So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

Pretty much all of us here.....;)

Welcome aboard!

So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

(raises hand)

Yeah, we all started there, pretty much, to clarify. One thing about this bunch though is that we still remember when we were there. ;)

So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

The first time I did 6 miles I had to stop and rest 3 times.

I remember! I used to think that 2 miles was a long ride. Now, I'm not even warmed up at 2 miles.

I remember about a year and a half or so ago when I took out an old recumbent I commuted on before moving from connecticut to texas about 3 years prior to that. Oh and at about 80 lbs over the 250 where I ended my commuting days.

What a suprise it was that I couldn't even do a loop around the block without almost riding off the road into the ditch from being so out of breath and dizzy. It'll get easier and you will really like it (at least most do) and find little ways to extend your commute before/after work. Most people at the checkout counter always are so suprised we rode <2 miles to the store. How could you possible ride a bike that far!?

Hm nice bike. Oh boy lockout for the front suspension on that? Wow I wish I had that for my train station commute back in Connecticut. Those hills were a beating when all my pedaling went right into the suspension if I sat up to pedal. I sure appreciated the suspension for those hidden potholes under the snow/rain though.

I've been riding around 30 years and sometimes, 50 miles seems easy and sometimes 2 miles is impossible. Every ride is a new experience. The fact you are trying is something to be proud of. Just like walking and putting one foot out at a time, it's each pedal stroke closer to a goal. Don't get discouraged and award yourself each time you put on your helmet. Trust me we have all been there and done that. It does get easier and it should always be fun!

I'm in the same boat. I've only been able to do 2 days so far of a 7 mile or so rt. The first day killed me on the ride home.(didn't help that my tire psi was way too low)The 2nd day was a little better,the main issue is I had to adjust my handle bars so that I wouldnt be kicking my gut as I was riding ,and that helped with being able to breathe and not feel like I was going to keel over from hyperventilating.

So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

I started last Nov. and was 385lbs. My commute was 3 miles round trip and for the first couple weeks or so I would be gasping for breath by the time I did each 1.5 mile leg. Now I've lost 35 lbs, frequently add mileage and intensity to my commute (1.5 miles in and up to 8 miles home) and my heart rate is only 80 by the time I get home. Sundays are for longer rides of 20+ miles and I commuter to work afterwards.:)

You will be surprised how fast your body will adapt.

Hang in there and ROLL ON!!!
:thumb:

All my fat is serious fat.

I'm just getting started and my weight is not much under yours. I'm already seeing a difference.

It will get eaiser that is for sure. Keep on the 6 miles and once it get's easy then you can jum to more mileage.

I was 300 when I started in riding again.

Welcome!!

My first ride was at 365 pounds, around the block in what I thought was a dead flat neighborhood until I rode around it, then I discovered that it had a very slight slope (that didn't feel slight that day).

I knew I had to take it easy, and I did, but that half mile ride just about kicked my tail...

Within a month that half mile wasn't even a warm up. Within a few months twenty miles was a typical ride.

I have slid back up to about the same weight I started, and am not as fit as I was, but when I was down to your weight, I rode metric centuries a couple of times (up to 68 miles on one ride).

So, persist, and you will be amazed at what you can do. Do not be discouraged about bad days, but do remember to celebrate the good ones. :)

Push yourself, eat well, and remember to rest too...

Wow, it is so great not to feel like the only one! And the stories of your success are very inspiring. I definitely *appear* to be the only person around here with more than 5 lbs of extra weight that rides.

I was surprised to wake up this morning and discover serious soreness in an unexpected place... my lower back. It makes sense in retrospect. I've also learned that there is a big difference between what a bicyclist means by "flat" and what a motorist means. I've always called my commute completely flat. Far from it!

The remote lockout on the Montare is great. Very handy to lock the fork when I am waiting at a traffic light too, so I don't do the embarrassing "push off to get started but the fork dips and I almost fall over" thing.

I just started riding again as well (dusted off my Trek 7600). I'm 5' 10" and 225. When I stopped riding a few (5) years back I was 175.

I'm doing 5 miles in the morning and 5 in the evening. I wish it were flat around here. My short term goal (3-4 month) is 100 miles/week (1 10 mile ride a day, 5 days a week, and 25 miles each weekend day).

It's tough being 50 years old and 50 pounds overweight. But I'll get there eventually.

I'm in the same boat. I'm 5'8" and 285....

Started riding again about 3 weeks ago (Giant Mojave Mtn) and can already feel changes. I am considering commuting to the train (11.8 miles each way) from home and from the train to work (1.5 miles).

Working up from about a mile around the neighborhood, to some really sweet trails a few miles away from the house.

I'm building a second bike now for a commuter, and am loving cycling again.

I have been in this boat several times, and the battle does not get any easier as I get older. At 43 it is much harder to lose the fat then it was just ten years ago. This time I started at my highest weight ever of 220 on my 5'9" frame. I felt like a slug, what made matters worse was that in April I had my gallbladder removed and under doctors orders, could not lift anything over ten pounds. I started by walking on the treadmill at the gym since that was all I was approved to do. Since them I have gotten my weight down to 202, but I'll tell you the first hill ride I did just about killed me just a month ago. This last weekend I took my mountain bike for a road ride on 14 miles in just less then a hour and felt like I could go for another hour. So, don't give up, everyone has been there too.

I forgot to add my height and weight and I want to tell this story... I am 5'8" and 230... I have always been fairly muscular and involved in sports. As my age creeps up on me (I'm 57) so has my blood pressure and now I need medication to control it. The medication effects my cycling and I want off. The doctor recommended I attend a free Surgical Weight Loss seminar which I did last night. Now first off with a BMI of 36 I am only severely obese, not morbidly obese (wow good news I guess). And again my body is muscular. I have broad shoulders, proportionately thinner hips and legs (no doubt due to cycling). Most of the folks there were very large, just huge, and I know don't move around much. I sat through the seminar but realized that I have the best weight loss tool there is - exercise. But I have been lazy for the last year and allowed myself to gain 25 lbs so I'm made a commitment to myself to step up my exercise and get back into the groove. Although my BP has climbed I am so fortunate everything else, including my heart is good, in fact very good. I know 'cause I ride.

The surgeon explained that surgery is a great tool but not the answer. Those folks are still going to have to exercise. I know from personal experience "desire" is 99% of the effort and I can already predict that 1/2 in the room will have a bad result - they are only looking for a quick fix. The surgeon explained 50% of patients gained back the weight (plus some) after surgery.

Anyway thought I would share. Don't think you are ever alone and never be embarassed to big guy in a skinny little guy world. I may be "severely obese" but I can ride the pants off of those skinny little chicks any day!

So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

Yup, as replied many of us know what you're speaking of.

I started 2 years ago at 327 lbs on a comfort bike and my first rides were in a very hilly neighborhood. I still remember thinking that I would never be able to get through a ride. It didn't take long before I was seeking out hills to conquer. I love hills.

To date I've lost over 50 lbs and now I (still) searching for a nice road bike.

Keep it up. You'll soon look back at your first rides and realize how far you've come.

Ride safe,
Brian

(raises hand)

6'5" and 416# and heading down (from 430) over the last 14 weeks...and I have not even begun to bike...no seriously...I just bought the bike (Specialized Hardrock) last week...as I want to increase my activity (aside from the afterwork walks) by commuting to work (15 miles RT) daily.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Been there…done that. I just started ridding at about this time last year; I hadn’t been on a bike for at least ten years before that. I’m 6’and about 270. I needed to find a low impact exercise, because I had to have my left hip replaced: my doctor recommended bicycling; which was great for me, because I used to love to ride when I was younger.

Long story short, the wife and I both bought single speed bikes and started ridding… our very first ride after a few, very short adjustment rides, was going to just be a mile. I thought a mile, heck no problem… After that ride I thought I was going to collapse. :o

But, now I can ride that same bike 6 miles non-stop and not feel like I’ve even put out much of an effort. I have no idea how far I can ride my multi-speed bike… I have yet to really put it to the test.

At this time, I’m not so much worried about the weight loss aspect of the bike ridding, I figure that is just part of the total package, but I do want to build up my leg strength and aerobic stamina. The weight loss will just be the icing on the proverbial cake, as it were.

Ummmm proverbial cake ahghghhh… (done if best Homer Simpson voice):D

Back in the early-mid 1990's, I used to race. I had a personal best 10-mile Time Trial time of 24:54, which is about like 23-24mph or so.

Then, I stopped riding. Got fat. In August, 2006, I topped out at 318 lbs. I got back on my bike, rode about 10-miles. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to get home. Yeah, I remember.

Now, I'm about 255-260, and racing again. You can do it. Just keep at it.

I started out about 30 lbs heavier than you are, and am at about 215 right now. Do what you can when you are on the bike, but don't hurt yourself, and take 1-2 full rest days per week until your body gets used to it. You are pushing A LOT more weight than smaller people do, and it is a lot rougher on the body. You put a lot more pressure on your joints and leg muscles, AND to me bumps in the road used to feel like I was sitting on a damn jack-hammer.

Just keep riding. In a few short weeks, you will be riding better than you ever thought possible. In six months, you won't be apprehensive about riding with smaller riders, or even going out on a bike club ride. No problem. You can do it.

Keep pedaling. Finding some fun places to ride can also make a big difference. Getting out into the country-side and seeing the scenery and stuff was the biggest reason I kept riding.

Have a great week!

I started out March 27th at 327 lbs. 5'8". Changed my diet, begin biking daily. First ride I made it 3 miles or so, my HR was at 160 when I STOPPED. And it took me 20 minutes to catch my breath.

Several hundred miles later and 48 lbs lighter, My HR on the same route, same pace is in the 120's - 130's and 3 miles is just a warmup. it gets better, you get healthier, and you get faster :)

OH yea, I am.

My first ride was at 365 pounds, around the block in what I thought was a dead flat neighborhood until I rode around it


Same here. I was positive my neighborhood was completely flat until I was riding my bike home the day I picked it up. Turns out virtually every street has some sort of small slope, even if it rises and falls in the same block it is still there.

It does get easier though, I just started riding and don't ride nearly as much as a lot of people here and the thought of a hill doens't scare me nearly as bad, of course it is still a challenge. My longest ride yet is about 8-9 miles but I hope to increase as time passes.

So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

We ALL started out at the bottom, for me it wasn't really bad, but then at 5'9" and 215lbs I was starting off OK, even though I was 44, and hadn't ridden for about 20 years, it is true, you never forget how to ride a bicycle. For many of us, it's a mid-life crisis thing, didn't want a new wife (I like the one I have too much :D), couldn't afford the insurance on a Porsche (let alone buying one), so got a mountain bike, and got back into photography..... Have not done enough of either this year, it has rained every weekend since April :notamused:

As for the title serious fat, all the serious fat is in the last 20lbs, I think, right now I am between 200 and 205, I don't own a scale.... I would like to be around 180, so I am getting down to the serious fat. I need to find a scale I could be under 200 already.....

I started out a little light, doesn't matter. You have to start somewhere. You can't get in shape and THEN start exercising.

Losing weight is slow. Building up large amounts of muscle is slow. Toning up what you have is fairly fast, though. Give it a month or two, and you'll likely be feeling a lot better riding, even if you don't see any obvious differences in the mirror.

yup that was me bout 18 mos ago...

So, I'm a hair over 6 feet and 307lbs as of a week or so ago. I just started biking (bought a GF Montare) and just the 7 mile round trip commute with hardly any elevation is proving to be pretty painful. Any others starting out way at the bottom?

I'm beginning to feel like an attention-wh*re when I post this story, but here goes....

I started about at about as bottom as you can go - I learned how to ride a bike as an adult in December 2006, at age 40, after never having rode as a child. My first ride was a mile, ending in a spill as I swerved to avoid a mailbox. Ten months later I completed my first century (100 mile ride.) By the end of that first year I'd logged 3000 miles. If I can do it, nearly anyone can.

Oh yeah. I start out about 2 years ago at 400 lbs. I started very slowly and lost about 50 the first year (mostly with weight lifting). I started riding at about 365 but very little. I really only got into it last fall when I hit about 340. I bought an indoor trainer and worked all winter on it. Got down to about 300 by December. Unfortunately I gained back about 25 lbs by May. I discovered I couldn't exercise and do home improvement projects at the same time. :( Now I'm back at it and riding daily.

The trainer really helped me. It allowed me to tune my fit on the bike easily. It also allowed me to work on leg strength and increasing my cadence. I was never able to do more than about 20 or 30 minutes at a time. Its way to boring to bike indoors, but it did the job. When I started outdoors again, I started with 10 mile rides and now average 75 miles a week.

John

I started last Nov. and was 385lbs. My commute was 3 miles round trip and for the first couple weeks or so I would be gasping for breath by the time I did each 1.5 mile leg. Now I've lost 35 lbs, frequently add mileage and intensity to my commute (1.5 miles in and up to 8 miles home) and my heart rate is only 80 by the time I get home. Sundays are for longer rides of 20+ miles and I commuter to work afterwards.:)

You will be surprised how fast your body will adapt.

Hang in there and ROLL ON!!!
:thumb:

Wow, this is like reading my own post!

I started at 385lbs in april this year, and as of a month ago I was down to 370. I've not been on the scales since (household ones don't really cut it, and I've not been to the med center for a few weeks), but I'm fairly sure I've lost more.

My commute is also a 3 mile round trip and I had the same problem. I'm up to 8ish miles now using the 10%/week rule and finding that I could go further, but living in a hilly area is the real killer, although probably good from the point of view of building up stamina. Being able to have a nice quick ride in in the morning, then vary the distance home is great!

I've changed my diet a fair bit too - I hardly snack at all, and if I do it's now fruit. I drink more water (and it's amazing how that helps with the need to snack) and I've completely eliminated sugary drinks.

Welcome aboard, fncll - you're certainly not the only person in that place, and it will get better!

Even those of us who have never had a serious weight problem and have been cycling all along know what it's like to start out every season. I try to log trainer miles in the winter, but I'm mostly a pile of junk in the spring. It takes me at least 3 weeks to feel comfortable on my standard 30-40 mile rides. The first few days are pure hell. My body just doesn't want to respond.

The nice thing about cycling is that your fitness increases pretty dramatically if you just keep getting out. Take more than a week or so off and you'll feel a decrease in fitness.

Yup.. first ride yesterday... only did about 4 miles... and was a mess when I got home...LOL

I was at 6' 1" and 329 pounds January 1, 2008. This morning I weighed in at 275. I have another 50 pounds that I want to lose this year, and then I will see where I settle into after that. I have ridden off and on my whole life, but it has always been just cruising around type riding. When I started in January I rode 3 miles my first ride, and could barely stand up after that. I have ridden an average of three times a week, and I have steadily increased the distance since then. My longest ride to date is thirty miles, and I have a 40 mile ride planned for tomorrow morning.

Just starting today, 5'9", 270(home scale before a shower) 278.5(work scale in work clothes and steel toes). I just picked up my Trek today. And did a mile to get the feel of it. Wow,I realized I'm not 15 anymore...lol Started to rain, so I am heading out tomorrow.


Was 303 in January. I was down to 240 a few years ago, but then I quit smoking and packed it on. Right now I'm the lowest I've been since I quit.

Fat and not so proud of it!

5'10"-ish @ 345Lbs.

6'5" 364 pounds

6'3 and 300+, Started my commute rides last week. Not sure if I have lost any weight yet but my fitness level is already improving. I've been lurking here for awhile and the one thing I never see mentioned is how addicting this can become. Good Luck

Jsen

I'm 290+ now...don't get too discouraged, give it time and you'll work into a groove and get to where some of the people in here are. Like me, I remember my first ride two months ago was a challenge at 1.5 miles and I ended up walking the bike up two of the hills and resting besides.

I haven't progressed to a huge amount of mileage compared to the others, but I'm getting so I can do that kind of distance at full cadence now, even go up those hills without stopping to rest (which is rough for to get going mentally, since one of them is required for me to get anywhere). Most of it is to not get discouraged at whatever lies in front of you, especially what seems to be limited progress (mine involve sore things on longer rides and bike maintenance issues at the moment). For example, I came back with a very sore left knee after a good 10 mile ride in the country (half way to the next town and back).

But there's always the positive to focus on - I'm to the point where I can park the car at will for most of my trips that don't require me to carry a lot. I'm out on the bike for 5-10 miles a day (my maximum is 14 or so) when there's nothing keeping me from it (I think today is going to be one of those days for a few reasons).

And the other thing to think about as well - even if you are to that point of being able to ride 2 or 3 miles a day, that's doing much better than 95% of the rest of the people out there right now. Like I would say in general for any of us in this thread, maybe someone can look at the 290 lb guy that shows up all over town on his bike and rethink sitting in traffic burning off $4 a gallon gas to go 2 miles in 10 minutes. :D

Fat and not so proud of it!

5'10"-ish @ 345Lbs.


Just wanted to give an update, make that 340Lbs now :)