One thing I have noticed about women roadies...
04-23-06, 12:22 PM
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My women coach has a higher BF% then is normal for a athletic cyclist and I judged her wrong. I thought she wasn't all that great but had good endurance and general skills. Turns out on the last Criterium she left all the men in the dust and was in 1st or 2nd place. I was impressed! You can't judge a cyclist by their body, its all whats underneath.
04-23-06, 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by C4Byke
Yea euro, if that was true, lance would be getting beat by 60lb 12 yearolds..
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04-23-06, 01:08 PM
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Why focus on women cyclists? There are women here in Miami that will kick my ass and make me wear a dress on the only hill here, the Bridge, and others that are going backwards. Just like there's strong guys and weak guys.
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04-23-06, 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Katrogen
My women coach has a higher BF% then is normal for a athletic cyclist and I judged her wrong. I thought she wasn't all that great but had good endurance and general skills. Turns out on the last Criterium she left all the men in the dust and was in 1st or 2nd place. I was impressed! You can't judge a cyclist by their body, its all whats underneath.
That's why women don't get heart attacks (even the out-of-shape ones) so to speak.
A female's heart rate during labor probably escalates to the same rate as a sprinter at the line. If women didn't have some kind of built-in biological safe guard, there would be cardiac arrests all over the maternity ward in hospitals, right?
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04-23-06, 01:22 PM
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Originally Posted by San Rensho
Why focus on women cyclists? There are women here in Miami that will kick my ass and make me wear a dress on the only hill here, the Bridge, and others that are going backwards. Just like there's strong guys and weak guys.
This is off topic, but a common misconception in golf is that women are better putters than the guys since they have more delicate hands which may lead to more touch on the putting greens. Wrong!
Studies between the LPGA and PGA tours have found that -more than driving distance -the biggest disparity between the men's and women's games is putting. Reason: The men pros' greater hand strength is a benefit , not a detriment as far as distance control.
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04-23-06, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Sincitycycler
I was hauling my 200 lb carcass past them in a pretty big gear on the hills and they were spinning their shapely asses off at 100+ rpm - it almost seems like they under-gear to a fault - and they don't seem to really get anywhere...
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04-23-06, 01:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Snicklefritz
I'm probably has something to do with body fat percentage. This variable is higher in women and so they have more fat surrounding their muscles. This probably makes it harder to see definition.
Here are some reference values for percent body fat in women (from my coach's data sheets...he's a physician too)
Essential: 11-14%
Athlete: 12-22%
Average: 16-25%
Overweight: 26-41%
Obese: over 31%
I don't have the sheet for men in front of me, but from what I remember, the corresponding values are much lower. One exception I think may be competitive female bodybuilders. They do get a fair amount of definition, but their body fat percentages are also extremely low. In fact, I know one who said when she was in competition, her body fat got down to 8%!!! These kind of numbers are not healthy for women. So I don't think for the most part they will ever show the definition that men do. I'm glad about that - I wouldn't want to have legs that looked like Boonen's!!! Although I wouldn't mind having even half his power output.
Here are some reference values for percent body fat in women (from my coach's data sheets...he's a physician too)
Essential: 11-14%
Athlete: 12-22%
Average: 16-25%
Overweight: 26-41%
Obese: over 31%
I don't have the sheet for men in front of me, but from what I remember, the corresponding values are much lower. One exception I think may be competitive female bodybuilders. They do get a fair amount of definition, but their body fat percentages are also extremely low. In fact, I know one who said when she was in competition, her body fat got down to 8%!!! These kind of numbers are not healthy for women. So I don't think for the most part they will ever show the definition that men do. I'm glad about that - I wouldn't want to have legs that looked like Boonen's!!! Although I wouldn't mind having even half his power output.
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04-23-06, 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Sincitycycler
When you think about it, the fact that women's bodies are meant to bear children should enable females to endure more physical suffering in sports-related activities then men!
That's why women don't get heart attacks (even the out-of-shape ones) so to speak.
A female's heart rate during labor probably escalates to the same rate as a sprinter at the line. If women didn't have some kind of built-in biological safe guard, there would be cardiac arrests all over the maternity ward in hospitals, right?
That's why women don't get heart attacks (even the out-of-shape ones) so to speak.
A female's heart rate during labor probably escalates to the same rate as a sprinter at the line. If women didn't have some kind of built-in biological safe guard, there would be cardiac arrests all over the maternity ward in hospitals, right?
Women giving birth are by definition young. Most people, male and female, do not have heart attacks under 40. (I said most, yes there are men with crappy genetics who have them under 40). Besides, labor is an "endurance sport". Not a sprint.
Heart attacks are the #1 killer for women. Look it up.
I'm not even going to touch the ridiculous pain threshold comment.
04-23-06, 02:19 PM
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Here is an interesting article about pain threshold:
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4641567.stm
One thing I conclude from the above is that women are very complex!
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4641567.stm
One thing I conclude from the above is that women are very complex!
04-23-06, 03:36 PM
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I sort of had the same thing happen to me. I was riding a group of hills during the Moritz Chevrolet "Ride for Heroes" 62 mile event, just taking my time doing about 11-12 mph up about a 1/2 mile incline of about 4-5% when some chick rode up to me, looked at me and said, "come on, you can do it" as she went slowly by. I did appreciate the encouragement, but I was just going for a stroll. Well, ok, In all honesty, it kind of annoyed me a little bit. She was about 300 yards ahead of me when I got to the top of the climb.... I descended fast to catch her. We came to the base of the next climb right next to each other. This time, I left it in my 52-26 and danced on the pedals all the way up. As I was "leaving" her I looked back and gave her a grin, but I said nothing.... I never saw her again. I guess I might have looked like I was suffering on that initial climb, but I'm thinking she might have thought I was a newb or something...heh. men and their egos..sheesh..hehehe.
04-23-06, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Sincitycycler
Hmmmm...cross-chaining...hmmm
04-23-06, 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Sincitycycler
...is that in general ( there are exceptions, or course), they don't climb very well, even though they are lightweight...
After a certain threshold of discomfort though, the will to succeed, finish a climb etc, is all that matters esp. when everyone's hurting, and it appears that determination is pretty equally distributed between the two genders.
04-23-06, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by ElJamoquio
Is this riding up the same 5' "hill" 740 times? (just kidding).
I have to ask - are you *from* Florida? People here in Michigan drive two or three hours to go to a 'mountain' to ski that has a smaller elevation drop than the minor hill my parents live on in Western PA.
I not trying to insult you or anything - there's definitely no hills here in Michigan, either; but I think the highest elevation in Florida is about 350 or so feet above sea level. What's the max delta elevation in one climb on that ride?
I have to ask - are you *from* Florida? People here in Michigan drive two or three hours to go to a 'mountain' to ski that has a smaller elevation drop than the minor hill my parents live on in Western PA.
I not trying to insult you or anything - there's definitely no hills here in Michigan, either; but I think the highest elevation in Florida is about 350 or so feet above sea level. What's the max delta elevation in one climb on that ride?
Some of the hills down in the Cleremont/Ferndale area have an elevation change of around 200ft. Some of the gradients are in the 10% range. Sugarloaf has a lofty "peak" of 310 ft, but part of the climb is at 12%.
BTW, are you talking about Crystal "Mountain" in Michigan for skiing? I went there once a long time ago.
04-23-06, 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Sincitycycler
That's another thing I have noticed with some women cyclists: stumpy, squatty pins.
How come their legs don't get all cut and defined like, say, Jan Ullrich's or a dancer's legs?
How come their legs don't get all cut and defined like, say, Jan Ullrich's or a dancer's legs?
which one would you rather have on your team? if you're gonna pick the ripped one, i'll win with the other.
04-23-06, 08:20 PM
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I posted an article recently about how the best female cyclists in the world stack up against men. Here are how the best female metrics stack up against men:
Body fat: Cat 3 or Masters 50
VO2max absolute: Cat 5 or Masters 70
VO2max mass scaled: Cat 2 or Masters 40
Max power to weight: Cat 2 or Masters 40
VO2max absolute is a good measure of flat TT performance. Women don't do very well here compared to men.
VO2max mass scaled and Max power to weight are good measures of climbing ability. Women do much better here.
So women, with their relatively high power-to-weight ratios, should do best at climbing. I know a couple women who can make me suffer like a dog on a climb, and I climb pretty well for an old guy.
Body fat: Cat 3 or Masters 50
VO2max absolute: Cat 5 or Masters 70
VO2max mass scaled: Cat 2 or Masters 40
Max power to weight: Cat 2 or Masters 40
VO2max absolute is a good measure of flat TT performance. Women don't do very well here compared to men.
VO2max mass scaled and Max power to weight are good measures of climbing ability. Women do much better here.
So women, with their relatively high power-to-weight ratios, should do best at climbing. I know a couple women who can make me suffer like a dog on a climb, and I climb pretty well for an old guy.
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04-23-06, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
I posted an article recently about how the best female cyclists in the world stack up against men. Here are how the best female metrics stack up against men:
Body fat: Cat 3 or Masters 50
VO2max absolute: Cat 5 or Masters 70
VO2max mass scaled: Cat 2 or Masters 40
Max power to weight: Cat 2 or Masters 40
VO2max absolute is a good measure of flat TT performance. Women don't do very well here compared to men.
VO2max mass scaled and Max power to weight are good measures of climbing ability. Women do much better here.
So women, with their relatively high power-to-weight ratios, should do best at climbing. I know a couple women who can make me suffer like a dog on a climb, and I climb pretty well for an old guy.
Body fat: Cat 3 or Masters 50
VO2max absolute: Cat 5 or Masters 70
VO2max mass scaled: Cat 2 or Masters 40
Max power to weight: Cat 2 or Masters 40
VO2max absolute is a good measure of flat TT performance. Women don't do very well here compared to men.
VO2max mass scaled and Max power to weight are good measures of climbing ability. Women do much better here.
So women, with their relatively high power-to-weight ratios, should do best at climbing. I know a couple women who can make me suffer like a dog on a climb, and I climb pretty well for an old guy.
I'm curious about the link... would you post it?
04-23-06, 08:36 PM
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Originally Posted by mollusk
We take what we can get. It's nothing like Pennsylvania, but it isn't exactly flat either.
04-23-06, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Sincitycycler
A female's heart rate during labor probably escalates to the same rate as a sprinter at the line. If women didn't have some kind of built-in biological safe guard, there would be cardiac arrests all over the maternity ward in hospitals, right?
Childbirth is not an areobic event, more a static strengh exercise.
Check out a labor and delivery sometime. Having done three myself, I can tell you it's rather interesting.
04-23-06, 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Snicklefritz
I'm curious about the link... would you post it?
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04-24-06, 12:27 AM
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Originally Posted by mollusk
While we have no mountains, we do have some hills. The Horrible Hundred Century has 3700' of climbing.
That said, I've ridden with flatlanders in Colorado who can still get the job done when the road tips up. I chatted up several Texans a few years ago who managed to get to the top of Mt. Evans (at 14,264 feet, it's the highest paved road in America). Even though their "hill training" was mostly freeway overpasses, a good base of training, a sense of pacing, and a strong attitude will get you to the top most of the time (however, they do kind of suck on the downhills).
04-24-06, 12:37 AM
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I think I can offer some type of explanation. Although women in general have a higer pain tolerance, women in general are not as competitive as men. My fiancee constantly tells me she can't imagine me in my past, bicycle racing, slot car racing, RC car racing, autocross racing, cross country (running) racing, racing video games, etc. She doesn't even like to compete for jobs. For that reason, less women are willing to push themselves just for the macho feeling of doing something better than someone else. I know plenty of women who climb better than me (I'm a crappy climber, so a lot of people climb better than me) but also know some women who just don't feel like beating themselves up to get there faster than me.
04-24-06, 05:28 AM
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Women can't climb?! You're joking right? I get dropped all the time by my wife on the hills... Powerful legs and a killer attitude combinbed with the ability to just ignore pain.. I just don't stand a chance...
But, yes, I do have the advantage as soon as the road flattens out...
In general, women can stand pain better than men, which makes up for a lower percentage muscles to body weight. Although most women probably beat my skinny a** there too....
But, yes, I do have the advantage as soon as the road flattens out...
In general, women can stand pain better than men, which makes up for a lower percentage muscles to body weight. Although most women probably beat my skinny a** there too....
04-24-06, 08:36 AM
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Originally Posted by audiojan
In general, women can stand pain better than men, which makes up for a lower percentage muscles to body weight.
So if you want to know how fast someone can climb for an hour:
1. Put her on a scale,
2. measure her power at threshold,
3. divide answer #2 by answer #1.
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04-24-06, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by 55/Rad
Let's ask Al Campanis - he'll know.
55/Rad
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Campanis even offered to room with Jackie Robinson as a player in the 40's when that was unthinkable.
https://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/elder070298.html
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Last edited by Sincitycycler; 04-24-06 at 10:43 AM.
04-24-06, 10:49 AM
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Originally Posted by 55/Rad
Let's ask Al Campanis - he'll know.
55/Rad
55/Rad
I just snorted water all over my keyboard laughing
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