Training & Nutrition - Best bike to lose weight with?

I am looking at purchasing a new bike for the purpose of weight loss plus I enjoy riding. Right now I only have a hardtail mountain bike that needs some parts but I am looking to buy something more road friendly.

My riding would be all on road and no offroad. I ride to and from work in the subsubs. I ride on suburban streets and paved bike trails (a bike trail by me is 4 miles each way plus i am 2 miles from the trail. I will often do this 12 mile round trip). I would like to eventually be able to do 70+ miles.

I am confused about what bike to purchase. I dont want to get to good of a bike which would cause me not to get as good of a workout. Does this make any sense or am I crazy? I understand anything is better then nothing and that is why I am riding the bike I have for the time being but its not enjoyable now and I Really want to stick with it.


I am debating between a couple of bikes. The Trek 7.3fx (flatbar road bike) or a fuji newest 3.0 (road bike with drop bars). I also can expand my budget and get something like a Trek 7.5fx, Trek 1200, or Fuji Newest 1.0 but am not sure what I should do. I feel a bike like the Trek 1200 might make things to easy slowing down progress.

I would like to spend about $500 but if necesary I can go up to no more then $800.

Any input would be great.

Best bike to lose weight with?

The one you'll ride. A lot.
Everything else boils down to preference.
It really is that simple.

You can get the same workout on a fast bike as on a slow bike - you just go farther on the fast bike for the same effort. I would say get a bike that's comfortable and enjoyable to ride, because you're going to want to spend 30-60 minutes on it several times a week for weight loss.
Drop bars are probably better for the longer rides you have in mind since you're not stuck in one position the whole time. Besides, you already have a flat bar bike. By the way...what's "not enjoyable" about it?

Get a Rickshaw, and drive people around... I did this for about a month, and lost about 8 pounds.

You work out just as hard on nicer bikes - you just ride faster. My experience is that I work out much harder on my nice bike than I do on my rain bike - I'll ride for longer and put in more distance. It also makes it nicer to ride in groups.

In my experience, the biggest factor in whether you continue is how well the bike fits for you. If you are buying it from a good bike shop, that shouldn't be a factor.

Any of those bikes will work for you. The one with drop bars will be a bit more flexible. If you get into it, this won't be your last bike, and after you've ridden for a couple of years, you'll have a better idea what you want.

I would like to spend about $500 but if necesary I can go up to no more then $800.



I'd suggest a road bike, since you already have a MTB. You can get a beginners roadie for about 500-600 bucks with sora shifter or spend 200 extra and get STI shifter. I got a Felt F90 for 550 bucks. The soras are fine for me. There's also Trek 1000 and a few other makes for under 600. Look here to get a better idea of what your dollars will buy you.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=69273

If you have a lot of weight to loose, you might be happier on the MTB for now; you might appreciate the low gears and more upright position, for example, and a new set of slicker/narrower tires will make it feel much more road friendly. I'd recommend that you spend a couple hundred bucks making the bike you have more comfortable (better seat w/ seatpost shock as an example). Over time you'll loose weight, and have a better idea of what you want to get from a new bike.

By the way...what's "not enjoyable" about it?
I agree with everyone else saying ride what is most comfortable or what you will ride the most. That is why my hardtail mountain bike is not enjoyable. Its a 2002 specialized rockhopper. 17". to small for me (6' 265lbs)

A good fitting bike is the best. If you are in pain, you won't ride. If it isn't fun, you won't ride. Test ride a bunch of bikes at your local LBS and whatever get's your juices flowing is the right bike.

Lance and others have bikes far better than any of us, and they seem to get a good workout. ;)

17". to small for me (6' 265lbs)

Well, if the bike is too small it may not be worth fixing up, but keep in mind there are often ways to upgrade what you have to make it work. Had I bought a new bike when I first took up riding regularly again, I would never have known to buy what I did.

just my $0.02, i opted for a mountain bike. I bike on road and off road, and my road biking is mostly based on destinations by commuting. I don't just ride hard for 45 minutes like you would on an indoor bike, i just use my bike to replace my car as much as possible. To run errands i throw on a backpack and bike whereever i need. So for me to lose weight it was an easy decision, a mountain bike with knobby tires takes more calories out of me than a light road bike would, when going to the store and back, and its convenient if i want to cut through a field or construction site. In my area we have rooty singletrack trails that criss cross the city too and can be used instead of roads to get somewhere.

I found that riding my loaded touring bike for distances burned the most calories.

once i lose enough weight where I no longer need to lose weight and just maintain weight, i might get some other bikes that are better for their purposes, like a commuter bike for errands, and a race bike just to haul butt on the long straight bike paths, and the long downhill roads we have too, there's a road by me where you can coast at about 25 to 35 mph for about 7 miles without pedaling, no exercise but really fun. well theres lots of exercise if you bike up it first.