Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - fitness on a trek7100wsd

my wife has stated that she wants to be a better cyclist. she has a trek 7100 wsd i know this sounds silly but the position of the bike is totaly comfort. has anyone seen any fitness gain from a comfort bike or should i start steering her to a more aggresive frame.

lets just say she is very athena. she gets fustrated that she cant pace with me and the boy.. Seriouly he MOOVES on his bike. heeven dropped me when i thought we where crusing and he changed his mind and attacked on a flat.

I am going to start going to the dojo one night less so she can have some time to ride san kids.

I even have a 0.2 mile loop so she can do some laps after work. Am i on the right track?

You can definitely gain fitness on a comfort bike, in fact I've seen some guys fly on those things. There's one guy who I saw daily last year on one commuting, and this year he moved up to a FX series. He's *fast* now, but was no slouch before.

Remember, it's not about the bike, but more about the engine. All she has to do is work hard and pedal hard, fitness will come with it.

Also, note that this weekend a smug ******* on a Trek 1xxx series road bike found this concept out the hard way, as a big dude on a 30 pound touring bike dropped him hardcore. And by dropped I mean completely destroyed. To be evil I even toyed with the jerk for about a half mile before the drop. Guess that will teach him to be a jerk to kids who don't know any better wrt bike path habits.

Some have noted that given the opportunity to ride a carbon fiber wonderbike, I'd destroy anyone in my path. Personally, I think I'd destroy the bike first :D

that is good to hear i didint want the bike set up to be her down fall

Takes time to develope the muscles that make one fast. Have her keep riding and be patient. Time is all she needs. My wife started out on hyrid comfort types. She started improving bigtime after about a year of consistent riding. She's on her 3rd roadie now. She's done 18.1 average for 42 miles. That was pushing it but at one time her best was, 13, then 14, then 15, then 16, you get the picture.

Biggest thing is don't let her get discouraged. Your best bet is to pace with her to keep from de-motivating her. I rode with my wife while gently increasing the effort for her. BUT, I never leave her on rides. Especially if it's a forum ride or similar. If she fades, I hang back with her. Nobdoy means more than making her feel like less of a rider. Maybe that's why she's been out ther with me for 10 years!:D

Give her time! But yes, you can improve bigtime on a comfort bike. Couple of hints. Make sure she has a good comfy saddle and good tires. Don't try to sneak by with giving her crappy spongy soft tires then expect her to keep up. Seen that too many times!:(

For the record, my wife's bike is 3X's the price of mine. Her tires are only double the price though!:D...Pays off in the long run!

Riding any bike is better than not.
Maybe you need to downgrade the kids bike? Wal Mart has.....

The 7100 WSD will definitely allow her to build her fitness. I am riding a 7100 for about 2000 miles now and I am in much better shape than when I started last August. I am considering adding a road or cyclocross bike to the stable soon, but I will be keeping my 7100 as my commuter/bad weather bike. A couple of upgrades to the 7100 could also help.

I swapped out the suspension seat post for a solid one. (+ 1/2 MPH)
Added bar ends for more hand positions
Switched to higher pressure 32mm slicks from the stock 35mm inverted treads (=1/2 MPH)

Just my $0.02. YMMV.

Nm!:d

I too am very Athena. I started out on a 7100 (not WSD though); I have definitely improved my fitness level and have lost > 60lbs since I started riding. As my body changed, I've made many changes to the 7100, but it's 'comfort' setup is part of what kept me riding in the beginning. I now have a road bike, but I still love my 7100 - it's now my commuter/around-town bike.

As someone said earlier - the bike that helps you increase your fitness is the one you'll actually ride.

I too am very Athena. I started out on a 7100 (not WSD though); I have definitely improved my fitness level and have lost > 60lbs since I started riding. As my body changed, I've made many changes to the 7100, but it's 'comfort' setup is part of what kept me riding in the beginning. I now have a road bike, but I still love my 7100 - it's now my commuter/around-town bike.

As someone said earlier - the bike that helps you increase your fitness is the one you'll actually ride.


Good Job! My wife too went from 40-50 milers on a traditional bike to 70-80 on her WSD.:D Comfort is #1!!!!!

Conurejade that looks like one of ols startion wagons that got jacked tires and 350 V8 stuffed under the hood.. very cool.

My Wife is riding a WSD 7000. I didn't see the need to upgrade to the Shock and prefer not to run them on a bike that inexpensive.

That being said, she has been able to increase her fitness some. In her case she REALLY needs to increase it. Resting Heart Rate is 96 which is way too high. She said her Doctor didn't think that it was a problem! YIKES! Mine is 55-60 so something is different to be sure.

There are some parts we are swapping out to increase her comfort. Got some Ergon Grips on order and I'm looking for a Cross style Carbon fork for it also. Some people will think that I am nutz for wanting a Carbon fork for a Cheap Hybrid, but with her wrist problems and such, anything would be a help. Also, I work as a wrench at a Bike Shop so I can try a lot of stuff out with lower cost.

Chris

Conurejade that looks like one of ols startion wagons that got jacked tires and 350 V8 stuffed under the hood.. very cool.

Thanks!

The guys at my LBS laughingly call it one of the most pimped-out hybrids they've ever seen. :lol: :lol:

I prefer to say my bike has 'personality'. One thing's for sure - there's not another 7100 out there like it.

My Wife is riding a WSD 7000. I didn't see the need to upgrade to the Shock ...

There are some parts we are swapping out to increase her comfort. Got some Ergon Grips on order and I'm looking for a Cross style Carbon fork for it also. Some people will think that I am nutz for wanting a Carbon fork for a Cheap Hybrid, but with her wrist problems and such, anything would be a help. Also, I work as a wrench at a Bike Shop so I can try a lot of stuff out with lower cost.

Chris

I don't think you're nuts, :p

Here again - do what it takes to have a bike that's more comfortable to ride.

I've heard good things about the Ergon grips. Check the handlebar width - I found the stock handlebars way too wide for me. My LBS found me a used titanium handlebar that really helps with vibration and I love it. I also use the extremely comfortable Cane Creek Ergo II barends.

+1 on a carbon fork. That's on my wish list if I can find a used one.

I couldn't stand the stock saddle once I was riding more than 2-3 miles. It took me 4 tries to find the right saddle for me - I now use the Terry Butterfly but everybody's assets are different. But, do keep in mind that more padding and a wider saddle are not always good things!

Keep playing with the fit adjustments. I found that even a slight change in fitness or losing 5 pounds could make a difference in how I felt on the bike

my wife has stated that she wants to be a better cyclist. she has a trek 7100 wsd i know this sounds silly but the position of the bike is totaly comfort. has anyone seen any fitness gain from a comfort bike or should i start steering her to a more aggresive frame.
<SNIP>


The riding position won't magically stop her from gaining fitness. The main difference I notice between my hybrid and road bike is that I ride MUCH faster on the road bike given the same amount of energy. This lets me ride farther distance on the road bike, but doesn't mean I get a better workout on the road bike. When I've hit some hard wind (25 to 40 MPH) on my hybrid I was hard pressed at times to do more than 7 MPH in my granny gear. It was like riding up a steep never ending hill. With the road bike I can go into the drops and at least maintain 12 MPH in similar conditions. Arguably I worked a LOT harder on the hybrid fighting the wind. If a comfort bike fits well and gets your wife to enjoy riding, then that is what matters most. Also, don't ride a road bike when the other folks in the group are riding hybrids, side with similar bikes or you will be coasting a large part of the day.

Happy riding,
André

I had the men's version of the 7100 before it got stolen.

It'll do just fine, I can assure you.