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Weight Is the Enemy

flying_hun

flying_hun

Adverse Selection
Administrator
Joined
May 4, 2005
Location
Orinda, CA
Moto(s)
A funky red & white Italian named Gianni Cervo! Versys - two of 'em! And a Ducati for laughs.
BARF perks
AMA #: 281672
On one of those Cycle World podcasts with Mark Hoyer and Kevin Cameron, Cameron told a story about a lunch he had with Malcolm Smith and Mert Lawill. As they were leaving, one of them, I think it was Lawill said, "Remember, weight is the enemy." I don't remember which episode, but it seems like it was at least a year ago.

Why bring it up? Since Thanksgiving I've dropped more than 45 pounds, and holy crap, my bikes have gotten MUCH quicker. Right now I weigh less than I have at any point since the early 80's. I'm having to reset the suspension on my bikes, and I don't mind.

This is so cool because I have always liked mid-sized bikes. I've had a bunch of 1000+cc bikes, but I tend to favor bikes like my 650 Versys. The good news is that now when I want to pull a quick overtake, it is so much quicker. Now when I am thinking about getting different bikes, so many bikes seem like more reasonable alternatives because my weight is less likely to overwhelm them. Now I don't have to reflexively re-spring new bikes. It's a good thing. There's a good possibility my next bike with be a sub-500cc single.

If you're curious about the approach, I'm in a program Kaiser offers, and it's far easier than I had imagined to consume less than a thousand calories a day.
 
Weight is king!

Congrats on the Victory Hun. You look really good man!!
I had never seen you so svelte. Better for all those joints that support us too!
 
greenmonster said:
45 lbs is very significant, congratulations.
Are you at your target weight or do you have more to go?
Click to expand...
I passed my stretch goal 15#'s ago. I'm feeling like I don't want to lose a whole lot more. It's a structured program, my health is monitored, and I'm curious about how it plays out. We'll see.
 
I’ll bet that kind of weight loss makes it so much easier to do every day things like getting in and out of a car and going up and down stairs.

I’d think mentally you’ve gotta be feeling good about yourself too.
 
Congratulations Kurt. You looked great when I saw you last month. I'm jealous.
 
Congrats on the massive win, Kurt !

If you’re smaller, you possibly have less air resistance as well. That must help some.
 
Congratulations Kurt! I refer to pounds shed as discarded never lost as no one is searching for them.
 
greenmonster said:
I’ll bet that kind of weight loss makes it so much easier to do every day things like getting in and out of a car and going up and down stairs.

I’d think mentally you’ve gotta be feeling good about yourself too.
Click to expand...
All true
 
Congrats on the weight loss achievement. You've already noticed your body thanking you (as well as the bump up in HP/Lb ratio).

When I was riding bicycles a lot, there was pressure to spend big money to lighten my bike by grams. Like, titanium valve stem covers (or do without!!). I thought, losing a couple kilos from the rider seems a lot cheaper.
 
gixxerjeff said:
But....but....but what about weighting the outside peg??
(gotta dust off some old school Barf logic)
Click to expand...
:laughing

He is still a big man... he won't have a problem.

I am interested in what kind of "smaller" bikes have his interest peaked.
 
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