathing so hard and fast that I swear I was scaring the deer 200 yards off. But I was not about to let these guys get the best of me.
Finally I reached the top with them only a dozen yards ahead of me.
I felt it coming.
The cold sweat.
The uncontrollable breathing.
The dizziness.
Then BAM! I was out. I can't remember about 20 minutes worth of time up there and the guys claimed I was totally out (read: asleep) for maybe 4 or 5 minutes. the next thing I remember is my camelbak getting dumped on me as I was coming to.
After I was awake and feeling better the jokes came. ha. ha. ha. funny guys.

You know what though, I'd do it all over again!!

Are you sure you weren't the guy who passed out on his bike and crashed at GOBA? :eek:

Take it easy, bro, we ain't spring chickens any more!

Did it running a couple of times in hot weather, but I've given it up since I passed 50. Take it a little easier and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I dunno if this is true for everybody, but I can trace EVERY bonk or crash I've ever had to a lack of fluids and maybe electrolytes.

I have not passed out, but a friend of mine asked me if I was going to have a heart attack. About 1/2 way up the last climb of a local single track, I was loosing control of my breathing and all that. I got off my bike and leaned on it with both arms. While catching my breath he asks me, "Dude, you ok? You aren't gonna have a heart attack are ya?" I looked up and he was serious. I told him that if he ever asks me that again he will loose some teeth. He laughed, and I got back on my bike and beat him up the hill. Take that!

Then BAM! I was out. I can't remember about 20 minutes worth of time up there and the guys claimed I was totally out (read: asleep) for maybe 4 or 5 minutes.

You weren't "asleep", you were unconscious. There's a difference.


You know what though, I'd do it all over again!!

This doesn't strike me as very intelligent.

I probably look like I am going to pass out at times.

You weren't "asleep", you were unconscious. There's a difference.
Well, I know that, I was/am too drunk to attempt to spell unconcious properly. :p


This doesn't strike me as very intelligent.
Neither is half the stuff I do for fun. :D
But there's a difference between living a life and just living for me.

Did it running a couple of times in hot weather, but I've given it up since I passed 50. Take it a little easier and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I dunno if this is true for everybody, but I can trace EVERY bonk or crash I've ever had to a lack of fluids and maybe electrolytes.

I've passed out quite a few times in my life. I used to play hurling (mud lot style) and would push myself so far that I'd probably pass out once or twice a month. but I wasn't the only one, it's a rather physical game.
I've bonked when mountain biking before and when road riding, but this was MUCH different. And oh boy the dreams I had while I was out of it. Some strange ****.

I only passed out once when I was a kid. I was riding my bike and breathing in a helium ballon at the same time, bad combination.

Allow me to paint the picture for you first.
There are two guys at work who used to be mountain bike racers. These guys were really into it for years and one of the guys' wife still holds some sort of record or title or something like that. Anyhow, they are older now, in their 40s and don't ride as much and I have been pestering them to take me out to one of the local trails and show me around. Always taunting them about how they were afraid that a fat guy would show them up and all that jazz. You know, the average ribbing that drinking buddies give each other ever now and again.
anyhow...
They finally cave in and we decide to me late afternoon / early evening of last Tuesday. I'm at home making chicken-and-dumplings and some home made bread for dinner and one of them calls me and asks if my medical insurence is up to date. Ha ha ha, funny. So my family and I sit down and eat, then I drive to the meet up point.
Now it's about 91*F with humidity of somewhere between 85% and 90% which made for a very steamy evening. We meet in the parking lot, unload our bikes and check everything out. all looks good with one exception, none of us brought any gels or sugar, just water. Oh well, at least we have plenty of water.
The ride in was all paved path with a nice uphill climb to start us off. I made that hill fine and kept up with the guys. then it turned into some nice winding downhill where I managed to pull ahead of them and gain a good 75 feet up front. I owe this to Mr. Gravity loving us Clydes on the downhill, as well as my 80psi knobbies. After a couple miles of paved path we hit the trail head and they took the lead.
Oh my god those guys are fast! But I held my own. this place was a switchback dream come true with rolling hills, though it had a decent ammount of sand too.
After a while of criss crossing we took this really tight switchback up a mountain. I never knew SE Michigan had any mountains. But by-gawd there it was and I was climbing it. Left turn, right turn, left turn, right turn, sand sand sand sand! I was spinning like I never had before and I began to lose control of my breathing. I was breathing so hard and fast that I swear I was scaring the deer 200 yards off. But I was not about to let these guys get the best of me.
Finally I reached the top with them only a dozen yards ahead of me.
I felt it coming.
The cold sweat.
The uncontrollable breathing.
The dizziness.
Then BAM! I was out. I can't remember about 20 minutes worth of time up there and the guys claimed I was totally out (read: asleep) for maybe 4 or 5 minutes. the next thing I remember is my camelbak getting dumped on me as I was coming to.
After I was awake and feeling better the jokes came. ha. ha. ha. funny guys.

You know what though, I'd do it all over again!!
You just met the BONK! In a huge way! You ran out of glucose and were likely a bit dehydrated. You HAVE to fuel the engine and stay hydrated. !

You just met the BONK! In a huge way! You ran out of glucose and were likely a bit dehydrated. You HAVE to fuel the engine and stay hydrated. !

Yeah, I'm not very good at taking care of my body/health.
as is evident by the fact that I just made *this* post in *this* forum.

So the other thing to remember is that mountain biking although it is on a bike IS NOT like riding/commuting on a road bike. And even in mountain biking it's not the same (http://www.fatcyclist.com/2007/06/26/same-day-same-name-totally-different-sports/) illustrates this quite well.

In mountain biking you end up going at 100% for sustained amounts of time, you need to be able to control the breathing and keep the carbs in your system while being hydrated. Road biking is great for cardio and endurance, you just need to ride a bit differently when you mountain bike.

But beware mountain biking can be addictive, even more so that biking in general, there is nothing like climbing up a alpine single track and coming back down on single track. I love to bike to work, and ride my road bike, but there is still nothing like being on a mountain trail, and being able to really enjoy it ;).

Yeah, I passed out on my bike once. Got heatstroke, had seizures and took a while to regain consciousness. To this day I'm ultra sensitive to the heat.

Neither is half the stuff I do for fun. :D
But there's a difference between living a life and just living for me.

I guess that's supposed to mean something like, by riding yourself into passing out, the quality of your life is somehow enhanced. Maybe you could explain to me how. Because, see, passing out is not good for you. It's never good for you. Oh, sure, it can provide you with something to brag about, if you're of that mindset and hang out with like-minded folks...but it doesn't enhance your health or improve your workout. Furthermore, it can lead to some real serious damage if you pass out and crash hard, and it can also be caused by some serious problem that's going to have ugly consequences. Passing out always means that something bad is going on in your body. So -- since we're on a forum where the typical poster is seeking ways to enhance his/her health and take better care of his/her body -- maybe you can explain how deliberate failure to attend to an obvious warning sign like that is going to enhance your life so much that it makes it worth the (potentially very severe) consequences -- particularly when avoiding the problem in the first place is probably a trivial matter. The whole thing smells of machismo to me, gotta say.

A mans got to know his limitations. {Clint Eastwood, Magnum Force**

Now that you know yours, use the information to improve those limitations in a way that is safe and productive.

I was riding down the bike path with my wife this week at a nice slow pace. Riding in the opposite direction were two collegians riding in bikini tops. I think I was fine until I turned my head to watch as they passed. The next thing I know I was getting up from the side of path with a black eye. I don't remember going down. My wife didn't say anything to me. In fact, she still isn't talking to me.

I had one or two episodes like that - almost passing out during exercise (didn't quite go down, but felt very faint). Eventually I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. Maybe you should see your doctor to have an A1C done?

I was riding down the bike path with my wife this week at a nice slow pace. Riding in the opposite direction were two collegians riding in bikini tops. I think I was fine until I turned my head to watch as they passed. The next thing I know I was getting up from the side of path with a black eye. I don't remember going down. My wife didn't say anything to me. In fact, she still isn't talking to me.

But you did have a nice dream while you were out didn't you!:D :D

+1 seeing the doctor. Seriously. If you're posting in this forum its most likely because you're BMI is over 25 which automatically means you are a member of a group with increased risk of many debilitating and or fatal diseases. Fainting on extreme exertion could be an indicator of another underlying medical condition and if its not something you have experienced before, YOU SHOULD GET IT CHECKED OUT. I get that it was a hot day and I get that you were going hard, but you still owe it to yourself and will regret it if something is missed that comes back to bite you later.

And no, this has never happened to me despite riding hard all through our hot Australian summer.

I've never passed out from riding, but I did push it hard enough once that when I got off the bike to take a break my vision was going blurry in time with my heart beat. :eek: That afeared me enough that I will not push it quite that hard for quite that long in the future. Personally I do not look at the prospect of blowing a gasket and becoming a permanent drooler with much of an appetite.:o

Definately sounds like a stress test is in order, just to be on the safe side. Glad you're alright though!

Yeah, I'm not very good at taking care of my body/health.
as is evident by the fact that I just made *this* post in *this* forum.
pj, not whipping on ya here, but you do need to take care of the engine. Who was it in the punk movement that used to say "Live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse"?

Well, to put it frankly, he was an idiot! My motto is "Live fast, take care of the engine and still be able to ride the twenty somethings into the ground at 90"! Extremely serious health issues can arise from pushing yourself THAT hard constantly.

never happened to me, but i've gotten very carefully about watching the symptoms and easing up as soon as i don't feel right.

Odds are 90% that you're just fine. If it were me, I'd check in with a doctor or two.

Imagine it happeneing at speed -- ouch

pj, not whipping on ya here, but you do need to take care of the engine. Who was it in the punk movement that used to say "Live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse"?

Well, to put it frankly, he was an idiot! My motto is "Live fast, take care of the engine and still be able to ride the twenty somethings into the ground at 90"! Extremely serious health issues can arise from pushing yourself THAT hard constantly.

I think that was Johnny Rotten and he got his wish.

I think that was Johnny Rotten and he got his wish.
You're probably thinking of Sid Vicious, since John Lydon is still alive.

And Sid didn't get his wish... his corpse, just as it was when he was alive, was really ugly.

Wow...doesn't sound like something I'd want to repeat.

Lately I've been having migranes and dizzy spells...three weeks now.
I'm very worried about passing out like this....especially on a road bike, at speed, on the road in LA...

I guess that's supposed to mean something like, by riding yourself into passing out, the quality of your life is somehow enhanced. Maybe you could explain to me how. Because, see, passing out is not good for you. It's never good for you. Oh, sure, it can provide you with something to brag about, if you're of that mindset and hang out with like-minded folks...but it doesn't enhance your health or improve your workout. Furthermore, it can lead to some real serious damage if you pass out and crash hard, and it can also be caused by some serious problem that's going to have ugly consequences. Passing out always means that something bad is going on in your body. So -- since we're on a forum where the typical poster is seeking ways to enhance his/her health and take better care of his/her body -- maybe you can explain how deliberate failure to attend to an obvious warning sign like that is going to enhance your life so much that it makes it worth the (potentially very severe) consequences -- particularly when avoiding the problem in the first place is probably a trivial matter. The whole thing smells of machismo to me, gotta say.
Ok, you read waaaaay too much into what I said and seemed to insert your own. I never said passing out enhanced my life. I never said I was macho. I never said alot of things you are getting at here.
I merely made context towards "I had so much fun riding with these guys that the passing out was worth it since I'm here to talk about it and that I take plenty of risks in my life as is - just because thousands of people a year die doing what I enjoy (diving, hunting, etc) doesn't mean I'm going to stop just so that I *might* live longer."
I already have a mother, but thanks for your concern, you just seemed to not get what I was intending.

LBB -
You seem to find alot of time for posting negative or sarcastic comments but i dont recall you saying congrats or job well done to anyone...

I think everyone got the idea that he was excited because of the run and the fact that he pushed himself hard... not the passing out... seemed pretty obvious to me..

Everyone else posted pretty helpful comments...

Anyways.. nice ride Pj ..be careful and keep hydrated! and keep up the hard work!


You weren't "asleep", you were unconscious. There's a difference.



This doesn't strike me as very intelligent.

LBB -
Anyways.. nice ride Pj ..be careful and keep hydrated! and keep up the hard work!

Thanks. Mountain biking is just so fun, I wish I had taken this type of thing up when I was younger instead of spending my healthier years doing worthless things, maybe then I'd not be posting in *this* forum in the first place.

Ok, you read waaaaay too much into what I said and seemed to insert your own. I never said passing out enhanced my life. I never said I was macho. I never said alot of things you are getting at here.
I merely made context towards "I had so much fun riding with these guys that the passing out was worth it since I'm here to talk about it and that I take plenty of risks in my life as is - just because thousands of people a year die doing what I enjoy (diving, hunting, etc) doesn't mean I'm going to stop just so that I *might* live longer."
I already have a mother, but thanks for your concern, you just seemed to not get what I was intending.

lbl and pj7, back to your corners! Save your aggression for the mountain bike trail.

Goodness, at times you can cut the testosterone in this forum with a knife. Surprisingly so, with so many sets of man-boobs among us. :-)

I was riding down the bike path with my wife this week at a nice slow pace. Riding in the opposite direction were two collegians riding in bikini tops. I think I was fine until I turned my head to watch as they passed. The next thing I know I was getting up from the side of path with a black eye. I don't remember going down. My wife didn't say anything to me. In fact, she still isn't talking to me.

Reminds me of the time I said "Hey, nice rack!" to a young woman on a touring bike.

Never passed out before, but years ago on my mountain bike I pushed myself so hard on a climb I threw up near the top. It was pretty embarassing, since I was in a small group of people I didn't know too well. A few minutes of rest though and I felt much better.

Scott

lbl and pj7, back to your corners! Save your aggression for the mountain bike trail.

Goodness, at times you can cut the testosterone in this forum with a knife. Surprisingly so, with so many sets of man-boobs among us. :-)

And I thought I was being quite civil, all things considered. :)

I was riding down the bike path with my wife this week at a nice slow pace. Riding in the opposite direction were two collegians riding in bikini tops. I think I was fine until I turned my head to watch as they passed. The next thing I know I was getting up from the side of path with a black eye. I don't remember going down. My wife didn't say anything to me. In fact, she still isn't talking to me.

I was in Jackson hole many years ago, I had just started getting serious about Mountain biking. Since we had planned a trip to Jackson, I thought, I've got to take the bike. When I got there I went to the local bike shop, turned out that they had a guided ride that you could go on, so I signed up. So the ride was the next day, only about 5 blocks from where we were camping, morning gets there and I ride my bike to the shop and wait for the ride. At this time, i'm in my mid 30's, the guide turns out to be a 19 year old girl, and she wasn't really wearing much, also I'm the only one on the ride. was the fasted 15 miles of mountain biking I think I had ever done, and needless to say, I never did mention anything about my guide to my wife. :)