Yes, it does make a difference, assuming your training, bike position, and during-ride fueling strategies remain the same.
Two of the greatest forces acting on cyclists are wind resistance and gravity. Let鈥檚 start with the wind. include the frontal area of you and your bike, and your speed. The faster you ride, and the greater the frontal area of you and your bike, the greater the wind resistance you must overcome.
In their seminal 2001 paper,” Dr. Asker Jeukendrup and Dr. James Martin predicted how changes in several different things would affect 40K time trial performance on a relatively flat course with no net altitude gain or loss. One of the things they looked into was weight loss.
They compared losing 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of body weight with dropping 3 kilograms off the bike in novice, well-trained, and elite cyclists. In all three cases, losing bodyweight because the researchers figured a 3-kilogram weight loss would result in . A lighter bike, in this case, did not notably affect performance because it did not affect wind resistance.
When riding uphill at slower speeds, gravity takes over wind resistance as the main force you鈥檒l fight. That means losing weight鈥攂oth bodyweight and bike weight鈥攕hould improve your performance, because the less weight you have to drag uphill, against gravity, the easier it鈥檒l be to climb.
that shaving 3 kilograms off of the bike can save a novice rider up to 1 minute 34 seconds on a 20K time trial up a 3 percent grade, and 3 minutes 38 seconds up a 6 percent grade. 聽Clearly, shaving weight off of your bike is advantageous while climbing.
鈥淚f someone is overweight, the effect would be exactly the same鈥 if they lost weight, , the head of physiology and training for former pro cycling team Euskaltel Euskadi. 鈥淎nd it would be way cheaper, because they would be saving money in not improving the bike, and buying less food.鈥
Your power-to-weight ratio (PWR) affects how fast you climb. The greater your power and lower your weight, the quicker you鈥檒l climb. At some point, however, if you lose too much weight, your power can start to decline.
So if you have the weight to lose, drop it. Mujika recommends losing weight during the pre-season, not leading up to an event, because the process can be mentally draining. He also advises dropping weight slowly to help avoid losing power-producing muscle. Depending on how much weight you have to lose, aim to shed no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week.
鈥淚f you maintain your training, and lose weight progressively, with proper nutrition, there is no reason why you should lose any power,鈥 Mujika says.
The bottom line: Losing bodyweight is more advantageous than dropping bike weight on relatively flat rides. But as soon as the road goes up, it鈥檚 similarly helpful to lose bike and bodyweight, as long as you have the fat to lose.聽