2Rodies

Over the last few months I've seen quit a few threads that ask question petaining to the fitness of BF members. One thing that has been consistant has been the gross exaggeration of the 'numbers' some people have posted. Of those numbers power output and body fat percentage have been the most abused. For example there is a member who claims that their body fat percentage is under 4%. Just for perspective an elite cyclists body fat is at 5-10%. Sub 4% body fat is dangerously low.

On the power side I was shocked to see how many top cat 1 racers are on this board. There were so many people who were claiming to maintain 350+ watts for hours at a time that I felt that we should get together and start our own BF domestic pro team.

LowCel 

I completely understand what you are saying. After reading a bunch of the threads lately I feel like a very slow, obese individual that should stick to riding beach cruisers.

galen_52657

LOL...

BF tour team... Jan who?

my58vw

Bingo!

The problem is either...

1. Diagnostic equipment is off, no powertap, SRM or guestamates
2. always wanting to best the other guy... i.e. I am faster, better than you ect.
3. Some male ego complex that I have no idea about,
4. Different ways of measuring things...

AppStateEvan

It is " e-******" syndrome.

LowCel 

Shoot, I saw a post yesterday that made me want to hang up the bike. When a new rider is able to maintain a 21+ mph average on a 40+ mile ride with hills I really feel incompetent.

badkarma

People like to exaggerate and make themselves sound better than they are.

"Hey, I'm Joe Cyclist, I've only been cycling for 3 months and I just rode 40 miles at a 23 mph average."

Yeah, Ok Joe.

Usually I can see when people are exaggerating their claims, I just ignore it, it's not that big of a deal to me.

oldspark

Sometimes they forget to mention it's all downhill with a tail wind.

2Rodies

Ditto. I mean some of the stuff I read hear is either so inaccurate or overly exaggerated that it's laughable. One guy claimed to have sub 8% body fat and even posted a pic, and you could see the love handles! If half of it were true I'd quit riding bikes and take up golf!

merlinextraligh

it really is fairly worthless to post how fast, how much power, etc etc. there are too many variables, and differences in modes and measures to be meanigful, and it is inherently unverifiable. And bottom line none of it matters. At most such measurements are useful in measuring your own fitness against your own previous results.
Beyond that, put a number on.

badkarma

Ohh, I forgot how I love to hear people's claims of their resting HR. Surprising how so many people have sub 45 bpm heart rates.

furiousferret

It's the nature of the internet. What bothers me even more are the 'internet tough guys', its real easy to lie, harass, threaten, and act tough in the cloud of the internet.

531Aussie

exactly!! Nothing more piss-weak than an internet bully

blonduathlongrl

I understood that this forum is for support and informative discussions, when I see a post that usually starts with" me, myself and I" can do this and that.. I laugh and skip over the next.. got to take the good with the bad and take in what works for you and leave out the rest.. in no way should treads intimidates you to the point that you feel worth less and want to hang up your bike! they dont deserve that much power now, do they?

substructure

It's "living up to an expectation" that doesn't exist.
Some need to be *this* good (whatever this is) to fit in, when all they need is a bike and love to ride it.

LowCel 

Actually I generally just assume that they are total bs. It would take a lot more than someone posting on a forum to make me hang up my bikes, believe me. I know how I ride and I am in no way ashamed of it. I also know that there are many people out there much better than I am. I'm okay with that.

Grasschopper

It is the internet...I am never going to meet you so I can say anything...syndrome. I was on a golf forum and the standing joke there was that everyone could drive the ball 320+ yards right down the middle every time....with thier 3 iron.

Back to cycling, I like to go the other way as I try to meet up with people. I figure if I put myself out there as the fattest slowest trud on these forums and I get to ride with some people at least they wont think I am going to be some cycling god and then laugh their arse off when they really ride with me.

baj32161

Yes indeed. I have been back in the saddle for a year now (just about) and my longest ride is still 52 miles, and that took me 6 hours to do with 2 large hills. I am 44 years old, 6'1", 207lbs and am not out to set any speed or distance records. I have too much body fat (trying to work on that) but am down over 80lbs from my heaviest. Hell I just love to ride and have fun. On the occasion that I come in and share my riding experiences it is not to impress....just to share something I love with others who do the same. I have nothing to exaggerate about.

Cheers,

brian

TheKillerPenguin

I honestly don't know what you guys are talking about.

baj32161

Chopper sometimes you kill me. I was talking to my girlfriend about this. Her best friend's husband loves to ride and when I eventually move up to Canada (where they live) he will be looking for a riding partner. His wife asked me what kind of bike I rode so I sent her a picture of it...now her husband is afraid to ride with me because he thinks I will be too fast for him. Boy does HE have another thing coming !!

Cheers,

Brian

clausen

Bike forums gives a place for insecure people to feel important. It's the same as those angry coaches and bosses, barking orders makes them feel like a tough guy and important but does not get them respect.

squeegy200

My Tanita puts me at 12% body fat. Given the critical reviews of the accuracy of the Tanita products at +/-10%, that would put me either at 2% or 22% body fat.

Since I don't have a power meter, the only measurement of wattage that I can claim is my bicycle lighting.
With a few more Li-Ion batteries, I think I can crank that up to 400W!

TheKillerPenguin

Meh, they exist in real life too. The difference is you can tell if they're for real after you ride with em.

voltman

Ham n' egg?

cyclintom

You can find guys like that on the Noon Ride in Silicon Valley. Imagine being able to climb Old La Honda Rd in under 15 minutes? Eric Heiden did that back in his hayday.


https://graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp...ldlahonda.html

I felt like crap yesterday and rode remarkably slow. I even had to stop on the last climb for a minute to get my heart rate into the "yes still living" region.

But it made my day when some FAST young guy had to run a red light to get ahead of me.