TimothyH

Idaho Stop

john4789

Nope. High power to wind drag ratio in flat areas, high power to weight in hilly areas. TdF riders would not be faster than an elite track cyclist on a commute, as commutes are generally less than 100 miles. The sprinter is going to win and they are generally heavier riders.

Kindaslow

Heavier relative to elite cyclists, still not usually very heavy. Not that I disagree, just thinking about these guys still not being big guys relative to the rest of the world.

john4789

I'd disagree with this actually. The incremental muscle mass helps on all levels.

As an example, a lighter commuter with a bit of a beer gut will lose out to a heavier, stronger, commuter with an even bigger beer gut. At the end of the day, commuters are regular people, with beer guts, but the bigger guys will have more power to exploit over a small commute ride (say <10 miles). Over the flats, my experience is that heavier commuters are faster commuters.

Your experience is probably different being in the Seattle area, as I noted in my other response. My opinion is based on a flat commute.

Anyways, that's just how I see it.

Kindaslow

Flat, what the heck is that?

is that the short section between hills?

yes, my opinion is likely jaded by my climate!

hardboiled718

i see what you're saying about added body weight increasing strength, after all heavier people develop a certain amount of muscle mass simply by having to move their own body every day. but everyone's got different fitness levels and you're not taking into account body composition, you could have a smaller rider with more muscle than a larger rider who has more fat. on my commute I see people of all sizes, some fast, some slow. From what I can tell it's not the size of the person that matters, it up to their fitness level.

Phil_gretz

Beer gut? What's that?

At my age, I'm not worried about body composition. I'm more concerned with body decomposition.