mstateglfr 

Curious to hear what motivates each of us.

I have slowly lost weight over the last 20+ months and moved from 243# to 210#. I have never been motivated by the 'clyde' term, but recently thought about it since we all use something different as motivation(reduced medication, less joint pain, feel better overall, etc etc).
Its funny to me how arbitrary a lot of goals are(mine included), My current one is to reach 200# or under 20% body fat based on my home scale. That scale could be wildly inaccurate, but I have set a goal based on its possibly inaccurate yet consistent measurements.

An previous goal was to drop below 25 BMI. Between my height and fitness, I shouldnt pay much attention to BMI, yet it was a strong motivator. A stupid categorization that said I was overweight at 25 or higher was a constant passive motivator over the last couple years.
I am just now slightly under 25 which means I am finally no longer 'overweight' by that chart's measurements. Teetering just under, I sure dont want to go up, even though logically I know its hardly meaningful either way.

cyclist2000

I'm motivated because it is good for my health. As for "Clyde", according to the designation of Clydesdale, being over 200 lbs or 6 feet tall. I will always be a "Clyde", I'm over 6 feet tall, I've been over 200 lbs since 1980.

JLDickmon

Well, I breed Clydesdale horses, so um.. no. Not really. No.
Physical heath is important whether you are 160 lbs or 240.. Fat is fat, muscle is muscle. Cardio is cardio.

Bmach

Being a Clyde does not mean you are fat and need to lose weight. At least for some people.

Kobe 

BMI was as good a motivator as any for me too. I needed to get to 215 lbs to be under 25 BMI. I got to 214 a few years ago but have since crept up to 27.5 BMI. I know at 6'6" I'll probably never be below 200 again but I can see that as being a good goal once I get below 25 BMI again.

tallbikeman

At 6'5" I would be very thin at 200lb. My health would be a lot better than it is now. I might be able to ditch the high blood pressure pills. I wear the Clyde without rancor. It makes it easier to relate Clyde issues that crop up for heavier, possibly taller individuals. Like Kobe I don't think I could be below 200lbs without having some terrible health problem. Or they close all the fast food restaurants.

SpecK

Honestly, to me the Clyde term makes me cringe just a little. I think it is a weird label that lumps in larger riders who will always be large and overweight riders who are trying to loose weight. I will always be a "clyde" by the definition used here, so no, the term does not motivate me to not be one. I also don't like the idea that "clyde" is something that is undesirable. It's not like Clydesdales are overweight horses. They are heavy because of their large size, not because they are overweight or unhealthy. I think it is great if people can find motivation to loose weight, I did that myself and riding my bike was part of it. But I was an overweight "clyde" that went to being a less overweight "clyde". But a quarter horse that weighs the same as a Clydesdale is just an overweight quarter horse. The real Clydesdale will always have unique challenges that the quarter horse won't have once it looses its weight. If you've ever compared the size of a regular horse shoe to that of a Clydesdale you'll know what I'm talking about. When it comes to cycling, my challenges as a "clyde" has not been finding equipment that can take the weight, but rather the very limited selection of equipment that fits my size.

mstateglfr 

Interesting. I am 6'5 and don't view 200 as 'very thin'. The perception is probably where the weight is carried within the body and if it's muscle or fat.

tallbikeman

You are right in pointing out very tall people that are very thin. Today I saw an older bicyclist about my height and his hips and shoulders were very much narrower than mine. I remember 200lbs and how very skinny I was. I am not sure that weight would be good for me or not. As I passed 200lbs, at 21 yrs old, I kept growing taller and wider. I played adult male league basketball until age 44 at about 225-240lbs without problems. I have been 220 and 230lbs in recent years which brings my BMI down but I still wasn't able to get rid of the high blood pressure medications. Going down to 200lbs would be quite a test of my willpower. Most of the hardened fat in my body is located between my ears.

rumrunn6

I think motivation is personal, meaning what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others. if the subforum title works for you, ok great. for me, looking in the mirror, at my white round belly, is more motivating that the subforum's title

Mark Stone

I guess it's different for different people. I'm "only" 6'3" and at 210 pounds or less I'm a skeleton - people tell me "Mark, have you been sick? You need to gain some weight". I always tell them to get off my lawn. I find my best balance of health and appearance to be 222 pounds. At 222 I have no knee pain, no back pain, and fit in size M or S T-Shirts. Back when I used to ride bicycles, 222 was the easiest weight to ride. (I'm a 68 yoa Trike rider now)

So 200 lbs is "very thin" for some; not so much for others.

Mark Stone

This.

rwmct

I find it odd that they start this category at 200 lbs. I am 5'11". My ideal weight is 192-195 lbs. 200 lbs. is a couple pounds over but not exactly Clydesdale territory.

msalvetti

I'm new here, I thought it was an odd term (never heard it before) and I'm not sure I like it. But I readily admit I'm overweight (6'-2", 250). My goal is to get back down to around 220. I doubt I'll ever get below 200 unless something is very wrong. In high school I ran indoor and outdoor track, played basketball, was thin as a rail, yet I was still 190.

Mark

DarKris

I keep thinking who’s I will probably not be a “Clyde” for very long now. Got down to 250 after being 360-370 for the past six or so years. I do think of it as a way to see where I was vs where I’m at now.

My goal is to continue to improve my hypertension and get to a height to waist ratio of at least 2:1. Also save enough money to buy a new wardrobe once I get to that point 🤣

PDKL45

The thing is, Clydesdales are completely awesome and there's absolutely nothing in me that doesn't like being compared to them. If it was a label like MAMIL, that makes me want to punch whoever is using it right in the dick, it would motivate me, but I have known at least one Clydesdale personally who was a better person than some humans I've known. Quite seriously.

The motivating factor for me is my child, and our baby who is on the way. I want to be healthy for my children, so I can enjoy my time with them for as long as possible. Plus my wife and family and myself. Being healthy and seeing myself looking better--feeling better--is motivation enough.

deaninkl

I've not always been a Clyde, I was pretty slim growing up, and only put on weight in my 40's from working in Asia, drinking two much and eating great food... now at 62, I'm 220lbs and 5'9".. I don't mind people calling me big, or whatever, I am big!!. I'd prefer to be 180lb, so if the term Clyde helps me get there so be it. Being in the BMI 30 range isn't great for your overall health. We all know that.. so the fact we are here, I guess means most of us associate with being a Clyde on a Bike... I don't look great in Lycra.. but it does make me laugh!!!

NomarsGirl

The term never bothered me. Didn't think it was even possible to get out of the "Athena" category. 150 lbs? On my 5' 9" frame? Didn't sound possible or even advisable. Clocking in now at 125. Too skinny,

tpadul 

Well for me personally I wanted out of the Athena category for health reasons and at 5'7 my 274lbs was very overweight. I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery nine months ago and I have officially lost 100 pounds and I feel amazing and healthy at 174 lbs. I am now no longer on a CPAP machine and my sleep apnea is gone, I have been able to totally go off my Lipitor for my Cholesterol, my numbers were 230 overall and now I am down to a total Cholesterol of 106. I was able to cut my blood pressure meds in half. My BMI went from a 42.2 down to a current 27.2 which is technically still in the overweight category but I am extremely please at my 100 pound weight loss. Getting on a bike now has a brand new feeling for me, I can actually ride without feeling like I am going to have a heart attack and I no longer get winded after a couple of minutes on the bike. I am not sure how much more weight I will lose but if I can maintain my current loss I'll be extremely happy. I have cut so many bad food habits out of my life and I realize that my surgery was just a tool to assist me in a new healthier way of living. I am very grateful so far for what I have accomplished.

mstateglfr 

wow- really neat to hear!

therunt

I'm not motivated by terms, but there are a number of things that motivate me to try to be healthier. As a nurse in the ER I see the devastating effects that inactivity and poor diet choices has on a person long term and that alone scares me into wanting to be as healthy as I can be. As someone who has struggled with weight all my life, with my highest weight being ~340 lbs and my lowest weight being ~220 lbs, and having unfortunately put back on a lot of weight through nursing school and am now having to go through yet another weight loss journey (I am currently around 300 lbs), I am also motivated by looking at myself in the mirror. Much of that comes from not liking what I see, or struggling to get into clothes that once fit me so easily. There's the difference in the ability to do a simple task like squatting to pick something up or having to cross my legs to tie my shoes, or the feeling of being winded from simply climbing a flight or two of stares. I sometimes look back at old instagram posts and see myself when I was at my fittest. Veins popping, muscles defined all while fitting into size 34" pants and medium shirts. It's a little depressing to realize that I let myself regress so much back into bad habits but I've recently taken the steps to get back on track and am determined to stay motivated. It isn't easy but I know that I can succeed.

Gravel Rider

Wish you well on your journey!