So it's come to this.
I'm a Clydesdale.
I probably have the most to be ashamed of. In a previous lifetime, around the 1980s anyway, I carried a USCF Category 2 racing license. Then, at 6'1" and 175 lbs. I commuted 25+ miles to work (one-way) everyday, a commute that lost ~1000' elevation going in, and gained it back on the return. I won medals and trophies and primes and hill climbs. I trained and raced with some of the then biggest names in not only American amateur racing, but also rubbed shoulders (and elbows) with some noteworthy international pros.
But I rarely had any money in my pocket (forget a savings acoount!) and finally I came to a point where I knew I wasn't of the "Elite" class, and getting a bit burnt out, and tired of being so damn poor. So I turned a page and decided it was time to go back to school for the degree I'd put off and start building some security (and maybe somewhere down the line, a family).
20+ years later, with a beautiful wife and daughter, a home in the country, still no degree (oh well), but a comfortable career, some bad personal habits (cough) and many false starts on the bike past, I find my weight blossomed to 266.
Yikes!
But that was June of this year during a much overdue physical. It was also on the eve of our relocating back to the countryside I originally trained and raced in. The past 17 years have been spent in a place that proved to be lucrative, but hostile to cyclists (any Long Islanders here?) My goal of returning has been realized.
And so has my dream of returning to the bike. I'm now under 230 lbs. and approaching 225. I live in a very hilly area and ride an 18.58 mile loop (with 1200+ feet of climbing) several times a week. That's actually tapered off somewhat since the weather's gone south, but having trained in these conditions before, venturing out isn't the scary ordeal it may be for novices; I know how to dress for it, anyway. As the weather warms I expect to expand my riding and have even signed on to a Masters team for some possible competition (TT's only, thanks.).
What a great discovery tho to find this forum where I can see that I'm not the only one wondering what these skinny-tired bikes will withstand!
Ride on!
Chuck6421