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Almost 2 clydesdales in one....

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Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) Looking to lose that spare tire? Ideal weight 200+? Frustrated being a large cyclist in a sport geared for the ultra-light? Learn about the bikes and parts that can take the abuse of a heavier cyclist, how to keep your body going while losing the weight, and get support from others who've been successful.

Almost 2 clydesdales in one....

Old 05-16-10, 01:25 PM
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Almost 2 clydesdales in one....

Good afternoon all...

Imagine my surprise when I go looking for advice on how to buy a bike that'll support my weight so that I can start shedding the pounds, to find this part of a bike forum.

As the title implies, I'm about 175% of a clydesdale, weighing in right now at just under 350.

I need some advice on how to purchase a bike that won't force me to re-mortgage the house, but will still make riding enjoyable so I have a reason to stick to it, and no excuses to quit.

I've read a little about the different types of bikes - in the past, as a kid I rode a mountain bike all the time - that was pre-weight gain.

I'm at a point in my life where I need to get out and exercise. I don't jog well, and it's not fun, so that's out. I walk my dogs daily, about 2-3 miles a day, but that's just not enough.

I'd appreciate any info you fine folks can provide about what to look for when selecting a bike that will meet the aforementioned needs.

Thanks, happy riding!
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Old 05-16-10, 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted by tonkatruckjk
Good afternoon all...

Imagine my surprise when I go looking for advice on how to buy a bike that'll support my weight so that I can start shedding the pounds, to find this part of a bike forum.

As the title implies, I'm about 175% of a clydesdale, weighing in right now at just under 350.

I need some advice on how to purchase a bike that won't force me to re-mortgage the house, but will still make riding enjoyable so I have a reason to stick to it, and no excuses to quit.

I've read a little about the different types of bikes - in the past, as a kid I rode a mountain bike all the time - that was pre-weight gain.

I'm at a point in my life where I need to get out and exercise. I don't jog well, and it's not fun, so that's out. I walk my dogs daily, about 2-3 miles a day, but that's just not enough.

I'd appreciate any info you fine folks can provide about what to look for when selecting a bike that will meet the aforementioned needs.

Thanks, happy riding!
Mountain bike without suspension. The more wheels spokes, the better.
 
Old 05-16-10, 02:12 PM
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Agreed! 36 spoke should do you, just have the wheels hand tensioned for greater reliability. Machine built wheels cause issues with we CLydes, because of uneven spoke tension, leading to spoke failure in very short order. Double wall rims also help. If you want a road bike, we've had very good results with the Velocity Deep V wheels in a 32 or 36 spoke configuration. Velocity Dyad touring wheels are also very strong.
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Old 05-16-10, 02:35 PM
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I weigh in at around 285lbs and ride a Giant Boulder SE. it has front suspenshion but it works fine under my weight even when i have managed some of the ruffer stuff. The riding position works well for me with a few modifications fro comfort (bigger seat and bar ends). I wanted a bike i could work up to taking off road more and more so it was a good fit for me. THe bike as just shy of $600 Canadian

But when i bought my bike i bougth one for my old man as well and he is 6'3 and 350lbs. He was more concerned with comfort rather than were it could get him and something that could handle his weight. We ended p with advice from the bike shop getting him a Trek Navigator 2.0. IT too has been a great bike and is very comfy and smooth (well for a bike LOL). IT also has front suspenshion and a suspenshion seat post. Even with his weight both work quite well and the bikes held up very well. He does not use it much no more as he has had to find a different way to exersise (His vanes in his legs look like they gona pop if he rides for any legth of time as he has a problem with his legs). So now my sister (She is a Athena) uses it as do i when i just want to take a quick boot to the store or just want a change. IT really is a great bike and is very easy to set up for what ever kinda riding ya like. It is not a mountine bike but it still manages the lighter trails quite well. Only thing i dislike about the bike is the shifters are not as quick or presise as the ones on my giant.
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Old 05-16-10, 06:16 PM
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What do you folk think of the TREK 4500? One the the LBS has an '09 model they're willing to let go for $500 out the door (supposedly MSRP $ 700).

It DOES have a front fork suspension, but the sales guy showed me that i has a lockout feature that turns the ride into a rigid one. Already comes with heavier-duty wheels.

Ride was nice, much easier and more comfortable than I remember a mountain bike ride...

Priced out Bike, gloves, helmet, lock, water bottle and a more comfortable saddle, comes in at $600.85 USD.

Appreciate any thoughts, good, bad, indifferent?

Thanks in advance.

Dan
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Old 05-16-10, 07:25 PM
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wow sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I not an bike expert (just started last summer). But was looking at the trek 3500s for that kinda money back when i was shoping and the 4500 seems to be ALOT more bike.

It be really nice to have lock out forks too cause although my forks have held up very well and have not bottomed out yet they are some what annoying when i on the road at higher speeds peddeling harder.
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Old 05-16-10, 08:17 PM
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That's a pretty good deal for a 4500, and you'll have the support of your local shop to boot. Go for it. Slap some slick or semi-slick tires on if you're goign to mostly ride onthe road (I just put some Continental Town & Countyr's on my daugher's bike...highly recommend).
 
Old 05-16-10, 08:32 PM
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Originally Posted by tonkatruckjk
What do you folk think of the TREK 4500? One the the LBS has an '09 model they're willing to let go for $500 out the door (supposedly MSRP $ 700).

It DOES have a front fork suspension, but the sales guy showed me that i has a lockout feature that turns the ride into a rigid one. Already comes with heavier-duty wheels.

Ride was nice, much easier and more comfortable than I remember a mountain bike ride...

Priced out Bike, gloves, helmet, lock, water bottle and a more comfortable saddle, comes in at $600.85 USD.

Appreciate any thoughts, good, bad, indifferent?

Thanks in advance.

Dan
Sounds like a deal. Keep the lock on the front suspension. And the rubber side down.
 
Old 05-16-10, 08:45 PM
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Well, just got home - TREK 4500, helmet, gloves, water bottle (at least when you buy a bike from juan-mart, it comes with a water bottle!), lock, front and rear lights - OTD for $600.85.

It's atually a little less than I was prepared to spend, and I think I've got all the bases covered to do what I need.

I may be back shortly for some slicks - we'll see - my OTHER means of transportation is a locked/lifted Jeep 4x4, so I'm kinda partial to the knobby tires! This is a new concept to go get wheels without grip!

Here's a look...



Thanks for the input!
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Old 05-16-10, 08:54 PM
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BTW, you are not "almost two Clydesdales." We have a special category of "uber-Clyde" for folks like you. :-)
 
Old 05-16-10, 09:05 PM
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Haha...sweet - I'm special!

BTW - Rode for about 30 mins when I got it home tonight.

I believe I'll remember that ride tomorrow when I attempt to use my legs for - well, anything. God I'm out of shape.

Baby Steps.

By the way, Historian - just noticed you're riding in Boiling Springs...not too far from my stomping grounds growing up - basically anything and everything north and east of Harrisburg all the way to Jersey. Good luck on the ride.
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Old 05-17-10, 08:23 PM
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Hello and congrats on the Bike to you! Uber-Clyde is the name, and pedaling is becoming my game (groan - corny huh?)...

Anyhow - Welcome, and baby steps it is
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Old 05-18-10, 12:58 AM
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You're just a wee little guy at 350! I started out riding again at 380 and I'm down to 242. What was I saying before the bragging? :-) Oh yeah, get some wide slicks. I had a very similar set-up to you on a specialized hardrock; swapped out the MTB knobbies for Schwalbe Big Apples since I wasn't riding in the woods. Your butt will love you for it and so will your legs. Good possibility of better handling on roads than the knobbies also. And the more comfortable you are, the more more you'll ride, which is just all the sooner the weight will start to drop. Good luck!
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Old 05-18-10, 03:54 AM
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Tonka - these are the tires I got for my daughter's MTB:
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/pmict...ck_tire/pp.htm

I totally screwed up the name above.
 
Old 05-18-10, 07:42 AM
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billyymc - thanks for the link - I'll have a look...the guy in the LBS was riding some REALLY wide looked like completely slick tires, he used a Trek mtb as his commuter, and loved it. He wasn't a tiny guy either, but certainly very in-shape.

Kamala - congrats on the progress - one day in the not too distant future, I'll be another living, breathing, riding example of commitment and motivation for someone else to get started..

Peter C - looks like you've already dropped a few - keep at it.

I'm not sure if it will be my biggest hurdle or biggest helper - getting started jut as summer's getting ready to peak in Phoenix...I may have to convince a friend to ride behind me in a pickup truck with a winch, so wen I collapse from heat stroke, he can just winch me up into the pickup and head for the hospital...

I rode last night again - I need a gadget that tracks distance - but it was about 40 mins at a fairly easy pace - there's a jogging/biking path about 3/4 mile from my house, it runs for quite a distance, I followed it 1 mile west, then came back east the same distance and home (so, guess I can calculate that out to 3.5 miles in 40 mins...doesnt seem right?)

I'll have to find the techie thread and look for speedo/odo gadgets for the bike....happy trails for now!

Dan
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Old 05-18-10, 08:34 AM
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Cool bike congrats. I kinda jelouse its a much nicer bike than mine LOL.

IT aint gona be easy for the first bit (hell it still aint Easy a year and a half in) but its alot of fun and worth the effort so have fun and stick in there
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Old 05-18-10, 09:17 AM
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Originally Posted by tonkatruckjk

I rode last night again - I need a gadget that tracks distance - but it was about 40 mins at a fairly easy pace - there's a jogging/biking path about 3/4 mile from my house, it runs for quite a distance, I followed it 1 mile west, then came back east the same distance and home (so, guess I can calculate that out to 3.5 miles in 40 mins...doesnt seem right?)
If you remember your route, you can map out your mileage very quickly on mapmyride.com, bikely.com, or dailymile.com (and I'm sure there are plenty of others).
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Old 05-18-10, 10:32 PM
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Good news...I'm an IT professional and I went ahead and solved my own problem... (or, found someone who already solved it with the technology I already own). I've been a blackberry geek since back when they weighed 3lbs and whatnot. About two weeks ago, I broke my most recent bberry, and decided to try the iPhone route...never owned an apple product before in my life, so I'm getting up to speed here. I was happy I transferred my contacts from the bberry to the iPhone...finally figured out how to get some music on here...and today, I downloaded an app called MotionX GPS - I'll review it in a few weeks/month after I've used it a bunch. Has a lot of seemingly great features/functions - we'll see how user friendly it is, and how truly functional it is. Totalled $2.99 USD. Not bad.

Another day, another 40-minute ride (downloaded the app AFTER the ride...), not sure of the mileage...that's 3-days in a row (it's cause for rejoicing for me...). AND - I'm enjoying it - even the stiff/sore mornings - gets me up, stretch, hot shower, let's go!

Glad I found this place, where others have, or are experiencing the same types of things. (Gonna go read up on 'saddle sore'....)
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Old 05-19-10, 11:41 PM
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Ok - so I mapped out my route using the MotionX program - turns out it's like 2.6 miles. Not nearly as good as I'd thought, but still - 2.6 more miles than I did last week.

Tonight, it was 25 minutes, better, but I think I may have died twice during the ride.

OK - I'm REALLY out of shape. So it begins, anyway. Down 4lbs - eating better - no fast food in a week. Drinking more water, less soda.

Next week, this time, I want to be at 5 miles, whether I die or not.
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Old 05-21-10, 10:08 AM
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Progress...

This morning, 3.79 miles, 26.16 minutes, avg spd 8.7mph, max spd 14.4mph.

Better. Could have gone farther if I'd have drank more water this morning before I left. All in all, it's progress.
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Old 05-21-10, 10:37 AM
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Congrats on the bike and the jump into a healthier lifestyle. I am a newbie too, biking for enjoyment and fitness. My first post, I couldn't ride more than 15 minutes and no more than 3 miles. I am up to biking for a full hour and can do 20+ miles in a trip. I have lost almost 20lbs and feel 100 times better than I did 20lbs ago. Keep up the GREAT work and set little goals and be happy when you make them. I know it took me 10+ years to put on the weight and get out of shape, so it isn't going to come off overnight.

Keep chugging along...

A tip...invest in a hydration pack since you are just riding for fitness right now. Even the smaller ones hold at least 1 liter of water. You can put extra ice in as well. The extra weight is almost unnoticeable. Nothing like cold water on demand. This has certainly extended my riding time and cooled me down when I thought I was done and added extra minutes and miles to my ride time. I picked up a High Sierra at BJ's for $20.
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Old 05-21-10, 10:50 AM
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+1 on the hydration pack. My son and I use Camelbak's. This is our first summer in the desert, and I can already tell that afternoon riding is going to be out of the question.
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Old 05-21-10, 12:04 PM
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Phishingruven - Yes, going after a hydration pack today - also, carry a water bottle on the bike...good advice - especially in phoenix.

Zoste - welcome to AZ - the summers are hot, but the landscapes are gorgeous. I do a lot of 4-wheeling off-road in my jeep, have seen a LOT of gorgeous areas in Tucson, I know a few guys who ride some of the trails I've done in the Jeep...I can't imagine doing all that just yet, but there's a lot to see out there.
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Old 05-21-10, 01:01 PM
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All I can say (and remind) is my first ride was 400 feet (couldn't even pedal back up my driveway) - fast forward to recent times - my longest ride was just at 20 miles, and wasn't even crippled the next day!

It *CAN* happen if you want it to bad enough! Just do something, anything, every single day!! Rode too much yesterday? OK, today just go a block or two - but everyday is my mantra - it may not be much, but I *DID* get on my bike yesterday, today, and will tomorrow...
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Old 05-23-10, 10:27 PM
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Bad weekend for me. I rode every day, but I didn't eat well at all. Got myself into a funk. Did a total of 5.1 miles over Saturday and Sunday.

Mentally, I know what needs to be done. Why is it so damn difficult to break old habits? I subconsciously make poor decisions when I'm not 100% focused on the task at hand, and I found myself eating fast food 3 times over 2 days.

Anybody think it would be extreme to give my picture and a note to the local fast food restaurants - with the note saying "Don't feed the fat kid" ?

Sometimes I feel like I need someone else to make these decisions for me, although - intellectually, I know that doesn't solve the problem.

*sigh* This week WILL be a better week.
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