To think cycling is making my legs bigger, not slimmer?

[harrassedmotheroffour]

I commute to work by bike, so cycle about 40miles a week. I've been doing this for about a year. I used to run, but currently have a dodgy ankle so can't.

I'm a bit chunky at the moment as my diet is not good. I totally accept responsibility for my current level of squidginess! But my THIGHS!!! My legs have only been properly slim when I'm much lighter and run registry, but at the moment it feels like they are really chunky, chunkier than they've been when I'm significant heavier than I am now.

So, am I just in denial about being fat, or are my thighs now much more muscly than they've been before, but that muscle is covered in a layer of fat?!

When you say they 'feel' chunky... Are your trousers saying the same?!

My thighs get bigger when I run - and they're not small to begin with, but I guess I'm just built to have strong, chunky Shetland pony legs

Being stronger is good though!

I'm quite slim and I cycle commute to work every day - my thighs are enormous - they always have been - I've also got those teardrop shape muscles on the front of my calves - they are really defined.

Personally I think it's worth it to stay slim an healthy but I can't wear skinny jeans - in jeans nobody can tell whether the size of your thighs is muscle or fat - they just look "big"!

Lastone no they are definitely bigger. I'm bigger everywhere but my thighs are not good at all!

Chris Hoy would probably agree that cycling makes the thighs bigger. 😁
[sorry no help]

I don't think 40 miles a week is likely to make your thighs that much bigger with muscle. You'd need to be doing a lot more than that to get big thighs. Do you do any other exercise?

Laura trott? Victoria pendleton? I'd imagine they do/did more than 40miles a week

Most likely.

But strong legs are lovely if you ask me

I do a bit more than that a week and my thighs definitely show it - I'm also fairly large everywhere (mostly fat!), but tellingly, it's my lower thighs where trousers are tight (despite being generally apple shaped). If I tense my leg muscles, my thighs are much more rigid than my tummy ever is, suggesting there's muscle in there somewhere!

Them thighs not looking massive (Trott, King, Rowsell, JKenny photobombing).

I also cycle to work and do about 130-140km a week. I’ve got a flabby stomach the cycling was meant to sort out but between that and skating I have thighs and an arse like rock solid tree trunks. I try to avoid skinny jeans because when you add the muffin top I think people assume my legs are just as flabby but actually I just carry my extra weight badly :-(

I read somewhere that muscle uses more calories so don’t worry about your muscly legs, maybe it will help the weight drop off everywhere else —wishful thinking—

I work in a velodrome so I see lots and lots of cycling legs! 40 miles a week of commuting won't give you chunky legs, but they may feel firmer. It's sprinters who have chunky legs and massive glutes; check out the legs of Anna Meares and Kristina Vogel, and if you really want to get a shock, Robert Fortsterman's thighs are famous. The one thing I do find is that my knees and ankles look fat, although they aren't - the stronger muscles around the joints make it look like you have less definition.