Yup. I think that a lot of people are conflating the two and giving more credit to the weight loss than is due. I came in to the season with decent legs and lungs, but with additional winter weight (I did some trainer work, but not enough to offset the calories). I'm about 15lb down from a few months ago and, while the riding has gotten better, it's not nearly as dramatic as the times that I've returned from a complete winter hiatus, in poor shape in terms of legs, lungs and love-handles.