Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Starting weight & Starting Bike

Hey guys

Thanks for all your replies on my other topic “Fat Man Needs Help”. :beer:
It’s really humbling to know that there are so many of us proper sized guys and gals out there taking to two wheels without shame!

I’ve now taken some time and I’ve had a look through all the old posts and there’s some real gold dust out there, all of which I’m taking on board (and for which I thank you!). However there doesn’t seem to be a definitive guide on specific makes and models – no doubt because everyone’s got their own opinions and different uses for their steel-framed friend.

So how about I humbly ask all you guys to reply to this post and just put:

A) Your starting weight, and
B) Your starting bike

It’d probably be helpful if you also mention any upgrades you made to make it fit for purposes, but that then give me (and anyone else who wants it) a pretty good idea of which makes and models to steer towards.

And if I’ve missed a similar post elsewhere then just shoot me in the head and post a link! :crash:

Andy

Andy,

I really don't think the brand is a big deal, I ride Jamis bikes, because that was the only LBS that treated me decent. I thought I wanted a TREK, but was treated like crap, so I kept going to different places. Understand that I have to drive an hour to get to the city where they actually have bike shops, so mine is not really an LBS. I found someone who would talk to me about bikes and understand that I was getting back to riding after a 20+ year lifestyle away from it.

If you are serious about making the change and riding seriously, I would check the LBS's in you area and tell them what you want to do and see what they will do for you.

Post where you live, and others in the area might be able to head you towards a bike store that they have had good luck with.

I don't remember my weight when I started back to biking, but I wanted a road bike and not a hybrid or comfort bike. Now, I own a comfort bike, to ride with my wife when I just want to take it easy or ride the trails with another couple. Not for great exercise, but to ride slowly and enjoy life.

Second ride down, riding my old Peugeot. I'm weighing in around 245. No real mods, it's just what I have.
Don

Hey guys

Thanks for all your replies on my other topic “Fat Man Needs Help”. :beer:
It’s really humbling to know that there are so many of us proper sized guys and gals out there taking to two wheels without shame!

I’ve now taken some time and I’ve had a look through all the old posts and there’s some real gold dust out there, all of which I’m taking on board (and for which I thank you!). However there doesn’t seem to be a definitive guide on specific makes and models – no doubt because everyone’s got their own opinions and different uses for their steel-framed friend.

So how about I humbly ask all you guys to reply to this post and just put:

A) Your starting weight, and
B) Your starting bike

It’d probably be helpful if you also mention any upgrades you made to make it fit for purposes, but that then give me (and anyone else who wants it) a pretty good idea of which makes and models to steer towards.

And if I’ve missed a similar post elsewhere then just shoot me in the head and post a link! :crash:

Andy

2007 Trek Navigator, a so-called "comfort bike"
Weight (mine, not the bike), 280 pounds.

Alterations made during the time it was my primary bike:
- lowered handlebars
- replaced suspension seatpost with straight seatpost
- replaced saddle
- added Kneesaver crankarm extenders
- added rear rack
- added, then removed clipless pedals
- replaced spring in fork with stronger one (the front suspension was eating up the energy in my pedal stroke)

It was my first bike, but it was a poor choice considering the sort of cyclist I became. I still can't believe I rode two metric centuries on it.

Getting back into it after 15 year layoiff.

A) 230-235
B) Specialized Tarmac Expert Ultegra (stock)

A) 6/2006: 375 now: 300
B) Trek 7300 hybrid \ also ride Cannondale CAAD9

Starting weight: 236lbs
Starting Ride: 2007 Raleigh Mojave 2.0

Upgrades: Front fork from Suntour S2000 to 2007 Rock Shox Dart 3 w/lock out
Generic Nylon Pedals to Nashbar alloy pedals with teeth.

Reasons for upgrades: The front fork that came on my bicycle would constantly bottom out and bob when riding uphill. Its ability to absorb bumps was nill as it was sprung far too light. A 120lber would be able to bottom this fork out. I upgraded the pedals to a more aggressive alloy set because my feet would slip off the nylon platforms, especially when they got wet. It was the best 6 dollars I ever spent for wet weather confidence.

Other goodies: Trek seat bag
Front and rear lights
Kendra Kross Plus commuter tires
extra tubes
frame and floor pump
patch kit
multi tool
water bottle and cage

These extra goodies are really necessities should you find yourself traveling further from home than you would like to walk. It happened to me once when I got hasty and forgot to put my seat bag back on when my bike came back from the shop, I was 11 miles from home when I had a blow out. 95 degrees out + no cell phone + no wallet + no patch kit = one long walk home.

Bau

A) 6/2006: 375 now: 300
B) Trek 7300 hybrid \ also ride Cannondale CAAD9

That's really interesting to know, thanks. Espeicially as I'm in that kind of ballpark myself!

Did you have to do anything to the Trek or did it do the job straight off the shelf?

I ask because I've checked out my local suppliers online and that model is reatailing at only £350 / $700... and that is peanuts compared to some of the others I've looked at (£1,500 / $3,000 for a Giant?!!)

Started weight 355lbs
Started riding a Trek Navigator which was stock

Currently weight 218lbs
Currently riding a Trek Pilot which is stock besides saddle.

Starting Weight: 6'4" - 287 - March '07 (Taking Atenolol and Altace)
Starting Bike: Specialized Roubaix

Feb. 6, 08 : 6'4" - 205 (As of yesterday NO blood pressure pills)
Current Bike: Orbea Opal

I just started and have yet to hit full speed.

Start 270lbs.
1) Orbea Onix
2) Bridgestone 500 (mainly for indoor training)
3) Puegot MTB

After gaining about 60 or perhaps 80lbs over 3 years when I moved to Texas from Connecticut and got back to driving. May 07' my wife got herself a bike so I got myself a steel fuju touring bike last may which was quickly upgrade to an xtracycle for shopping purposes. Used 700x32 Marathon Plus tires on hand built 36 spoke wheels with a touring rim. I've had the rear wheel trued about 3x in 4k miles but I beat the crap out of them weight and road wise.

Currently I'm still trying to get back under 260, I've been stuck at 26# for a couple months. Got an old ti merlin road bike in the last week of December 07' for my birthday. Came with a pair of old 32 spoke CPX30 wheels similar to deep V's which haven't wavered at all even after the front one got sucked into a expansion joint so no need to upgrade those.

Approaching 1k on it and the only problem I've had was with the bottom bracket. I think my LBS fixed it up right this time with a little superglue to stop the bearings from sliding loose.

I did change both saddles though. Terri Liberator on the Fuji and a Specialized Alias on the Merlin.

Starter weight 458 pounds
First starter bike, an old Schwinn, 26" cruiser tired 10 speed and it was too small for me.

I got a Royce Union mountain bike to replace it, and it lasted me about a year, and is still going because I passed it on as a gift to a local Athena that wanted to take up riding but couldn't afford a bike. It's getting good use too. ;)

Bikes I've owned, and weights I was:

205 to 250 pounds: 1991 Trek 2100 (carbon tubes on aluminum fork/stays/lugs)
- Profile clip-on aerobar
- speed shifters on aeros
- Aerospoke wheels
- behind the seat bottle cages
- raced tri's on it at 205, rode distance on it up to 250

205 to 265 back to 235 pounds: 1991 Stumpjumper Team (rigid frame/fork)
- M545 SPD pedals
- Profile bar-ends
- Salsa stem
- Thompson post
- Brooks B-17
- buncha tires and rims and rings and cassettes and chains

235 pounds (current): 2008 Surly Cross-Check Complete
- Generic stem (to pro-fitting measurements)
- Brooks B-17 (cannibalized from the Stumpie)
- M545 SPD pedals (also from Stumpie)
- currently logging 400 miles/month on it with stock gearing. Swapping 36t for 34t ring, and 11-25t for 11-27t cassette.

Starting weight: 275 (125kg) currently 245
Starting bike: Giant Bouldershock (approx 2000), no mods. I put road tyres on it after a few months, the knobblies sapped my energy on the road.

This year I bought a ridgeback velocity (uk bike), it's a hybrid and I'm pleased with it, it's a breeze to ride compared to my mountainbike, it's faster with the same amount of effort.
I've had to replace a couple of spokes over the year (and 1400 miles), but I bounce over speedbumps/potholes with full panniers on my commute, so I guess it's to be expected
I added mud guards, panniers and touring bars.

A couple of things to note as I see you're in the UK.
1) If you're going to commute ("Fat Man needs help" post suggest you may), see if you can get the bike through your employer (bike2work scheme). They basically buy the bike for you and then lease it to you for a year. At the end of the year you can buy it from them for a nominal value. Why this is good: - you don't pay VAT, you company can claim it back. - the lease and final payment come from your pre-tax earnings. So if you're a 40% tax payer you can save about 50% on the price of a bike. Oh, you can also get bike related stuff on the scheme too, locks, panniers, lights, clothing etc.

2) If you're looking for some motivation there are a couple of nice south coast rides.
- Round the Harbours (early June) is a 32 mile ride around Portsmouth with a couple of short ferry rides. It's organised by the BHF and is a fun ride, PM me if you want some company I'll be doing it this year.
- CycleIsland.co.uk is a 100km ride around the Isle of Wight in early May (also one in September I think). This is a bit more of a challenge and the Isle of wight isn't flat, but it's a great day and it proved great motivation for me to get on my bike last year and train.

All the best,
Steve

18 stone 5, now just over 16 and a half

Started on this

Ribble 7005 Winter Training/Audax Sora 8 Triple

- Horizontal top tube geometry
- Shimano Sora 8spd Triple groupset
- Terry Dolan ‘The master craftsman’ Frame design
- Individually hand built wheels. Sora 8 on Mavic Open Sport with stainless steel double butted spokes
- Alpina Carbon Forks with Integral Hidden Headset
- Deda Big Piega Oversize bars
- Deda Quattro 4 bolt oversize stem
- Selle Italia XO Transam Saddle
- CSN Alloy Seatpillar
- Continental UltraSport Kevlar 700x23 black Tyres
- Zefal Competition chromoplastic mudguards included in price.

Before ordering please use our 'Frame Size Help' within the 'bikebuilder' section of our site to ensure you order the correct size.

Price inc. VAT: £385.00
Price exc. VAT: £327.66

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/list2.asp?D=X&Cat=RIBBLE

I did have a Galaxy and I got reid of the Mountain Bike, rubbish for on road stuff

I got rid of the Mountain Bike, rubbish for on road stuff
Agreed, my mountain bike only gets used when I'm going off road. It just isn't as enjoyable riding it on the road compared to a more road oriented bike.

First bike: Trek 7300, perfect combination for speed, comfort, roll resistance, and wallet for a bigger guy just starting out. Added better gel saddle, trekking bars, Aerospoke rear wheel (no more broken spokes!!!!). Started at 500mi/year and 252 lbs., now at 1700mi/year, 219 lbs (and 49 yrs. old). Bike has 4000+ miles, I'm ready for an upgrade (looking at some steel-framed touring/road bikes).

Starting weight: 260-265

Starting Bike: Felt F1X cross bike
Mods: Road tires
needs:better brake pads
problems: brakes suck as configured, for a bigger person
likes: wheels seem pretty bombproof even after several curb-checks and nasty potholes, good component set for the price

Started @223 Lbs, with a 83 Nishiki Sport 12 speed.
500 miles this year, now 219 lbs.

At 280 I've ridden:

Lower-end bike shop mountain bike
Nishiki Sport
Downtube Folding bike (no suspension)
Russian Folding bike from the 60's (smallest and heaviest bike in the stable).

Biggest mods were raising the handlebars on all of them to alleviate wrist pain. The Nishiki (road bike) needs stronger wheels than what was on there.

If you haven't read the first few paragraphs from the link in my sig - any frame will hold you, it's the wheels you'll have to pay most attention to.

If you have little flexibility you may be more comfortable on a mountain bike/touring/cyclocross bike to start off with to have a bit more upright riding position. Stay away from racing frames as they tend to have geometry geared towards the most power but not necessarily comfort. In my sig there's a few good threads on the differences between bikes with pros and cons.

starting bike cannondale caad1 mountain bike @ 295 lbs
2 sets of rims. one set for on and 2nd for off road
i originally got this as a present 10 yrs ago for my 15th birthday but started riding road serioous last summer.

then: 07 fuji professional 2.0 full carbon. bought that when i was still 280
only change, terry fly ti seat for my big *****

now: still the 07 fuji and now a 03 NORCO vps shore for off road.
my cannondale is now my commuter bike. currently 255 lbs
the cannondale now has a road crank.

Then: 225ish, Trek 2300

Now: 203ish, Blue RC4 Al

Starting weight, 275-280 ish.

Starting bike, '75 Schwinn Continential.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c263/cubtime100/DSCN0768.jpg

Starting weight, 215lbs

bike 2007 Giant FCR1

Starting weight: 320 pounds
Starting Bike: Gary Fisher Advance MTB (2006), customized before I got it with a Surley solid front fork (suspension wasn't needed for the Katy Trail and doesn't stand up too well for a Clyde).

Still got it 2,500 miles later (and 70 pounds later).

Starting weight: 338
Bike: 1977 Schwinn Speedster SA 3speed

Main commuter: 07 Giant Yukon

2500 miles down since August 07, weight: 265

Starting weight: 397 lbs
Bike: Specialized Hardrock Bought from a pawn shop. Replaced knobbys for pavement tread.

Current weight: 379 lbs and the bike is still going fine.

Cheers Guys - I can't tell you how useful this is for me!

Keep 'em comin!

Starting Weight: 353 lbs
Current Weight: 335 lbs
Starting Bike: Trek 7100 (Rear wheel upgraded after popping four spokes)

Starting weight: 235
Bike: Specialized hard tail mtb

Current weight: 230 ish
Bike: Kona JTS

No real weight loss -- but I didn't really want any. It's in different places now -- i have a much smaller gut and much bigger legs, and my BP has gone from borderline to very good, and i have more stamina.

Mods -- the big one is wheels. Over 200 pounds, weight on the wheels is a lot of strain, and if you ride hard (standing climbs, etc.) you are unlikely to have a good experience with stock wheels. I had a custom velocity aerohead rear made for my MTB and a set of deep-vs for the JTS.

Starting 255lbs
Now 210lbs and slowly falling

Bike: Fetish Cycles Discipline slick-tired commuter MTB is my main ride.

Cheers & ride on :)

Starting weight: 225 October 07

Bike: Specialized Sequoia

Current weight: 206 "Oh so close to not being a Clyde"

Starting weight: 350-Trek 7200
2 years and 7,900 miles later...
Today's weight: 350-Co-Motion Mazama

It's not all about weight, my health and muscle tone have increased considerably.

Starting weight: ~240lbs
Bike: 2006 Jamis Ventura Elite

I'm just starting riding and going to the gym, again. all the work i do at the gym means i wont lose much weight, but it will be replaced by muscle. goal is 210. we'll see how long it takes me to get there.

oh, and i'm new here. Hi

Starting weight: 270ish
Bikes: I started on a freebie 70's model Fuji Touring bike with a bent head tube. I then purchased a 07' Felt Q720 hardtail mountain bike. Once I decided I like riding greenway trails, I picked up my new ride, an 08 Raleigh Detour Deluxe
Current Weight: 217ish

My wife who is an athena (we'll leave it at that or I'll be sleeping on the couch), just got a Scott Sportster.

Bikes are such a personal thing it is hard to tell you what will be your best fit. My advice is go talk to your LBSs and when you find a shop you like, find a bike from the lines they carry that suits the type of riding you plan to be doing. If you stick with biking you will probably end up with 3-4 bikes so even if the first one isn't "perfect" it will be fine to ride until you figure out what you want from a next bike.

My bikes are all pretty much stock, but my wife wanted a wider saddle so we swapped out saddles before her bike left the shop.

Good luck, and we want pics whenever you decide wha to get!

^^ i already have the bike. Its just too GD cold out to ride it now. it was 8 this morning. F that. I cant put up pics yet cause i dont have a camera.

Starting weight 325
Starting Bike Centurion - Dave Scott Expert (Stolen... I'm still trying to replace it)

at 300 I got a 2001 Giant OCR 3 to replace to stolen centurion rode it all last year
and commuted on a schwinn high-plains rigid MTB

Recently at 245 I've added
2007 specialized roubaix elite (upgraded crank and brakes) as a reward for loosing weight
Surly LHT with the parts of the giant to haul groceries and hopefully tour with
Old nishiki olympic fixed gear conversion (Primary commuter)
Trek 820 (currently rebuilding as single speed) for nasty weather commuting.

Starting Weight = 299 lbs
Bike = Giant Hybrid Sedona

Current Weight = 201 lbs
"Bike" = Trice Q Trike

(Though the energy expended in riding helps in weight loss, for me it was more a matter of motivation. The more weight I lost the more fun it was to ride so all that stuff about changing eating habits was well worth the bother.)

When I was commuting up to 10 miles each way I was doing good. After changing residence (shorter commute) and then jobs (no commute at all) I started ballooning up. Now I'm commuting again (just a short one though) I've noticed not only the weight but the fact I've gotten weaker.

Time to do it. Time to commit to losing the weight and becoming stronger.
Starting weight: 230 + (don't have a scale I'll edit when I weigh in, I used to be 197 when doing longer commutes) 5' 10"
Starting bike: Iron Horse Urban (my wife bought it for me from Sports Authority after I broke the bb on my vintage Fuji Sagres).
Mods: Rear rack (keep losing the left side bolt), replaced rear wheel with one from Huffy mtb when half the spokes popped after mashing down on the pedals at a intersection with a slight incline two weeks after purchase and about 500 miles later (Sports Authority looked like they had a bike service dept. but didn't have any dedicated personel at the store she bought it from, the one that did have a service dept gave me a lot of hassle. Even with the receipt they didn't believe that someone would put that much wear and tear on one of their bikes in such a short time, I did the math for them, 20 miles a day commutes plus grocery and misc. runs, plus joy rides on days off along Buffalo Bayou).

I'm planning to use Uncle Suger's tax rebate check to get an entry level road bike

hard to say..... starting weight when I got out of the navy and started riding cycles.... about 210 (in 1974)

rode my entire adult life at somewhere from 220-250.......during some non cycling years, about 5 years ago managed to get up to 305.....

am now 55 and commuting to work (26 mi round trip) when weather allows .......I did the Pan Mass challenge the last two years and was in the low 250's (5'11") .... I'm up over 260 now that winter has set in, but also back out riding...... my goal is 240-ish but I really don't care about the weight as much as just feeling great.

my bikes: single speed 1983 team fuji (I love that bike) and cannondale 400 flat bar hybrid with a decent set of Vista wheels for long hauls.

about the 3rd day I rode a bike as an adult, I learned to true spokes and build wheels. a very handy skill for we gravitationally challenged types.

Starting Weight: 380 pounds
Starting Bike: 2005 Trek Navigator 300 (upgrades over time: bar ends, clipless pedals)

Now: 310ish pounds
bike: Trek 520 (Steel touring road bike)

1985--1986
260-240 pounds
Raleigh Technium Sport (broke)

1986--1995
270--250 pounds
Raleigh Technium (broke)

1995--1997
250-240 pounds
Cannondale Black Lightning (still have--uncomfortable for long rides)

<10-year hiatus>

2006--present
318--255 pounds
Kuota Kharma (love it)

I've "been on hiatus," too. I was pretty serious about racing in the late 80's, until I popped a knee in 1991. Since then, I've made several abortive attempts to get back into cycling, but I consistently packed on weight, rising from about 163 pounds (racing weight) to around 245.

Last year, I did pretty well during the summer, dropping to about 229 or so, but the time change and other commitments brought the pounds back on over the past 3 months.

I've ridden about once per week over the past month, and the last 4 days straight since the temperature has come up here in North Florida. I think the key is getting the "cycling habit" started again. Don't make excuses for NOT riding, just GET OUT there in the fastest way possible before you have time to think about reasons you shouldn't. At least, that's my method.

Current weight: 248
Bikes: Gary V Titanio, 1999 Casati Ellisse, 1995 Cinelli Supercorsa, 1981 Pogliaghi Italcourse, 1990 Eddy Merckx 7-Eleven Team bike (belonged to Urs Zimmerman), 2007 Surly Pugsley, 2005 Cinelli Softmachine (hardtail)

Good luck all! The season is at hand!

Michael
http://www.oldfartcycling.org/

I've been riding for a long time, so many bikes.
Starting weight 325 and 6'4" with 29 inch inseam (weird, weird build)

Second last bike Cannondale Killer V lots of modifications.
New bike full custom "True North" http://www.truenorthcycles.com/ steel frame, best thing I've ever purchased.

Things I've learned: 36 hole wheels only
Shimano hubs (XT, LX) work well
The only Carbon "Fiber" a Clyde needs is in his diet.
Stock steel frames are really flexy.
Aluminum (stock) seems to work better.
My frame builder says stay away from Titanium for a big guy. Too whippy.
If you can afford it go custom with a good builder, not a day goes by that I don't smile when I ride my new bike.

My frame builder says stay away from Titanium for a big guy. Too whippy.


You know, I'm not as big as you are, but I haven't found Ti to be very whippy. There are a few builders who can make Ti very, very stiff. For example, my Gary V is a rather stiff bike. The "aero" version of this frame is even stiffer. Serotta's Ti bikes, e.g., the Legend Ti for sale on their forum now, can be made extremely stiff as well.

Too many people remember the Teledyne Titan, I suppose, which gives Ti it's "whippy" name.

In general, I agree that stock aluminum is stiffer, but isn't it a function of the tubing diameter in comparison to that of stock Ti and Steel bikes? Given aluminum's stress and failure characteristics, while I'll ride it, I'm not exactly excited about it. Of course, this is coming from someone who owns--and rides--a Vitus 979.

I've been riding for a long time, so many bikes.
Starting weight 325 and 6'4" with 29 inch inseam (weird, weird build)

Second last bike Cannondale Killer V lots of modifications.
New bike full custom "True North" http://www.truenorthcycles.com/ steel frame, best thing I've ever purchased.

Things I've learned: 36 hole wheels only
Shimano hubs (XT, LX) work well
The only Carbon "Fiber" a Clyde needs is in his diet.
Stock steel frames are really flexy.
Aluminum (stock) seems to work better.
My frame builder says stay away from Titanium for a big guy. Too whippy.
If you can afford it go custom with a good builder, not a day goes by that I don't smile when I ride my new bike.

Sitffness is not an attribute of frame material, it's an attribute of frame design. aluminum (AL) frames are stiff, because the tubes are so much larger diameter, often 2-3 times the diameter of a steel frame tube. Aluminum needs to be stiff, because if aluminum flexes too much, it will break. The real issue is that AL frames are often too stiff.

Titanium (Ti) is actually the best of both worlds, the strength of steel, and the weight of aluminum, the problem is that up until very recently, it was very expensive to extract Ti oar from the surrounding material, making it very expensive. There are new techniques that should make it cheaper though, and that may give frame builders some new options, on making a Ti frame that is stiffer.....

First post, but this is a subject i actually can comment on. I've always lifted weights, but was a soft 247lbs with zero stamina, started riding Trek hybrid, a 7000 series i think, worked great till it was stolen. But i got the bug when i saw how fast the roadies were, so i traded up, got last season's Trek 1500, Ultegra, Aluminum frame, etc. and when i started taking 'training' rides (>1.5hrs with intensity and intervals) I'm now the fit guy at 190lbs, in 4-5months. Now, i have to eat like a horse(clydesdale) to keep weight on. Never liked the clydesdale term.

I can not remember not owning a bike, so I won't bore you with all my rides.

Last summer at 250 lbs I started commuting part way to work, on a Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo mountain bike. Built a dedicated commuter out of a mid 80s Rock Hopper. And fooled around with an 89 Trek 400 and a 72 Schwinn Continental along the way. Managed to log about 1500 miles and lost 15 pounds by year end.

I sold the Rockhopper, Continental and Trek to built up funds to buy a 06 Bianchi Axis which I will use as my commuter this year, but have only logged trainer miles since before Xmas and am hovering at 230 ish.

Starting weight 240
Starting bike 1986 Diamondback Ascent Moutainbike

I've always owned at least one bike since I was about 5 years old. However, between my 18th birthday and my 48th birthday, I only averaged about 10 miles a year. Last September when I turned 48, I was in the process of rebuilding a 1986 Diamondback Ascent MTB that I had picked up earlier in the month for $40 to replace the '97 Diamoindback Outlook DX (with extremely low mileage) I had given to my oldest son. After all, why did I need the newer bike? I only rode 10 miles per year.

As I cleaned, lubed and tuned the old MTB, I took it on test rides to see how it was progressing. The test rides got longer and more frequent. Then I was riding just to ride. 4 to 5 mile rides 3 times a week in October, 5 to 7 mile rides 4 times a week in November and by December riding virtually every day. Recently added a road bike (1977 Schwinn LeTour II rescued from the trash) and have combined mileage of 850+ since September. I've even dropped 10 lbs. in the process. Last weekend I did a 20 mile ride and still felt great at the end. That is something I never thought I would be able to do.