Why Call us Clydesdales and Athena's?

[RatedZ]

I'm 5'11 and 212-215 lbs. I don't think "Clydesdale" is an offensive term; in fact, it's sort of "classy." It beats being called "Jabba" or "Meatball."

I'm planning on getting below the 200 lb mark pretty quick, once I get my bike in about a week (it's on order). I think I'll be doing quite a bit of riding. I'd like to get down to about 170 lbs, and I don't think it'll be that tough, given the amount of time I plan on riding.

[patrsnw]

Actually, why the apostrophe in Anthena's and none in Clydesdales? Why one possessive and the other plural? (That's the grammarian in me, I guess.)

Now, I'm 6'4" and about 250, easily a Clydesdale. I ride a Zinn and according to Lennard, am on the small size of needing a 'big man's bike'. I like my bike, though!

[Metz1182]

I'm 5'9" and about 230. Looking to get my way down around the 200 range again, but I'm just not built to go much lighter. I went to college originally to play fullback on the football team, and I'm built for charging hard and knocking people over. Well, you can't play football all your life, so I decided to get into cycling. Go ahead and call me a clydesdale. Sounds good to me. There are much worse things to be compared to than a warhorse.

[lnferno]

Good thread and interesting perspectives. Add me to the list for liking the term Clydesdale. I started cycling 6 weeks ago and have since lost 10 lbs. I'm 6'1" and currently at 202 lbs. My goal is to get to 195 but when and if I do, I still want to be considered a Clydesdale

[misterbeef]

My first post here. I have been cycling since Spring of 2008. Was doing weight watchers and started riding stationary bike inside. Liked it enough to bring my son's mtb out of retirement. I was a type 2 diabetic, had liver disease from alcohol and "fatty" liver. I love riding. I started out at 375 lbs. I dropped down to 219 as of last 15 months ago. Sidelined with spinal fusion surgery to repair a disc in my neck. I ballooned back up to 275 lbs as Jan 1 this past winter. Pain meds and 6 months with no riding almost destroyed me again. I weighed in this morning at 243 lbs. I have put in 1800 miles since Jan 1st and have new dedication. Clydesdale...ok I like it. In HS I played football and lifted weights. I have always been big/obese. They called me "meat" as a younger kid and "THE BEEF" as a teen. Clydesdale is just another large animal. I like the horse idea better than the cow nickname. Horses are known for racing and being athletic. Cows get fat only to be slaughtered. BUT THEY DO TASTE GOOD! LOL.

[DazarGaidin]

Ive read in a few places that i should weigh between 155-205 at 6'4 to be 'healthy'. I cant imagine being 155 at my height, is that even right? THe least i ever weighed since being an teenager has been 205 in college and everyone thought i was starving myself I thought 225 would be a good 'end game' target but maybe that would be fat now too.

I kinda like the name Cyldesdale, it beats fatty or something

[Amheirchion]

Hmm, I think I just squeeze into this category, coming in between 6' and 6'1" depending on when I'm measured and currently weighing in at 203lbs. Don't know if I'll remain in it after a summers cycling though. That will have to be seen when it happens.

[Chilidawg]

I just got out the trusty Stanley 25' tape measure and discovered that at 5' 11.5" I don't quite measure up. I go about 215 # so at least I'm over 200.

C'mon, folks. Can I stay? Please?

[XR2]

A Clydesdale is a beautiful,graceful and powerful animal. I'm honored to be associated with one.

[FunkyStickman]

I just got out the trusty Stanley 25' tape measure and discovered that at 5' 11.5" I don't quite measure up. I go about 215 # so at least I'm over 200.

C'mon, folks. Can I stay? Please?

I'm the same height as you, and been hovering just above 200 for a few years. Ideally I'd like to get to 180, but I'm not losing sleep over it as long as I'm in shape. I figure, since at one point I hit 225, I was inducted into the Clydesdale club, and it will take more than losing some weight to get me kicked out!

[r_vance_b]

I'm a bout 6'1" and since last spring I've dropped about 35lbs, now hovering around 220. I don't know if i qualify for Clydesdale, maybe a runt of the litter.

This fall/winter I plan to transition to year round bike commuter, so hopefully I can skip over the 20lb swing over the holidays while stationary.

Good to see some other large sized folks in the cycling world, all the tri guys I know are tiny 5'6" to 5'9" hard-bodies. I want to get into cyclocross this fall, hopefully broad shoulders and big legs won't be such a disadvantage that they are in pure running.

RVB

[Copper Clyde]

Hi everybody. I havent been on a bike since '94 (ok, maybe once.) I put in an order for a 29er about a week ago and Ive been running around the house chanting,"Ima Clydesdale!"

I can remember standing next to a Clydesdale (horse. Not one of you guys) and thinking,"this has to be the most magnificent animal Ive ever seen." The only other biking term Ive heard of is "Hoss."

Its been fairly tough waiting for the new bike to come in. I feel like its my first bike ever. I keep checking email and waiting for LBS to call saying "Your bike is ready." BTW, Im 6'4", 260 +/-, so I fit in here.

P.S. Should there not be separate Clyde/Athena section for road and mountain bikes. I find myself frequenting the MTB forum more than Clyde.

[KD5NRH]

Heavy and tall people are both inadvertent casualties of the idea that 'athletes' must all be small and light people.

That's amusing, considering that one of the most athletic guys I've ever met was 6'4" and God knows how much muscle weight. He looked like a bodybuilder and wore 3XL, but ran (and finished, not sure if he ever won, but I know he placed well fairly often) every marathon he could get to. I dated a girl for a while who broke horses to pay her way through college. At 5'8", she looked pretty small, but she could carry 215lbs of me over one shoulder like a feed sack.

So, do I have to give up the Clydesdale title now that I've passed the 200 mark downward for the first time in years? (198 yesterday) Still 6'0", and hoping that stays the same

[KD5NRH]

I'm 5'11 and 212-215 lbs. I don't think "Clydesdale" is an offensive term; in fact, it's sort of "classy." It beats being called "Jabba" or "Meatball."

I used to work with a guy who answered to "Meatball." 5'6", over 250lbs. Built like a tank, and any idiot could see that he wasn't fat. Not sure what his fat percentage was, but after he went in for extra testing, (they only do wrist measurement/weight/height in the normal check) the insurance company reclassified him as "not overweight."

It was funny on cleanup days, since he'd casually lift one end of a heavy steel work table with one hand and sweep under it with the other as if it was a 20lb card table.

[finelargeaxe]

I'm 21, and about 5' 10".

I started my biking season a bit weirdly this year. I'd been riding an ancient Huffy Mt. Echo I'd had since middle school starting in March or April, and for a while there I didn't want to ride at all because that thing sucked so hard. Back at that point, I weighed in (on my parents aging bathroom scale, so forgive the lack of accuracy) at almost 230lbs. The first thing out of my mouth was "Oh, H*LL NO!" That jolted me off of my a** enough to start checking out the local stores for something to spend my tax refund checks on when they came in.

Fast forward about a month. My state refund check had been in my pocket for about a week when I literally almost tripped over a near-mint condition Schwinn S25 tagged for only $75. The same bike I'd been drooling over at Target at over $250. A good sign. Cashed the check and paid. (Interesting time getting it home, though...had to stick one wheel out a window to get it to fit in the car!)

I've ridden (sic?) that thing close to 300mi this summer. As of now, I'm down to about 205lbs. Cold and snow should be approaching in a couple of months (not to mention a job...YAY!!!), but I'm still gunning by season's end for getting under 200lbs for the first time since senior year of high school. The good news is as the weather cools, I'll be able to ride to my part-time job (as a PC repairman) and still look presentable to customers. The new job should also pay enough to let me get some decent riding gear, or maybe even a nicer rig like some of you have!

May your wheels roll true, and the wind be at your back.

[gtownviking]

I feel like having a t-shirt made up proudly proclaiming on the front "I am a Clydesdale" and the description "Large, Fast, and Unstoppable" on the back! LOL!

+1 Good idea!

[gtownviking]

I'm 6' 260 pounds. Went to the Dr. for a check up a while back and he was looking at the Fed guidelines for 40+ male with large frame....moved the little chart thingy around the dial and landed on the "target" weight. Looked up at me then poked my chest with one finger and said I would never get "there". It was 185 pounds. Said if I weighed 185 pounds I'd look like a microphone stand with a baseball hat on it. I am over weight by about 40 pounds he said but I have the heart of a 19 year old (and quite possibly the maturity as well) HA! So I have taken to riding bikes and I love it. I have known about the Clydesdale and Athena nomenclature but I have never learned why or who decided on the weight. Why not 225 or 250? Anyone know?

[trx1]

better then being call "fattys" and "twigmeisters"

[Captain Blight]

I like that both the terms also carry a subtext of power, grace and beauty as well as simple size. I think that's important, and not in a touchy-feely/PC kind of way. People who've mocked me for my beergut sing a different tune when I invite them to do a couple hours of hill returns with me. There's no mockery the second time around; indeed, it's a kind of awe. My raving-lunatic best friend, at 5'9" and 170# is absolutely flabbergasted that me and my old Super Course with steel fenders can out-climb his all-XTR aluminum Gary Fisher (I don't point out the half-step gearing or the bailout ring, that's my little secret). He just can't wrap his head around it. Neither can the silverbacks on their carbon-fiber machines; some of them get outright offended that I can pretty much drop them at will. Hey, hauling all this lard around made me strong!

[osephjey]

when i started cycling i weighed in at 215, i'm 5' 4''. i never realized how unhealthy i was getting, until my wife and i both got strep and went to the doc. my blood pressure was 140 over 90, and my resting pulse was 85. i never thought i was too bad b/c people were astounded to find out i weighed in over 200. this may be due to the fact that i was lifting my senior year in high school and for a few years after off and on. but as of 2 months ago my bp was 119 over 79, and my resting pulse was 70. i'm also 185 and still losing. i guess i'm a mini clyde. but my sister was driving behind me yesterday, and i was sprinting on my trek soho s at 25 mph. and i can ride the 10 mile trip to work in a half hour. now to get the sram i-motion 3 to add that extra gear on top, and i'll be cruising at 30+. that's the plan anyway.

[909Rider]

I was wondering if we could get like a shetland pony thing going on in here?

I'm 181 lbs, and stand only 5'6". As of right now, I feel like the donkey in the budweiser commercials next to the clyde's.

[Neil_B]

I was wondering if we could get like a shetland pony thing going on in here?

I'm 181 lbs, and stand only 5'6". As of right now, I feel like the donkey in the budweiser commercials next to the clyde's.

There are a LOT of donkeys posting at Bike Forums. Don't be so quick to place yourself with them.

[trx1]

a picture of beauty
http://www.robisonphoto.com/projects...lydesdales.htm

[Captain Blight]

a picture of beauty
http://www.robisonphoto.com/projects...lydesdales.htm

Sleek. Strong. Proud.

Yep.

[Bleep]

Beats the heck out of: "CHUBBA and CHUBETTE"

I agree with this guy Ranger! Anyways Clydesdales almost sounds cool......almost