Excited Newbie

[ebeck88]

Newbie here wanting to say hi to everyone. I've been lurking here the past couple weeks trying to take in as much info as I could. I haven't rode a bike in at least 5 years since I visited a friend in Banff and did a 30 km mountain bike trail a week after a bout of double pneumonia. The memory of that kept me from even thinking about cycling as a way to work myself into shape but was driving by a mile long track in my neighbourhood the other day and saw some cyclists and I instantly got it in my head that this is what i need to change my life.

A little bit about me - 33 years old, 6'6 322 lbs. I've always been into sports but since I got married 3 years ago, and especially since the birth of my son 20 months ago, I've put on a good 50 pounds. My wife and I both work 12 hour shifts at different times of the day and with the lack of time we've just been too busy and order out WAY too much. Couple that with a phobia of hitting a gym when I'm obviously not in ideal shape and I've been struggling to come up with a plan to lose weight.

I told my wife about how I wanted to get a bike and she said "that sounds good, I saw some on sale at Wal-Mart for $100". My hopes were instantly dashed as I realized I was going to have to explain that i was too big for the average bike and it would probably cost a bit more than that to get a bike I would be happy with and give me the best chance for success.

On Monday, we were out running errands and I asked her if she minded if we stopped at a bike shop so I could try out some bikes, so off we went. The guy running the place was very helpful and went over numerous options. He showed me a wide range of bikes in all price ranges and didn't pressure me into a particular model, but one bike stood out, the Kona Hoss. It was on sale for $1k Canadian (which is pretty close to $1k US nowadays), so I was a bit dejected. I told the guy to give me a couple days to think about it and went home. On the way home my wife could see how much I wanted it and said that it was obvious to her that I'm serious about it and she wants me to get in shape and feel better about myself so if I wanted it, to give the guy a call and say I was coming down to get it! I called him up and asked if he could go any lower and he said he'd knock off another $100.

I raced down to the shop, patiently waiting while he fine tuned it for my specs and brought it home. 20 minutes later I did 5 laps around the mile long track and felt great. I've biked 5 miles the past three days and aside from some soreness from the saddle I feel awesome. I am so excited as i know this is a sport I will enjoy for many years.

I've been spending nearly every moment of work time searching these forums for info (I'm at work now haha), and am trying to find out as much as I can so I can set some realistic goals for myself. I'm thinking somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40-50 lbs by Christmas, but we'll see how it goes.

Just wanted to say hi, this is an awesome site, and I hope I can build up enough knowledge to contribute to newbies to the sport in the days to come!

[mezza]

Good luck with it!!

As for the sore butt, get some padded shorts. :)

Keep going big guy!!

[JumboRider]

That is great news, and a great wife! You are doing better then I am at this point. I am only at about 2 miles a shot, but it is getting better. The Hoss is a good bike.

[ebeck88]

Thanks for the welcome, much appreciated. I've read some of your blog jumborider, and it sounds like you're well on your way. Like I said, I've always played a lot of sports, and still do so I could probably do 10 miles and feel pretty good, I just don't want to burn myself out too much at the beginning. 322 lbs sounds like a lot (boy does it ever any time I write it down), but I'm 6'6 on a very large wide frame so it doesn't really inhibit me from doing much at this time, but I know as I get older it will cause me all sorts of health problems, and having a young child has really hit home the thought that I want to be around to see him grow up, so I know I have to make a change .

The one bit of wisdom I can give to any lurkers who are looking into taking up this sport is to really think long and hard where you want to buy your bike. I went to the store with the intention of finding the bike I liked and then searching for a deal on the internet or ebay. Talking to the owner of the shop showed me how important it is to build a relationship with someone who can not only provide advice but can fine tune the bike to fit your specific needs. I think this is well worth the little bit of money you might have saved by going the internet route. When I bought the bike it was close to closing time, and there were all sorts of riders coming in of all shapes, sizes and athletic ability to go for a ride with the owner of the shop as soon as the store closed. They were all so friendly and were congratulating me on my purchase and wishing me best of luck. You don't get that level of service on ebay!

[pj7]

The Kona-Hoss is an awesome bike! A few years ago (before the Clydesdale forum) we had a guy on here by the name PoweredByTRD who was on his way up towards 500lbs and he got one of them and it held him just fine. I actually considered a Hoss until I got a really god deal on my Giant Rainier.
Your weight loss goal sounds possible, but it will likely take a big change in the way you eat to reach it by Christmas. I commuted 25 miles a day for over a year and never really lost much weight (25lbs or so) until I started watching what I ate. then the pounds came melting off. I'm at 280 now, which is 80lbs less than when I first weighed myself, which is probably 20lbs less than I weighed at my heaviest (I was too afraid to step on a scale).
Good luck, and check out the posts and blog of Tom Stormcrow if you need inspiration.

[ebeck88]

I definitely am planning on incorporating a diet plan into my training regimen. I've been looking at fitday to track all of my caloric intake. My plan is to start tracking everything I eat for two weeks and see where I'm at. I'm not going to do anything too drastic - if my wife and I get a babysitter for a night I'm not going to be getting a salad, but I want to get to a point where i'm automatically making a healthy choice more often than not. I want it to be a lifestyle change, not just a change for a predetermined amount of time and then go nuts on the pizza and burgers. It'll be tough because my downfall has always been fatty foods, but we'll see where the road takes me.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

Welcome aboard!

[WhaleOil]

Hi ebeck88 (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=89739) and congrats!

You are a big step ahead of me as far as first rides! I remember, not long ago doing 1/2 mile and wishing I had a defibrillator! I did 7.something the other day in opressive humidity and was thrilled! I'll just pass along what others have told me: Don't count the miles at first, not the time, just ride and enjoy it! Distance, time and speed will come.

I zipped down a hill the other day and when I got back home, come to find out, the max speed was somewhere around 34 mph, definately speeding in that zone! Of course I had to climb to appreciate the wheeeeeeeeeee!

Some may think improvement for me came quickly but of course I think otherwise and am constantly pushing, maybe too much. My weight loss has kind of hit a wall recently but...you keep at it and like me and others like me you will acheive.

[chrisvu05]

Newbie here wanting to say hi to everyone. I've been lurking here the past couple weeks trying to take in as much info as I could. I haven't rode a bike in at least 5 years since I visited a friend in Banff and did a 30 km mountain bike trail a week after a bout of double pneumonia. The memory of that kept me from even thinking about cycling as a way to work myself into shape but was driving by a mile long track in my neighbourhood the other day and saw some cyclists and I instantly got it in my head that this is what i need to change my life.

A little bit about me - 33 years old, 6'6 322 lbs. I've always been into sports but since I got married 3 years ago, and especially since the birth of my son 20 months ago, I've put on a good 50 pounds. My wife and I both work 12 hour shifts at different times of the day and with the lack of time we've just been too busy and order out WAY too much. Couple that with a phobia of hitting a gym when I'm obviously not in ideal shape and I've been struggling to come up with a plan to lose weight.

I told my wife about how I wanted to get a bike and she said "that sounds good, I saw some on sale at Wal-Mart for $100". My hopes were instantly dashed as I realized I was going to have to explain that i was too big for the average bike and it would probably cost a bit more than that to get a bike I would be happy with and give me the best chance for success.

On Monday, we were out running errands and I asked her if she minded if we stopped at a bike shop so I could try out some bikes, so off we went. The guy running the place was very helpful and went over numerous options. He showed me a wide range of bikes in all price ranges and didn't pressure me into a particular model, but one bike stood out, the Kona Hoss. It was on sale for $1k Canadian (which is pretty close to $1k US nowadays), so I was a bit dejected. I told the guy to give me a couple days to think about it and went home. On the way home my wife could see how much I wanted it and said that it was obvious to her that I'm serious about it and she wants me to get in shape and feel better about myself so if I wanted it, to give the guy a call and say I was coming down to get it! I called him up and asked if he could go any lower and he said he'd knock off another $100.

I raced down to the shop, patiently waiting while he fine tuned it for my specs and brought it home. 20 minutes later I did 5 laps around the mile long track and felt great. I've biked 5 miles the past three days and aside from some soreness from the saddle I feel awesome. I am so excited as i know this is a sport I will enjoy for many years.

I've been spending nearly every moment of work time searching these forums for info (I'm at work now haha), and am trying to find out as much as I can so I can set some realistic goals for myself. I'm thinking somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40-50 lbs by Christmas, but we'll see how it goes.

Just wanted to say hi, this is an awesome site, and I hope I can build up enough knowledge to contribute to newbies to the sport in the days to come!

Congrats on the new bike! You should easily lose 40-50 lbs by Xmas if you dedicate yourself. I suggest weight watchers and an hour of riding or exercise 6-7 days a week. I started Weight Watchers on the first of May and have gone from 253 lbs to 225 lbs since then. I'm also riding 8-10 hours a week. Good luck in your quest!

[bautieri]

Congratulations and welcome to the forums. I'm new around here myself but so far everyone has been help full. You'll find the Clydes to be much more friendly than other sections of the forums, it only goes on to prove us larger guys are more jolly than the twigs. Maybe it has something to do with them being hungry, I don't know. If I was as hungry as some of them look, I might not be such a friendly person myself.

Anyways, when I was doing the power lifting routine, I found a book entitled "The Abs Diet". I wasn't interested in their workout as my own works quite well for me, but the eating plan is spot on. You will lose weight. Couple that with some inspirational readings and it certainly was well worth the 10 dollars I spent on it at half.com. :https://secure.rodalequickpay.com/uof/absdiet/index.html. Take it for what it is and remember that the hype surrounding the book is just marketing. Can I see my abs? Haven’t since high school. Do I want to? Sure. Will I ever? *shakes magic 8-ball* Unlikely.

[bdinger]

Rock on and welcome! I echo what the others said, watch the diet and the pounds will fly off. Plus, after a year or two watching the diet gets pretty easy, I'm to the point now where I don't really even have to consciously watch it. I usually "just know" what I can and cannot eat. There are times when it takes conscious effort not to go overboard, but I've gotten good at "listening" to my body.

Long story short, once you get into a good diet, the pounds just melt off. My fiancee and I lost a total of 13 pounds last week, just by watching what we eat and exercise. She's waay closer to being tiny than I am, only having like 30 pounds to lose.. but hey :).

ANyway, keep enjoying it, and post some pics of your ride!!

[steve2k]

Welcome ebeck88.
As you already know, this is a great forum for getting advice and sharing your experiences, a friendly 'well done' from someone in a similar situation is great for keeping up the morale.

I found that if I commute to work (5 miles each way) then I'm able to enjoy my cycling without it taking time away from my 11 month old son. If you're lucky enough to work close to home, it's a great way to get to work and I get to feel smug all day.

Cycling is also a great way to spend time with your wife and son. You can get child seats/trailers, get your wife a bike and it's a great way to enjoy the fresh air, it's amazing how quickly 10 miles can pass when you're chatting and pedaling.

I also found it good to set myself a cycling goal, a friend and I signed up for a 100km ride and gave ourselves 4 months to get ready. It was a hard day, but a great sense of achievement and the memory of the pain soon vanishes, we're now looking the next challenge.

Finally, my friend and I started logging our miles on www.mycyclinglog.com (http://www.mycyclinglog.com) as a way of keeping each other motivated (we live about an hour apart so couldn't meet up too often). It's surprisingly nice to see your miles creep up, I'm at 511 miles this year and am hoping to catch his 530 by early next week. I'll be adding 5 miles to my total in about an hour when I cycle home :)

[ebeck88]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, great to find a place with people who know how it is for a big rider.

Bautieri, I actually read about the Abs diet on another forum and found a copy on ebay for $2 so I'm definitely going to look into it.

I live about 8-9 miles away from work and am lucky enough for almost the entire ride to be along a scenic riverfront bike path, so I definitely am going to do that once I get going a little more.

My wife is very excited for me and she said if i keep at it she wants to get one for herself so she can join me. She's put on some weight since we got married as well and while she regularly goes to the gym she's been unable to take much off and is getting frustrated. We both know the importance of diet and it will be the most challenging for us, but once she sees me drop 10 pounds through hard work she will be as motivated as I am. She's been trying to get me moving for the last year or so, so i have no doubt she will work just as hard as I plan on doing. I told her about fitday, and how we could keep track of everything we eat pretty easily and she was pretty excited, because she knows how that handful of crackers or quick snack can easily be forgotten and then you wonder why you're not losing anything.

Quick question for those that are using fitday to log your eating - everyone do it for free online or anybody actually purchase the software? I don't mind paying $30 if there is a significant difference so I'm hoping someone has used both the online version and the software and wouldn't mind giving me their thought. Thanks again!

[JumboRider]

Just online for me at this time.

[halcpa]

Great bike. Good decision not to buy the $100 crap-o bike. Millions of them collecting dust in garages.

[adrien]

You in Ottawa? That river ride is NICE...

I was in a similar spot to you, though my weight never went much above 240 or so. Bought an MTB with a thought to getting in shape and having my daughter with me (got a trailer -- much better and safer than the car seats, BTW). When I started there was a hill near the house that I had trouble getting up. 2 years and 4k miles later, i can go up it on the top ring on the Kona JTS, which is a cross bike.

This sport rocks, and is great fun, and the people are unbelievably nice.

As a side-effect, my daughter announced to me the other day that she was going to ride to work with me...on her tricycle (it's 19 miles up a hill...). She soent the last 2 years in the trailer and enjoying the time with us, biking out to picnics, etc. It's an awesome thing.

Oh, and your wife rocks.

Mine made an interesting comment when I got into bike commuting and longer distances, and wanted something faster (hence the JTS...Kona makes great bikes). she said that it was better for my mental health than for my physical health.

Finally...don't get discouraged if your weight loss plateaus. You'll be cghanging the balance of fat and muscle in your body, and muscle weighs way more. I lost 2 inches of waist, and my face is much less puffy. And I ended up losing almost no weight...my thighs are now oddly oversized.

[adrien]

one more thought -- consider an HRM. It will help teach you to keep your heart rate in the best "zone" for weight loss and training.

[ebeck88]

The Ottawa river is nice, but I'm across the river from Detroit, which surprisingly is a very nice skyline to look at. On our side of the river we have parkland along the river in most of the downtown area which stretches for miles. Very nice and heavily used, so I definitely will be using it to my advantage as soon as I get my endurance up enough to do it. In the short time I've been looking into this sport the amount of genuinely nice people who root for you is really surprising and will be of great help when I inevitably plateau or hit a rough patch in my training.

[BeerBiker]

one more thought -- consider an HRM. It will help teach you to keep your heart rate in the best "zone" for weight loss and training.I never could get comfortable with the HRM and my man boobs.:mad:

Mark

[avmanansala]

Outstanding! Keep it up, soon the miles will rack up, the pounds will drop off! It's working for me. :)

[BeerBiker]

The Ottawa river is nice, but I'm across the river from Detroit, which surprisingly is a very nice skyline to look at. On our side of the river we have parkland along the river in most of the downtown area which stretches for miles. Very nice and heavily used, so I definitely will be using it to my advantage as soon as I get my endurance up enough to do it. In the short time I've been looking into this sport the amount of genuinely nice people who root for you is really surprising and will be of great help when I inevitably plateau or hit a rough patch in my training. I'm an advocate for finding you a local, recreational bike club. I've been a member for several years now, served as club president, ride chair, chief cook and bottle washer and had a fantastic time doing it. I got my current job because of my bike club membership, my realtor is a club member and I find that my closest friends are bike club members. They're just some of the nicest people you can meet. I think having a common interest is only a small part of it. They are happier because they are in shape and enjoying the outdoors. All that vitamin D from sunlight, I think. I really reccomend you start looking around for a group to join up with. It's a great investment.

Mark

[adrien]

I never could get comfortable with the HRM and my man boobs.:mad:

Mark

hmmm...it's not like the shorts are flattering :o

[BeerBiker]

hmmm...it's not like the shorts are flattering :o
No, not the looks, just trying to get the strap where it needs to be and keep it there.... Then, at the end of the day, wondering where it went as it seemingly disappeared.:eek:

Mark