Performance riding vs losing weight

No, you need to eat correctly once the riding season starts. probably .8 to 1.5g of protein per lb per day. Assuming 200lb, that's 640 - 1200 calories in protein. Probably starting at the higher number, and backing down once the initial muscle growth is done. The rest is fats and long chain carbs.
Cycling is efficient, so, it's not a really good weight loss exercise, but, it does happen.
For an approximation of how much energy you're burning off try .28* (your weight + bike) * miles ridden.
It's not perfect, but it gets you into the ballpark, and it's quick and easy.

I used to break spokes almost every ride and crack rims frequently the fixes?
1,) DT or Wheelsmith spokes 2.0 X !.8 double butted, NOT straight gauge, the thin part can stretch enough to aborb damaging stress, really!
2.) Handmade wheels, with spoke preparation by spoke mfr or loktite (purple), linseed oil etc.
3.) "mirror image" lacing, ( the "driving" spokes should be on either on the outside of the flanges or the inside, per preference not L or R
5.) double wall rims as Mavic etc mentionedin earlier replies
4.) rims with reinforced double ended ferrules that reinforce the spoke holes and anchor to both rim walls ie: most Campy, Mavic open pros, sups etc

Pat Stowe said:

4.) rims with reinforced double ended ferrules that reinforce the spoke holes and anchor to both rim walls ie: most Campy, Mavic open pros, sups etc

Complete BS. Rims with eyelets make wheels easier to build, but they don't offer any durability advantage over rims without eyelets.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Complete BS. Rims with eyelets make wheels easier to build, but they don't offer any durability advantage over rims without eyelets.

I wasn't talking about simple eyelets. I've worked with thousands of wheels and eylets DO add strength.

Pat Stowe said:

I wasn't talking about simple eyelets.  I've worked with thousands  of wheels and eylets DO add strength.

No they don't. Just because you claim to have built " thousands of wheels" doesn't mean you actually understand the physics of what you claim. In fact, having built a lot of wheels is not at all related to the factual evidence of how eyelets affect "strength". You've no studies. You've done no tests.

Pat Stowe said:

OH really how many years did you work in bikeshops how many thousand wheels have you built how many dozens of cracked wheels made without double contact ferrules have you seen? Simple eyelets don't count that is not what I was talking about

Ah, I see you have trouble with critical thinking. I guess your "pro" trainer didn't cover that in your lessons. Simply put, your alleged experience says nothing about the actual physics. Sorry.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Ah, I see you have trouble with critical thinking. I guess your "pro" trainer didn't cover that in your lessons. Simply put, your alleged experience says nothing about the actual physics. Sorry.

Experience trumps theory end of story

I realize the whole spoke thing is real, and the less spokes, the higher the load per spoke, but, it is really offbase for the original question, which was nutrition.
Just sayin [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif[/IMG]

Pat Stowe said:

Experience trumps theory end of story

Ah, the intellectually lazy way out. In fact, you don't know what your experience has taught you because you haven't thought about, tested it in a rigorous. All your pro-trained butt has done is just accept things on faith. Experience used to tell sailors that the world was flat. Heck, it looked flat, right? Lazy thinkers don't have any clue how to correctly interpret what their experience has shown. Likewise we can see your education was severely limited as you have not the slightest idea about theory and what it is.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by frbock [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I realize the whole spoke thing is real, and the less spokes, the higher the load per spoke, but, it is really offbase for the original question, which was nutrition.
Just sayin [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif[/IMG]

The original post wasn't really a question. It was a oddball written "hope" that they could lose some weight... by hoping, it would seem.

As with the wheels, there's this mystical thing (to some) called science. Calories in, calories expended... so simple a concept yet many seem to feel the need to resort to "hope" or magical/mystical shortcuts that ultimately don't work.

Alienator - I hear ya on the eyelet issue. I used to think that eyelets were key until Mr UK Wheel God himself, Paul Hewitt, schooled me on the subject. My next pair of wheels, Campag Lambda V rims (no eyelets) on Campag Victory were bombproof even on the crappy country roads of northern England. In the near decade of constant use the braking surfaces have to be pretty close to t-min but they've never been trued following their initial build. I still have those wheels and the fronts still get ridden during the winter months when there's big puddles and potholes that'd hide cars on some of the roads. Good ol' NorCal.

swampy1970 said:

Alienator - I hear ya on the eyelet issue. I used to think that eyelets were key until Mr UK Wheel God himself, Paul Hewitt, schooled me on the subject. My next pair of wheels, Campag Lambda V rims (no eyelets) on Campag Victory were bombproof even on the crappy country roads of northern England. In the near decade of constant use the braking surfaces have to be pretty close to t-min but they've never been trued following their initial build. I still have those wheels and the fronts still get ridden during the winter months when there's big puddles and potholes that'd hide cars on some of the roads. Good ol' NorCal.

I've heard Paul Hewitt liked to explore what could be done with wheels. I read an interview wherein he said he build a set of track wheels for a guy that were entirely radially spoked. Yes, that would mean both the DS and NDS on the rear were radially spoked. Sir Hewitt (my designation, perhaps not the Queen's) said the wheelset worked and held up.

My apologies for the "off base" post by the time I realized I'd put it under the wrong heading I could not delete it. I asked the administrator to remove it sevewral days ago, apparently to no avail.