Hipcycler

This is directed more at those of you who have lost weight while riding.

Did you notice much, if any, improvement in your climbing because you dropped some pounds?

I've heard this is the case, but have not heard stories from riders who have actually done it.

Here's why I ask.

I've had a good season of riding thus far, but whenever I ride in a gorup it is clear that despite my miles and training, my weakness is climbing.

I'm a big guy.
6'-1" and my body wants to be 190 pounds.

In the real world I look fine. In the cyclist world I'm huge I guess.
I like to eat. I get away with it because I ride almost daily.

So for me to take it to the next level of riding, I need to become a better climber. Eating less and eating smarter than I already do would not be an easy thing for me to do. I think I would be more likely to pull it off if I knew that indeed by dropping 5-6 pounds I would get up a hill a little better.

Yes...you've done it
No...Don't bother?

Discuss...

Psimet2001 

Yes - I have definitely become a better climber as I lose weight. That said I still suck at climbing, but now I put the 190 version or 200 or 210 version of my self to shame on the hills now.

I am currently 179 on my way to 165 at some point...at 165 if I still suck at hills I'll just blame the bike or something else.

BTW - just about everyone has to get better at climbing to get to the "next level". You're not alone.

Also...lose the weight the right way or you'll suck more at climbing. If you sacrifice muscle during weight loss....

UmneyDurak

Well I lost 35 pounds, and my climbing improved a lot! That being said, I also worked on it, hill intervals, and started to ride way way more. So a portion of improvement is due to better/more training.

aham23

at 240 i didnt even ride a bike. at 175 i can ride a bike and go up hill. i sucked at being fat. i suck at climbing hills. but now i am happy. glad i could not help you in any way. later.

CardiacKid

It is difficult to tell how much of my increase in climbing ability was due to weight loss and how much was due to increase in strength, because these kind of go hand in hand. When I train more, I lose weight and vice versa. However, physics bear out the fact that it takes more energy to push more mass up a hill.
It has been argued that Lance's climbing prowess can be attributed to the weight loss he had while recovering from his cancer treatment.
I do know that losing weight slowed down my descents. Galileo be darned.

curiouskid55

Yeah, 5 or six pounds, not so much. More like 20 -25 and you will have wings. Also the time is NOW. Before season prep starts in late October.

merlinextraligh

Even 10lbs makes a big difference. As long as you're not losing power to do it, the math is just too overwhelming.

8% grade 10 mile climb, rider producing 250 watts, 10lbs makes over 4 minutes difference.

Even on a 1 mile climb, its close to 30 seconds. And 30 seconds may not sound like a lot, but if it's the difference between staying in contact and getting dropped, it's the whole ball game.

MKahrl

I'm 6'2" and went from 200 to 180 this winter, one pound a week, and it helped with climbing. Exercise alone wasn't doing the trick, I had to start eating better stuff in reasonable portions. I've used some of the gravity improvement to carry better photo equipment.

Another benefit was being able to deal with heat better which made this year's RAIN ride much better than the one in 2006.

ragboy

At 240, you weren't that bad.

CyLowe97

Hip, I dropped ~10 pounds between the start of March and the end of April this year and in part I think it's made me a much better climber than I was a year ago.

It wasn't just dropping the weight, though. I lost the weight by working hard on the treadmill, trainer, and then outside. Riding up steep hills more often helped, as did getting my tail handed to me on a weekly basis by faster riders.

So, yes, not having to haul up more kilos helps in the climbing, but actually getting out and riding up hills (and then riding back up them a few times) helped just as much.

Also, don't underestimate actually knowing a climb. The more times you do a specific climb, the 'easier' it becomes (notice easier is in quotes there) through familiarization. Mentally knowing you can do it is half the battle. Before this year, I never got all the way up Blue Mound without walking part of it. This year I pushed myself the first time I was there and once I made it up, I knew it could be done. Subsequent visits up there have been much 'easier' mentally, even though the road is still as steep and long, you know?

Get out there an climb. And do it again. Etc.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Psimet2001 

QFT - Blue Mounds is a good example. It was my white whale until I finally rode up it complete. Now I know what to expect and know where to work and where to rest. Makes a big difference.

Also I have lost a lot of weight from riding every year and tend to put it back on in winter. No weight loss has ever been like this year's. I have gotten to within a fe pounds of where I am right now, but something is different. I have more power, I feel better, and everyone has been making commments about how much weight I have lost. The scale says I am pretty close to what I was last year so the only difference has to be in composition.

What I did different this year? Food. I have been living a cycling specific diet since Jan. I cheat on it, but I stick to the core. Best thing ever.

ride26fast

i am around 210 and 6'5" and even though i have seen a faster speed over the past few years, the only way i have become a better climber is doing hill repeats....they suck, but they work.

MONGO!

Ride more hills and kill two birds with one stone.

JamisVE

Curious, what does the cycling specific diet consist of?

Coyote2

In the "real world," obesity is rampant.

umd

When I started riding I lost weight and my climbing improved, but I lost too much weight and a lot of power with it, and now I've swung the other way and gotten better at climbing through gaining weight, up to a point. I have been slowly losing weight again and keeping my power up and of course my climbing and racing performance has increased a great deal.

FormerBMX'er

I do repeats on a short 10% grade riding a 19lb bike and a 10lb backpack. It's amazing how much less resistance there is when I repeat on my 16lb bike and no backpack.

CyLowe97

For me, it's Arby's and Pringles Cheez-Ums.

YMMV

NeelsGap86

I second that.

mollusk

It's not just weight, but what kind of weight. If I dropped 10 lbs from my "guads" and my "cottage of wattage" I would be a lot slower going up climbs. While I would be lighter, my power would be decreased as well.

Now we have to define what is a climb. Psimet talks about Blue Mounds. I rode up that a couple of weeks ago from the town of Blue Mounds. I would describe it as a big hill with a bit of a steep gradient at the end. Overall it might have been about 600 feet of elevation gain. Such things can be "powered" up by a bigger guy, like me. It wouldn't phase a TdF sprinter type rider. It is NOTHING compared to a Cat 1 or HC climb in the tour.

I have also gone up climbs with over 3000 ft of elevation gain with stretches of 15% gradient for over a mile in north Georgia and western North Carolina. Now we are talking about real climbs. These make a guy like me (lots of power, but 200 lbs) hurt like hell. On these climbs every ounce you can lose is appreciated.

aham23

^^^^ you approached that climb from town, correct? that is the easy route. you need to come at from the other direction. that little roller combined with the one up and into the park is what Psi and Cy are speaking about. for us flatlanders from Chi Town that 3 mile effort is a climb. dont worry though, none of us are getting it confused with Alpe D' Huez. later.

brianappleby

put 5 lbs in your back pocket (1 bottle, 2 bottles?) and time yourself up stuff. Then remove and repeat.
You won't feel any faster. It'll still hurt, but you'll be going faster.

maddyfish

I am 5'9 1/2". I have ridden for 20 years on the road. I have been 210, 185, and am now 165. When I was 210 I couldn't go up hills hardly at all. At 165 I am worlds better than at 185. I'd like to get to 150-5 or so.

JonnyV

I'm climbing better now at 205lbs. than I did 6 years ago when I started cycling at 180lbs. I've leaned out and gained muscle/strength/technique.

climbhoser

I'm sure my climbing would improve if I lost weight, but honestly I feel it's one of my stronger points. Not saying I'm aces or can beat everyone in the world up a hill, but relative to my performance group (rec riders) I tend to work harder to keep up on the flats and end up dropping ride-mates on hills.

Oh yeah, 5'10" and 195 lbs.

But I do want to lose weight, get down to 180 ideally (last time I was that skinny I looked pretty ridiculous...I'm one of those big framed, farm kid types), and I'd probably be even quicker on the hills. Just need to cease and desist with the Chipotle every other day