Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Help the NewB!

After moving from a college town to the suburbia, the scenery at the local gym isn't what I'm used to. Additionally, the weather in NorCal is too nice to stay inside for a workout. My current bike is a hand me down mountain bike which was purchased in 1988. I'm currently 6-3 250 and looking to lose 20-30 pounds.

So here are my questions:
What's lbs? Is it local bike store?
For those who have lost a lot of weight, what was your initial training regimen and how did it evolve as you lost weight?
I've thought about getting a hybrid bike, one local store showed me a Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra and a Trek 7.6fx. Thoughts on these two bikes? I've seen some people recommend bikes for other people from smaller companies, but I'd like to purchase in the Sacramento area w/o traveling to the bay area.
What questions should I ask the store when looking at bikes?
What are the must have accessories besides a helmet?

Thanks,
Bruce

Welcome to BF. What do you need help with?

Hi, Bruce,
I just got started in February, so I may miss some things...
First, you're right, LBS = Local Bicycle Shop/Store. Second, my training regimen for now is to just get on the bike and ride - I'm now to the point where the 20 miles I did last night have only resulted in minor muscle aches this morning (not even enough to reach for the Advil). For the must-have accessories, besides the helmet, I'd add a spare tube, a patch kit, tire levers if they're not part of the patch kit already, a frame pump, a good lock and some sort of bag to carry it all. I'm sure the more experienced folks here will point out additional things, and then we'll both learn from their responses! .:D
- Bob

Bruce,

rdmjr has the basics covered. As far as which bike, what kind of riding will you be doing? If your going to be riding off road and trails go with the MTB. If most of your riding will be on pavement the Trek 7.6 FX is a great choice.

As far as a workout routine I also just ride. I try to ride every day, however many miles I have time for. Usually I can get an hour and I do 12.5 miles. It has helped me go from 261 to 223.

Good luck.

Joe

I too ride a oldish MTB, a 1997 Specialized Hardrock and have started at 120Kg. The first thing I did with my bike was to change the tyres for 1.5" slicks, clean it and lube everything and double check over the mechanicals. Then I started riding it, lots. My commute is a short 4mile RT so I aim to cycle for an hour most days on reasonably hilly terrain with a longer ride at weekends. I've coupled this with a calorise controlled diet (weigh everything you eat, add the calories up as you go along and write it down). So far I've lost about 10Kg with another 30 to go.

Oh yeah, I ached like a bugger for the first few weeks. It's normal.

Just start riding. I started four monts ago on a mountain bike, then a used road bike, now a new road bike. 223 lbs to start.
2700 miles and 18 lbs lighter. Averaged 77 miles for daily rides.
Keep the pedals moving.

Most of my ridding will be in the urban jungle and the various paved trails around my house.

Other than google maps, how do I measure how many miles I've ridden? I've seen the computers at the store; some basic and one full color moving map GPS. Any suggestions on what features to look for?

Thanks.

Basic miles and speed function will suit your needs, unless you are a real technophile....;D, then if that's the case, grab a GPS. :D

You can get by with a $12.00 computer or spend hundreds, up to you there. :D

Hi, Bruce,
I just got started in February, so I may miss some things...
First, you're right, LBS = Local Bicycle Shop/Store. Second, my training regimen for now is to just get on the bike and ride - I'm now to the point where the 20 miles I did last night have only resulted in minor muscle aches this morning (not even enough to reach for the Advil). For the must-have accessories, besides the helmet, I'd add a spare tube, a patch kit, tire levers if they're not part of the patch kit already, a frame pump, a good lock and some sort of bag to carry it all. I'm sure the more experienced folks here will point out additional things, and then we'll both learn from their responses! .:D
- Bob

I would add a couple things to this list. A good multi-tool or some full size hex keys for adjustments on the road. This one can be a ride saver. I use a Crank Brothers Multi 17 and it has everything I have needed so far.

http://www.crankbrothers.com/multi17.php

Good summary by Tom about the cycle computer. There is a huge range of functions and costs. I would go with something pretty basic with speed, average speed, max speed, distance, ride time and cadence. Mine is wired, but a lot of folks like wireless.

I received by computer as a gift and it had cadence. I find it very useful to gauge my effort and help when to shift in changing conditions like wind. I highly recommend cadence as an option.

Here is a link to the computer I use. A Blackburn Delphi 3.0
http://www.blackburndesign.com/cyclometer.html#delphi

Basic miles and speed function will suit your needs, unless you are a real technophile....;D, then if that's the case, grab a GPS. :D

You can get by with a $12.00 computer or spend hundreds, up to you there. :D


Oh I'm a real technophile. I'm dying for the new iPhone to come out in the next month or so.

The moving map GPS sounds like a lot of fun, but very expensive at this point. Is there a holy grail model?

These two do HR too kinda nice

High end http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=800003BD-1192626756

the one alot of people seem to have https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=331

i just have the cheapest one that i could buy with cadence it was a cateye astra 8


if you want really neat stuff get a power tap https://shop.sunrisecyclery.com/item/21105 it measures your wattage and stuff and you upload it to your computer later ...

You have received a lot of good advice. I too started riding kind of by default. I needed some kind of cardio activity to mix in with my lifting in the gym. I swim like a rock, was too big to run, and just could not stand to stay in one place for ever like on the machines in the gym. I was 39 at the time and had not been on a bike since I was about 15. I was about 280lb at the time with bad cholesterol rising blood pressure. I got serious about eating better, bought a used MTB for 100.00 at a garage sale and started riding with jeans and tennis shoes within a few months I had dropped 20lbs and my blood pressure and cholesterol were back to normal. Even at 12% body fat, I am still 210 so I will always be a clyde, but a healthy clyde ;)

I met guy at work who rides for a local club and invited me out to ride on Saturday. They were mostly road riders but a few MTBers. I realized just how out of date my ride was. I was amazed that you could take the wheels off their bikes with out a wrench. Needless to say, it was just about as cheap to buy a new bike as to start upgrading mine. So I picked up a new GT with 2.0 with disk breaks. I was good for the rest of the fall. In January, most of the people I was MTBing with starting riding their road bikes and were starting to sign up for the years rides the 3 big ones were the 3 MS150 they have in Texas staring in April. I decided I would change my tires on my MTB and ride one of the 100K training rides. I was dropped like a bad habit, the road bikes just left me in the dust, and these were folks I was faster than when we were MTBing. So I bought an entry level 105 component road bike and I was hooked. I have went through a couple of road bikes since. I now ride a Carbon Fiber DA / Ultegra bike, I have a polar HRM that downloads to my computer to show everything about my ride from calories burned to a graph of the altitude of my ride. I still ride my MTB mostly for shorter rides, as I burn more calories it. If I am going to ride my road bike plan on at least a 20 mile minimum or I take the MTB.

I was hooked. I am up to about 4000 miles a year on my road bike, not sure how many more on the MTB, and in the winter, I do spin classes at my local gym. I have met a lot of great people through riding. My whole family is now involved. My 11yr old just road her first 100K last year and my wife and I just picked up a tandem. Enjoy the sport, I keep a extra bike around to take new people out and introduce them to the sport. If it is road, MTB or Cycle cross find what you like and enjoy it. I went off the deep end, but this is a sport you can do without spending a lot of money. You can get set up with some nice gear for not a lot of money on places like Craig’s list. People like me will buy a bike or equipment them sell it in a year or so for a fraction of what it cost, because I have to have the newer model.

Best of luck

Hi mjohn! You are sneaky at getting others to try riding :D . I have lots of spare bikes on hand, but being my size, not too many people can ride them comfortably!

Welcome to BikeForums!

East Hill

Yes I am East Hill!!

If one of my Bikes are too big, my wife has a medium and my daughter rides a small...No excuses once you sat you want to ride!!!!!

Yes I am East Hill!!

If one of my Bikes are too big, my wife has a medium and my daughter rides a small...No excuses once you sat you want to ride!!!!!


All my bikes are tiny :D . My husband's two bikes are BIG. No mediums, really.

That gives me a good excuse to go get another bike :) .

East Hill

And if I thety cant ride, I will stick them on the tandem:eek:

And if I thety cant ride, I will stick them on the tandem:eek:

Oh, another bike for me to get :D !

East Hill