bonz50

unless a tri is in your future.

Jed19

I voted yes. I currently weigh 210. My goal for this year is to try and go back to my weight as of my college graduation in 1985, which was 185. I use to run quite a bit, hated it, but it was quite effective for weight control. Did I say hated it! A bad femur fracture a few years ago stopped my running. I am enthusiastic/motivated about going back to my college weight, but I do not think cycling alone is gonna do it, and I intend to work out at the gym 4x/week doing 20-30 minutes cardio on the stair climber and some strength training also.

bonz50

very similar to my goal Jed, tryin to get to the 180's or 190's this season. hence my purchase of a trainer to get an early start this year, diet getting back in check after the holidays (i always splurge during that time), trainer time will help get my wind/legs back after a season ending foot injury last year (not cycling related)

expatbrit

6'7 and 195 or so. Don't need too much weight, but some more fat would be nice!

diggy488

I'm good with my weight. The biggest motivator is having friends who are just as big into cycling as I am. We're all on Strava and it's fun to compare stats. I also enjoy chasing my own PRs, which keeps me excited to push harder.

fanfugutastic

Agreed.
Sitting at 193 as of this morning, so I still have a ways to go. I don't have any preconceptions about my future body, but I think my knees would thank me if I reduced running once I reach my goal weight of 170lbs on my 5'10 frame. With my other athletic hobbies, reducing further than that may not be feasible/unreasonably difficult. We will see!

Jed19

Knee problems, ankles and other issues that could crop up as I age, were the reasons I hated running. I mean, what use is there being able to keep your weight under control, if you had to get your knees, ankles and maybe your hip replaced as you age? Now, when I ride, I see people jogging, whose postures are shot, knees and ankles strapped up and supported in gruesome ways, and just feel, what is the point?

People have to think about fitness in a holistic way. There is no use keeping your weight under control (thru running etc), if your posture is gonna make your life miserable as you age.

diphthong

to echo what i think might be the 2nd poster's sentiment of road bikes vs mtb, i have (had) a herniated disc and find/ found that the slightly leaning forward positions a road bike offers vs the upright mtb position offered pain relief while on the road bike. stretches out the lower back so nicely that i hated to climb off the road bike during my worst spells.

f4rrest

"fats" ?

RPK79

+1

My lower back gets tight and starts to hurt if I don't get on my road bike at least once a week. Old golf injury...

bonz50

yup, my herniation was out the back of the spine, hunching over was indeed more comfy for my back. the traditional "good posture" for sitting in a chair or etc hurts me.

RJM

I could stand to lose lbs, but I don't ride to lose lbs. Never seems to work for me. The only way I lose weight is to start eating mainly vegetables and fish and eat less of it so I stay hungry all the time.

Niloc

I voted no, but my increased cycling over the past 6 months and my goals for this year will help me maintain weight or even loose a few pounds. A healthy lifestyle includes a good diet and a good exercise routine. I used to run more, and did a couple half marathons a couple years ago, but then had my second knee surgery. Cycling is so much easier on the joints.

I like the answers reversing the question: no, I'm losing weight to improve my cycling.

MagicHour

I voted no - because I've always been a lanky guy. I am cycling for overall fitness and well being, as well as fun and helps keep a positive mental attitude (or maybe it's just the endorphins)
That being said, now that I'm thinking about it, a lanky middle aged guy sporting a gut and "man boobies" = not a good look . So I guess to some extent I am trying to keep weight off.

rjones28 

Are you also a cyclist who swims?

rjones28 

I ride because I like to ride.

popeye

If you ride with power you quickly discover how few calories you burn. Losing weight while cycling is a lot of suffering for not that much gain and if you want to get stronger you need to eat even more. It is easier to just cut your portions in half except after hard efforts.

lsberrios1 

+1. I lost 20 pounds the second I bought a power meter (10#s of cash and 10#s of fat)

SirHustlerEsq

I will this time. I'm having a difficult time with cycling psychologically since the crash but getting as fat as possible to help motivate myself to get back on.

wle

nah. i ride so i can eat more. wle.

lyrictenor1

Well, yes and no. For the most part, yes, I'm riding to lose weight: started riding this past July at 240 lbs. and am now 194 lbs. (I'm 5'10 and currently have a goal of 170 lbs.) , mostly through cycling alone. I now find myself cycling for my own well being, because I like to eat and not worry about it (within reason), and now havea new goal of getting faster on the bike and climbing more often and more easily. The desire to want to be faster also stems from my love for motorsports; I like racing and I like the marriage of man + machine.

MagicHour

That's awesome - keep it up!

the fly

Hey now, I resemble that remark. I put in 6500 miles on a road bike last year and gained 20 lbs. I was doing good with my weight loss until I discovered that I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I rode enough. Sure enough "whatever I wanted" turned into "more than any reasonable person would eat". Took me a year to realize that you really can't outride a bad diet. Eating way too much before, during, and after the ride. My diet is changing this year though, got to get the cholesterol down naturally, Lipitor did a number on my legs late last year.

OldTryGuy

I was 5'10" at 185lbs. 33 years ago, now at 63 I'm 5'8" at 135lbs. so no more weight loss for me. Swam 2200 yards yesterday, biked 62 miles today and have a marathon on Sunday. Last weekend was a 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon at Walt Disney World's Marathon Weekend. Fast walking or jogging because knees are bad, easy free-style stroke because right shoulder needs total replacement but bicycling is where the fun is. One Ironman last year with second in November and in the lottery for Kona. Use it for as long as you can to keep things lubricated.

Buzzatronic

I lost my weight before I started riding. I started riding to keep the weight off. Now I keep riding because of how much enjoyment I get out of it.