WarrenG said:I've been faster than lots of guys who were bigger than me and I have been slower than some guys who were smaller. I have learned not to judge a sprinter by how they look.
Go to analyticcycling.com and do some calculations for power and speed using different body sizes. You'll see part of why a smallish guy can beat a bigger guy in a sprint even though their power can be 100+ watts different. There was a smalish Japanese guy at Masters Worlds last year who was really fast, in part because he had his chin only 2 inches above his bars while going 38+mph.
Try putting 10 pounds on your legs and then going for a little spin on your trainer at say, 100 rpm's.
Like I've said, don't worry about adding weight of any particular amount, just focus doing the training that will make you fast. If you gain 10 pounds or no pounds doesn't determine whether you're fast or slow.
And if you want to be a good sprinter you're going to have to figure out how to sprint fast on the flats, not just on hills.
LOL, putting 10lb weights on your legs is nowhere near the same as having 10lbs of addition MUSCLE on your legs. If it were, then those 10lb iron weights would be power your legs. Dude.... lame arguement
I know exactly what the different power requirements are for additional weight, and yes, I use analyticcycling all the time. You must not have read my post, because I CLEARLY said how I was FASTER, even UPHILL when I was 15lbs heavier. Geee, I wonder why? Maybe because of the extra muscle?
You do have a point about not making of goal of putting weight on. True. But if I don't gain any weight, I will be preventing any muscle gain.
You keep bringing up these examples of how small guys are just as fast. But, OVERALL, sprinters are usually bigger than endurance athletes. When I look at Tyler Hamilton, I don't see a powerful sprinter, do you? Your arguement has no weight.
I am not saying a smaller rider can't be a good sprinter. I am saying that it is less likely. AGAIN, there are EXCEPTIONS. Stop bringing up exceptions.