Cycle-clops

Currently I weigh 220 lbs (6' 4") however my body fat % was just measured (electrical impedance) at 10%. So even if I strip off every last ounce of fat I will still be a clyde which I would prefer not to be.

Then again how can Magnus Backsted be so competitive at 205lbs? Is he really just that much stronger than the 140 lbs lightweights?

So my question is should I focus on getting stronger or take drastic measures and try to strip off some muscle?

gmule

That is like having a big block V- 8 on your bike. Big motors are awesome.

Cycle-clops

I do enjoy having the V-8 but it is a gas guzzler especially on the long and steep hills. Also the big engine requires a big chassis which is less aero than the smaller guys.

So are there any big and lean guys out there who are competitive? How did you get to that point? Dieting or hitting the gym and adding more power?

mgmoore7

I would think that loosing a few more pound might help but it is not going to be drastic. The only thing left is to make the V8 a V10 then a V12.

Tom Stormcrowe

Actually, you'll always be a Clyde, even if you drop below 200, because you're over 6 feet tall. If you're at 10% body fat, you're pretty much in ideal condition and need to work on developing explosive sprint and recovery capability through high intensity interval training.

(51)

Welcome to the sub-club affectionately known as the "Perma-clydes." I am a lifetime member as well.

markhr

I'll always be a clyde.

5'11" 210lbs when skinny and unfit

10' and 600lbs when in super-hero mode

Actually, when I'm fit I'm a dead ringer for Urlacher, even if I do say so myself.

thaetviking

Oh how I would love to be at 10% body fat. I have resigned myself to being a double clyde all my life. If I get to 15% body fat I will be extremely happy.

Tom Stormcrowe

Or me, 6'2", 12% bodyfat, 12% loose skin

damnable

I've resigned myself to permanently be an Athena. I don't think I want to go below 150, because I can still be in the right range, BMI wise above that mark. That leads to the question, is there a height cutoff for Athenas?

redtires

I believe that Magnus Bakstedt hovers right around 205 or so...competitive? Uh...just a little bit!!!

chainzawz

don't mean to hijack the thread but once I lose weight I think I won't be a clyde anymore and I am not 6 feet tall so I have a question. Since I am a bull can I be an honorary clyde when I leave the clyde catagory?

Tom Stormcrowe

You'll be happy to know, we have the Clyde/Athena Emeritus category

chainzawz

Ooo! Whats that? *jumps up and down*

Tom Stormcrowe

When you drop below 200, I set up a certificate

chainzawz

alrighty lol

mkadam68

Well...he picks his events right. He won't ever win the Alpe d'Huez stage, for instance. And some of the even flatter ones will keep him down. But, if it's flat, or has a long flat section at the end where he can recover and regroup, he's in!

And, no. He's not really that much more successful than the lightweights. Robbie McEwen regularly beats him (and almost everyone else) and probably tips the scales around 150-ish (my guesstimate).

mkadam68

It all depends on what you mean by "competitive". I'm a mean fighting weight around 250-260-ish. I can hold my own in a flat criterium, (took 2nd in one last year) and plan on winning a few this year. However, any road race with so much as a hill steeper than 6% or longer then 1/4-mile, I'll be off the back pretty quick

DieselDan

Disregard BMI, as it does not figure in lean muscle mass. According to accepted BMI formulas, a 5"9" 245# bodybuilder with 3% body fat is extremely obese. Case in point: me. My endocrinologist recommended gastric bypass to control my diabetes. The surgeon she referred my to refused to do the procedure on me because my body fat was measured at 14%, which was, in his opinion, too low for the surgery to be effective. My endocrinologist has reconsidered using BMI as an exclusive treatment guide, and she sponsors a professional crit every year in her town.

mkadam68

Is this a medical doctor? I can't imagine any doctor using the BMI, let alone exclusively. Amazing.

Yeah...disregard BMI totally.

damnable

Yes yes I know BMI is extremely inaccurate. But you have to admit, it's OK as a -very- general guide. Even with a 'normal' BMI reading I could be above 150 and still be a good weight for my height.

BMI generally gives a reading of active people with muscle being too heavy for their height. So that point I was making is that I could be healthy BMI-wise above 150, even though considering my body type I could be healthy weight above that. Hence I am likely to be an Athena for life, a fact which doesn't really concern me.

I hope this makes sense.

AndrewCO

You do realize that every doctor in America and most of the globe would consider you to be in perfect physical condition based on those attributes alone?

You will always be a clyde (unless you cut yourself down at mid-shin), but as gmule said, you are a big engine on a light chassis. Just work on getting your endurance up and you will be a force to reckoned with.

You also need to not drop below 4% body fat at your height. Since your frame is so long, your organs need all the protection they can get.

Daveyboy

Check out Ryan Trebon, he's 6'5" and an extremely thin 175 lbs. Yet he's a top professional in cyclo-cross. However, I think he's naturally lean.

CliftonGK1

6'5", 175 pounds is crazy skinny. My triathlon race weight was 190 pounds. He may be a top racer, but he's gotta be in the minority at those proportions. Maybe I just judge things differently since I'm 6' 6" and never going below 210 pounds.

flip18436572

I am 6'3" and the top of the BMI for me is 199 in the normal range. I plan on getting to 195 and staying there or a little lower. In high school I was 190 and I had too much body fat. Now I am stronger and hoping at 195 I will be lean enough for 32 waist jeans or smaller.

The BMI is fine for average or a goal to reach, but it is not a definite answer for everyone. Set a goal for yourself and get there and see how you feel with your body and go from there.