GCN’s Ollie Bridgewood put strength training to the ultimate test by returning to the Fred Whitton Challenge 6kg heavier than the previous year. While he feared the weight penalty on 30% gradients, the data revealed a surprising shift in his climbing power, descending speed, and overall durability. Join us as we dive into the power files and DEXA scans to see if "mass really is gas" for amateur cyclists. Chapters: ⏱️ 00:00 - The Weight Experiment 02:06 - Modeling The Weight Penalty 03:06 - 69kg vs 75kg: The Challenge 03:21 - The Tech: Bike & Tire Setup 05:34 - The Science Of Strength Training 07:48 - Climbing Segments: Honister Pass 09:32 - Why Heavier Riders Descend Faster 10:07 - Durability: Power In The Final Hour 13:32 - Hardknott Pass: Power vs Weight 16:44 - DEXA Scan Results & Conclusions Useful Links: Join this channel to get access to perks 👉 https://gcn.eu/JoinYTmemberships Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing! 👉 https://gcn.eu/subscribe Insurance: Viewers in the USA and UK can explore GCN Insurance products 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNinsurance Sign Up To The GCN Newsletter 👉 https://gcn.eu/Newsletter GCN Uploader 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnuploader Visit the GCN Shop 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnshop GCN WhatsApp Channel 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNwhatsapp GCN Instagram Broadcast Channel 👉 https://gcn.eu/instagrambroadcast Join the GCN Club on Zwift and ride with us! 👉 https://gcn.eu/GCNClubRides Would you rather save 500g on your bike or gain 10W in your legs? Let us know in the comments if Ollie’s results have changed your mind about hitting the gym Watch more on GCN... 📹 https://youtu.be/7aH372yUkOA 📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 https://gcn.eu/editorschoice 📹 Or why not check out our Features Playlist 👉 https://gcn.eu/gcnfeatures 🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵 Unfinished Stories - Lennon Hutton Airglow - Max Anson Axon Terminal - Out To The World GHOST (Instrumental Version) - Mattias Tell Hex - Tigerblood Jewel Just Drive (Instrumental Version) - Wellmess Metal in the Night Mist Echo - Broad Sky SAME THING - Tigerblood Signal Containment - Out To The World #gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife 📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sirotti Images The Global Cycling Network (GCN) is the largest online cycling channel in the world, bringing together a global community of road cyclists to celebrate everything that’s great about the world of cycling. Our videos bring fans compelling daily content, including expert tutorials, techniques, training, racing, cutting-edge bike tech, unparalleled behind-the-scenes event coverage, humour, entertainment, and more. Presented by ex-pro riders, GCN offers a uniquely qualified insight into the world of cycling, and most importantly, it’s fuelled by our passionate and enthusiastic fans – everyone who makes up the GCN community. We also bring the latest and greatest tech to your attention, showcase the best places in the world to ride and get exclusive access to events and races. Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside Cycling Thanks to our sponsors: Canyon Bikes: http://gcn.eu/-Canyon Orbea Bikes: http://gcn.eu/Orbea Pinarello Bikes: https://gcn.eu/Pinarello Topeak Tools: http://gcn.eu/Topeak CamelBak: https://gcn.eu/Camelbak Pirelli Tyres: https://gcn.eu/Pirelli Hunt Bike Wheels: https://gcn.eu/Hunt Wahoo Fitness: http://gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness Park Tool: http://gcn.eu/-parktool Selle Italia: https://gcn.eu/SelleItalia Zwift: https://gcn.eu/Zwift Gtechniq: https://gcn.eu/Gtechniq Core Body Temperature: https://gcn.eu/corebodytemp Precision Fuel & Hydration: https://gcn.eu/precisionhydration Elitewheels: https://gcn.eu/Elitewheels CeramicSpeed: https://gcn.eu/GCNCeramicSpeed HJC Sports: https://gcn.eu/hjcsports Shimano: https://gcn.eu/shimano Cyclowax: https://gcn.eu/cyclowax Sena: https://gcn.eu/Senacycling Princeton Carbon Works: https://gcn.eu/princetoncarbonworks P1 Race Technologies: https://gcn.eu/p1racetechnologies Watch our sister channels: GCN Tech - https://www.youtube.com/@gcntech GCN Racing - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnracing Global Triathlon Network - https://www.youtube.com/@gtn GCN Italia - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnitalia GCN en Español - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenespanol GCN auf Deutsch - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnaufdeutsch GCN en Français - https://www.youtube.com/@gcnenfrancais GCN Training - https://www.youtube.com/@GCNTraining Global Mountain Bike Network - https://youtube.com/@gmbn GMBN Tech - https://www.youtube.com/@gmbntech Electric Mountain Bike Network - https://www.youtube.com/@embn
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111kgs, I should be able to fly up hills!
Say it louder for the people at the back! Been saying this for a while with strength training and its benefit for cyclist. Durability is massively improved. Well done Ollie, great riding and analysis. Made for a great watch
"Barnaby Walkingshaw" is the second most British name ever after "Benedict Cumberbatch."
Possibly the best video GCN has ever done. Thorough, insightful and explained in simple terms covering the fundamentals. Well done Ollie. Great work
It’s not just weight, it’s MUSCLE weight!
The comparison photo it great. You look healthier and stronger this year.
There are stats nerds and then there is our Oliver Bridgwood! Fascinating stuff throughout 🤓
Your power increase overcame your weight gain in spite of fewer training miles. A lesson for all of us. For amateurs in particular, less time on the bike and more time in the gym, not only beneficial on the bike but likely day to day life off the bike as well. In fact, your speed/time difference would have been more pronounced had there been even less climbing common to other areas of the world like the US where I ride. You look better with more weight too. Win/win. Well done Ollie and well explained as your superpower!
I think one of the other big take aways is that you wont be a frail old person later in life!
Can confirm, at over 200lbs and not that fit, I’m much faster downhill.
Would you rather save 500g on your bike or gain 10W in your legs? Let us know in the comments if Ollie’s results have changed your mind about hitting the gym
My favourite thing about so many of these videos is that as a non cyclist, runner for 18 months who's found a natural talent for it at 34, the scope for improvement blending training, nutrition and science is absolutely massive. It's weird thinking I could be better at endurance sport as an amateur 40 year old than I would ever have been in my 20s when the idea of a run sickened me. Top video again GCN, might give the Fred W a run some day.
Get swole, Ollie! 10 more kg!
6kg heavier, but that's functional weight, not the same are focusing on a lighter set-up. By adding muscle, you aren't just increasing your wattage ceiling—you're literally expanding your body's glycogen storage capacity to keep pushing when others fade. Proof that being 6kg heavier can actually make you faster.
Does this work for 6kg of beer gut? Aerodynamic gains on the descent? Just asking for a friend...
Efficient strength training (resistance training) is vitally important for health, in general, and for sport in particular. The beauty of resistance training is how it can be tailored to specific sports and activities in order to produce both better results (in a particular sport) and overall better health. As one ages, strength training improves overall strength and longevity. It is a lifelong healthy activity and should not be ignored. The added bonus of strength training and the result of adding a few kilos of muscle is one doesn't need to spend/waste so much extra cash on super light bikes. Get a bike that fits you and hit the hills! An added bonus of strength training is overall health and recovery. get in the gym!!!
For any particular individual there will be an ideal body habitus for the activity they want to enjoy. So not just the weight but the lean muscle mass, the mix of muscle fibre types, the energy store, the available fat types all need to be optimised for that body and that sport. It would be interesting to model two or three different riders with their current stats and their target stats for optimum perform performance for a grand fondo or multi day event.
Galileo has just called, he wants a chat about your assertion that having more mass would make you accelerate faster downhill.
It's an intersting video, but I feel from a semi-scientific perspective Ollie is aiming for, not a lot is said about all the variables not accounted for. Like group, drafting, training preparation other than volume. That's not to disregard the conclusion. It's certainly interesting to see the results. And while I agree that weight is not everything, there is an equilibrium for each individual body size and type, discipline of cycling and specific course. Not to me tion an optimal combination of all factors. I've put on an extra 6kg since my best years. Only a small portion of that was through resistance training. And the results are very different to Ollie's...
My perspective is slightly different, as an over weight rider losing 10kg over the last 6 months has made a huge difference. Once I'm down to my preferred weight I'll then look to increase my strength training.