Taken by my wife at 6:45am - I can see by the side shot picture my bike is way too small. Seeing myself on a bike is pretty depressing I must say its not a flattering position to be in. Plus my wife snapped a picture of my ***** so that wasn't fun. I'll spare you from seeing that.

I need someone to say...
"Gosh, you look like you're 250 not 350"

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1373/1346237373_9c2b415c00.jpg?v=0"

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/1346238427_5eeb02bfa5.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1126/1346235763_2bfc5d23f1.jpg?v=0

You look great! You must be quite tall, if you weigh 350. It actually looks like you've got the seat too high - you leg looks completely straight. Too high or too low can hurt your knees. It's harder to say about the top tube length being the wrong size... maybe someone else can comment on that.

I was thinking that, too, Becky, but it does look slightly bent. Hard to see it. When you're at the very bottom of a stroke, and you're coasting, your down leg is sometimes very* slightly bent if you're putting weight on the down leg.

But you're right--my initial reaction is the same.

Are you rocking as you pedal, LessEverything? You should be able to stay completely still as you pedal in your easiest gear.

I guess that depends on where my foot is on the pedal. I wear a size 15 - 6e (width) shoe. So if the pedal is on the ball of my foot than my heal can sag/dangle/hang of the back of the pedal and my knee is close to straight. If I move the pedal to the middle of my foot I have tons of bend in my knee. I change foot position depending on how I am riding, fast (fast for me atleast) or just cruising around.

@Becky, thanks for the nice comment :), but seeing myself on a bike isn't pretty. Height = 6'4, I've been over 300 pounds since I was 16 (ten years now).

Looks good! Kudos on taking the urchin in the trailer!

If you can put the middle of your foot on the pedal with your knee bent, and drop your heal with your leg straight while the ball of your foot is over the pedal spindle, your saddle is not too high.

But that frame looks too small - you're all bunched up, even with that very upright stem and how far it sticks out of the head tube.

You don't look 350 (I would probably peg ya at 270 or so) though don't take that as an excuse to plop on the couch, open the bag of chips and hug a six pack ;)

I know I've probably gained the most weight back when people tell me I look good. I don't change much but I guess whatever I do catches up in a jiffy!

And awesome about the trailer :) I love it when I see people trailing their kids or dogs behind them!

Just think how skinny you'll be a year from now!;) The Mrs is going to have to follow you with a club!

I need someone to say...
"Gosh, you look like you're 250 not 350"

This made me think of patronizing things people say.

How 'bout this one: "You're just big-boned!"

Or my mom's favorite euphemism for "fat": heavy-set ("Oh he's just heavy-set, that's all)

You look like you carry weight like I do...in proportion and all over. I would not have pegged you at 350 and most people underestimate my weight too.

I would agree with what has been posted above by genejockey...it doesn't look like your seat height is off much, if any, but you look cramped and like you need a bigger frame. You are several inches taller than I am but you look like I probably would if I got on my kid's 24 inch wheel bike.

Very cute kid, btw. ;)

You look like you carry weight like I do...in proportion and all over.)

All my weight goes straight to my gut.

Are you about 6'4" or 6'5"? From the pix I wouldn't have pegged you for over 300. I had a friend in college who was 6'5" and 330 pounds, but he was built similar: Just big all throughout. The guy wore a size 9 3/4 hat for goodness sake. Couple that with his 54" chest and 46" waist, and you can manage a lot of weight without it looking like you're carrying too much.
I'm not that lucky with the distribustion. The beer trucks don't leave the central hub all too often in my case, so I get (got) paunchy around the middle.

Dude, you're just a big boy! Really you don't look fat, just big. I can see where your lats separate from your sides. A sign of big not fat! I'm not gay or nuthin' but you're a good looki' dude too! Nothing to worry about!

For the record, I weigh 240, not as much as you but I feel like a big blob on my bike. I go down to 220 and feel the same. A few years back, Iwent down to 190, AND still saw myself the same. I think it's more that we don't see ourselves the way others do. Like I said though, I'm not gay!:D

less, overall you look good. but, man you look sooooooo cramped up on that frame. i am 6'1" and i ride on a 59 cm road frame with a looooonnnnnngggg top tube. since you are two or three inches taller than i, i'm thinking your next bike should be a much larger frame.... like that schwinn you were looking at... i think the steel frame on that one would have no issues with 300 and you would get many, many fast and happy miles out of it....

but whatever you get.... get a larger frameset than you are now riding. you will not believe the difference....

be well,

jim

We are about the same size I'm 6'5" and about 315. The trick is stop caring what people think about how you look and ride. I'm old and big and other riders often thing that I won't be able to keep up. This year I will ride over 3000 kms including a week long tour where I was often in the group of first riders finishing each day.

Maybe I'm wrong but I'm assuming you are just starting out so if I could be so bold as to offer you some tips.

-You will never look like a biker so stop caring what you look like, my son who is "only" 230 pounds and 6'6" looks like a Guerilla on a bike and has had some "roadies laugh at him on a ride, he returned the favour when he blew by them.

-Hills will always be a challenge. If you have to walk up, walk up. You will fly down.

-At the first opportunity get a bike that fits, yours is too small. In stock frames Aluminum will be less flexable then steel. With your weight most stock steel frames will move around like a noodle.

-Don't be afraid to wear spandex, it works, ( I do stay away from the tight loud Jerseys)

-Ride as often as you can with your kids, it is way cool.

-Above all ride. For us big guys riding is one of the best forms of exercise. Easy on the knees and joints.

Good Luck

Thanks so much for the kind words, I need to up my mileage and lose 80 pounds. Slow and steady wins the race, i've lost about 65 in the past 10 month. My goal is to lose 2-3 pounds per month, easy goal, it might take a couple years to get in shape but whats the rush?

I am looking at larger road bikes, wish me good luck.