Originally Posted by
dfull
@
Jarrett2
If that's the case, this may be a catch 22 for me. Obviously, I want/need to lose more weight but at the same time, I want to become a stronger rider. Speed, I feel, I can work on later once my weight goal is reached. Seems to me there would be a happy medium that will allow one to build strength/distance and continue to shed pounds.
A true Catch 22 would mean there was no way to reconcile the contradictory consequences of the choices. In this case, there are. You can become a stronger rider, which will enable you to ride longer/harder, which will result in more calories burned. You can also train your body to become more efficient at burning your body fat. Doing both at the same time is a balancing act, but I certainly think it's possible.
Building a good cardiovascular base, and developing some cycling legs, will be integral in both, so that's probably a good place to start.