Road Cycling - The 6ft Thread

Here I am hoping to attract riders who are in the 6' + bracket to discuss weight, climbing, Time Trialling and Bike fit.

Personally I am like this:
17 years old (U19 grade)
183cm (6' exactly)
154.3lbs (70kg)
Bike fit: 35" inseam
58cm Cervelo with seatpost in forward position (actually puts knee almost perfectly over pedal spindle, unlike the "normal" laid back position) 79.?? cm seat height (from bottom bracket). 110mm stem (might go for shorter, and bike fit should be really comfortable especially with stem reversed)
Ritchey Clip On aerobars.

At the moment I have been emphasizing on TT work and hard efforts, and have a fair bit of flat speed. I am entering a U19 club TT this weekend which I thought was 20km but it's the full 40km/25Mi perhaps (not sure). My hill climbing currently SUCKS ASS! I was being dropped by my mate who is recovering from a dog bite to his Thigh, and hes 90 something kgs and 6ft4. Short hills I sprint over with immense speed, however, that he cannot match.

A pro 6ft rider is about 160lbs according to a website (ill find it somewhere for you) and the climbers are more 150lbs... i'm just to the climber side of half way so I should be able to climb as well as TT. Anyone have tips on how to improve climbing but keep excellent TT power?

Let the posts fly, big guys!

Brendon

I am 6'3 and at 235 pounds I can flatten hills like nobody's business. Don't believe any nonsense about small riders being better hill climbers.

I am 6'3 and at 235 pounds I can flatten hills like nobody's business. Don't believe any nonsense about small riders being better hill climbers.

:rolleyes: OK... As a general rule, climbing is about power to weight ratio. Most of the time a light rider in equal condition will climb faster than a heavier person. THAT IS NOT to say that big guys can't climb. Some can do ok. It depends on if you want to be the first up a hill or if you want to be somewhere in the first group to arrive. There is a difference.

Also, "climbing" is a relative term. What is a hill for some is not for others. We had a little ride around here last weekend that went from Gatlinburg up to Clingman's Dome. Total climb of 5061 feet. The fast guys did it in just over two hours. One of the guys I ride with was in that lead group. He is about 5'5'' and maybe 150 lbs. He is normally first or second up any hill ride at the club level if he chooses.

As for me, I'm 6' and 205 and can't climb anywhere near his ability.

I'm 6'/165 lbs and had more hill climbing power at 175 lbs than I do now.

55/Rad

I'm 6'/165 lbs and had more hill climbing power at 175 lbs than I do now.

Why do you s'pose that is?
Did you lose muscle off you thighs?

I think it's because my natural weight is closer to 175/180 as opposed to 165. The good news is, at 165, my endurance and speed on flats are better.

Also, although I ride enough to keep the weight down, I'm not convinced I've found the best combination of diet yet. We'll see. It's a never-ending process.

55/Rad

Interesting 55/Rad, since I would assume the opposite; 175 = faster on flats/more endurance, while 165 = faster climbing (on a mountain/long, sustained climb).

But, sometimes reality conflicts with theory, eh?

I'm 6' and I've also been struggling to up my weight since it has dropped during the last few months. I've recently been hill and speed training during my commutes. I have experienced improvement in my speed, but I slowly dipped to 167 from 174 lbs. and I've not been able to regain the weight. So, like you, I'm faster, but skinnier. But, unlike you, my climbing ability has not seemed to suffer - I think I've just become faster all around (flats, hills).

And to satisfy NZ's curiosity:

6', 167 lbs, 34" inseam, 57cm CC frame, 57.5 cm TT, 115mm stem.

Well, I'm 6'1", 175, with a 33" inseam. I ride a 57 cm lemond w/ a 57.5cm TT and a 120 stem. thinking about going longer though. not sure.

I thought I was good on the flats and bad at uphills, until I rode with my uncle...he was DYING on the hills, but he DOMINATED me on the flats. Like I was going 26 and he was doing like 30.

so I'm not sure what my strengths and weaknesses are yet. I need some races under my belt I suppose.

I am 6'2" and weigh 190. Ride a TRC Composite size large. I too suck at hills and drop much stronger riders on the flat.

6'2" and weigh in at 175. I'm no slouch climbing out of the sattle, but i prefer flats ;) I ride a 60cm Allez with clip on aero bars for TT's.

Ah, good, now there's finally somewhere I can cut and paste all my tall guy BS I've been spurting on this website the past two weeks! *laugh*

Look, as far as I'm concerned, sports are 80% genetic. Didn't pick the right parents? Well, you're sh1t outta luck, buddy. Saying light guys climb better than heavy ones is generally true, coz its all about power to weight. When I was super fit, I climbed okay for a big guy, but as with a lot of these things, if you're going to maximise the 'non genetic' section of your potential, you gotta train smart. Personally, I couldn't be bothered with that serious training sh1t, so I cant whinge too much. :)

It is a bit of a p1ss off though - I did my first race in years a few months ago. Mid pack finish, which was fine, but my mate who is a lot lighter and much unfitter than me kicked my bum.

It's sometimes the way of the world with us big guys. *shrug*

Oh, for the record, I'm 6ft 4ins ( 193cm ) 205lbs ( 93kg ). My new roadie is technically a 62x60.5, sloping top tube, 73/71.5, 425 stays.

NZL, at 6ft/170lbs, you're a lightweight. They're good specs for a roadie, but if you want to climb better, you just gotta climb some more hills.

Look, as far as I'm concerned, sports are 80% genetic. Didn't pick the right parents? Well, you're sh1t outta luck, buddy. Saying light guys climb better than heavy ones is generally true, coz its all about power to weight.


technique has a lot to do with it, too.

technique has a lot to do with it, too.

What technique would that be?

I don't recall seeing any of the big sprinters challenging Lance or the little Spanish climbers up the Ventoux, for instance.

FWIW, I'm 6', 175 - down from 182 or so last year, and I'm climbing a lot better now with the weight loss.

Hehe. Got you ALL beat! 6'4" 255 lbs! I can't climb for crap :D My goal is to get down to 220 though by year's end. Interestingly enough, I can pound out 50 miles pretty easily. Dunno why and maybe that's no biggie.

Anyway, thought I'd weigh in as a true "big guy" :D

What's the average size and weight for a biker? I'm 6'1" and weigh 185. Still getting into shape since I haven't done a lot of biking for a while. Well, I've always biked but never really trained.

My wife used to beat me on all the hills but since I traded in my 15 year old mountain bike with a bent axle for a new poprad she can't keep up with me. She has a better strength to weight ratio as tested with the deadlift but I'm in better biking shape and have a faster bike.

I know that more hill climbing will improve my uphill kickass that I used to have. But I want to be able to still TT like a mean machine.

Brendon

6ft 1/2in 190lbs (down from 212lbs). I ride a 57cm Litespeed with a 120mm stem. I have the saddle a bit forward on a set-back post.

I don't have great speed on shorter rides. 50 miles or less. But I am not too bad on a century. I did one last weekend, 102 miles 6000ft of climbing. I was passing quite a few people on the climbs. I did my fair share of pulling on the flats. I broke off the front and ran down the next group several times. I also got dropped several times by faster groups. Oh well.

I am 6'3 and at 235 pounds I can flatten hills like nobody's business. Don't believe any nonsense about small riders being better hill climbers.

Hills, as in anything that has at least a %7 average grade over a mile?

I'm 5'9" and after todays ride, I was 138 lbs. I really suffered on the hills today (i kept it in the 30x25 through any steep parts, as usual.)

NZLcyclist, your weight sounds good. Some pros are two inches shorter than you with the same, or greater weight (like Armstrong). Ideal weight for your height depends on your personal build.

Hills, as in anything that has at least a %7 average grade over a mile?


Yep, we have hills like that around here. 20% grades are common in the tri-lakes area (I know they are 20% because they have signs posted). But the worst hill in Branson is called BillyGoat Hill. I don't know the grade but when it rains they close the street. Where I live it is impossible to ride a bike without going up hills, so it was either get good at it or quit riding.

Here are some of the things I teach beginners (especially big ones) to help them deal with hills:

1) Never walk. When you simply cannot go any farther, stop and recover. Catch your breath. Then get back on and ride some more. But never walk. You must RIDE the entire hill. Each time you tackle that hill your goal is to make it farther up the hill before you have to stop. Eventually, you will be able to ride the whole thing without stopping. After that, you will just keep getting faster and faster.

2) Practice starting uphill from a stop in low gear. You must get on the saddle, clip in quickly, and start spinning before you loose balance and fall over. Of course this only matters in the beginning. Once you get strong enough to conquer hills without stopping you won't need this skill.

3) Don't stomp the pedals. You will know you are stomping when the front wheel is bouncing. The steeper the grade, the worse the bounce. Focus on spinning. Visualize cranking the pedals all the way around. This is always a good thing but the benifit is greatest when climbing hills.

4) Use the entire saddle. Scoot forward and focus on spinning. Pick a visual reference point on the side of the road, a tree, a mailbox, or a driveway, whatever. When you get there slide to the back of the saddle and use a push/pull pedalling style where you push forward with one foot while pulling back with the other. Then pick another spot on the road and when you get there slide to the front of the saddle so you are right over the cranks and go back to spinning.

5) Stand if you want but you don't have to. If you do, then shift up one cog and stand as your dominant foot comes over the top. Focus on keeping the bike steady. Don't fling it all over the place. When you sit, go to the front of the saddle, shift down one cog and spin.

Your size is only a disadvantage if you let it be. Gravity may be working against you but you still have the advantage of big legs and those big legs can be developed into mega-monster hill crushing pistons. You may never be Tour de France material but if you develop your legs, lungs, and technique you will have no reason to fear hills.

Good post Cycletourist.

55/Rad

As I remember, in the 1998 Tour which Pantani won, after a really crap day Ullrich was out for revenge. On one of the climbs he used his immense power to keep Pantani sitting on his wheel the entire way up.

Basically you either need a good power/weight ratio OR have just immense power. That is how the larger top 10 GC riders stay up there on the tours.

Brendon

Bump....is there any more 6ft'ers out there?

Brendon

Yes there are :) I am 6'3'' and weigh 185. My bike frame has a 58'' TT with a 100mm stem. I do fairly well on the hills especially on the down side :) I rode a century last week that had 10000ft of climbing and ended on an evil 5 mile 13% average grade moountain climb. As in a typical century ride you have all sorts of people riding. So on the final climb I was passing people walking as well as riding which makes you feel kind of good. Then a couple of roadies from the local college team passed me going about twice my speed straight steady and confidently attacking the hill. It really puts you in your place. Unfortunatlly most of the races I do are big ring road races or crits closer to the coast where there are no 'real' hills so It's hard to know for me personally how I could compete and compare in the Mountains. One technique I use since I may be a little slower on the hills is to try to get off front befor the hill so that I end up in the back by the time we all are over it.

I know that more hill climbing will improve my uphill kickass that I used to have. But I want to be able to still TT like a mean machine.

Brendon

To get better in the hills, I think you have to sacrifice some of your TT power. I've been watching the 2002 TDF whilst on the trainer. Before the ITT, Paul Sherwyn is talking about how David Millar, wanting to be a top GC contender, concentrated on training in the mountains and confirmed that by doing so his TT ability suffered. Such is the price to be paid to be good all around. If you want to be a TT specialist, then train just for that, but to be good all around, your strengths are going to have to take a little hit, at least in the short term. Once the climbing ability catches up, you can adjust your training again and regain the power on the flats.

BTW, I'm 6'5" and 200 lbs., and not real happy when the road turns up.

As the name implies, I too am a large rider at 6'3" and 250lbs. I'm not sure how it happened, but I got size and strength from two puny parents. (Dad is 5'10" and 160lbs and Mom is 5'4" and 130lbs.)

I've found that downhills are our friends as inertia lets us keep our earned speed on the following flats longer than those skinny punks.

I have also noticed that with the addition of a computer with cadence I am faster because I am no longer wasting power by being in the wrong gear. Technique and spinning effeciency are key.

Well I'm 6ft2 and about 150lbs. Just started riding seriously again the past 2 months. Pretty light I guess but Ill prolly put on some more as I do more riding. Odd thing is I seem to be eating 4 meals a day but never gain weight! Must be something to do with being 17...

As far as hill climbing goes I can average about 9-10mph on an average hill or 6-8 on steep stuff. I haven't riden with many people yet so I can't really compare to others. With flat stretches I have no idea, there arent any in Scotland :o

6' 3" = 190cm

85 kilograms = 187.4 pounds

13% body fat according to a measurement on friday.

Hate hills, yet I seem to spend all day going up them! Oh well, guess I'm gradually finding them better.

60cm road frame.

I am 22 and 6 foot 3 and 155 pounds and the mountains are my strong point. Only been riding two years and racing seriously a little over a year and aam a cat 3. I do best in races that have a long steep climb, preferably at the end!

the tendency is to spend more of our time training in ways that are comfortable to us.. no need to hate hills or be affraid of them... train to strenghten areas you are weakest at and you will be better overall..

I am 6'2" and 175#. I am slowly getting better at climbing hills. At least, I think I am. ;)

6'3"/190lbs. I don't live in a hilly area anymore but I was a pretty good climber back in the day when I was 15 pounds lighter...

6' 0" - 165 currently

56 cm Trek 2100

I've been off the bike for 10 years and just started up again in August. Needless to say my climbing sucks right now. When I was just out of college (A long time ago) I was absurdly thin, weighing 125 pounds, but it was all quads and glutes. No eating disorders, just a really fast metabolism. Back then I could climb like a goat.

So now I'm just trying to recover my form and relearn all that I have forgotten. My climbing is improving slowly, but my overall technique is advancing much more rapidly.

john

I'm 185 cm (6' 1") and 67 Kilos (147 lbs) that's pretty much the same height and weight of Zabriskie and Basso. Hills are my speciality.



Your size is only a disadvantage if you let it be. Gravity may be working against you but you still have the advantage of big legs and those big legs can be developed into mega-monster hill crushing pistons. You may never be Tour de France material but if you develop your legs, lungs, and technique you will have no reason to fear hills.
I was going to disagree with your earlier posts, but it seems you are talking about getting up hills rather than racing on hilly courses. In my experience bigger guys are pretty good at racing on courses with short sharp hills, but when it comes down to climbs over 10km, the skinnier guys always win.



On one of the climbs he used his immense power to keep Pantani sitting on his wheel the entire way up.
Pantani is smaller than Ulrich, but it's a complete misnomer that Ullrich is a 'big' rider. Ullrich is 183cm and 73kg.

6'2", 195 lbs. Down from 205 when I started cycling "seriously" six months ago. My progress on flats--speed and endurance--has been much more dramatic than on hills. But there's been progress there, too. This past summer I found Cycletourist's post where he urges never walking on hills, and took it to heart. There's a hill I must take to get back home from the Rose Bowl, and once I stopped walking any part of it I got a lot better. First I had to stop twice, then once, now never.

6'2.5'', 168lbs. I love to climb, and am good at it.

I'm 6'4" and about 185, I did maybe 2 years of Taekwondo with my wife which contained an immense amount of leg work, strengthening, jumping, kicking, it was absolutely brutal. But because of that, it made me a lethal climber over the previous couple of summers. Unfortunately we stopped the Taekwondo last fall and my climbing this season suffered terribly. This year I worked more on time trialing and intervals and noticed a huge improvement in flat speed. But man, when I could climb better, I LOVED it!

I'm 6'4" and a shade under 190 right now, usually under 185 (I started on my winter blubber a bit early this year). I'm pretty new to cycling and hills used to absolutely kill me. I did a couple of multi-sport races in early October and since then something has just clicked. I have been crushing my short, skinny riding buddies that always had to wait on me in the past. Big guys can climb, apparently. How well and how far depends on the individual, I suppose. We don't have any climbs longer than a mile in my neck of the woods, though. So take that for what it's worth.

I'm 6'0' and a tad over 200lbs and currently ride a 58cm Panasonic PICS Preestige chromoly frame but am seeking to locate a GT Edge Ti frame in a 58cm size. I need to shorten top tube and stem a bit because when I ride over 30 miles its a killer on the mid forties body

For a little change of perspective, tall chick on a bike
6'1" and 35.5 inseam and average weight...used to HATE hills, but after consistent training, I can at least make it to the top without keeling over. Does the weight/power ratio law change at all for females? Anyone give me advice on further improving my climbing?

6'2"
165 lbs (back up from 160 after a break)
85 cm inseam = 61cm Allez

Slowly getting better at climbing, but I still suck. I like the flats and the 'drome.

I'm 6' 1/2" and 188 lbs. When I started riding again about 15 months ago, I was probably 198 and couldn't do 10 miles without a rest. I ride a 58 cm Gunnar Roadie (2003 w/ conventional geometry) and a Raliegh M45 MTB.

Last year and very early this year I ran into several hills around here that I had to stop and rest in the middle. Now I generally grind them up and look for more. However, I'm still not much of a climber - with 53/39 x 12-25 on the Roadie, and no clipless pedals, I may not get much better at it until I drop another 10 lbs. and/or do some leg work in the gym this winter. I'm asking Santa for new pedals and shoes for Christmas, so maybe that will help too.

My regular training route is 26 miles, with 3 decent hills - around 1000' of elev. gain. On a calm day, I can average around 18 for the route, and 22 on the flat sections. As for what that means to anyone but me - probably nothing at all. I don't follow a training regimen yet, and I ride just to shed some weight and keep my mental attitude aligned with the world.

Beyond that, I guess I'm fitter than some guys I know, and not as much as others. It seems fitting that this thread and several like it are often started by the younger set. At least the OP here is asking for advice along with the show-and-tell. Enjoy your relative fitness now, kid. By looking over this thread, you'll see that it only gets harder, and is often impossible, to keep up when you have responsibilities and outside demands on your time, attention, and money.

As you may be able to tell from the tone of this post, I haven't ridden in a few days. I think I'd better go de-crank.

There is very little correlation between size and success of cyclists. This isn't football or basketball, or horse racing.
Hincapie is 6'3" and 175. He kicks all our asses. twice.

Doc has a point. Miguel Indurain is 6'2" and was 182 (or there abouts) when he raced. Sean Yates is 6'4" as is Italian Eros Poli who raced at 187 lbs (the giant of Isola). I am 6'4" tall, 195 lbs and hovering around 10% body fat. My inseam is 36". I climb well and TT well but cant' really sprint. All my racing successes have been in small-group breakaways. Smaller/lighter guys can get away on long climbs and theres not much that can be done about it. If you race smart, hide and are fresh you can hang sometimes. Otherwise, you just have to chase them down on the flats.

I ride a 59 c-c bike, seat back as far as it will go with a 150mm stem and 180 mm cranks. Hard training - hill repeats and the like - and keeping your weight down are key to climbing success.

There are obviously exceptions, but for each of the discliplines (climber, TT/Rouler, all-rounder) there are obvious and undeniable 'optimal' physiques.



Hincapie is 6'3" and 175. He kicks all our asses. twice.
And smaller rider with the same equivalent ability kicks his ass twice in the mountains.

6'2" 205lbs and dropping... hopefully back to 175-180 lbs. although it's counter-intuitive, i really love climbing. not short hills, either... we've got some long mountain hauls around here.

Im 6'1, ~184 lbs...I would go as far and say that I suck on hills. I did a group ride yesterday and I was dropped more times than I can count. Actually, the first long hill wasn't too bad because I was kind of refreshed, but one hill was so steep that I went as low as the granny gear and I was doing 40-60rpms at 3-5mph. I could barely see straight

One thing I havent done on my Lemond is stop on hills. No matter how steep it was, I would just keep downshifting until I got to the granny and then keep going. I knew that if I stopped, it would take alot of energy to get up and start going again. Stopping is not part of my routine anymore, I'll go hella slow, but I wont stop.

Training is what it comes down to, I wouldn't even be able to hold my own with most guys up the hills 2-3 months ago. I have gotten much better, I can stay up with most guys on the short hills.

Weight? Height? Disadvantage technically speaking but in the end, its all about your willpower and technique as already mentioned. I don't blame my weight for sucking, I blame my weakness. I know that I haven't been riding as long as some of these guys and I don't expect to be leading the pack up the hills. With more training and more hill excercizes, I bet I can stay with them.

I'm 19 years old, about 6' (183 cm) tall and I hover between 140 and 145 pounds (63-65 kg). I just started riding and I have a 58cm Cannondale R700 (Triple). I haven't needed the tiny chainring yet, but I since I just started, I figured that I'd play it safe and get the triple on my first bike.

I like climbing and I'm getting better at it. I don't want to compete, I just want to eventually do centuries, doubles, and longer rides (possibly).

17yrs 6' foot 220.when i got in to riding about 5 months i was about 240. and im eating alot to stay at about 210-220 because 175 makes for a very thin d-tackle. I have very strong legs from wieght trainning for football. I learned very quick that football strong and cycling strong are very differnt. My legs are getting used to the bike more and more. im still pretty sucky at hills but they are getting better and i figure that if i can get fairly good at hills at 220 then when i get to my goal of 175ish hills will be cake. (i hope)

6'3 215 newbie here. We don't have much in the way of hills around here. But on my most regular route there's one spot with three consecutive climbs that had me vomiting with exhaustion (never had done that in my life before) just a few of months ago. Now I can do them without puking, without the third (or first, however that works-the little one :) ) chainring and can nearly hang with the smaller riders, but I'm still hurting pretty bad afterward.

There are obviously exceptions, but for each of the discliplines (climber, TT/Rouler, all-rounder) there are obvious and undeniable 'optimal' physiques.
And smaller rider with the same equivalent ability kicks his ass twice in the mountains.

I love Euro posts...all the opinion, with none of the reality or any annoying facts. Sorry , but give an example, any example.

BTW...back to reality: track hour is supposed to favor small aero guys, Sosenko owns the record at 6'6".