Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - New heavy rider, but excited to start cycling.

Hello. I live in Boise, Idaho, and have just started riding my mountain bike that I bought from a friend. I'm very overweight, but excited to get my fitness back under my control. When I started riding I weighed 380, and I'm down ten pounds in the first few weeks.

I decided that because I moved to a new house about 3.5 miles away from work I would start bike commuting. At first it would take me about 26 minutes to make the trip, and I was always exhausted. I also found that I would only ride 2 or 3 times a week because I always had other stuff going on where I would need a car (offsite meetings, Dr apt in the middle of the day, lunch apt etc.). I was becoming discouraged about how often I felt I couldn't ride to and from work.

What I started doing last week is just leaving my car at work. It has been working out wonderfully and I'm excited about being able to commute close to 5 times a week now. I've got my fastest time clocked at 16.5 minutes (from 26 when I started) to work so I'm improving and that helps keep me motivated. I also find that I REALLY like riding bikes. It reminds me of when I was younger and I would downhill ski, I get the same rush from riding.

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only very heavy guy to start cycling, and it has helped ease my fears a bit. I'm still worried that I'm going to find a way to destroy my bike because of my weight, which is actually what caused me to look on the web for other heavy riders. Anyway, I think I'm going to be spending a good deal of time on this forum.

Here is a pic of my bike. I know 'stuff' isn't cool on a bike, but it helps me. I've added the lights, the small pocket up front, rack on the back, a cheap bell computer, a frame pump and water bottle cage.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6015/imag0369c.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/imag0369c.jpg/)

You are wrong. "Stuff" on a bike is way cool. Ask any commuter or tourist.

Welcome to the thundering herd!

awesome bigtastey!!!

Just wait till you start google mapping longer routes to work, or finding a store that has an item that "only" that store carries and surprisingly it takes you 3 miles out of your way on the commute home :)

Destroying your bike is the best excuse to get another. :thumb:

I have the same barends on my trek 7300. I wrapped them and the corner where they clamp on to the handlebar with bar tape.

Being able to put stuff on a bike helps make it cool. Don't listen to those who would disparage you about that. It's your bike - do with it what you will as long as you ride it.

Nice ride!

Also, as a fellow bike commuter, I'm with Neil_B, "stuff" is good!

I need more stuff on my bike, actually! On the forum we call it being a "fred" - caring more about sensible, useful attachments and upgrades than cutting a gram on a $200 seatpost.

wow, a couple of things.

1. Who cares what others consider cool? I've learned in my last 4 months of biking that there isn't an in crowd and an out crowd. ESPECIALLY here. I've found the people here to be one of the most accepting groups out there. I started riding with a mountain bike my wife got me at goodwill that I rebuilt and rode about 200 miles prior to buying my next elcheapo schwinn varsity. I'm out right now for a wreck on said bike but I got 91 miles on in prior to the wreck. So, a bit under 300 miles, I'm no expert. I only ride 5-10 miles a morning when I'm not out with bruised ribs. As far as the stuff goes, cool doesn't apply to cycling. If I meet someone biking who has something smart to say, they're not the average they're just an ******* on a bike. Do what you like brother.

2. Pure awesome you've decided to cycle. I actually started for the exact opposite reason. I'm 6'5" and 184 lbs right now. I can't keep weight on and cycling seemed like a good idea. I have gained 14 lbs in 4 months and for me, that's pretty amazing. It's muscle weight too, I'm lean and other than my screwed up rib, I feel like I'm in great shape. It's also helping me to stop smoking.

3. If you can find someone to ride with, well one with a similar mindset, you'll enjoy it. I have a neighbor I've hung around with for years. He's one of my best friends now. I told him about my mountain bike project and he broke his 32 year old bike out of the shed. He repaired his at about the same time and we just started riding. We were doing 2-3 miles, then 5-6 miles. The day of my wreck we were planning 12 miles. I'm only a week from being back on the bike, and I think we'll hit 12-15 miles a day before the winter snow hits. We're both somkers though and both of us went from a bit more than a pack a day to half a pack or less each. It's seriously life changing.

4 Sheldon brown!!!! ... lol.... er... alright. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ He's like the Charlton Heston of the NRA except instead of asking for money with little help, he's wrote an article on everything and in great depth. He passed away a few years ago but he contributed more to the cycling repair community than any one man ever has in my humble opinion. If you get in a spot and need to adjust something ,or wonder what replacing an item would be like, that's the place to go. I like to read there from time to time just to get more understanding. I grew up poor and couldn't ever afford bikes. I dug bikes out of trash piles to repair. I know a ton about bikes, but every time I go to his site I learn something amazing that I never knew.

Ya. I did have a friend that was really into biking. He was the one that I bought the bike off of several years ago. Then he died, and I never touched the bike again until this summer. I've gained 30 lbs since I had started riding with him, and relized that if I don't get this taken care of I could be in a world of hurt.

Riding to work and back has been fun enough, and when I get into better shape I plan on taking it back to the hills.

Would me riding 7 miles round trip a day 5 days a week be reasonable to start seeing some changes? Or do I reall need more than that?

My cycling background started in racing so anything extra on the bike I don't want. But I've been on a few Clyde rides and get very jealous when someone pulls out something to eat. Now I think extra stuff is cool!

About the mileage I think as you ride more and get into better shape more miles will just come naturally!! What is it that they say "Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step."

Keep Riding!!!

Bill

Would me riding 7 miles round trip a day 5 days a week be reasonable to start seeing some changes? Or do I reall need more than that?

Actually no one can really say. First, what changes are you talking about? I commute approximately 8 miles a day 6 days a week. I haven't lost weight doing it. I do however enjoy my ride and wouldn't change it :thumb:.

If your goal is weight loss its a combination of factors that will help. If you eat the same, but added more exercise you would probably loose weight. However the more you do something the more efficient your body becomes at doing that task.

For example you may loose 2lbs your first week, 3lbs your second week, 2lbs your third week, and 1lbs your fourth week. However don't expect to consistently loose 8lbs a month. Your body becomes accustomed to your riding habits and unless you change things around, expect your weight loss to plateau.

Thats why you will see riders looking for new challenges such as hill climbing (Mr. Beanz & Freighttraininguphill), do bicycle tours or other activities (Neil_B & Thestoutdog) or take longer routes (CJ C) :D.

So bigtasty, welcome to the forum and make yourself at home :thumb:.

Great to hear what you are doing. Some eating adjustments, some extra rides and the pounds will
really start to go away.

I have lost over eighty pounds in just over a year. Cut my food in half, still eating the same things,
cut out snacks and sodas. Ride every day. Ride to the store, the library, to my folks, and now and
then, to Wendy's for a Frosty.

All you need to do is make up your mind to do it, and it looks like you have a great start..

Keep pedaling my friend, keep pedaling.

/\ Wow! 80 lbs would be so great in a year!

Please don't let me offend - can I ask what your starting weight was, and how many miles per week you were averaging?

In May 2010 I was 288, last Sunday I was 201 after my ride, a few pounds always come
back.

I started struggling to do ten a day. I just kept forcing myself to go on. By the end
of summer I was doing over thirty most days. I did my first 100 in late Sept. It took
ten hours.

I try to do forty a day now. Weekends more, sixty and better often. I ride early, out
about 4am. I am over 3600 miles since April 23, got the new bike going. My goal is
to do 15,000 May to May.

I am retired with nothing else to do. I do row several times a week in the summer.

Welcome to the crowd, the bike looks good to me.

Hello. I live in Boise, Idaho, and have just started riding my mountain bike that I bought from a friend. I'm very overweight, but excited to get my fitness back under my control. When I started riding I weighed 380, and I'm down ten pounds in the first few weeks.

I decided that because I moved to a new house about 3.5 miles away from work I would start bike commuting. At first it would take me about 26 minutes to make the trip, and I was always exhausted. I also found that I would only ride 2 or 3 times a week because I always had other stuff going on where I would need a car (offsite meetings, Dr apt in the middle of the day, lunch apt etc.). I was becoming discouraged about how often I felt I couldn't ride to and from work.

What I started doing last week is just leaving my car at work. It has been working out wonderfully and I'm excited about being able to commute close to 5 times a week now. I've got my fastest time clocked at 16.5 minutes (from 26 when I started) to work so I'm improving and that helps keep me motivated. I also find that I REALLY like riding bikes. It reminds me of when I was younger and I would downhill ski, I get the same rush from riding.

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only very heavy guy to start cycling, and it has helped ease my fears a bit. I'm still worried that I'm going to find a way to destroy my bike because of my weight, which is actually what caused me to look on the web for other heavy riders. Anyway, I think I'm going to be spending a good deal of time on this forum.

Here is a pic of my bike. I know 'stuff' isn't cool on a bike, but it helps me. I've added the lights, the small pocket up front, rack on the back, a cheap bell computer, a frame pump and water bottle cage.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6015/imag0369c.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/imag0369c.jpg/)


You're doing awesome. Keep it up!

And there's only one forum here where stuff on your bike isn't cool... and this ain't it :)

I've got TWO cyclocomputers on mine, 2 water bottles, bar ends, a bell, a mirror (thinking about getting a second!) a rack and panniers with tons of stuff, used to have a seat bag but I had to remove it because it doesn't fit on my new saddle, will be getting two lights next week for biking in the dark...


Stuff is awesome. Bikes should have more stuff.

Would me riding 7 miles round trip a day 5 days a week be reasonable to start seeing some changes? Or do I reall need more than that?

You've already seen a change. You started doing something where before you were doing nothing!

Other changes will come in time. You'll find you want to ride more. You'll begin to focus on bad eating and good eating. You'll feel better and have more energy. And change shall beget change. So sayeth the clydesdales and athenas.

Slap a set of road tires like Gator Skins on there and it will make your ride much nicer. Those knobbies are like a boat anchor when you let off the peddles.

You're doing great, keep up the good progress!