How Much Difference Does Weight Make For A Pro Cyclist?

[@gcntech]

How much do you think about weight when you're riding?

[@ZoaStousDromous]

Considering I'm currently 126kg and i live in a mountainous terrain, I'm thinking about it a lot even if i don't want to! 😉

[@ngdawgs1]

Constantly!! I weigh 206lbs… will never be able to keep up with those slimmer bikers or runners 😵‍💫, but I’ll keep trying for the stallions 🤣.

[@leonschumann2361]

depends. weight on the bike: not even one second since aero beats weight pretty much everwhere. our highest hill is just 277m around here in north/central germany so even up there aero is more important. weight on the body a little but usually that isn't a game breaker. on the flat it matters little and the second or two for loosing a kg bodyweight doesn't matter if you don't race

[@PLo312]

was hoping for a test on a hill climb as well.. but still enjoyed this test.. next 20kg weighted tests, constant power comparing time difference, and constant speed up climb for power difference.. yes?

[@bentoomey15]

I think GCN should spend about 10% of any video discussing rider weight addressing risks and harms of eating disorders. Also, the opening statement of this video conflates weight and health --- something to avoid, as the relationship is likely more complicated than the time you're willing to give it. (After all, many *doctors* aren't willing to spend the time learning the science.)

[@FOREST10PL]

Finally a test for me! I lost 30 kilos on the bike with 10 still to go. The change is night and day, espiecially when I follow my friend on uphills. He doesn't have to wait for me at the top anymore!

[@andyczarny1]

Lost 15 kilos 10 to go.... Keep it up!!!

[@jayhoughton4174]

How often and far did you ride to get these results?

[@andyczarny1]

@@jayhoughton4174 eat less ride more 😉 . Today done 80k and eat my last meal at 5''

[@williamko4751]

From 220 lb to 190 in three mouths. Goal is 185. I can tell the difference when riding.

[@ianh9696]

I've lost 6.5 kilos with 20 to go. Well done on losing 30 kilos. My weight loss has plateaued which is very annoying as I am not losing any more at the moment. I am 55. I don't always ride to work everyday which is only 3 miles (4.8kms). I know I should do more even if I am up to 101 miles (161.6kms) at the weekend. My best overall average speed with stops is about 10mph (16kph). 12mph (19.2kph) ride speed average. I weighed myself and bike with all it's accessories and tools, food etc. Total combination weight of 18 stones, 252 pounds, 114.5 kilos 😮. Guess it's not just me that needs to lose some weight 🤣🤣

[@danisabelowee9039]

I do lost weight. I started cycling April 24, 2021 with 114kg as my weight. Now I weigh 89-95kg and I feel great because I know I also gained muscle mass😊 thanks to this channel and other cycling related channels that I gained lots of knowledge about cycling

[@gdwlaw5549]

Well done

[@tomrowe372]

Awsum work mate 👍🚴

[@jerseyraindog]

Good job. I was 114 kg 18 months ago. Dieting and 5000 miles cycling later I’m now 76 kg.

[@danisabelowee9039]

@@gdwlaw5549 thanks

[@danisabelowee9039]

@@tomrowe372 thanks mate.

[@Duckers_]

As someone who does most of his cycling as a commute I am always carrying my locks around (M18 and NY standard) as well as work clothes, laptop etc. So I'm carrying at least 8-10kg more than my bodyweight, I don't think about it much until I get out on my bike for a proper ride and the same hills (in particular) feel so much easier. In truth I notice it less on the flats, but I also hadn't thought about the stops and starts at traffic lights.

[@U.s.e.r.3493]

Agreed...fitness has decreased a lot since I eliminated my weighted (also 8-10kg) commutes 5x a day

[@christoferstromberg6605]

Perhaps I should try my work commute without full gear because honestly I don't really notice if I pack on 10-15kg extra or not. Though my fully loaded winter commute setup is like 160kg so few kgs extra is a smaller percentage increase compared to elite cyclists.

[@yengsabio5315]

I'm targeting 70 kg for may body weight. So I load about 8-10 kg extra everytime I MTB to train myself to push that weight when I reach it especially on climbs.

[@gobybike99]

I lost 45lbs and was riding 5 days a week commuting to work by bike. I went on a group ride on my road bike after riding over a hundred miles that week. I felt great and the sub 19lb bike versus close to 30lb really did make a difference. Now I just have get back on the bike and ride ..a lot. I found too many of the pounds I had lost. 😬

[@tarmaccio]

I started with 112kg and lost 18kg since January with consistent cycling and nutrition, also thanks to you guys who’s content got me into everything cycling in the first place. So I can totally relate how it feels to cycle with 20kg more weight and it’s hard. Everything’s harder. The sprints, the steady efforts, THE HILLS, it‘s just crazy. Feels good to be lighter. 10kg more to go :)

[@imbalolpro]

I'm 102kg now and got into biking so I will reply to this when I reach my goal at around 80kg. Thnaks for the video and congrats to all that already lost the weight doing something amazing as biking. You rock and inspire me! ❤❤❤❤

[@melodynewsome1308]

I started in 2016 was 93kg….now at 82 kg and not getting lower…if i do i dont feel well. I do a heavy nuilding stuff reckon my bones are beefed up from 30+ years of graft. Still get good seggy times but long climbs kill me

[@mydearriley]

Yes, please let us know when you reach your goal! I hope you enjoy the journey.

[@wraith8323]

113 kg checking in, godspeed 🙏💪🙌👏👍

[@Jim-no6dq]

how is it going?

[@imbalolpro]

@@Jim-no6dq thnaks for asking! Two back injuries and a new family member has been keeping me off the bike. But down to 100kg (I know only 2kg) so still a work in progress. Managed to do my first gym session on Thursday after months away so. I'm excited for the future.

[@ZorbaTheDutch]

"No road is perfectly flat" -- Ollie has never been to the Netherlands! 😄

[@kokonanana1]

Or Houston!

[@camacdonnell1]

This is something I've seen first hand.. I'm a big strong guy, 6'2" 110kg, a bit fat but mostly strong and with good cardio.. my FTP now is about 335 which as about as good as its ever been, but a couple years ago I was hovering around 103-104kg with the same ftp, and the difference in those 6-7 KG is the difference between keeping up with quite fast smaller guys on climbs, and being dropped quite easily by those same guys. It also compounds more and more as the grade gets steeper and my advantage of riding into the wind at high watts goes away and I end up basically only riding against my weight. When I started road biking I never though these little discrepancies could make such a difference, but man its wild what an improvement a couple kg can make.

[@lkb3rd]

I started cycling a few years back at 260 pounds(118 kilos) and went down to 180(81kilos). There is no doubt that it makes a huge difference. 20kg for me is the difference between being a Zwift D category to being a solid B with zero other changes.

[@danielburges8176]

I suspect there is an element of increased rolling resistance with the extra mass - more weight pushing down on the tyres causing more friction and deformation in the sidewalls and therefore more mechanical drag/ heat generation?

[@RichardMigneron]

Maybe they should've adjusted the tire pressure to take that into account.

[@danielburges8176]

@@RichardMigneron but then they'd be changing multiple variables.

[@kaloyanerusalimov]

@@danielburges8176 So, regardless of rider weight, tire pressure should be considered a constant? A pressure correction would have made the test more accurate. Moreover, a 20kg difference would not only mean having extra weight on, a trained athlete would also have more muscle mass, not simply a 20kg beer belly.

[@Aubreykun]

@@kaloyanerusalimov the (popsci-esque) test is more about extrapolating the effects of body fat, gear or a heavier bike in just weight terms. Not strength training.

[@RichardMigneron]

@@danielburges8176 Of course, but if you weighted more, wouldn't you adapt your tire pressure ? I think, that's what most people would do by default. I would never ride with same pressure if I had a big weight diff., therefore it would be closer to reality.

[@Outsideville]

Keep in mind that a bigger gut also prevents us from getting into the same aero tucks.

[@jonfairway8235]

spot on.. ask them to add 40KG on a stomach belt :)

[@FlatSpinMan]

Yeah, but you get that extra force on the downward pedal stroke from your leg rebounding off your belly.

[@jonfairway8235]

@@FlatSpinMan ha ha ha ha

[@xtrailz]

is a round tummy more aero than a flat tummy?

[@FlatSpinMan]

@@xtrailz Absolutely. Also, we in the pro peloton don’t call it a “round tummy”! The proper terminology is an “aerodynamic ventral fairing”.

[@woolfel]

I'm 5'3. Before I started riding, I was around 185-190 lbs. After 3 years of cycling, I managed to get down to 145 lbs. that amount of weight loss is real and many people loose even more.

[@gavinschoonbee6788]

135 to 107 in 4 months. Aim is 95. On a mtb that is insane. Feeling like a machine compared already. Fantastic video.

[@Seppster58]

Love these Ollie videos. His bike science is truly entertaining. Also kudos to Rory for not only doing this for us, but also enduring that Eurobike challenge on the other video. Hopefully he didn't get scared off with these abused rides 😆

[@johntetlow156]

Hello, I am 58, I was 18.5 stone 6 weeks ago, I joined a cycling club and now dropped a stone doing Sunday ride and a few extra each week. I last rode the same bike 15 years ago, I did not know anything about power/weight ratio last time I was on bike, but I know when out with guys I can do the little sprint up a short dip/hill and normally end up at front(how many KW's I have know clue) on flat, I know I have to put more in and all is good, but getting my fat arse up a long climb I get blown out sometimes. I will get fitter and lighter and watching videos like yours really help, even if aimed at guys 10/11 stone.

[@monty2078]

Most men who are carrying extra weight carry it around their middle and that impacts their breathing on the bike (shallower as stomach pushes against diaphram) and this has an impact especially on up hills..

[@AHavoc907]

That would explain why I do better on up hills with a more upright riding position...lol

[@KimR]

I lost approximately 8.5kg and it truly made a difference! Eventually got more and more tired going uphill but I kept my balance. Only thing I need now is another bike.

[@GroundedForLifeBBOYS]

wowwww i love that frame and water bottle color combo! one of the best designs out there currently.

[@fender1000100]

I went from 210lbs to 165lbs in 8 months cycling on my Trek FX2. My average speed went from 9.5mph to 12mph on a 6.3 mile commute to work. Where its 85% uphill grade. Coming home where it was 85% downhill grade. I went from 13.8mph to 16.5mph average speed. So weight definitely matters.

[@VoodooEx]

I have to ride my eRoad Bike, while waiting for my new analogue bike to arrive. It weighs 15.2kg and motor assist cut-off at 25km/h. On a super flat road, the added weight of the ebike cannot be felt significantly at around 30km/h, but it could be felt gradually as you increase the speed. Much more power is needed to maintain at a higher speed. On the flip side, the added weight create mass that help to maintain momentum once you get moving. I guess there is a sweet spot in speed, considering the advantages and disadvantages of the added weight.

[@ltrtg13]

I was beginning to wonder is Ollie was going to able to carry the 20kg vest to Rory.

[@a.campos891]

Overweight is very bad for cycling if you want to ride faster uphill and on a flat terrain: - Overweight makes you less aero, as your front surface increases (bodyfat distributed all over your body) and so drag. - Rolling resistance increases too, as dynamic friction is proportional to the normal force exerted. It affects the tyres and also the wheels bearings. - Bigger legs with fat makes pedaling more difficult and consume more energy, due to the fact that your legs are spinning. Rotational mass that is not functional is just a waste of energy. - Fat tissue demands nutrients, and your body works harder not just because of the exercise, but also because fat tissue is a living tissue that needs to be supplied with blood. - Of course, gravity punishes you when you want to go uphill. The more weight you charge, the more effort you need to put. - More body weight means more stress on your contact points with the bike, specially hands and butt. Reaction forces are bigger, and that means it hurts you more on long rides and if the road is rough. - With less fat in your legs, your muscles move better, freely. You can pedal in a more efficient way. So, loosing excess body fat in cycling is just great, and cycling can help you to loose weight and enjoy even more riding your bike :) Having an overweight of 20 kilos is much more a disadvantage for someone, than it is for a fit and thin cyclist that just wears a heavy vest. Sorry for my bad English.

[@RichardMaguire110]

Thank you, this video and others like it are clearing up many questions and misconceptions I have had for decades.

[@Choedron]

Normal weight riders, should remember this, when they ride with overweight mates. They have to put in a much bigger effort to keep up. This video puts it into perspective.

[@davenorman6149]

i can completely get this, in June 21 i weighed in at 134kg was riding a Cannondale 2013 synapse, in 2020 i cycled 2500 miles and didnt lose a pound, my diet/lifestyle wasn't great. june last year had a chat with myself, made some life style changes. Now currently weighing in at 110kg. 24kg lost and about 3 to go i think. my cycling has improved no end times, distance everything. so i treated myself to a Lapierre xelius SL 5.0 i live in north Yorkshire and can climb grinton moor without lungs bursting. Thats progress!

[@ymbiz]

When aero socks and a helmet can mean a few watts, who knows how much the vest adds. Plus, with that much weight on the upper body, it’s likely hard to actually keep an identical riding position. I’d love to see a redo of the flat test, but instead varying the weight on the bike itself. Keep empty containers on the bike so the bike aero is not changed on the lighter test. Also, add tire pressure per recommendations based on weight. Pro rider not required

[@4nz-nl]

Like I think I already responded this elsewhere: For accurate measurement, they should test this with the Milan velomobile, because it disqualifies the aero component in two ways: - It's more aerodynamic, so you'll see more of the difference the actual weight makes. - The weight won't have literally zero influence on aero, unless you block the air outtakes in the back of the bike. The only thing "wrong" in the measurement is that it's really hard to divide the weight over the front wheels and the rear wheel evenly, and keep it in that exact position.

[@hzunasdfgbciw]

@@4nz-nl But there is a correlation between weight and aero. A rider with wider shoulders is less aero. So the simulation is ok when the same light rider wears an un-aero vest.

[@4nz-nl]

@@hzunasdfgbciw Unless you don't fit inside, with the Milan the shoulders don't really matter. That's why I'm not remarkable on a road bike but really quick in the Milan: I'm tall and strong, but not so aero :)

[@Your_Paramour]

Would have been nice to see the steady state tests carried out at multiple speeds to better understand the weight difference vs aerodynamic penalty of the vest itself. Going from ~65kg to ~85kg you should expect a ~30% difference in tyre friction. Racing tryes at 40 km/h should have around 20W tyre power loss each, so a total of a ~12w penalty for the extra 20kg of weight, where as we see a 52W difference in the video.

[@LLl-kt7dp]

Correct! But it's just GCN.

[@cnay2983]

CDA is the bigger factor

[@lucky5609]

@@cnay2983 cda has nothing to do with watts

[@illuminat3858]

Perhaps in a short ride with relatively flat terrain, the difference in watts to maintain a certain speed may be minimal. But for a ride with more than 100 km distance, with 1000m elevation or rough terrain, the effort needed to maintain a certain speed by the heavier rider would be compounded. I admit I just lost a measly 12 kg in a span of a year but IMO personal experience weight reduction and a gain in fitness is quite significant particularly in long rides/steep climbs. While I do agree that being able to produce "more watts" or being "fitter" is more important than just plainly being "lighter", it is better to say that with a lower total weight of cyclist+bike with an equivalent level of fitness/power is far more optimal.

[@vittocrazi]

You are going to feel so quick! And yes. For them IS all about optimizing the power/weight ratio.

[@timroden6617]

I am about 40kg above my college days when I was riding a lot. This makes total sense.

[@imprezaaudi]

Being a 93kg rider any incline has a big impact on speed and requires a huge jump in power to match my much lighter riders. The upside is on hills that are less than a minute I can power up and then put smaller riders into difficulty on the flats with my higher average power

[@FitnessSheriff]

...but they can stop and have a small chat while waiting for us at the top of any serious climb waiting for our hearts to explode. 😆

[@alicat749]

i moved house a year ago and although I don't commute by bike any more I have lost 1st with help from zwift over the winter. my efforts are all about fun not necessity now this has impacted my endurance but on shorter rides and on the many hills where I now live its a huge difference.

[@trinerd]

Yet, many aerodynamic "experts" insists weight does not matter at all, but it does, a bit and is not insignificant. The model they quote are steady state, but real world is not steady state.

[@lllaxemenlll]

I'm down to 95kg from a peak of lot, lot more. The goal is to get back into the mid 70s. 20 years away from the bike did me no favours. This just confirms my experience. Even a few kilos makes a difference to how you feel on the bike. Still a lot of work to do but just have to keep plugging away.

[@stevesuetoms2811]

8:08 - would be interesting to compare w/kg? Would also be interesting to compare the time taken to descend (without pedaling)

[@marshallw]

Great video. Would have loved to see the effects of 20 kg on a climb too!

[@christoferstromberg6605]

Would love to see a 100kg+ climb. But putting too much extra weight on a smaller rider will mess up their core muscles so it won't be even close to true (probably +20kg is already doing this).

[@martinkent333]

Kids, adults always love to ignore cycling rules. Traffic laws are not for cyclists!

[@Mububban23]

@@martinkent333 relevance, your honour? 😂

[@lkb3rd]

It is a much bigger penalty on climbs. Doing tests for weight on flats is the easiest test you could do with extra weight.

[@martinkent333]

@@lkb3rd Kids, adult cyclists and car drivers rarely obey traffic laws. Nobs on two wheels and Nobs on 4 wheels!

[@iamlink5]

This is a good one, I walk around about 92kg - but that's mostly muscle since I'm a powerlifter. Nice to know I'm not just crap at climbs.

[@IlyaBasin]

On a flat his vest was bobbing left and right a lot. That takes energy. That’s where the watts went if you ask me - not the aero resistance. He should have buttoned the vest tightly. I believe the wattages would have been very similar then.

[@zephodek4457]

Rory’s bike is a super nice bike. I felt the pain for the chipped paint on the seat tube 01:11

[@gerhardw.933]

In my 'prime' I lost 40 kgs, mainly burning calories on my bike and be careful about my eating habits. But the better weight/performance ratio is only beneficial when you continue to ride/ train like before or even push yourself harder. I'm 60 years old, 'are able' to compete which much younger riders, even I 'pefer' and are most happy by myself. I find reasons to push myself on the road, set a target of 7.000km/year and, as a result, never felt fitter my whole life.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Mass is important when trying to lift it against gravity or increasing flat road velocity. Ask Isaac. I train on a bike 5kg heavier than my SWorks. BTW, there ARE flat roads. M.I.R.A. and Millbrook. On a flat road, the heavier vehicle has greater momentum. It takes more effort to stop it. What I notice is the leaves on the grass stems are blowing around. Blustery wind conditions negates the whole test.

[@daanlinders7997]

5:42 I live in the netherlands and I can guarantee most roads here are perfectly flat😂. I can ride 60km with only 30 meters of elevation and half of that elevations is of bridges that go over the roads/water.

[@romanpramuka2703]

Wow, that's unimaginable for me. I live at north of Slovakia, and it's impossible to do 60km ride under 800 meters of elevation, my weekly rides are typically 60-80km with 1000-1200 meters of elevation.

[@bikemike1118]

That’s why this country is called Netherlands … 😂

[@iancuk]

@@bikemike1118 should be called "Flatlands" 😅

[@lalremruataralte9793]

here in mizoram which is a part of india, if we rode 10 km we get at least 400m of elavation gain.😂😂

[@chriskros8858]

@@iancuk maybe theta are fla roadster but wh4n I was in Middelburg and was riding on heavy Batavus with 3 gears and wind onto my face I was not able to go faster than 7-10 kph....

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Before the UCI weight limit, mountain stage bikes were made lighter, but they were less strong and could break. Flat stage bikes were made more robust and therefore, heavier.

[@antonlvdm]

I weigh about 25kg more now than when I used to race as a pro. Also stopped riding for about nearly 20 years. Got myself a bike again and was able to go on 3-4 hour rides without a problem and at the same speed we would do easy rides back then. I must say I'm a lot more muscular than back in the day, but also ALOT fatter. So it is not all dead weight. However, on climbs it was a whole different ball game! Rolling hills were still manageable, but steep climbs were an absolute no go!

[@smoore5540]

Would there be an assumption that the added weight was "dead weight" as apposed to the rider being 20kg heavier because of muscles, the rider may not just be 20kg more mass?? Would that be functional mass? Or I'm I way off.

[@smoore5540]

@@willhoffert3744 however the pro rider wasn't stronger, he was the same in both runs with just the extra weight?

[@williamko4751]

Depends, if the muscles are in the legs, yes. Muscles in chest, shoulders or tricep wouldn't do you any good.

[@smoore5540]

@@williamko4751 👍💪

[@MattSwain1]

@@willhoffert3744 Agreed. Maybe if you were talking about a body builder who lost 20kg then muscle loss might be a thing but here we’re mostly talking about normal people who have taken up cycling after being inactive so the weight loss is mostly going to be fat, so non-functional weight. It might even be that someone who loses 20kg through being active actually gains some muscle rather than loses it. It could be they’ve lost 22kg of dead weight and put a couple of kilos of muscle on.

[@djseitz425]

@@MattSwain1 still not quite. I was a body builder. Started riding exclusively. Lost a ton of weight (215lbs to 170) and increased power on the bike significantly.

[@jimmyzhao2673]

These segments testing different riding variables are so fascinating.

[@lizziegutteridge8267]

Every now and then I take my shopping bike to the refill store and stock up on pulses, rice, dried fruit, nuts, washing up liquid etc. Having watched this this morning I thought after today's trip I'd get the scales out. Total weight on the way home of me plus fully loaded bike and backpack: 116kg. 20kg of that is shopping plus the extra bags I only take for that trip, 20kg is the bike, pannier rack, my usual bags, phone wallet and outer clothing, 76kg is me. Luckily it's largely downhill on the way home and I often come home quicker than I do the trip out.

[@glywnniswells9480]

I loose 5 or 6 kg and its thr diff between my training matrs waiting for me for abput a min at top of a 2km climb or not waiting at all. Its a huge diff but 20kg wow

[@xGshikamaru]

It probably would show even more when cycling uphills cause gravity becomes more important than wind resistance and rolling resistance. When I'm at the peak of my form, I can't help but think I'd go faster with a few kilograms less in weight cause I don't see how I could improve my power output, but it's already hard to get those watts, it's even harder to get them while being leaner so in the end I think I'd rather keep the extra strength

[@lemonshire1]

funny that my friends say it's bad to be my weight, but cycling clearly goes against this. i weigh 61-62kg (only 15 y/o though), so hopefully i will keep it like this in the future

[@glennoc8585]

The other side is that if you are heavier you do build muscle mass to carry the weight. Sumo wrestlers have very strong legs built around the training and the total mass of the wrestler. It's great to train with a weighted vest like some runners do because you can then remove it on race day.

[@chris1275cc]

I lost around 60kg in about 2 years and now weigh around 58kg (total short arse so thats not extreme BTW) and climbing is night and day, it almost feels like I'm being pulled up the hills on rails in comparison, on the flat there is obviously a difference but not as extreme. Being around 10kg (or one cheap road bike) lighter than the average tour rider, and not having a competitive bone in my body I don't really worry too much about equipment weight. If (and at 37 years old its a MASSIVE "if") I decided to get into racing It would probably be more of a benefit to me to sacrifice some weight savings to the aero gods.

[@jgogl9791]

60kg. Wow, that is staggering. Congratulations! That's amazing, two of you! Could I ask, at what time did you notice that your power also dropped, there must come a point perhaps when weight loss isn't made up by the w/kg gain, if you can't then produce the power, is that right? Or do you think your body settles at its own equilibrium and it'll be whatever it'll be!

[@chris1275cc]

@@jgogl9791 I never really noticed a drop in power or performance TBH only a constant improvement. But my bikes, equipment and general heath/fitness all improved/got upgraded over that time as well, so if it did happen I think it got lost in everything else if you know what I mean.

[@chris1275cc]

@@jgogl9791 Just to add as it might be related. When I started riding my cadence was around 60 (very much a grinder) this got slowly higher as I went along but at around 80kg it really stated to shoot up, this coincided with a time where I began to lose weight rapidly, I now average over 100. Again take this with a pinch of salt but maybe that was me subconsciously compensating for a lack of power, due to some muscle loss?

[@jgogl9791]

@@chris1275cc interesting stuff. Thanks for the replies. I try to keep my cadence as high as possible, as I've simply not got the power in the legs, and find it essential. Would like to look into a question that occurred to me the other day - as power is torque (how hard you press the pedal) x rotation, when does lower power but increased cadence producing the same power value start to become inefficient or impossible to maintain.

[@xuchenglin6256]

@@jgogl9791 For guys with over 20 kg to lose, they don’t tend to lose muscle that likely because there’s just so much fat to lose. Folks worry too much about “lose muscle”, but that’s really a already very lean pro’s thing when they try to push BF to the extreme. Just like that steak you eat the other night, what looks like a strong and lean muscle on your body actually contains a lot more fat than you expect. When you lose fat your muscle “shrinks” but chances are they are just fat. As your second question, I believe (also from my own experience) that strength is more of a muscular system thing, while cadence is more of a cardio system thing. One factor could limit the other. When my cardio was very weak, for just 190w on a 2hr all-out climb, my average HR is a flatlined 195bpm for 2hrs, but those muscles are just OK. Later when my cardio become stronger, I noticed it’s always my muscle first gives up, but HR never reaches that high for that long. In the meantime I’m pretty sure my max HR doesn’t drop, I could still reach 200+ in short period of time, but other system always gives up first. Then I found when I intentionally adopt a high cadence stroke, my HR could go higher without the muscle giving up, and could squeeze some extra watts. That’s when I began to think about the same question about torque and cadence. For the same power within my FTP I can always choose either a higher HR with little muscle “exertion” or a lower HR with more muscle “exertion”. I believe you have to work both system.

[@douglaspate9314]

What a totally cool guy Rory is!

[@future62]

Lots of deceptive rolling hills here. Like back to back 20-50ft climbs and descents. So weight def matters. I've gained about 10kg over the last year and I have to ride a lot harder to keep the same pace. Trying to get back down again

[@AndysAverageAdventures]

I was 155kg. Riding 5km I was in agony. Currently 105kg and doing a daily 30km ride. Goal is to drop another 20kg and do 100km ride.

[@wenschobert]

I've just been wondering if you also corrected the tire pressure (since heavier riders should ride higher pressures according to several manufacturers... how much impact could you mitigate by adjusting tire pressure according to weight? #askgcntech Anyways: thanks for the test... always wondered how much my weight impacts my performance...

[@Currentseas24]

@@Jay-yr9bj Not anymore actually - the sentiment (and the science) nowadays say that lower pressures are actually faster. Especially with the advent of tubeless tyres on road bikes, most pros are now riding lower pressures.

[@Currentseas24]

@@Jay-yr9bj 3 teams in the TDF used tubeless. Apart from that, agreed

[@smitajky]

There are other ways to alter carrying capacity. I use one size larger tyres than my wife on the rear. To compensate for being a little heavier. This does mitigate the mass so in rolling downhill on a mild grade we both end up rolling at almost identical speeds. Similarly although I have slightly more mass I correspondingly have slightly more power so on a sustained climb we go at about the same speed. Before I decided to go up one size my tyre wore substantially faster than hers and now the two tyres get replaced at the same time.

[@Hjertekaare]

The test is not precise because the vest is aerodynamics is not calculated. I would not be surprised if it the aerodynamics of the vest that makes up for the majority of the difference in energy, that you have to put out.

[@jonpoon3896]

I can’t do a standing start on the same heavy gear if I’m weighed down (bikepacking). A good way to hurt an ankle or knee

[@davidobrien1152]

The thing about body weight is that the weight loss to advantage gained is not linear. There is steps in loss which create more significant changes. These are dependent on many aspects of technique and physique and the sport undertaken. You may have lost 10kgs and feel satisfied with a 10% improvement but be just 2 more kgs away from a 20% improvement outcome.

[@benedictearlson9044]

One thing often missed in these type of comparisons is how much more the heart and lungs need to work to pump blood and oxygen around a larger body and to keep it cool, so there's a bigger disadvantage than this sort of penalty to actually being a 20kg heavier rider. Also the aero drag of this weight vest would likely be about the same as the drag from a larger upper body and thicker legs.

[@mateagoston8145]

As I vitnesses Rory was struggling to hold the aero position with the 20 kg weight. So there were aero losses from his body position too.

[@isaacyoung1868]

Cool video.. my only critique: Could have chosen to use similar vests in both flat tt tests.. but fill one vest with foam blocks and the other with iron blocks.. thus the aero differences are ruled out...

[@noviomagus5852]

Currently weighing 117kg sure makes me glad I live in the Netherlands. On my commuter I can overtake almost everybody who's not on an e-bike or road bike, but once I have to climb onto a bridge they breeze past me.

[@beckyball1646]

Hills definitely felt easier when I lost a few pounds... Also, I could see Rory heading for GCN when he retires!

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

With these massive winds in Southern Ontario Canada 40 km hr is already stretching the limits. With 35 km hr head winds and 25 km cross winds light bikes are very dangerous here. I don't have a problem with my tank 15kg road bike, but the carbon is too light for heavy windy days.

[@TheSportsman1977]

This is great. But do NOT ever let weight become the priority when riding a bike. Unless your a pro, but healthy, then just enjoy riding your bike and being with your mates. Great video though

[@chrisharvey8356]

Can you do a video with Feather and see how much weight effects him on certain climbs .

[@shaman2384]

In hilly cycling 20kg's can be even more brutal. On a really hard climb that added 20kg might make you burn your nerves so much that whole rest of the days riding suffers. So there are a lot more things to consider than just the added ~50Watts or so.

[@repmortskcab8483]

Nice/Fun video as always! Adding my take. IMO adding a weight vest does not really reflecting reality in a good way. A new heavy rider who takes up cycling will increase cycling performance due to training and become a stronger cyclist even without losing weight. If he/she also loses weight, it will feel like a huge change. A light rider with a weight vest on, is not really the same thing as a heavier rider since among those KG's, the body is more adapted to the heavier weight and also have some muscles in that added weight. Im a light rider, working out a lot in the gym, adding weight (lean mass) and as I get heavier (more muscles) I also improve my cycling performance dramatically. It's very much a matter of muscle mass % vs total body weight regardless of weight. If I could add 20 kg in muscles, I'd do it! Those extra muscles trained for cycling would make me a beast, for races that are below 80-100 km long. For longer distances weight plays a bigger role of course :-)

[@repmortskcab8483]

I also think you should do the vested test before the non-vest test. Also add downhill test. I need to push very hard just to hang with heavier guys on downhill when they rest

[@TheFasonJranklin]

Greetings from Jacksonville Florida USA! So I've been out of the cycling scene for a while now, when did gum-walled tires become cool again? I remember when they went out of style...

[@gneisenau89]

I ride my bike a fair amount (about 4,000 mi/year) and I'm still squarish. I weigh a full 20 kg more (95kg vs 75kg) now in my 60s as I did in my mid 20s. Perhaps a bit of that is extra muscle, as I lift weights, too, but most is just plain blubber. But I'm still at it, and up the big mountains, too. But it absolutely does affect one's speed on the hills.

[@deabreu.tattoo]

interesting, makes one wonder if added weight training works for race preparation

[@endurancesweat]

More raw Watts but lower W/kg with the 20kg weighted vest. Assume Rory weighs 65kg. So without the weighted vest, he rode 40km/h at 317W or 317/65 = 4.88W/kg. With the weighted vest, his total weight would have been 85kg. Averaging 369W, this works out to 369/85 - 4.34W/kg.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

What I‘ve learned from today‘s videos: Even though I have lost 12kg over the last year, I‘m still sh*t, however not as sh*t as the Eurobike.

[@tacykeln]

Great video and interesting concept. It would be nice to see the actual time and figures from Rorys first test, the acceleration. You say he was 6 seconds slower on the 2nd run but what was the total time and distance required to get to 50 kph on each of the two runs?

[@PS-ho6kq]

Let me add one more important comment to this test. If you just add a wight in form of e.g. such a vest it ist becoming significantly more difficult to ride and it is quite obvios. Now the real difference is when yor additional weight is your flesh (OK fat mostly) which nedds to be provided with blood and oxygen creating even more stress on your whole heart/lungs system. I am starting my 10th attemt this year to lose some weigt in order to be healthier and significantly better perform on my bike :) Great test - thanks!

[@Semaforre]

I've lost 15kg in 6 months after buying my first bike being 33yo, taking care of my diet somewhere in the middle. I've never thought losing weight can be that much fun without being hungry 24/7.

[@TXBubba76063]

Great vid! BTW, if someone weighs 20kg more… their body will be less aerodynamic too… the vest isn’t exactly the same, but there would definitely be a loss of aero for a heavier person!

[@yumnbibou9898]

At the same tire pressure, the additional power needed to overcome rolling resistance increases with weight.

[@majimbambira]

Vest is also way less aero tho...

[@TheJaxsonjack]

Excess tissue, whether muscle or fat, still demands to be perfused (think O2) and "fed". So, it's not just the demand from gravity.

[@EspenFrafalne]

What? How is that small vest 20kg? Packed with lead instead of iron? Or could it be 20 pounds maybe? My 20kg vest uses bags filled with "iron sand", and it covers the entire back and front portion of my upper body.

[@godswitness3105]

The biggest difference when you lose exceses fat is your bodies Vo2 oxygen charring capacity increases dramatically! More Oxygen equalls FASTER! Quicker recovery. Weight loss on its own is insignificant compared to the physiological response and higher anaerobic capacity and Vo2 max! Then comes power to weight ratios!!! Remember keep your glycogen levels high for maximum benefit during racaes and high level training such as Intervals, FTP efforts etc Glycogen is sugar, when sugar levels are low (Glycogen) you body can not fuel your muscle cells that require high blood oxygenation (Vo2) and sugars (glycogen)....like a car we need good fuel and a big exhaust and intake (Oxygen carrying capacity)

[@TSonemusic]

317 watts for 41km/h riding alone seems really efficient.

[@TimpBizkit]

Yeah my motorised bike needs 400-500 watts to hold that speed, although it is a flat bar Scott Voltage MX3 on 35mm tyres and I am wearing a coat and jeans and sticking up at a 45 degree angle that makes all the difference. Also that is power INPUT so before efficiency losses in the motor.

[@tomrowe372]

Definitely does I was 120ish now 87 -93 and never felt better, now obsessed with cycling. LoL

[@julmeissonnier]

The thing is that normal people compared to people in top racing shape carry an very significant amount of dead weight. In my best shape 35 years ago I weighed 61kg for 1.76m and about 3 to 4% body fat. Now I am 59, and weigh 69-70kg and have less muscle mass. So while at 69kg for 1.76m I am far from fat by modern health standard... I went from carrying 3kg of fat to carrying over 15kg of fat all with less muscle mass. The resulting average speed is abouth half...

[@victordominguez8362]

Well, without going into formulas, this experiment , for me should be different. You should calculate which is the momentum that you get with the original cyclist weight. With that, you need to adjust the speed that the cyclist should get in the second run, to get the same output power in both cases. The difference in body mass will tell you how much -on average- a kilo represents on your speed. I' would do the same but with a climb, for example to Alpe D'Huez or Angliru. Future episode idea? As well, there was a difference of about 50 Watts between the 1st and 2nd ride -I do not exactly recall the exact numbers. So my point is why do you focus so much in material without considering a bit more the rider physiology? As more body weight means more fatigue. I think that focusing everything on material is biasing a bit the conclusions. Anyway, keep doing stuff like this, because, at least for me, you make me think. Thank you very much for your videos.

[@vittocrazi]

Yeah. Bigger bodies would do even worse on this test

[@eleycki]

Would have loved to see this comparison up a 10 min hill out of Bath say?

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

I gave a 20kg bag of supplies to a Shimano rider to carry up a 17 degree incline with a 200 metre elevation and it slowed them by 40 percent .

[@benoittheminerandgamer]

I really like every video talking about power!

[@wayneyoung146]

I believe that weight is important Wife and I have shaved 3 kilos off the road bikes and they have made a huge difference in climbing and more flat speed up and quicker accelerating

[@Agent117Smith]

Yeah my eldest is now in school and we’ve started cycling to school this year. The youngest however is too young to ride so he is in the bike trailer… 40kg extra hurts.

[@benwearne542]

How can you make this video and not put a link to the vest? I can't find a 20kg vest in that style and it's super frustrating

[@chaim0001]

I carry 20kg in a special designed biopack and I feel the difference. Even 3kg makes the difference when riding, try to carry on your backpack and you will feel it for sure.

[@obiwankenobi661]

i dont know the specific quality of the road surface where you did the test, but typically, even "good" quality road asphalt has enough imperfections to make hysteretic losses a legitimate factor. now image "regular" quality asphalt.. every micro-bounce you lose speed and have to re-accelerate - thats where weight counts.

[@christheother9088]

The assumption is that added weight is "dead weight". Some weight contributes to power. I rode for decades on the road at 220 pounds and was maybe passed a couple times by the spandex gods. Serious climbs into the mountains of course were different, it was survival mode.

[@adeplu]

Would wearing a 20kg vest help in training? Is it used by the pros in Training as the cross fitters do?

[@MaxZappa1]

Should you not have increased the tyre pressures when the 20kg were added, to allow for the increase in tyre rolling resistance, caused by the additional rider weight. The average weight of a Tour de France rider is around 69kg and therefore your man on the sofa guy would weigh 89kg. That additional weight difference translates to a total increase in rolling resistance which could only have been negated by pumping the tyres up by an additional 5 PSI, across the two tyres. Add to that the increased aerodynamic penalty of wearing the vest and I expect the power difference would have been significantly smaller. How much smaller, who knows, but perhaps you need to repeat the test, making appropriate adjustments to tyre pressures, which would produce greater accuracy.

[@gcntech]

We kept the tyre pressure the same as a control variable. Changing a bike set up in a deliberate attempt to negate the difference we were trying to test would defeat the purpose of the experiment

[@liammerrick6399]

I'm 90kg and 6'4 and don't have any more weight to lose. I have to put out 50-60+ more watts than typical sized riders just to hang onto the pack and match thier w/kg. My legs are fairly skinny so that extra power is tough to sustain. It would be interesting to see you guys test out how height plays a role in aero dynamics in a similar fashion to weight. PArticularly at faster speeds

[@walshman70]

With my summer weight around 104 kg (I'm tall) I guess I'm basically doomed. Ah well, I still enjoy the bikes!

[@walker986]

We are in exactly the same situation. Same weight, my height is 6'6", no way I can keep up with smaller guys in my area

[@walshman70]

@@walker986 I ride on the road mostly for general fitness level and social aspects -- but compete in Master's B cyclocross and Criterium races. In a crit I can hold my own because they're flat and power helps and in a cross I'm usually middle of the field which is fun!

[@tonsterdang]

What abt race with Rory with the vest vs ollie.