I have heard many people discuss this. Is cycling really the toughest sport there is? Isn`t long distance running and skiing just as tough?


BTW, I suffered 40 minutes in hell during my TT training yesterday

I think it depends on what kind of toughness you are measuring, is biking as tough as boxing? I dunno.

Pro golf. Getting in and out of those carts, having to reach over as your caddy hands you a club, and bending down to put the ball on the tee. Man, I think those guys are under paid!

Seriously, it has to be stage racing. With long distance running, what do they do, a marathon and then just one day? Or the iron-man, still in one day?

Stage racing is doing a marathon every day for two weeks.

You are right, the Tour de France must be tougher than a regular marathon. On the other hand, there are some ultra marathons too.

Actually I have heard that Garry Kasparov, the best chess player in the world, is extremely fit. He must be able to concentrate for several hours without loosing focus. So maybe one should start playing chess if one wants to do something tough.

Hardest and just about the best conditioned are ,hold on,moto cross racers.

UHH, I'm sorry but I raced my moto cross bike when I was younger and I am a helluva lot more fit as an above average cyclist who does not race a significant amount.

Moto cross racers are fit due to the effort of manhandling their machines but not compared to a top level cyclist. Not even close. Don't forget, moto cross is also something many people who smoke can do quite well.

Dumbest thing I have ever read. Seriously, I think I might be dumber from reading it.

hmm, someone said boxing. I do think boxing is tough, but in a different way. When getting punches to your head and body you will feel really dizzy but still the physicall effort and fightning spirit should be higher during a cycling event.

have any of you rowed competively?! Thats definately a hard sport! Aerobically and Anaerobically(sp)

How about the moto riders in the Paris Dakar? They get pounded in desert conditions for as much as ten hours a day while navigating, fix their own breakdowns during the day, sleep in tents at night(If they don't spend all night helping to repair their ride) eat mre level food and it goes on for a couple of weeks.
Stage racing is tough(Far tougher than I could do) but they usually don't spend more than five hours on the bike, are supported by their team of other riders(and the pack as a whole) have a squad of guys following them in a car to take care of any problem, get a massage and a tailored meal after the days ride then go to a nice hotel to relax (where they will probably get on rollers for a while)

All the masage, team cars and tailored meals doesn't stop the incredible amount of suffering that these riders go through day after day.

Anyway, I've always felt that the most physically demanding sports were cycling, cross country skiing and speed skating.

As far as who suffers the most, it's easily bike racers. I can't even imagine how much the riders suffered in last years TDF TTT.

Marathon runners? How many people finished this years NYC marathon?

What about the Iditarod?

You really need to define wht you're looking for in "tough". As someone pointed out, boxing is pretty tough. Would anyone here race their bike against a pro cyclist? Even though we'd lose, I'd bet many would. How many of you would put on boxing gloves and step in the ring with a pro boxer? Your cycling days could very well be over in a few minutes. It all depends on what is being asked by "tough".
Personally, although it doesn't take any physical fitness, I think cordless bungee jumping is about as tough as it can get.

Cycling, Rowing, Motorcross. ANY sport done at a world class level is extremely tough.

I was fortunate enough to see the Ironman world Championship in Kona this past fall, That **** is no joke.....at the world class level.
how about 46 min for a 2.4 mile open water swim.
I think the fastest bike split was 4:37 for 112 miles (24mph+ average) and then run a 2:40 marathon.


I remember reading somewhere that someone posted the question to Lance Armstong in regards to who are the fittest athletes in the world. His answer? World class Triathletes. He should know, didn't he race with the Pros when he was 16?

I raced my moto cross bike.Really?What a 125.We are talking about the big boys,not the "i raced my moto cross bike crap"Anyway,i'll add soccer.

Every one thinks their sport is the toughest, arguments could be made for any sport, NASCAR is no walk in the park, increadibly complex and really one of the last sports where people regularly are killed. Personally I think its baseball.

LOL Good one.

There are fat pitchers and players who smoke.

My vote goes to Ironman triathletes. Not the one event per year triathlete but the individuals that goes out and does 4+ per year. They are one bad mofo! makes me tired just thinking about it.

My vote goes to Ironman triathletes who smoke

Actually, I've heard a few times that motocross was one of the most demanding sport. Soccer too. But I agree that most sport at the professianal level are tough. You wouldn,t think car racing is tough, yet I remember Nigel Mansell who could barely walk after winning an Indy Cart race. He had to be pulled out of his car. How about advenrure racing? These guys barely sleep for days and face some pretty harsh weather sometimes. I got it... climbing Himalayas, that's tough. Not even sure to come back alive!

I go with the adventure racers also...they put their bodies thru all kinds of Hell for several days. I couldn't do it.

I heard a indy car guy say he had to have differend sizes of dress shirts because from the start of the season to the end,his neck size grew almost 2 inches.

YZ 250 actually, what a helluva bike. This was in 1981 so the 250 was still quite a strong bike then. I had the most fun in this sport (moto)that is for sure.

Anyway, of all the sports I have participated in Cycling has brought me to my knees more often after maximum effort. My most memorable bike trek was an 87 mile mountain bike ride on forest service roads in North Carolina. I could barely walk for several days after that. More than half of that ride was up hill.

Water skiing, Motocross, Rock climbing, Powerlifting, and Treking all are were challenges in their own right but cycling has to be the one I have been able to punish myself worse with. Powerlifting would be second for me since I would often leave the gym barely able to lift my arms or walk if it was leg day.

Everyone will have different opinions on this but personal experience is an eye opener like no other.

Well there's tough in the sense of skill. Like it's really f'ing hard to hit a 100 mph fastball. Then there's tough in the sense of physical toughness. Like it's really physically difficult to drag yourself over 150 miles and 4 mountain climbs. Then there's mental toughness. Chess players and race car drivers and really mentally tough.

I've played baseball and football but I've never, ever suffered like I did while racing a bicycle.