5kdad

I have a friend, that just doesn't grasp why I enjoy cycling. He's a nice guy, means well, but has been making comments that (perhaps unintentionally) could discourage some of my cycling. He seems baffled as to why I'd want to take off on a solo week-long bike camping tour. I have ridden border to border across 3 states, plus several other multi day tours. I'm not a racer, I'm more of a cycling tourist.
He's more fit and trim than I am. Well, at least he doesn't appear to be over weight, like I am. Recently he made the comment, "...according to some research I've seen, some people don't benefit from biking if they carry weight in their gut".
Anyone else familiar with this "research"???

JerrySTL

Ask your friend as he's the one who made the claim. If he can't back up his statement, you've killed two birds with one stone (shutting him up and finding there is no such study). If he can, I think a lot of us would be interested in the study.

Kindaslow

Or, find new friends, if he really is trying to bring you down.

deex

Does he ride? If not take him on a long ride and watch him suffer.

brianmcg123

That comment makes no sense what so ever.

deex

At least he'll get a taste of bike riding and at best his butt will hurt.

From the OP's posting it seems like his friend looks down on him and his bike riding because he sees him as less fit than him. Sure bike riding is better when you are in super shape but having a gut or not being in top physical shape does not translate to not being a strong rider.

So let the friend put his money where his mouth is and have him go for a long ride with the OP.

If the friend is also a bike rider, then there has to be another reason for the petty comments.

is it more clear now??

5kdad

My friend is not a cyclist. He thinks it's too dangerous to be out on the roads with traffic. Another reason he tells me I shouldn't cycle.

Stick69

Yes I have heard of this. Recent research suggests that a simple waist to height ratio is a better predictor of health than BMI. If you are really interested search for waist to height ratio.

I don't know of any research specific to cyclists. The fellow that did the Fit or Fat presentations on PBS was once asked by a swimmer if it was possible to be fit and not be skinny. He asked her if she had ever seen a walrus.

Here is a handy little calculator. I am in the "Consider Action" range. I guess I will consider riding my bike tomorrow.

https://www.health-calc.com/body-comp...o-height-ratio

CliffordK

6 months ago someone posted something suggesting that one had to average 14 MPH to get any benefit from cycling.

But, I think it ignored a whole bunch of variables including weight, hills, towing, and duration of the ride.

I'd find it hard to argue there would be no health benefits of riding 12 MPH for 12 HRS.

Accidents are a risk.

But, I'm getting to an age that HS classmates will start dropping like flies due to cardiac failure. I'm hoping to steer clear of that group, and I think it is a bigger risk than the risk of severe cycling accidents.

5kdad

I am sort of in the same boat as you are. Creeping up on age 60, I too have seen HS classmates die from heart failure, due to being over weight and not exercising.
My friend asked me, why I didn't find a safer hobby, like fishing. First, I don't want to invest $30,000-$40,000 in a bass boat and vehicle to pull it. Then I told him, I didn't want to be like my HS friend, who was an avid fisherman, but now is on disability because he has been very obese for many years.

rumrunn6

unfriend him. he sounds like an a*s

Jarrett2

I think you need to find new friends.

Before you do though, take him out on one ride and drop his ass like a bad habit.

berner

Sounds to me like your friend is not your friend. Friends give you support, not bring you down.

CliffordK

Here are some stats to bring back to your friend.

https://americanboating.org/boating_fatality.asp
Sports Injuries | III

About 600 to 700 fatalities per year due to recreational boating.
Which is almost identical to the number of bicycle related fatalities.

Yeah, quite a few reported bicycle injuries, but even recreational fishing has 70,000 injuries per year.

Commercial fishing, on the other hand, is one of the deadliest occupations in the USA.

snidely

Tell your "friend" to **** off.

Seattle Forrest

If his comment is based on actual research, he did a terrible job of summarizing it. (Which, by the way, is a huge problem with the news.)

One benefit to cycling is that you're burning calories. If you carry extra weight, burning calories is especially beneficial, not less beneficial.

Another benefit is that it's fun. Yet another is that it improves your cardiovascular health. Also, it strengthens your knees. And ...

Clearly, at least some of this applies to you. If you enjoy touring, then you benefit from cycling at least by having fun, and your friend's prediction doesn't hold water.

GravelMN

Benefit in what way? Weight loss? Cardiovascular endurance? Enjoyment of life? Any research must measure something and unless you know both what they were measuring and the means by which they were measuring it, vague comments about the results are meaningless. I've got a gut and I've benefited from cycling in many ways, so my research says your friend doesn't know what he is talking about.

DunderXIII

Any exercise burns calories.
Any food adds calories.

So yes, you can still gain weight when you exercise. If you are fit, the fat will tend to move away from the muscles so it does not impede on their action. So fit guys that reduce their exercise and don't adapt their diet tend to gain fat in the gut. In generally unfit guys fat can be stored in the limbs. The problem is that gut fat is more dangerous. This might be what he was talking about? (I know, its a long shot)

There are a ton of other variables like ethnicity, genetics etc. Did other factors explain why cycling wasn't effective?

In itself cycling can burn a lot of calories, I can't see how this is bad.

ptempel

I call BS on this. While cycling does not directly strengthen your core, it does let you lose weight. And losing weight means smaller gut and more flexibility. You can do the extra core exercises as needed like others do. Cycling definately strengthened my legs, arms and lower back muscles. My core (abdomen) is still soft so am a dough boy like the rest. But that doesn't mean I can't mix it up with the fast boys on the flats and hills once in a while.

dim

+1 ... and give him a heavy bike and choose a route with lots of hills

TheLibrarian

Makes no sense. My 2 cents: From what I see on Strava my 1 1/2 hour rides are burning 100-200 calories if thats correct it barely burns off half of breakfast. and 2: runners they say run because theyre skinny, they're not skinny because they run. Their bodies are built for it, they excel at it and thus they are motivated to do it more. A lot of overweight people ride or run with some hopes of being like those runners but were never built like a gazelle. This does not mean they get no benefit from exercise though. Biking esp mtn biking is about manuevering your weight and hauling it on the bike. People are concerned about 2 lbs on a frame but are carrying 35 extra lbs in their gut. Its like having a 2nd bike on your back, again still doesn't mean excercise provides no benefit.

caloso

It's true. There are many cyclists who could stand to lose weight, unlike fishermen, who are paragons of fitness and physical beauty, every last one.

GovernorSilver

Until he explains what kind of benefit people should not expect to get from biking, just write it off as the beer talking.

People will say all kinds of nonsense drunk, and if you've been drinking yourself, nonsense can seem to make perfect sense to you too.

CliffordK

It might be almost worth it to snag a spare bike for him.

26" Mongoose Dolomite Men's 7-speed All-Terrain Fat Tire Mountain Bike, Navy Blue/Red - Walmart.com

Tire width is irrelevant, right?

dim

cycling is about the strength in your legs, the size of your heart and balls, and your pain threshold

you dont need to be skinny ... it's not like running .... you can be fat and still cycle fast and far