How important is weight loss?

Yup, another weight-loss blog.  Why?  Because it's that damn important that's why.  That is, if you want to ride your best.  Let me give you a personal example- that just happened to me.  In May, I rode (my 16 lb. Trek Madone) on a group ride with a bunch of GOOD riders.  I weighed 174 lbs (I'm 5'11" tall).  During the rather hilly climb I was able to stay right up with the best of the climbers.  Just this week, I rode with one of these same GOOD riders on another group ride (over a similar hilly course) with my Cannondale bike that weighs 20 lbs.  I also weighed myself before the ride at 178 lbs.- 4 lbs heavier than in May.  Total weight (bike+body), when compared to May, was 8 lbs. heavier.  Guess what?  The same guy that I rode side-by-side with in May dropped my a$$ this week in a heartbeat.  Man was that demoralizing.  So, you can see how 4 lbs. here and 4 lbs. there can make a dramatic difference in performance.

Lance Armstrong was asked during a recent interview: what do you consider the most important piece of cycling equipment in preparation for the Tour de France?  Know what he said?  His bathroom scale.  That's how important weight is.   Not so much for the flat tour stages but DEFINITELY important for the Alp and Pyranee stages.

If you still don't think it's important, the next time you recreational riders go to a hilly race..take notice of who ends up standing on the podium the end of the day.  You will NEVER see a fat or overweight cyclist on that podium- trust me.

So, weight loss WILL make a dramatic difference in performance- provided you don't compromise your power output.  And, I'll even prove it to you myself in the next couple of weeks.  Currently, I weigh 178 lbs.  I'm going to lose 5 lbs. over the next 2 weeks then go ride with the same guy that dropped me this week, and I'll bet anyone that if I grab my Trek Madone (4 lbs. lighter than my C-Dale) and ride with this same person, I will once again be able to hang.

Power ON!  Coach Rob