With many sports, men seem to be at least 20-40% stronger than their female counter parts. Three point line not as far in WNBA, power lifting champs lifting substantially less,etc... To me, it seems like in cycling that difference is significantly less. In the groups at my local club, it seems like theirs maybe a 10-20% difference at most. The only reason why this question even past my mind is I noticed strava has a King of the Mountain(KOM) and Queen of the mountain(QOM).It seems like the QOM have a better time than many of the males. How big of a difference in ability do you see between gender in cycling?
How Much Advantage Does A Male Rider Have Over A Female One?
- Thread starter Uawadall
- Start date
I figure top pro male cyclist vs top female cyclist, the male would be faster and stronger. But I have seen some races where the best female is better than maybe 25% of the male group.
As far as real life, I know about 4 couples where the wife is a stronger rider than her hubby. Plus I have had my **** handed to me by a few female riders. :lol:
On my favorite Strava segment, a 7.3 mile stretch I am #1236 out of #9904 riders.
There are 54 women faster than me on that segment. B)
As far as real life, I know about 4 couples where the wife is a stronger rider than her hubby. Plus I have had my **** handed to me by a few female riders. :lol:
On my favorite Strava segment, a 7.3 mile stretch I am #1236 out of #9904 riders.
There are 54 women faster than me on that segment. B)
Males are generally stronger than females, but I think a lot of that comes down to upper body strength, which doesn't have quite as much of an effect on cycling.
Since the natural strength advantage isn't as pronounced when riding, a woman who is trained would have no problem beating an untrained (or lesser trained) man.
If all else was equal though, and two cyclists had the exact same gear, the same training, and same fitness level...that would be a much closer race and I think the man would have the edge just based on pure brute strength.
Since the natural strength advantage isn't as pronounced when riding, a woman who is trained would have no problem beating an untrained (or lesser trained) man.
If all else was equal though, and two cyclists had the exact same gear, the same training, and same fitness level...that would be a much closer race and I think the man would have the edge just based on pure brute strength.
Lance Armstrong would have ridden Kristin Armstrong off his wheel any day of the week, even without EPO.
I mean the riding Kristin, not his ex wife of the same name.
I mean the riding Kristin, not his ex wife of the same name.
Men are genetically stronger and quicker then women. Don't use the novice rider against the top female rider when making a comparison. It is not me being a pig. It is a known scientific fact. I got blasted by women on another board as they were all trigger happy feminist looking for anything to put my on blast, when all I said was that men are genetically stronger than women. That is not my person opinion, it's a scientific fact.
I used the novice rider against experienced female rider comparison to make the exact same point you are. Men have the genetic edge, therefore, a female rider most likely would have to have more experience in order to beat a male rider. No one is blasting you and no one said anything about you being a pig.joshposh said:
Who used a novice rider against top female rider comparison?I've even stated a specific circumstance among club riders in my area. Like I said, the men seem to be 10-20% faster than the females in the group. I also stated that males are superior by 20-40% at least in a majority of sports. The question isn't do males have the upper hand in cycling, but by how much.joshposh said:
Edit:I think one reason why the difference between male and female recreational riders isn't that huge (based on my observation) is, possible due to weight.
In an actual race the variables, such as the terrain and bike type involved are too many for one to reach a definite conclusion. I'd think that the main difference would come about as a result if the males bigger body. This doesn't necessarily mean he would win. A heavier body requires much more muscle to move, more endurance and the bigger volume increases wind resistance tiring the rider fast.
In the downhill mountain bike course local to me there are not too many women using it, its rough, quite steep in places and full of tricky sharp downhill turns. The women that do use it are probably my equal in agility and reflexes, although the men always have a slight edge in the long straight at the end. In particular, the women seem to be better at getting through the really tight turns although I'm not entirely sure why.
I think things are pretty even between the genders when it comes to cycling. Wouldn't a slender body be more favorable for cycling since it would be harder to move more body mass? So, in that case women might have more of an advantage but then again women can build muscles (and fat) just like men can. They just do it differently and don't look as beefed up.
There are some really strong women out there who can give men a run for their money. That's why I think it comes down to the individual person more than their gender. Gender should be irrelevant in cycling, in my opinion.
There are some really strong women out there who can give men a run for their money. That's why I think it comes down to the individual person more than their gender. Gender should be irrelevant in cycling, in my opinion.
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