Road Cycling - Toughest sport there is?

I have heard many people discuss this. Is cycling really the toughest sport there is? Isn`t long distance running and skiing just as tough?


BTW, I suffered 40 minutes in hell during my TT training yesterday

I think it depends on what kind of toughness you are measuring, is biking as tough as boxing? I dunno.

I have heard many people discuss this. Is cycling really the toughest sport there is? Isn`t long distance running and skiing just as tough?


BTW, I suffered 40 minutes in hell during my TT training yesterday

Pro golf. Getting in and out of those carts, having to reach over as your caddy hands you a club, and bending down to put the ball on the tee. Man, I think those guys are under paid!

I have heard many people discuss this. Is cycling really the toughest sport there is? Isn`t long distance running and skiing just as tough?


BTW, I suffered 40 minutes in hell during my TT training yesterday

Seriously, it has to be stage racing. With long distance running, what do they do, a marathon and then just one day? Or the iron-man, still in one day?

Stage racing is doing a marathon every day for two weeks.

You are right, the Tour de France must be tougher than a regular marathon. On the other hand, there are some ultra marathons too.

Actually I have heard that Garry Kasparov, the best chess player in the world, is extremely fit. He must be able to concentrate for several hours without loosing focus. So maybe one should start playing chess if one wants to do something tough.

Hardest and just about the best conditioned are ,hold on,moto cross racers.

Hardest and just about the best conditioned are ,hold on,moto cross racers.

UHH, I'm sorry but I raced my moto cross bike when I was younger and I am a helluva lot more fit as an above average cyclist who does not race a significant amount.

Moto cross racers are fit due to the effort of manhandling their machines but not compared to a top level cyclist. Not even close. Don't forget, moto cross is also something many people who smoke can do quite well.

Hardest and just about the best conditioned are ,hold on,moto cross racers.

Dumbest thing I have ever read. Seriously, I think I might be dumber from reading it.

hmm, someone said boxing. I do think boxing is tough, but in a different way. When getting punches to your head and body you will feel really dizzy but still the physicall effort and fightning spirit should be higher during a cycling event.

have any of you rowed competively?! Thats definately a hard sport! Aerobically and Anaerobically(sp)

How about the moto riders in the Paris Dakar? They get pounded in desert conditions for as much as ten hours a day while navigating, fix their own breakdowns during the day, sleep in tents at night(If they don't spend all night helping to repair their ride) eat mre level food and it goes on for a couple of weeks.
Stage racing is tough(Far tougher than I could do) but they usually don't spend more than five hours on the bike, are supported by their team of other riders(and the pack as a whole) have a squad of guys following them in a car to take care of any problem, get a massage and a tailored meal after the days ride then go to a nice hotel to relax (where they will probably get on rollers for a while)

All the masage, team cars and tailored meals doesn't stop the incredible amount of suffering that these riders go through day after day.

Anyway, I've always felt that the most physically demanding sports were cycling, cross country skiing and speed skating.

As far as who suffers the most, it's easily bike racers. I can't even imagine how much the riders suffered in last years TDF TTT.

Marathon runners? How many people finished this years NYC marathon?

What about the Iditarod?

You really need to define wht you're looking for in "tough". As someone pointed out, boxing is pretty tough. Would anyone here race their bike against a pro cyclist? Even though we'd lose, I'd bet many would. How many of you would put on boxing gloves and step in the ring with a pro boxer? Your cycling days could very well be over in a few minutes. It all depends on what is being asked by "tough".
Personally, although it doesn't take any physical fitness, I think cordless bungee jumping is about as tough as it can get.

Cycling, Rowing, Motorcross. ANY sport done at a world class level is extremely tough.

I was fortunate enough to see the Ironman world Championship in Kona this past fall, That **** is no joke.....at the world class level.
how about 46 min for a 2.4 mile open water swim.
I think the fastest bike split was 4:37 for 112 miles (24mph+ average) and then run a 2:40 marathon.


I remember reading somewhere that someone posted the question to Lance Armstong in regards to who are the fittest athletes in the world. His answer? World class Triathletes. He should know, didn't he race with the Pros when he was 16?

UHH, I'm sorry but I raced my moto cross bike when I was younger and I am a helluva lot more fit as an above average cyclist who does not race a significant amount.

Moto cross racers are fit due to the effort of manhandling their machines but not compared to a top level cyclist. Not even close. Don't forget, moto cross is also something many people who smoke can do quite well.
I raced my moto cross bike.Really?What a 125.We are talking about the big boys,not the "i raced my moto cross bike crap"Anyway,i'll add soccer.

Every one thinks their sport is the toughest, arguments could be made for any sport, NASCAR is no walk in the park, increadibly complex and really one of the last sports where people regularly are killed. Personally I think its baseball.

Personally I think its baseball.

LOL Good one.

There are fat pitchers and players who smoke.

My vote goes to Ironman triathletes. Not the one event per year triathlete but the individuals that goes out and does 4+ per year. They are one bad mofo! makes me tired just thinking about it.

My vote goes to Ironman triathletes who smoke

Actually, I've heard a few times that motocross was one of the most demanding sport. Soccer too. But I agree that most sport at the professianal level are tough. You wouldn,t think car racing is tough, yet I remember Nigel Mansell who could barely walk after winning an Indy Cart race. He had to be pulled out of his car. How about advenrure racing? These guys barely sleep for days and face some pretty harsh weather sometimes. I got it... climbing Himalayas, that's tough. Not even sure to come back alive!

I go with the adventure racers also...they put their bodies thru all kinds of Hell for several days. I couldn't do it.

Actually, I've heard a few times that motocross was one of the most demanding sport. Soccer too. But I agree that most sport at the professianal level are tough. You wouldn,t think car racing is tough, yet I remember Nigel Mansell who could barely walk after winning an Indy Cart race. He had to be pulled out of his car. How about advenrure racing? These guys barely sleep for days and face some pretty harsh weather sometimes. I got it... climbing Himalayas, that's tough. Not even sure to come back alive!
I heard a indy car guy say he had to have differend sizes of dress shirts because from the start of the season to the end,his neck size grew almost 2 inches.

I raced my moto cross bike. Really? What a 125. We are talking about the big boys,not the "i raced my moto cross bike crap".

YZ 250 actually, what a helluva bike. This was in 1981 so the 250 was still quite a strong bike then. I had the most fun in this sport (moto)that is for sure.

Anyway, of all the sports I have participated in Cycling has brought me to my knees more often after maximum effort. My most memorable bike trek was an 87 mile mountain bike ride on forest service roads in North Carolina. I could barely walk for several days after that. More than half of that ride was up hill.

Water skiing, Motocross, Rock climbing, Powerlifting, and Treking all are were challenges in their own right but cycling has to be the one I have been able to punish myself worse with. Powerlifting would be second for me since I would often leave the gym barely able to lift my arms or walk if it was leg day.

Everyone will have different opinions on this but personal experience is an eye opener like no other.

Well there's tough in the sense of skill. Like it's really f'ing hard to hit a 100 mph fastball. Then there's tough in the sense of physical toughness. Like it's really physically difficult to drag yourself over 150 miles and 4 mountain climbs. Then there's mental toughness. Chess players and race car drivers and really mentally tough.

I've played baseball and football but I've never, ever suffered like I did while racing a bicycle.

My vote goes to Ironman triathletes who smoke

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I would say pro cycling... because of the amount of suffering that goes into it. In a grand tour, for example, its hours of suffering, nearly every day, for 3 weeks. Also because the competition is incredible (compared to other endurance sports).

Hockey hands down. Pro hockey at that. Some of them will play 82 regukar season games then if they make the playoffs they could plau another 28 before it is all done. Look for example at Scott Stevens 21 years as a pro playing the way he does. THAT is one tough guy.

Minute for minute jump roping (I know not a real sport) is damn hard. When I don't have time for anthing else - 25 min of jump rope will kick my ass more than 25 min of anything else.

My vote goes to triathaletes and stage cycling racers....they put themselves through hell....I would also mention eventhough its not a sport...the men and women in the armed forces...the marines and special opps people work incredibly hard.....

climbing/mountaineering

Im surprised no one has said college football, Those guys are playing a sport for an education. They have to go to school full time and then practice and then games. Thats tough mentally and physically

Still that is not even close to what the cycling pros experience during the TdF. And besides, a couple of years ago I played tennis on a pretty high level. And even if tennis is not the toughest of sports our running sessions and strength training was still really hard. It is hard to do both sports and school on a high level but still football will never be close to cycling, comparing toughness, remember football is a team game...

I've always felt that the most physically demanding sports were cycling, cross country skiing and speed skating.

I'll smoke to that!

Well, I suppose it all depends on what one means by "tough". One of our posters thought boxing was the toughest. I would respectfully disagree with that one. I recall reading a little piece by an ex rodeo rider. He said that if you rode rodeo, you didn't care about getting into a fight with ANYONE no matter how big or strong because no human could hit you anywhere near as hard as what happened to you just about everytime you climbed aboard a bull. If you read about the injuries these guys suffer, he has a point. I guess rodeo riders have far more courage then brains.

But are rodeo riders in great aerobic shape? I don't think so. Are they superb fast twitch muscle atheletes, well no. Do they take a licking and keep on ticking? Well there they shine. So it all depends on the criterea you use. I suppose a case could be made that golf is the "toughest" sport if you juggle the criteria just right.

Well its not a sport but babysitting your kids.

Is baby sitting your own children really the right term? I would think that overall parrenting would be a better answer.

How about officiating sports? You are on the field the entire game, while in baseball, one team gets to sit in a dugout, shaded in the heat of summer, and shielded from the winds, while officials have to stand out in the heat, cold, wind, weather for the entire game? In last nights Patriot's game, at anyone time, half of each team was on the side lines, backed up to heaters, drinking hot beverages, being attended to by an army of trainers, while the officials were given no consideration at all.

Then, on top of that, everything they do makes half the people angry. Not only do you have to be in good physical condition to keep up with the game, you have to have the hide of a rhino, the eyes of an eagle, and ears capable of tuning out unruly fans, players, and coaches, who, most of the time, haven't a clue about the rules of the game and have no idea what happened.

I can agree with Trek Rider I have refereed scoccer, and it is very tough, also ride "Vintage Moto Cross" try riding one of those with limites suspension!!! :eek:

Gee,maybe motocross was'nt so dumb.I told ya.I had read that they did some testing on those guys and were right up there with top jocks everywhere.Oh,college football for sure.It's hard,no pun,with all those babes to keep your head,no pun,into the game,tough for sure.

As regards aerobic fitness I've often heard that it's the cross country skiers who are the toughest. They are using both upper and lower body musculature in an endurance event that requires working at just below the anaerobic threshhold for long periods of time. However as others here have pointed out, they aren't racing day-in day-out in the same way a cycling stage racers.

Having said all that, watching some of the top multisport events such as Eco Challenge never fails to make me feel sompletely in awe of the athletes who torture themselves to get to the finish line. These guys and gals for me have to be up there in the ranks of toughest athletes. Watching the unique combination of sleep deprivation, exhaustion, exposure and injury that some of the competitors end up having to tough out sometimes makes me wonder at their sanity. Definitely some tough buggers in that sport!

Cross-country skiers put out an incredible amount of energy over the course of a race, and they often do race 2-3 times in a week. Not to mention it usually is in pretty tough weather conditions.

The 2 sports that I found the toughest were wrestling and snowshoe racing. Wrestling just plain sucked. My one try at snowshoe racing left me so wiped out I didn't think I could get the snowshoes off after I finished. 12 miles in fluffy snow, -2 degrees and high winds. I was in shape for 50 km x-c ski races at the time, but that did me in.

I completely forgot about XC skiing!

During my Army years we went and did winter training in Wisconsin and cross country skied with weapons and rucksacks full of gear and it was relentless.

I'm with Hunter, It's definetly Hockey.

I'd go with XC skiing or running over cycling. Mile to mile they are much harder.
For a traditional team sport, I think rugby would be pretty high on the list, along with hockey.

how about free-climbing? Must be very though mentally as well?

And don't forget swimming, the amount of training you have to put in it is huge. (but I guess it ia like that for every sport)

Biathlon is supposed to be extremly though as well.

Most sports pale in comparison to free diving, that's some scary stuff.

Most sports pale in comparison to free diving, that's some scary stuff.


That's just insane stuff their...of course I can't really swim so I guess that's part of my fear.

:eek:

Two for me: Triathlon & Extreme Mountaineering (w/o aid of oxygen, now that's tough!)
Corsaire

Riding Motocross is a *****. Youd have to ride a long main, to understand how bad. By the end of the race, your arms are so tired that you can barely hold on anymore. Each double or triple knocks the wind out of you on impact. You feel like you just went 15 with Mike Tyson.

It's still nothing like riding a stage race though. I just dont see how these guys complete a race like the Tour de France. That is amazing in itself.

Whatever happened to cliff diving?

I remember watching it on wide world of sports as a kid.

I think they held the events in Hawaii.