# How much faster will I be if I lose weight?



## celswick (Mar 5, 2020)

I started back riding about 18 months ago after about 15-20 years away. During those years, I gained a bunch of weight, and was about 245 (5’9”) when I started riding again in March 2020 at 53 years old. 

Now I’m down to about 205 and I’m notably faster than before. Probably a lot of the speed came from familiarity with the trails, improved cardio, and improved skills. I know part of it also comes from carrying less weight. 

For example, my local trail is 7 miles, mostly flowy with a few short, steep hills and rooty sections through a pine forest. When I first started, I was lucky to even finish a lap. I started timing myself once I could complete a lap, and my time was 38-40 minutes. I usually do 2 laps, and ride to and from the trail (10 miles r/t on pavement). 

18 months later, I’m doing the same loop in 31 minutes. I know my weight is still an issue.

What I’m wondering is—will I be noticeably faster if I lose another 25 pounds (180), or have I already made all the large gains, and any future gains will be minimal? For reference, the fastest Strava times for that loop are 26 minutes. I know I’ll never reach that, but I’d like to think I could hit 29-30 minutes. 

I know there are tons of variables, etc, but I thought it may make for interesting discussion since I know some of you have probably been in a similar situation. 


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

In my view, yes. I weigh 185. When I get to 180, I notice a BIG difference on the trail. 25 pounds is a massive drop.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

At one point, I had gotten up to 168 pounds (I'm 5'9" tall and 69 years old). I went on a low carb diet and dropped to 152. I time my climbs and I was not faster at 152, but it's due to nutrition. I got back up to 162 and was actually faster.

A couple of years later, I dropped back down to 152 just by not snacking at night and I was very fast.
So, lower weight helps, but only if you still have proper nutrition, or you might lose muscle mass as well.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

25lbs yes. 

that's a whole bike...think about it next time you might need to heft that bike
on uphill chunk when gassed, then if you didn't have the 25lb load....


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

I went from 205# in January to 185# in May and was surprised & impressed by how much easier it was to climb & how much faster I could climb without feeling fatigued.

That weight loss was sooo worth the effort.

"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels." --Jenny Craig
=sParty


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## rtsideup (Mar 21, 2012)

I think that physics says that you will be slower on the downhills.


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## CLDSDL43 (Sep 15, 2021)

Just carry around a 5lb bag of flour, sugar, something up stairs, running around, ...
Doesn't take many lbs lost to increase speed
Or just feeling better in general.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

It's not just the weight, your body will also operate more efficiently when you're lighter. 205 to 180 would make a huge difference.


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## paramount3 (Jul 13, 2014)

Force = mass* acceleration. If you have to do a lot of acceleration in your riding (which includes climbing, turning, slowing down) then you should get faster overall, assuming you can apply the same amount of force at 205 lb as you can at 180 lbs. (Big assumption--see below) However, the speed you can maintain in a straight line is more of a function of sustained power vs resistant force, which is a combination of wind resistance (very important at 28 mph on the road) and rolling resistance (very important on muddy trails, for example). Here, you are probably going to generate more sustained power at the heavier weight, and you might be faster. Think of classics riders who do well in Paris-Roubaix vs climbers who do well in the Alps. In general, the lighter you can get, while maintaining power output, the better. But each person will encounter a (low) weight at which power output really begins to suffer. Distance and time probably matter as well. Usain Bolt wasn't the world's fastest man in the marathon.


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## Grinchy8 (Jul 6, 2021)

You will meet your time goal if you continue to work on your body comp. It is some lose fat and some gain muscle and lots eat right. Also consider getting into cycle specific exercise, like with a riprow.


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## OldMike (Apr 30, 2020)

I notice even 5lbs.
Added weight (or there lack of) effects speed/times, endurance and recovery times IME.
As you get closer to you optimum, the delta (times) become smaller but still noticeable


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## r-rocket (Jun 23, 2014)

J.B. Weld said:


> It's not just the weight, your body will also operate more efficiently when you're lighter. 205 to 180 would make a huge difference.


There is also a point where fat loss impacts body cooling too. At my heaviest I found myself having to stop to cool off in the shade because of overheating, even though my muscles were still OK.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

paramount3 said:


> Think of classics riders who do well in Paris-Roubaix vs climbers who do well in the Alps.


True but even the "big" classic riders are about 170 pounds tops. I understand what you're saying and agree with most of it. Big, powerful dudes can excel in track racing and flat criteriums, some guys race pro at 200# or maybe even more in those type of events.

The problem is that mountain biking that I'm familiar with involves a* lot *of climbing so carrying a light frame is nearly always an advantage, to a point of course.

More importantly though I'd like to congratulate the op. Going from 245 to 205 is a great accomplishment and it must feel pretty dang good. Nice work!


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## celswick (Mar 5, 2020)

One thing I’ll have to add about my body composition—I’ve got really defined and muscular legs, and very defined (but not that muscular) arms. Most of my extra weight is flab on my torso, which leads me to believe I could drop 20 pounds without losing muscle mass. 

I’ve started doing push-ups, pull ups,
etc to build strength and muscle in my upper body. Still working to burn off that layer of flab, though. 


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Yeh, this snaking at night (especially sugary stuff) has definitely made me a faster coaster downhill. No doubt. Not sure if that is a good strategy yet. I will try to lose 10 lbs, in honor of this thread. No more Assumption Abbey fruitcake or Dove chocolates then? Fine!


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## walkerwalker (Jul 17, 2020)

I like these threads where we all tell each other to exercise. I mean, if vague encouragement from other random anonymous fat people on the internet doesn't work, than I don't know what will.


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## celswick (Mar 5, 2020)

walkerwalker said:


> I like these threads where we all tell each other to exercise. I mean, if vague encouragement from other random anonymous fat people on the internet doesn't work, than I don't know what will.


Every little bit helps!


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## Blatant (Apr 13, 2005)

Not an armchair engineer, so no idea how much faster you’ll be in a bike. I can say without hesitation that losing more weight will make your body work more effectively and likely give you a better quality of life in general.


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## abeckstead (Feb 29, 2012)

Unnecessary weight is always the enemy in sports. Are you looking to race? Or just improve your personal times? I’m 6’4” and currently 186lbs, heaviest was 235lbs and most recently I was 200lbs. I have a Wyze scale now that is a neat gadget. Shows me muscle mass, body fat, water content and a bunch of other stats. Just dropping into the 180’s has felt refreshing. I can definitely feel the difference on my rides. I race and I’m looking to race even more next year. There is a point of diminishing returns though and let’s be real here, most of us here aren’t elite athletes. Do things to get healthy (within reason) go ride your bike and have fun!


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

1) Less to fuel

2) Less to hydrate

3) Less to cool

4) Less to carry up hills

5) Less to accelerate with every pedal stroke

6) If your body mass stays the same but your composition gets leaner, you will have more glycogen available for cycling.

So, while in terms of instantaneous speed, it’s a linear relationship between watts/kg (mass/power), it’s a more complex equation over time. All of which favor being leaner.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Flyer said:


> Yeh, this snaking at night (especially sugary stuff) has definitely made me a faster coaster downhill. No doubt. Not sure if that is a good strategy yet. I will try to lose 10 lbs, in honor of this thread. No more Assumption Abbey fruitcake or Dove chocolates then? Fine!


Yeah, but who wants to give up "snaking" at night!?
Oh.....snacking....yeah, that!


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Don’t forget fangs — these go with snaking. 
Tubelessness FTW!
=sParty


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## codahale (Oct 6, 2018)

Power in cycling is usually measured in watts per kg, using your functional threshold power (aka how much power can you produce for an hour straight) in watts and your bodyweight in kg. Let’s say your FTP is 200W, and when you started you weighed 111kg (~245lbs). Your power to weight ratio would have been 1.8 W/kg. If you dropped to 93kg (~205lbs) without losing power, you’d be at 2.15 W/kg. A further drop to 82kg (~180lbs) would put you at 2.44 W/kg. Of course, if you raised your FTP from 200W to 250W and stayed at 93kg, you’d be at 2.69 W/kg.

Whether a drop from 205 to 180 is reasonable depends entirely on your body fat percentage. If you’re around 20% BFP at 205, a drop to 180 would put you near 10%, which is doable but pretty difficult — the general rule of thumb is that you can diet for up to 12 weeks and lose up to 10% of your body weight in fat without long-term metabolic consequence, so you’d want to break that 25lbs up into two or more diet phases separated by maintenance phases. Trying to maintain a dramatically lower body weight is also pretty difficult, as it involves big changes in food habits. Eating like an athlete is hard when the rest of the family is eating pizza.

If you really want to put that kind of time and effort in, I’d recommend Renaissance Periodization as an excellent resource for athletes trying to optimize their body composition. On the high end they do personal coaching (from actual registered nutritionists and sport scientists, not rando IG models) and on the low end they’ve got a great mobile app.

Otherwise, I’d focus less on hitting a specific goal weight and more on good habits in the kitchen and on the bike and letting things land where they may. Eat less candy, eat more veggies, and spend your off-season doing interval training (e.g. via TrainerRoad).


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Sparticus said:


> Don’t forget fangs — these go with snaking.
> Tubelessness FTW!
> =sParty


Oh. I forgot there was a "G" rated version of this term.
Be careful getting rid of those snakes.


Homeowner trying to smoke out snake infestation burns down own house


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## Stewiewin (Dec 17, 2020)

celswick said:


> I started back riding about 18 months ago after about 15-20 years away. During those years, I gained a bunch of weight, and was about 245 (5’9”) when I started riding again in March 2020 at 53 years old.
> 
> Now I’m down to about 205 and I’m notably faster than before. Probably a lot of the speed came from familiarity with the trails, improved cardio, and improved skills. I know part of it also comes from carrying less weight.
> 
> ...


its losing weight while keep the same power watts output.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

The bike part is not the important part. If you are overweight you make a poor first impression. People think you are lazy and careless. As you get older it will get harder and harder to lose it. Your joints will fail, your heart clog up. There is no more convenient time coming in the future for you to start. The bike is the tool here, not the purpose


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Stewiewin said:


> its losing weight while keep the same power watts output.



It's not quite that simple. It's possible to lose weight and power and still be faster.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

5% faster

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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

The general consensus Is in and the answer is yes. You will speed up as you lose weight unless you go past a fat threshold that is unhealthy, or your diet is so restrictive that you lack the energy riding and recovery.

Over course you will see diminishing returns as you approach your ideal weight.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Thinking about this as I rode this morning. I have been fatter and faster and skinnier and slower. 
So the weight loss needs to be accompanied by appropriate mental state and riding/training for improvement.


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## Stewiewin (Dec 17, 2020)

J.B. Weld said:


> It's not quite that simple. It's possible to lose weight and power and still be faster.


lol its losing weight but not power.


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## 749800 (Jul 14, 2013)

rtsideup said:


> I think that physics says that you will be slower on the downhills.


If you are in free-fall, your acceleration is independent of mass.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Stewiewin said:


> lol its losing weight but not power.



Yeah that would be better. Losing weight and gaining power would be optimal. Still, you can lose weight & power and be faster. Situationally dependant of course.


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## Stewiewin (Dec 17, 2020)

J.B. Weld said:


> Yeah that would be better. Losing weight and gaining power would be optimal. Still, you can lose weight & power and be faster. Situationally dependant of course.


ye lose weight and gain is best


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

plummet said:


> Thinking about this as I rode this morning. I have been fatter and faster and skinnier and slower.
> So the weight loss needs to be accompanied by appropriate mental state and riding/training for improvement.


And muscle mass.


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## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

Lose weight and your body will reward you. I went from 250 down to 218 in three months. Just cut out sugar. My knees thanked me. No change in my exercise routine, and still eat hamburgers and fries. Back up to 225 - 228 range depending on beer.


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## Alias530 (Apr 1, 2013)

It will make an absolutely MASSIVE difference. There is nothing you can do that will make a bigger difference to your performance/speed than your power/weight ratio and not carrying excess fat.

I recently went from ~240 to ~220 and I feel like I traded bodies with someone. There are climbs I used to go up in the 42T cog or even the 50 if I'm having an off day that I'm now going up in the 32 or the 28 on a strong day. Loops I've been riding for almost 10 years that I average 9.5-10.0mph that I'm now averaging 11.2-11.5mph. I'm MASSIVELY faster than my younger self, just by losing a little weight. I'm exerting myself less on the hills so I'm fresher at the top and I don't spend as much energy balancing excess body fat. At my size, 20lbs isn't even that big of a difference.


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## Stewiewin (Dec 17, 2020)

Alias530 said:


> It will make an absolutely MASSIVE difference. There is nothing you can do that will make a bigger difference to your performance/speed than your power/weight ratio and not carrying excess fat.
> 
> I recently went from ~240 to ~220 and I feel like I traded bodies with someone. There are climbs I used to go up in the 42T cog or even the 50 if I'm having an off day that I'm now going up in the 32 or the 28 on a strong day. Loops I've been riding for almost 10 years that I average 9.5-10.0mph that I'm now averaging 11.2-11.5mph. I'm MASSIVELY faster than my younger self, just by losing a little weight. I'm exerting myself less on the hills so I'm fresher at the top and I don't spend as much energy balancing excess body fat. At my size, 20lbs isn't even that big of a difference.


Only mthign that would had made ur post pefreft is that at the veryt end there was tremark says


celswick said:


> I started back riding about 18 months ago after about 15-20 years away. During those years, I gained a bunch of weight, and was about 245 (5’9”) when I started riding again in March 2020 at 53 years old.
> 
> Now I’m down to about 205 and I’m notably faster than before. Probably a lot of the speed came from familiarity with the trails, improved cardio, and improved skills. I know part of it also comes from carrying less weight.
> 
> ...


Its interesting everyone is losing all the weight then gaining it all back thought the ebikes. 😋 🤣 🦴


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## Stewiewin (Dec 17, 2020)

celswick said:


> I started back riding about 18 months ago after about 15-20 years away. During those years, I gained a bunch of weight, and was about 245 (5’9”) when I started riding again in March 2020 at 53 years old.
> 
> Now I’m down to about 205 and I’m notably faster than before. Probably a lot of the speed came from familiarity with the trails, improved cardio, and improved skills. I know part of it also comes from carrying less weight.
> 
> ...











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