Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Uber Athena needs HELP-

5ft 5" 350 lbs
I was on the forum about 6 mos. ago- trying to piece together a couple classic granny bikes that could handle my weight. The two wheelers are going to have to be garaged for the next 100 lbs. Too Wobbly-

I have a budget (Thanks for the loan, Dad) of about 1500- (maybe a couple hundred more- but I'd rather not)

Will a Sun ex3 trike- or the newer Sun USX 3 work for me- I noticed the seat on the USX is 32" wide- which should work fine for the understeering- (the EX is 30") Do they support the same weight?

Will I Kill the Bikes?

Will I need to beef up the wheels? If so- to what?

Do I need another company? I can't lie down and ride- like some bents- but I'd prefer to not get a Worksman PAV chair either...
Thanks Clydes and Athenas- bl chi-twn:D

My wife rides an EZ3SX, and it holds up fine. The stated weight limit is 350 pounds, but that's the lawyer limit, not the engineers limit. The EZ3's are pretty tough trikes, all models of them.

Thanks Tom-

You told me that 6 months ago... I just forgot...:(

Do you know anyone who has the USX? I'm wondering if the steering is less tiring on the arms...

Did your wife beef up the tires? The whole tire/spoke issue has me freaked

Thanks Again- You are MR WONDERFUL-:thumb:

Goodluck blchigrl - Congrats on getting a bike! Keep us allposted as those pounds melt off - and they will. Just keep posting in here - and breathe the vibes of all the Clydes/Athenas doing the right thing! Maybe you could ppost Ride 1 ...Ride 45 etc - so I won't feel alone! Come post with me,get healthy with me... we are women!

I don't recall you last thread so I don't know your story. Maybe you can walk a bit first. Try to lose some weight that way and then work up to the bike. I went from 5'6 260 to 160. But I didn't get on a bike till I got to about 200lbs. Also, have you tried a stationary bike ? They are sturdy and will give you the same workout. Good luck, I'm sure you will get to where u want to be.

Underseat steering is different, but yeah, it's easier on the arms. The USX wheels are the same as the wheels on the other EZ3's though, so there shouldn't be any real issues there. The underseat steering does have more4 parts, though and can get twitchy at high speed, just like any other delta trike, but on the flats, thy don't get rolling fast enough to be a concern

Here's a pic of my wife on hers....

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Team%20Stormcrowe_2008/TdC2008061.jpg

As yoou can see, she' definiteky an Athena. :D
Thanks Tom-

You told me that 6 months ago... I just forgot...:(

Do you know anyone who has the USX? I'm wondering if the steering is less tiring on the arms...

Did your wife beef up the tires? The whole tire/spoke issue has me freaked

Thanks Again- You are MR WONDERFUL-:thumb:

Thanks-

Encouragement is always welcomed- Ride # 45 eh? That would be sometime during sleet and snow season here in Chicago

yes...We Are Women.. hear us roar....( Helen Reddy anyone???)

That's a great "action photo"...is that her shoelace draagging on the ground? "I rode so fast ans so hard my laces busted..."

So she went with the top steering- She looks comfortable Kinda like a Chopper

Who's the guy following her trying to catch up? :D

Did you know some guy was following her.... does this happen often??

Please ask her...better yet- have her e-mail me all the details- I want to know her secret!! LOL

Dear Paisan- (I've got Italian blood running through my clogged veins)

I appreciate your feedback- but I'm on this forum to ride- not walk.

Stationary bikes are not good for people my size- They are also VERY uncomfortable-and not supportive (Many have weight limits of 200 lbs)

I realize you're trying to encourage me- but telling me to walk is right up there with telling me I need to lose weight...I've heard it and heard it and heard it...AND I'VE DONE IT. For 2 YEARS I've used the treadmill and the eliptical cross-trainer at my gym. YES Obese as I am I still make it to my gym- 3-4 times a week

So forgive my tirade but I'M ON THIS SITE TO RIDE bl

Ride, blchigrl, ride like the wind!

The trike looks cool and fun to ride, I'd definitely give it a go. They are made a lot tougher than the tag says.

I started bike riding when I weighed nearly 300 lbs (at 5'2" on a tall day), and the bike has held up quite nicely. I'm now about 260 and ride nearly everyday, and even gave up my bus pass.

Have you tried the trike out yet? When I was first looking at bikes the recumbents looked very attractive but I was hesitant about the under bike steering. Mrs. Tom Stormcrowe's bike looks wicked and fun to ride.

As far as weight loss is concerned, I like how muscle is replacing the fat. I even found a muscle in my thigh!

Keep us posted!

Dear Paisan- (I've got Italian blood running through my clogged veins)

I appreciate your feedback- but I'm on this forum to ride- not walk.

Stationary bikes are not good for people my size- They are also VERY uncomfortable-and not supportive (Many have weight limits of 200 lbs)

I realize you're trying to encourage me- but telling me to walk is right up there with telling me I need to lose weight...I've heard it and heard it and heard it...AND I'VE DONE IT. For 2 YEARS I've used the treadmill and the eliptical cross-trainer at my gym. YES Obese as I am I still make it to my gym- 3-4 times a week

So forgive my tirade but I'M ON THIS SITE TO RIDE bl

Right on, sister!

There are plenty of people on this site and elsewhere who start riding while quite big... if you are comfortable then go for it! Standard bikes can handle it, no problem... you may find there are some parts that aren't up to the task, but generally nothing that will affect safety... wheel bearings, rims, saddle rails... if it breaks, replace it with something a little better.

You mentioned spokes - my experience (heaviest weight was around 280 lbs - but I do big mileage and ride off road quite a bit) is that the standard stainless steel spokes sold in bike shops for ~ $0.50 each (about $16 - $18 for a whole wheel's worth) will last a long time if the wheels are built properly. Even if they don't last you just hear a strange "prawng" sound (like a guitar string breaking) and then one of your wheels is no longer straight. You can still safely ride the bike after, you just need to get the wheel relaced with new spokes by someone better at it than the person who did it the first time. :)

Good luck... and Enjoy the ride!

Yes Yes... I feel the wind in my hair... no- wait- that's just the heat register...:D

I haven't tried the bikes yet- I'm hoping to find ANYONE who has tried the USX...

Thanks!!!!

Thanks for the positive encouragement!
I"ll be listening for that first TWANG...and think of you! bl

OK, be glad to. That's actually a strap from her toe clip dragging the ground. She was trying out toe clips and didn't like them, so she went back to a traditional platform pedal.

I take it then I have your permission to release your email address to her? I can either look it up with my administrator chops, or you can PM it to me, whichever you prefer. ;) Just let me know as confirmation.


That's a great "action photo"...is that her shoelace draagging on the ground? "I rode so fast ans so hard my laces busted..."

So she went with the top steering- She looks comfortable Kinda like a Chopper

Who's the guy following her trying to catch up? :D

Did you know some guy was following her.... does this happen often??

Please ask her...better yet- have her e-mail me all the details- I want to know her secret!! LOL

5ft 5" 350 lbs
I was on the forum about 6 mos. ago- trying to piece together a couple classic granny bikes that could handle my weight. The two wheelers are going to have to be garaged for the next 100 lbs. Too Wobbly-

I have a budget (Thanks for the loan, Dad) of about 1500- (maybe a couple hundred more- but I'd rather not)

Will a Sun ex3 trike- or the newer Sun USX 3 work for me- I noticed the seat on the USX is 32" wide- which should work fine for the understeering- (the EX is 30") Do they support the same weight?

Will I Kill the Bikes?

Will I need to beef up the wheels? If so- to what?

Do I need another company? I can't lie down and ride- like some bents- but I'd prefer to not get a Worksman PAV chair either...
Thanks Clydes and Athenas- bl chi-twn:D

Welcome! I have nothing to offer but welcome, but I hope that's enough for now.

(bows)

Cordially,
The Historian

"Stationary bikes are not good for people my size- They are also VERY uncomfortable-and not supportive"

A couple of years ago, I was down in Galveston. It was a beautiful pleasant evening, and I was out walking along the seawall. It was about dark, and there was a nice breeze blowing in from the gulf. Beautiful. But then I walked past a gym, and there on the 2nd floor of the gym are people walking on treadmills. That was just beyond me, why anyone would go inside and walk on a treadmill when it was so nice outside.

Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that for me, riding a bike is just a whole lot more interesting than doing anything in one place, and more power to you in doing so.

As far as walking goes, I've done a lot of that. What I found was really good exercise was walking uphill when we lived in Colorado. You can get a major workout and see some beautiful scenery at the same time. But here in Dallas, you don't have the mountains, don't have the scenery, and don't have the coolness, and it loses a lot, and I suspect it's a lot the same in Chicago.

Dear Paisan- (I've got Italian blood running through my clogged veins)

I appreciate your feedback- but I'm on this forum to ride- not walk.

Stationary bikes are not good for people my size- They are also VERY uncomfortable-and not supportive (Many have weight limits of 200 lbs)

I realize you're trying to encourage me- but telling me to walk is right up there with telling me I need to lose weight...I've heard it and heard it and heard it...AND I'VE DONE IT. For 2 YEARS I've used the treadmill and the eliptical cross-trainer at my gym. YES Obese as I am I still make it to my gym- 3-4 times a week

So forgive my tirade but I'M ON THIS SITE TO RIDE bl

I'm on this site to ride too, but I used a stationary bike when I was nearly 400 pounds, and the only reason I found it uncomfortable is because being nearly 400 pounds is uncomfortable. In fact, the stationary bike was the first bike I ever rode, since I never rode as a child. They supported me OK.

Do you have balance problems? Many people who are super-obese have core stability issues. They can affect your balance on a bike and your comfort on anything. I'm happy to share what worked for me, if you like.

Walking is just about as good an exercise as biking...you'll expend more calories per mile walking, but probably about the same per hour...but biking is more fun!

Yes Yes... I feel the wind in my hair... no- wait- that's just the heat register...:D

I haven't tried the bikes yet- I'm hoping to find ANYONE who has tried the USX...

Thanks!!!!

try www.bentrideronline.com

There's a trike section there, with a dumpsterload of people with experience riding just about every trike ever made. Heck, some are making them!

Earlena wanted me to link this for you, they are 2 videos, just click the images.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/th_EarlenasVideocamtest.jpg (http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/?action=view&current=EarlenasVideocamtest.flv)

It at least shows the view from her trike.

Also, this

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/th_EarlenasFirstSpringRide.jpg (http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/?action=view&current=EarlenasFirstSpringRide.flv)

Blchgirl, you're awesome!!! I have a friend who's 5'8" 340 lbs and she swears that if she could find a bike that can support her, she'd go riding. Now, thanks to you, she has a point to start at. I never thought of a trike!! My wife is an Athena as well at 5"3", 240 lbs and she just started riding again after a three year hiatus. Thanks again, and if I was single, I'd be following behind you (the wife just slapped me on the shoulder and called me a flirt).

I know it is great to get out and about on a bike, but don't pass up the option of a stationary if you can get one on the cheap. I have one and use it when it is raining but more importantly my wife is using it too in preparation of us getting a tandem. She is legally blind so a regular bike for her is out of the question but her getting her legs in shape will make it much easier for her when she becomes my stoker.

It's great to get out there and I applaud everyone who is putting forth the effort.

Hmmm... now I need to go look for a stairmaster for myself...

I started at about 375 on a Trek Navigator (comfort bike) and had no issues. You might want to look in to comfort style bikes and get a wider seat if (and only if) you need it.

http://www.mcruzrentals.com/Trek-Navigator-300.jpg

I don't know about Sun's delta trikes, but I've been riding a Sun EZ-Tad SX since February, starting out at over 430 lbs. I wanted a tadpole trike, and the Sun was the only one the LBS was sure would be able to handle that much weight. I'm down to about 350 now, and the trike's held up just fine (I've got a little over 1,000 miles on it). The only problem I had for a while was the rear tire going flat on every ride. My LBS recommended a thorn-proof tube for that tire and everything's going great again.
- Bob

I started at about 375 on a Trek Navigator (comfort bike) and had no issues. You might want to look in to comfort style bikes and get a wider seat if (and only if) you need it.

http://www.mcruzrentals.com/Trek-Navigator-300.jpg

I second the suggestion of a Navigator.

While I do not qualify as a Clyde, had a friend back in the 1970s @ 350 lbs who rode a 21 lbs Fuji Ace top-o-the-line racing bike . . . he did have problems with spoke breakage until he used heavier guage (tandem) spokes). Bill could knock off a 100 miler with the best of them (and polish off a 6-pack in one sitting). . . with his size he was a great person to draft.
Years later he had surgery and dropped down to less than 150 lbs.
Whatever bike you decide to get, you go lady!!!