Originally Posted by staehpj1

I know a few very active tourists that have many thousands of miles under their belts who also happen to be quite fat. It isn't that uncommon. I was kind of surprised to find this, but it is what it is. The fact of the matter is that it is quite possible to cross continents on a bicycle hauling your own gear and still be able to eat enough to stay fat. One guy we met was crossing the US for the 4th time if I remember correctly. He had to be at least 60 pounds overweight and was doing fine.

On the average, bike tourists might be fitter than the general public, but they are by no means all thin or even close to it.

I have met folks who ranged quite thin to quite heavy while on tour and they all seemed to be managing to have great tours.

Interestingly enough the same is true of running. Go to a marathon and you will see a pretty wide range of shapes and sizes crossing the finish line, some of them with better times than might seem possible based on their appearance..