"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Any big racer's out there?

I've thought about racing, but it seems that guys my size just don't race. Why is that?

I'm 6' 3" and 230lb. I'll drop some weight but I'm not looking to get small. My body fat is currently in the mid teens and I'm happy with how I look.

I recently met a friend while riding. He's built like a typical bike rider and he said "I recognized you from 200 yards away". I was like "really, how"? His response was "you look like a linebacker with wheels".

Any big guys out there race or am I dreaming of something that just doesn't work?

You can race succesfully at 6'3" 230lbs. Its going to require a big engine, and picking your events. Its highly unlikely you can develop a big enough engine to climb with the little guys at that weight.

There's a Cat 4 in Georgia that has to have 30lbs on you that it amazingly fast.

That said, 6'3" 200lbs is going to be a lot more competitive, particularly as you move up in categories.

I'm 6'1" 200lbs. For me, I've found when I get down to 185, I start getting a lot faster.

FYI I'm 6'2" @ 175lbs, and I'm definitely a big bike racer. AKA, I can easily take positions just by being imposing, and in the event that someone does kiss my bars, its usually them that bounces off me.

However, when the road goes up, I suffer like a dog.

I do race with a guy who used to be an offensive linebacker in college, he's a cat1. He's easily 200lbs and I've seen him drive a break, and then literally ride away from them and take the win.

My teammate is even bigger than you and dominates the local racing scene. Go for it.

That said, 6'3" 200lbs is going to be a lot more competitive, particularly as you move up in categories.

But 6' 3" and 200lb. is no good for ice hockey, my true love and the reason I started biking in the first place.

Luckily most races around here are relatively flat, hell, I'll train hard for the next month and give it a shot.

I do race with a guy who used to be an offensive linebacker in college, he's a cat1. He's easily 200lbs and I've seen him drive a break, and then literally ride away from them and take the win.

Please explain:thumb:.

We have a Cat 3 here in TX who is your size (he's a friend of mine). Last race I won, he had a really strong 2nd. He's down from 460 lbs, and seems to have happily settled at ~230 lbs. He has an absolutely vicious 1' (1000W) and 5" (2000W) power. He doesn't fare well on longer rollers, but if the climbers and TT guys don't drop him, he'll kill them all in the final kilo.

He moved to Cat 3 after just about 1 year of racing. He'll probably hit Cat 1 on the track before the summer is over (after 18 months of track racing).

I have a friend who just upgraded to the 3's after dominating the 4's earlier this year. He's probably 6'1 and 200+ lbs. He is a collegiate hockey player and he is ripped. He has decent endurance, but his sprint is what's amazing.

we have a cat 3 here in tx who is your size (he's a friend of mine). Last race i won, he had a really strong 2nd. He's down from 460 lbs, and seems to have happily settled at ~230 lbs. he has an absolutely vicious 1' (1000w) and 5" (2000w) power. he doesn't fare well on longer rollers, but if the climbers and tt guys don't drop him, he'll kill them all in the final kilo.

He moved to cat 3 after just about 1 year of racing. He'll probably hit cat 1 on the track before the summer is over (after 18 months of track racing).

holy crapola!!!

You're tiny - go race.

We have a Cat 3 here in TX who is your size (he's a friend of mine). Last race I won, he had a really strong 2nd. He's down from 460 lbs, and seems to have happily settled at ~230 lbs. He has an absolutely vicious 1' (1000W) and 5" (2000W) power. He doesn't fare well on longer rollers, but if the climbers and TT guys don't drop him, he'll kill them all in the final kilo.

He moved to Cat 3 after just about 1 year of racing. He'll probably hit Cat 1 on the track before the summer is over (after 18 months of track racing).

Has the OP considered track racing as the primary focus with road racing as training?

(I wish that there was a local velodrome. It looks like FUN!)

Nope, track is not something that interests me in the least at this time.

I'm 6'5" and 190-195. Mind you, I can drop my main competition in hilly races that weigh 40+ lbs less than me, and I have podiumed on hilly time trials.

Granted, if I could play God and I wanted to take bike racing more seriously, I'd have been a little shorter and lighter. But, I can still play to my strengths.

Time trials are my domain. Though that didn't happen overnight. I spent a lot of time working on flexibility and pedal stroke in the TT position, after I spent the time to build up a TT bike. Time trialing can benefit bigger guys, as there is not the same "disadvantage" in racing typical TT courses. TT'ing can also see a steady rate of progression over time, regardless of size.

The size sometimes helps in crits. I'll echo the previously mentioned notion that I can sometimes muscle or just intimidate my way into position, and people usually bump off of me if there is contact. Being taller means I have a clear view of what the field is doing at any given time (something not everyone can do), though sometimes I'll spend most, if not all, of a race in the drops.

Again, play to your strengths. That's part of the fun of bike racing!

holy crapola!!!

Yeah, luckily for me, the "/kg" portion of the equation, along with the "/CdA" portion of the equation still pans out in my favor. It seems my initial jump has been solid enough to keep me ahead of him, but once he gets wound up, it's on.

I'm glad I upgraded so I don't have to worry about him back there any more. Now all my troubles are about 50 meters up the road :twitchy:

He has an absolutely vicious 1' (1000W) and 5" (2000W) power.

Dear. God. :twitchy:

...the "/kg" portion of the equation...

My */kg portion would be competitive if I weighed 130 lbs. :p

Indurain won the giro at 185 lbs
Then 5 weeks later won the Tour at 175 lbs
His FTP was ~ 550
No kidding

1000W 1' power? Peanuts. My microwave does 1200W!

My */kg portion would be competitive if I weighed 130 lbs. :p

Mine would be if I weighed 130lbs. And I was a woman.

1000W 1' power? Peanuts. My microwave does 1200W!

hahahaha

I like that.

My 1' power would get my food only half hot.

cdr

Please explain:thumb:.

He was one of those big dudes on the line.

I'm a cyclist, not a fat, beer-guzzling 'murican football fan.

:rolleyes:

I'm 6' 3.5" and an ex powerlifter. I weighted 27o at peak.

Raced at 210 as a 5,

Cut down to 190-194 ish as a 4-3

And this season have been 191-195 (7% body fat) but am successfully traveling below 190.

I've done as well in hill races, but here in NewEngland, many of our hills are powerclimbs and dont kill me too badly.

Most of my training has focused on FTP development and climbing technique/force production while seated and climbing.

Pacing, racing to your strengths and losing weight all help. The difference between 195 and 189 is sort of remarkable... I cant wait to see what 185 feels like.

GOOD LUCK fellow big man!!

6'5", 225 pounds.

open graded crits and track racing kilo & various sprint events.

not hills or long road races.

Longest race I do would be 1 hour. Shortest close to a mintue. I have done plenty of >150 mile rides but I would never think about racing one, just for fun really. Did "elite" distance points race, I reckon it was about at least 100 laps to many.

oh I train with srm also, it's off season here and I have my ftp at 380.

My race has fluctuated from 217 to 260 (260 was my first race ever). I can hang in the crits but I'm not fooling anyone in road races with any climbing. I was getting there when I was in that 217 range and then I got hurt. Weight shot back up to 250+ and I've decided to take the year off because i'm still not 100%. Can't wait until next year though!

My race has fluctuated from 217 to 260 (260 was my first race ever). I can hang in the crits but I'm not fooling anyone in road races with any climbing. I was getting there when I was in that 217 range and then I got hurt. Weight shot back up to 250+ and I've decided to take the year off because i'm still not 100%. Can't wait until next year though!

don't wait, ride.

6'5", 225 pounds.

...

oh I train with srm also, it's off season here and I have my ftp at 380.

With a Kurt Kinetic power curve calculated ftp of about 200 and GVW of 230, I'm thinking I shouldn't be racing at all.

Seriously Scorer75, my biggest regret is waiting so late to start. Weight be damned.

Race. It's fun.

BL

Indurain won the giro at 185 lbs
Then 5 weeks later won the Tour at 175 lbs
His FTP was ~ 550
No kidding

How did they get his FTP? Did someone do some sort of math equation due to the fact there were no cycling dedictated power measuring devices then?

don't wait, ride.

Oh i'm riding.....my hip just can't endure the intensity of a race yet. I could barely walk after my two races this year. I'm gonna continue to ride and get my hip back in shape (as well as my gut and the 30 lbs I gained). I'll be racing next season...I'd rather wait a year and race then hurt my hip and never be able to race again.

I'm 6'5" 215. Pick your races properly. Stick mostly to flat races. My personal hero is Maggie Backstedt. He's 6'5"ish and he raced pretty successfully at 205 lbs i.e. won Paris-Roubaix. Proves that big guys like you and I can race.

My teammate is even bigger than you and dominates the local racing scene. Go for it.

1. wasn't his father on the dutch olympic judo team?

2. he didn't dominate today.

But 6' 3" and 200lb. is no good for ice hockey, my true love and the reason I started biking in the first place.Works OK for Eric Staal - 6' 4" 205lbs. You'd be faster on the ice.

1. wasn't his father on the dutch olympic judo team?

is this a Geesink?

How did they get his (Indurain's) FTP? Did someone do some sort of math equation due to the fact there were no cycling dedictated power measuring devices then?

Why do you think there were no power measuring devices? We've had ways of measuring power for decades. Just that most of them were in labs.

Lemond used an SRM in the early 90's. Indurain didn't but they had his lab results posted in VeloNews, basically saying he was an extrateresstial (sp?).


And the 550 number is what they presumed his TT power to be set at. At 80kg , that's 6.8w per kg. pretty normal for the very top grand tour winners.

Why do you think there were no power measuring devices? We've had ways of measuring power for decades. Just that most of them were in labs.



Correct

J Physiol. 1931 Aug 14;72(4):405-10