Originally Posted by
aplcr0331
Id certainly not call you a Clyde. Once you get above 74” then these “rules” are different for sure. I’d rather be 6’5” and 215 than to be built like a 7th grade girl-no matter how fast those guys built like that can climb.
Back home in the states I have a “Clyde” I know built like you. He’s a fire fighter and Triathlete. Fast as hell.
One of the reasons I pay for a premium part of Strava is to sort segments by weight or age, helps give positive feedback. Instead of being 337th out of 1,092 I can sort by 225-249lbs and be top 15! There’s been a few segments where I’m top 10 (small victory for sure but I’ll take it) and the number one guy in all these categories is the 6’6” firefighter. To be fair there’s some segments where he’s top 10 overall so he’s fast!
Anyway, Clydesdale is a regal sounding name for us shorter fatties to make us feel better about eating the whole sleeve of Oreos (and dipping them in Butterscotch pudding too) so we feel better. Not tall brick crap-houses like you.
Im joking of course because weight, healthy eating and fitness vex every one of us and it’s unfair to point to someone who might be struggling too, and then decide they’re struggle is not worth it or that ours is worse.
But quick messing up my fat ass segment groups you big jerk!
Sleeve of Club Crackers or half a box of Nilla Wafers (it's after the bike commute home, I swear!), I hear ya. Your 6'6" friend would leave me in the dust, from the sound of it. I am but an average tall guy/rider--someone like him are the real locomotives and pull like a UP's 4014 no matter what. I can punch here and there, and do like to go all out in a sprint from time to time (a slight three block down hill slope just before the flat 'sprint zone' is my "lead-out train" lol), but am very happy in steady state riding. That and down hill.
Over in C&V, one of the guys has a motto to "Start slow, and taper." Which I get a kick out of. A number of us rode Hurricane Ridge, a road that begins right (to the south) out of Port Angeles. A remarkably constant 5.5% grade over 17+ miles that begins, of course, with a 9-10% section. I took a bike with what I consider to have 'full Seattle gear range for a road bike (53/39 in front and 11-28T 10s in back) and I sat in "the basement" of 39-28 pretty much the entire time. I am not a good climber over any distance labeled 'a short punch.' The sense of accomplishment for anyone riding up that road was constantly evident--the view! Even if you could see the next mile or so ahead of you, and that road up there was...way higher. A half hour rest at the top, and then the best part--a 20 minute descent! Legs are shot, lungs are shot, and you're looking at all the hours spent climbing simply vanish as you fly down the hill at 45 mph, but it's the closest one feels like to a dog in the back of a pickup truck bed. Fantastic.
I like the premium part of Strave you mentioned. Takes what is essentially 'human proportion' into the equation. At the end of the day, no matter our proportion, it's good to see people out there riding.
