Are we so unfit now?

[Midlife]

Yep, but pushing big gears does make you look like one of the hard men....................

 

[daj]

I am sure I won't word this right so it makes no sense but I think it's more to do with how your body adapts to your style/gears /weight. Last year for example I was putting in some reasonable weekly miles on my modern bike then now and again I would ride my retro bike that weighted 8lbs more and had man gears. I could go from breezing a long sportive to blowing out my arse in a 30 mile ride on the retro (same terrain) My legs just cannot get on top of big bigs when climbing no matter how fit I am. And I ride with some people that are super fast on an old steel bike turning over a very low RPM ..and they said they are hopeless on compact gears.

 

[Wold Ranger]

Re:

Interesting input and comments by all, I still feel generally though, both Amateurs and Pro's are much less fit than BITD, so to speak, when stages were longer and there was less input from the support teams.
Granted there is a tendency towards remaining seated and twiddling, than dancing on the pedals, pushing a bigger gear.
In reality many TT times are not falling (the roads are getting smoother and courses easier), many old course records have stood for a long time now too.

 

[Midlife]

Twiddling needs a very aerobic physiology.......... EPO territory. Or is that the cynic in me.

Shaun

 

[Deleted member 24574]

Re: Re:

Interesting input and comments by all, I still feel generally though, both Amateurs and Pro's are much less fit than BITD, so to speak, when stages were longer and there was less input from the support teams.
Granted there is a tendency towards remaining seated and twiddling, than dancing on the pedals, pushing a bigger gear.
In reality many TT times are not falling (the roads are getting smoother and courses easier), many old course records have stood for a long time now too.

Sorry but that is complete bollocks ... records at all levels continue to be broken.

As a result of advances in sports science and equipment riders are faster and they have faster bikes.

Even at amateur levels records are getting broken all the time; in TT's 18 minute 10s and sub 50 25s are common place now

See the dates on these lists

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... opic=37186

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... opic=37185

The only case that could perhaps be argued would be that Beryl Burton was a greater rider than any since ...

 

[Hillwalker]

Moving away from the focus on gearing for a moment, I recall reading online (I've looked for the page but can't find it at the moment) where long distance routine commuting was common by cycle in the 1940s. One story I recall was an RAF chap cycling from Norfolk at the end of his leave back to his station in Wales or the West Country. 140 miles or so in a day (presumably on a 'standard' bike) - no fuss, just normal cycling. Petrol rationing and the war aside, that's still some feat!

HW

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

The average age of the rider has also risen, as has life expectancy.

My own view take the middle ground, a little from column a, a little from column b. I do, however, view the recent obsession with component/bike weight with great derision. Overweight riders getting excited over saving 2 grams off a stem, while their waist size is close to their chest size.If it's performance gains they are chasing they'd do better looking at the contents of the larder.

One other thkng also gets me. In T'olden Days car ownership wasn't so widespread and the working Joe cycled to work. As.an all year commuter I can see first Han how road.riding has become seasonal. All winter I'll see only a.couple tornadoes, the first hint of spring and they're all out. Such a seasonal approach to exercise will also do nothing to improve their fitness or ability to push a tall gear. Some will have use..cycle trainer over the winter, which is.better than nothing, but even that doesn't exactly.reproduce the same beneficial effects.of road miles under the belt.
May be we are going soft?

 

[Barneyballbags]

Doesn't lower gears = higher cadence for a given speed = more aerobic demand = a need to be fitter..?

 

[jon w]

Moving away from the focus on gearing for a moment, I recall reading online (I've looked for the page but can't find it at the moment) where long distance routine commuting was common by cycle in the 1940s. One story I recall was an RAF chap cycling from Norfolk at the end of his leave back to his station in Wales or the West Country. 140 miles or so in a day (presumably on a 'standard' bike) - no fuss, just normal cycling. Petrol rationing and the war aside, that's still some feat!

HW

I've heard a similar story about a RAF Sergent cycling from Kent to Bisley in Oxfordshire with a gun on his back!!! :shock: He was taking part in a shooting competition.

I'd say that the style of cycling has changed. The old days of grinding up hills at very low cadence are over. This was as much dictated by the rules and technology of the day, both of which have moved on. The emphasis seems to be now on maintaining cadence and using gears. This means that the modern cyclist can climb far faster than was possible 40+ years ago.

 

[David B]

One other thkng also gets me. In T'olden Days car ownership wasn't so widespread and the working Joe cycled to work. As.an all year commuter I can see first Han how road.riding has become seasonal. All winter I'll see only a.couple tornadoes, the first hint of spring and they're all out. Such a seasonal approach to exercise will also do nothing to improve their fitness or ability to push a tall gear. Some will have use..cycle trainer over the winter, which is.better than nothing, but even that doesn't exactly.reproduce the same beneficial effects.of road miles under the belt.
May be we are going soft?

I think this might be a big part of it - the type and frequency of many people's riding has changed drastically thanks to car ownership (back in the 50s the likes of Ray Booty thought nothing of a 100+ mile round trip on the bike to compete in an event). I've never driven so, within reason, riding to and from races has always been part & parcel of things for me, plus since finishing University about a decade or so, much of my commuting has been by bike, and I've also slowly got an appetite for touring in the last few years, reeling off 70+ miles to visit friends or family on a heavy bike with panniers - hardly high-speed stuff but good for stamina! As knobbly tyres aren't so good on the road, then unless really nearby, I will admit to letting the train do the hard work for travelling to cyclo-cross events.

David