Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Lurker's First Post!

I have been lurking on the forums for about two months now and finally decided to make my first post.

A little bit about me:

I'm 40 years old and a 6'2" Clyde, pushing about 315 recently and just got into cycling in April after about a 15 or so year gap.

My motivation to start cycling again was partly due to my wife wanting to get a bike to just ride around the neighboorhood for something to do. After researching her bike (we choose a Specialized Ariel) and seeing her ride it for a few weeks, I decided I wanted to join her.

Around this time I was also diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and started using a CPAP machine (I'm also a diabetic). The sleep study and recent turn to 40 was the real wake up call for me to start getting fit, seeing how 315 was the most I ever weighed. I decided on a Specialized Crosstrail due to where we live and also because I wasn't sure what my split would be between road and packed trails. We had talked bout riding trails, but have yet to do so!

My wife and I do daily rides 3 times a week on weeknights and two rides on both weekend days when weather permits. Since we live on a ridge we decided to do flat loops in and out our neighboorhood (about 1.1 miles per loop), with weekday rides being around 3 miles, weekend around 5. After 2 months, we have worked our distance up to 7-8 mile weekday rides and are up to 15 miles on both weekend days. We recently started going down off the ridge via the longer less steep route which on the way back up covers 150 feet of climb over 2 miles.

Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick introduction!

-Phil

Hi, welcome, and way to go! :)

Welcome! Great story and I'm glad you're taking steps to getting fit. You have found a place full of sympathetic riders!

Your progress is great. Glad you're getting off the ridge, so to speak. Are there good places to ride other than the 1 mile loop? I only ask because that will get old really quick. My wife and I have been exploring new places to ride and it's a blast. We try to make each ride an adventure in some way. She's even seeking out hills to climb now! I LOVE IT!

Anyway, welcome aboard. Now, quit reading this and get out there and ride! :thumb:

Yes, the one mile loop is getting a bit old. To spice things up, there are 3 streets which we can alternate, 2 streets split off from one then meet back up with the third. We tend to do two laps on one, then alternate between them. As far as getting out from where we live, for those of you familiar in the Seattle area, we actually live in Sultan WA, not Seattle, so unfortunately we have to deal with US route 2, if we want to go farther, as the only other direction quickly turns into forest roads.

However, we're going to be getting a bike rack soon, since we are appoaching the 20 mile weekend ride mark. Then we can start riding longer from safer locations. In the meanwhile, for our weeknight rides, we are starting to doing hill repeats, since each one is good for 5 mile round trip. There is also another 11 mile loop we will be able to do after we conquer a different 4-6% hill.

I've tried to lose weight before, but this is the first time I found an exercise that I really enjoy doing. Also sticking to the diet changes I've established with my doctor is really helping. I think it really helps that this time my mental state toward losing weight is the same as when I quit smoking in 2005 after having smoked since I was in my early 20s.

I've set also set myself some longer term goals (and shared them with others, to help hold me accountable) for after I lose weight and get in shape. Tour de Cure next May and STP in 2014 are two of them.

I have been lurking on the forums for about two months now and finally decided to make my first post.

A little bit about me:

I'm 40 years old and a 6'2" Clyde, pushing about 315 recently and just got into cycling in April after about a 15 or so year gap.

My motivation to start cycling again was partly due to my wife wanting to get a bike to just ride around the neighboorhood for something to do. After researching her bike (we choose a Specialized Ariel) and seeing her ride it for a few weeks, I decided I wanted to join her.

Around this time I was also diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and started using a CPAP machine (I'm also a diabetic). The sleep study and recent turn to 40 was the real wake up call for me to start getting fit, seeing how 315 was the most I ever weighed. I decided on a Specialized Crosstrail due to where we live and also because I wasn't sure what my split would be between road and packed trails. We had talked bout riding trails, but have yet to do so!

My wife and I do daily rides 3 times a week on weeknights and two rides on both weekend days when weather permits. Since we live on a ridge we decided to do flat loops in and out our neighboorhood (about 1.1 miles per loop), with weekday rides being around 3 miles, weekend around 5. After 2 months, we have worked our distance up to 7-8 mile weekday rides and are up to 15 miles on both weekend days. We recently started going down off the ridge via the longer less steep route which on the way back up covers 150 feet of climb over 2 miles.

Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick introduction!

-Phil

Sir, you are me.

6'2", 315, Apnea... I'm not diabetic but I was knocking on the door.

Congratulations on your riding. I'm very interested in your progress!

Mike

However, we're going to be getting a bike rack soon, since we are appoaching the 20 mile weekend ride mark. Then we can start riding longer from safer locations.

GREAT idea. I just bought the Thule 916XT and could not be more pleased. VERY easy to use, meaning we'll use it more often!

Welcome to the forum and glad to hear you are on your way to better health. Peddle 8 miles west and then there are lots of roads paved going north although there are also hills that way. Work up to it and you should find plenty of variety in your rides. SR 2 can be quite hazardous so do be careful.

Welcome to the group! Native Washingtonian here transplanted to So Cal....

great job and welcome!

Riding is addicting, fun, and good exercise. My wife just started riding too which has been really nice.

Hey Phil! Welcome and congratulations on the riding. This site is a great motivational force for me and I hope for you as well. You've probably been over to the Before and After thread. I look through those once in a while and it helps keep me going..there are some great stories there!

Welcome. I hit 40 some years back. Great going buying a new ride at the big Four-Oh. A cross-trail is a nice ride and much more prudent than an overpriced Maserati! :-)

Thanks everyone for the welcome!

Mike - Thanks! It's been steady progress, and I'm in it for the long haul!

Joe - I'm looking at the Thule 9001 for my Prius I like the idea of the retractable cables.

Black Wallnut - Yes, SR 2 does look rather hazardous to ride on, I'm sure I'll tackle it some day, but for now we're going to get the rack. I've already mapped out some interesting rides between Monroe and Snohomish via Old Monroe-Snohomish Rd that we are going to try in a few weeks.

Nigel - The before and after thread was very motivating, as was the before and after thread on loseit.com's fitness forum.

gyozadude - Yes, much better for me then a Maserati. I'm already planning for N+1! I'm looking at getting a road bike this fall in preparation for next year's longer rides, hopefully I can snag a good deal in the off season from my LBS.

Welcome! Good job on the riding and making the tough life choices. If you head out to snohomish on the back roads, check out the centennial trail. It starts in Snohomish and follows an old rail road bed north all the way up to bryant. (Thats a few miles north of Arlington on hwy 9) Its paved and a realy sweet ride. I live in Marysville and sometimes get on the trail in the middle. My wife has used it to commute to work in Snohomish from time to time.

The Centennial trail is on my list of must-dos, as is Sammamish River trail. I also really want to check out the I-90 trail, I've seen some pictures and the ride looks really nice.

Good to have you with us!
You may find that you lose weight by riding,
as well as by dealing with the sleep apnea .
My wife lost many pounds her first month on the CPAP .

Phil: Can you find a farmers market to ride to? My wife and I just did our first ride to the market which was 16 miles round trip. Lovely ride and got some great produce!

Splendid Idea, Chef.
On my commute,
there is a farmer's market right next to the trail,
on Tuesdays.
May be something like that near you, Phil .

Phil: Can you find a farmers market to ride to? My wife and I just did our first ride to the market which was 16 miles round trip. Lovely ride and got some great produce!

There is actually a small produce market on the other side of town, about 2 miles away after getting off of our hill. It could be an interesting route.

There is actually a small produce market on the other side of town, about 2 miles away after getting off of our hill. It could be an interesting route.

Which market? I used to sell stuff at 27 markets a week when I lived them. I LOVE the farmers markets there and miss them sooooooooo much!

Which market? I used to sell stuff at 27 markets a week when I lived them. I LOVE the farmers markets there and miss them sooooooooo much!

Stockings. They own a 30 acre farm and run small produce market right as you enter Sultan coming from Monroe.

Also: Up to 11 mile/1 hour ride for our week day rides now! Hopefully this weekend we can move up to 20 miles for our weekend rides. I'm confident that I can handle the distance now, but we're still working out saddle issues for my wife, so we shall see!