Notices
Professional Cycling For the Fans Follow the Tour de France,the Giro de Italia, the Spring Classics, or other professional cycling races? Here's your home...

Steroids/Cycling

Old 05-02-19, 02:07 PM
  #26  
OBoile
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,794
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1027 Post(s)
Liked 325 Times in 204 Posts
Originally Posted by canklecat

Go back to the Floyd Landis case at the 2006 Tour de France. It's among the few cases where an athlete admitted to specifics about doping and the effects.

Short version:
  • Without adequate juicing, Landis was physically exhausted and lost 10 minutes, and the yellow jersey, in Stage 16.
  • With juice, the next day on another mountain stage Landis won Stage 17 and secured the TdF win with a long solo breakaway, basically turning a mountain stage into a time trial, along with solid performances in subsequent stages. One of the most spectacular come from behind victories in cycling history. Check out the videos on YouTube.

Yeah, that kinda got everyone's attention.

That's how much difference it makes.
While steroids almost certainly helped him, I don't think it's fair to say they were responsible for the difference here. First, Floyd was using PEDs before those rides. Second, people often have bad days and then rebound the following day (or vice versa). Finally, his gap on the last day was largely due to teams letting him go.
Again, I'm sure the use of steroids helped here, but it's impossible from this single anecdotal data point to say how much they actually helped and how much was from other factors.
OBoile is offline  
Old 05-02-19, 02:37 PM
  #27  
Dean V
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,853
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1067 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 259 Times in 153 Posts
Originally Posted by dooner90
well you probably can't believe what you're reading because you're reading my post wrong.... I'm not considering taking steroids. I don't even suggest this in the OP.

I mentioned that I'm new to cycling -- not that I'm new to cycling and want to try steroids. You misread me.
Why do you want to know?
Really it is of no relevance to anyone unless you are in the Pro Peleton.
Dean V is offline  
Old 05-02-19, 02:41 PM
  #28  
dooner90
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 20
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by maartendc
Alright then.

Steroids are probably among the things that professional cyclists used to take. More importantly they used to take blood boosters such as EPO which give a boost in red blood cell count, very beneficial to endurance athletes. In more recent years, they went to blood transfusions even, reinjecting themselves with old blood that was extracted previously. Pretty gross stuff. There have been many books written about all of these practices in the 90s and 2000s.

Most of us who enjoy professional cycling racing choose to believe, or hope, that the sport is now much cleaner. At least any abuses are not as rampant as they used to be, controls are stricter and better. Athletes are tested during training as well, at random times. No sport will probably ever be 100% clean, but we can try.

Thanks. Let me ask, since the fallout over steroid use within the sport (following Armstrong, et al.) have you noticed a significant drop in the performance of the pros? More specifically, did you notice that professional time trial speeds began to diminish after the sport became more regulatory with steroids? This was more along the lines of what I meant in my OP. Thanks
dooner90 is offline  
Old 05-02-19, 03:08 PM
  #29  
Homebrew01
Super Moderator
 
Homebrew01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ffld Cnty Connecticut
Posts: 21,845

Bikes: Old Steelies I made, Old Cannondales

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1173 Post(s)
Liked 924 Times in 610 Posts
Hire Chris Carmichael as coach, then he can inject you with steroids while saying..."No Problem, just some vitamins"
__________________
Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.

FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
Homebrew01 is offline  
Likes For Homebrew01:
Old 05-02-19, 05:42 PM
  #30  
maartendc
Senior Member
 
maartendc's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 901

Bikes: BMC SLC01, Trek Checkpoint ALR5

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 542 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 26 Posts
Originally Posted by dooner90
Thanks. Let me ask, since the fallout over steroid use within the sport (following Armstrong, et al.) have you noticed a significant drop in the performance of the pros? More specifically, did you notice that professional time trial speeds began to diminish after the sport became more regulatory with steroids? This was more along the lines of what I meant in my OP. Thanks
Yes I have heard average speeds / times up certain famous climbs of the Grand Tours (tour de France, Giro D'Italia, etc.) have definitely gotten slower since the 90s.
maartendc is offline  
Old 05-03-19, 07:21 AM
  #31  
OBoile
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,794
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1027 Post(s)
Liked 325 Times in 204 Posts
Originally Posted by maartendc
Yes I have heard average speeds / times up certain famous climbs of the Grand Tours (tour de France, Giro D'Italia, etc.) have definitely gotten slower since the 90s.
Yeah, I've read this in a few places too. The drop was as much as 10%.

But, just to point out to the OP, it was the discovery of a viable EPO test and the biological passport that did this, not really fallout from Lance and steroids generally had little to do with it. In cycling, as in other endurance sports, EPO is the heavy hitter.
OBoile is offline  
Old 05-03-19, 07:49 AM
  #32  
dooner90
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 20
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Dean V
Why do you want to know?
Really it is of no relevance to anyone unless you are in the Pro Peleton.
lol are you in the pro peleton? Is it a secret club?
dooner90 is offline  
Old 05-05-19, 09:00 AM
  #33  
Doge
Senior Member
 
Doge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern California, USA
Posts: 10,474

Bikes: 1979 Raleigh Team 753

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3374 Post(s)
Liked 371 Times in 253 Posts
Originally Posted by dooner90
Hey everyone,

I'm a somewhat younger rider who's just getting into the sport. Before I ever picked up a road bike I knew that premiere cyclists of the past have used steroids. What's the general consensus on this subject? Do cyclists still use these products at the top levels of the game, or was there a big backlash against it after the fallout with Armstrong back in the day? I'd be really interest to see a comparative graph with data showing how much performance differs from cyclists who use steroids vs. cyclists who don't use them; in short, I'd like some raw info on the performance enhancing effects.

I'll commit this thread to steroids in general. Share any perspectives, thoughts, incites, or personal stories. Thanks for your time.
Steroids are a type of drugs used by cyclists. See the doping thread for opinions on the professional use.

For younger riders just getting into it (not the forum title), I don't think it is much of an issue, anywhere. And I do think it varies by location.
But the dopers seem to be:
-at the very young elite end trying to become pro
-pros trying to move up / pay the bills (this forum - see drug thread)
-or at the older end trying not to decline so fast. Most pros have stopped riding by this time.
Doge is offline  
Old 06-18-19, 10:45 AM
  #34  
cmh
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,910
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 140 Post(s)
Liked 327 Times in 161 Posts
Here is the list of athletes sanctioned by USADA in recent years. If you filter for cycling you'll see that masters athletes are the majority of those sanctioned, and steroids are pretty common among those busted. Given the small amount of testing and the number of sanctions, I think it is likely that most active masters bike racers have competed against someone that is doping. I just did a race last weekend that was won by a guy busted for using steroids back in 2009 (I'd assume he is clean now). It didn't take away from my experience in the race, so I just don't pay attention to it.
cmh is offline  
Old 06-18-19, 12:20 PM
  #35  
Leisesturm
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,970
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2475 Post(s)
Liked 722 Times in 513 Posts
I don't know ... I don't race. I don't really follow racing. You have to be under a pretty big rock not to know about Lance Armstrong. Since ALL posters in this thread know about Armstrong, Landis and others ... why is there still any argument about the effectiveness of PED's? I have no choice but to assume the $#*@ works. Therefore if you are racing against doped competitors and they don't crash or commit serious tactical blunders they will crush you. I DOUBT it was Armstrong's or any other competitive athletes choice to use PED's. It obviously was his decision, but a refusal to proceed with the doping program once the offer was made by team management would have relegated him to a supporting role and therefore out of the winners circle. It is a decision that you don't have to think about unless you show the potential for greatness. No team is going to waste the resources on 2nd string talent. It was obviously a mistake to believe that Armstrong was clean and won 7 TdF Gold Medals on talent. A lot of us knew better, but a lot more who should have known better wanted to believe in miracles. If you want to believe that your favorite racer who consistently winds up a top finisher in the large majority, if not all the races they enter ... if despite the historical record you need to believe they are doing it with nothing other than talent and hard work ... knock yourself out. If, as a newcomer to the sport you want to believe that the age of doping is over and that going forward all racing will be free from PED involvement ... again, knock yourself out. Why not? There is no downside to going in with your eyes shut. Have fun, train hard, win races ... who knows ... ...
Leisesturm is offline  
Old 11-05-20, 07:44 AM
  #36  
Lemond1985
Sophomore Member
 
Lemond1985's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2,690
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1628 Post(s)
Liked 1,057 Times in 631 Posts
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
I take steroids for cat 6 racing on multi use trails. One time this student beat me on his way commuting to class, and I vowed never to lose to a Fred again. So I started juicing. The next time I saw that guy, I knocked him off his bike and stomped his wheel in a fit of roid rage. What are we talking about again?
We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways.

One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville.
I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days.
So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time.
Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

Lemond1985 is offline  
Old 11-05-20, 07:58 AM
  #37  
Trakhak
Senior Member
 
Trakhak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 5,340
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2430 Post(s)
Liked 2,889 Times in 1,646 Posts
Originally Posted by OBoile
While steroids almost certainly helped him, I don't think it's fair to say they were responsible for the difference here. First, Floyd was using PEDs before those rides. Second, people often have bad days and then rebound the following day (or vice versa). Finally, his gap on the last day was largely due to teams letting him go.
Again, I'm sure the use of steroids helped here, but it's impossible from this single anecdotal data point to say how much they actually helped and how much was from other factors.
If OBoile is still around (we're replying to a thread whose original last post was in 2019), thanks for saving me the effort of typing the same message. I've never doped, and I've had two such bad day/rebound episodes. I ran our of energy (i.e., bonked) one day, to the point where I could barely turn the pedals for the last two hours of the ride, followed the next day by riding with the strength of 10, like Sir Galahad.
Trakhak is online now  
Likes For Trakhak:
Old 12-20-22, 12:35 PM
  #38  
HeyItsSara
Meet me at spin class!!!!
 
HeyItsSara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY
Posts: 379

Bikes: Precor recumbant indoor bike, Stages bike at Equinox gym

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 122 Post(s)
Liked 74 Times in 53 Posts
Originally Posted by Leisesturm
I don't know ... I don't race. I don't really follow racing. You have to be under a pretty big rock not to know about Lance Armstrong. Since ALL posters in this thread know about Armstrong, Landis and others ... why is there still any argument about the effectiveness of PED's? I have no choice but to assume the $#*@ works. Therefore if you are racing against doped competitors and they don't crash or commit serious tactical blunders they will crush you. I DOUBT it was Armstrong's or any other competitive athletes choice to use PED's. It obviously was his decision, but a refusal to proceed with the doping program once the offer was made by team management would have relegated him to a supporting role and therefore out of the winners circle. It is a decision that you don't have to think about unless you show the potential for greatness. No team is going to waste the resources on 2nd string talent. It was obviously a mistake to believe that Armstrong was clean and won 7 TdF Gold Medals on talent. A lot of us knew better, but a lot more who should have known better wanted to believe in miracles. If you want to believe that your favorite racer who consistently winds up a top finisher in the large majority, if not all the races they enter ... if despite the historical record you need to believe they are doing it with nothing other than talent and hard work ... knock yourself out. If, as a newcomer to the sport you want to believe that the age of doping is over and that going forward all racing will be free from PED involvement ... again, knock yourself out. Why not? There is no downside to going in with your eyes shut. Have fun, train hard, win races ... who knows ... ...
You don't just swallow a pill and get gigantic muscles. These substances help you work harder and develop bigger muscles. Gives you about a 10% advantage. You're still doing the work yourself.
HeyItsSara is offline  
Old 12-24-22, 06:15 PM
  #39  
ZHVelo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Posts: 877
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 528 Post(s)
Liked 230 Times in 161 Posts
Originally Posted by HeyItsSara
You don't just swallow a pill and get gigantic muscles. These substances help you work harder and develop bigger muscles. Gives you about a 10% advantage. You're still doing the work yourself.
Not true. Studies have shown that taking testosterone has the same impact as working out but not taking testosterone. Obviously if you do both the results are even better. But point is, you see improvements even if you don't do the work yourself.
ZHVelo is offline  
Old 12-25-22, 05:43 PM
  #40  
HeyItsSara
Meet me at spin class!!!!
 
HeyItsSara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY
Posts: 379

Bikes: Precor recumbant indoor bike, Stages bike at Equinox gym

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 122 Post(s)
Liked 74 Times in 53 Posts
but there's a limit as to how high a cyclist's testosterone can be. it's still a level playing field.
HeyItsSara is offline  
Old 12-28-22, 01:40 AM
  #41  
Leisesturm
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,970
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2475 Post(s)
Liked 722 Times in 513 Posts
Originally Posted by HeyItsSara
but there's a limit as to how high a cyclist's testosterone can be. it's still a level playing field.
You're not the only one who needs to believe that. So, go ahead. The rest of us know that it is very unlikely that an undoped rider will beat a doped one. There are strategic and equipment wildcards, of course. But the playing field is not level when PED's enter the race.
Leisesturm is offline  
Old 12-28-22, 01:07 PM
  #42  
HeyItsSara
Meet me at spin class!!!!
 
HeyItsSara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY
Posts: 379

Bikes: Precor recumbant indoor bike, Stages bike at Equinox gym

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 122 Post(s)
Liked 74 Times in 53 Posts
Originally Posted by Leisesturm
You're not the only one who needs to believe that. So, go ahead. The rest of us know that it is very unlikely that an undoped rider will beat a doped one. There are strategic and equipment wildcards, of course. But the playing field is not level when PED's enter the race.
Oh, no, I don't mean that. I mean, if testoserone is allowed, i would assume everyone is taking whatever they are allowed to take. Not that undoped and doped are equal!!!!! Who thinks that????
HeyItsSara is offline  
Old 12-28-22, 02:32 PM
  #43  
MinnMan
Senior Member
 
MinnMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 5,735

Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4268 Post(s)
Liked 2,943 Times in 1,816 Posts
I'm sure that this is totally unrelated, but it is just weird

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/a...umours-removed

I mean, I have ONE lipoma on my rib - a little ugly, but totally harmless and it's just been sitting there for years. 100? How does that happen?

Watch out for that contaminated beef.
MinnMan is offline  
Likes For MinnMan:
Old 12-31-22, 07:17 PM
  #44  
HeyItsSara
Meet me at spin class!!!!
 
HeyItsSara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: NY
Posts: 379

Bikes: Precor recumbant indoor bike, Stages bike at Equinox gym

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 122 Post(s)
Liked 74 Times in 53 Posts
Originally Posted by MinnMan
I'm sure that this is totally unrelated, but it is just weird

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/a...umours-removed

I mean, I have ONE lipoma on my rib - a little ugly, but totally harmless and it's just been sitting there for years. 100? How does that happen?

Watch out for that contaminated beef.
right?!!!!!
HeyItsSara is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
radroad
General Cycling Discussion
169
12-24-18 09:10 PM
Colnago Mixte
General Cycling Discussion
87
07-25-18 01:51 AM
Nachoman
Road Cycling
27
07-25-16 10:07 PM
spunkyj
Advocacy & Safety
46
11-13-12 11:55 AM
stevegor
Road Cycling
112
08-11-10 05:38 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.