Missjules

Hello all.. I'm not exactly an "Athena"... at 320 pounds, I'm more of a Venus of Willendorf! Anyway, I have not ridden a bicycle in 25 years and I'm looking start.

I know nothing about bicycles so even when I look at the specs they make no sense to me. Here are my needs and riding conditions: I want something to get me back and forth to the gym, shopping, bank, etc. These are short trips of 3-4 miles each way . I don't care about going fast, I just want to get there. At some point I'd like to start riding along the greenways with trips of up to 20 miles. I will be riding on paved roads with fairly heavy traffic, about half of the routes will have bike lanes. The area is mostly flat. The largest "hills" are the highway overpasses. I'm riding in Queens, NY. I am 5'5" tall with no physical limitations other than my girth! My absolute spending limit is $300.00.

I am considering this bike

This bike is about half my budget so I can use the rest if needed to pimp it out if necessary with whatever I might need to make it more appropriate for fatties.

Can you please look at the specs and tell me if this bike will be good for my needs, and also what modifications I might need to make on it to make sure it is safe for my weight.

ALSO... I'm so nervous about something and well, I'm just gonna come out and say it... See, at the gym, I do the recumbent bike. I love it. I do about 20 miles at a medium resistance. When I try the spin bikes I can't use them because the seat feels like it's going right up my hoo hoo. Is this just because it's a spin bike or will I have this problem with any bicycle I try?

Thanks all for your help, I look forward to your advice.

Tom Stormcrowe

First off, welcome to the forum. We're pleased to have you join our little corner of the intertubes.

OK, as to the bike. Given the price, I'd say that if you are going to be primarily doing short hops and MUP riding, it should do you just fine. Worst case, you'll have to have the wheels relieved and retensioned at a bike shop by a competent wheelsmith. Those are 36 spoke wheels, so they should be fine on the strength department. The main concern is will the bike fit you. Those cruisers are more or less one size fits all for an average height person.

Do be sure to invest in a good helmet.......you only have the one brain and a helmet does a lot to attenuate the impact of your on and only head if it hits the road in a crash, and always remember, there are 3 kinds of cyclists.......those who have crashed, those who haven't crashed yet, but eventually will, and those that lie about never having crashed. Get some lights if you plan on doing any night riding, and all in all, just have fun at first.....no goals, just get used to riding again and play.

Oh, and as to the seat up the hoohoo, well, that's an issue sort of, that we all face, one way or another.....our seat contact areas need to toughen up, and we need to learn to be sure to support our bodies with the ischial protuberances of your pelvis, aka the sit bones. Right now, your likely having posture issues and perhaps not getting the saddle gigh enough on the spin bike, so you aren't getting any leg support to help relieve pressure down there.

WonderMonkey

Others can address the right bike for you, I'll talk about actually getting out and riding. Don't miss an opportunity to get and ENJOY riding. When it becomes a chore back off a little so you don't just up and quit one day. Most of here didn't become Clydes, Athenas, or Venus of Willendorfs by using our incredible will power, we have let things drag us down and quite often we have enjoyed the trip. Ride, fail, ride more, adjust your strategy, take a day off, go slow, go faster, coast down a hill, walk your bike up a hill, etc. Heck even if you just go ride a mile that's great.

More than anything create a habit and ride consistently. All your other strategies for riding will flow from that.

Missjules

Thanks Tom, I will be getting a helmet and lights and maybe even flashing LED pedals.. I had a very bad crash as a teenager resulting in 45 stitches and I haven't ridden since! As for the size, I hope I'll be ok since I'm 5'5" which is average height for a woman. But, now I'm a little concerned maybe I'll head to Target and make sure that the size is good before I buy (I'm not buying from Target, I'm buying online from Amazon.com since I have a few gift certificates that I need to use.)

magohn

+1 - as soon as riding stops being fun, the chances are a new rider stops riding. Take it easy and literally "enjoy the ride". Don't be shocked at how difficult it may be at the beginning as the human body is amazing at adapting to new ventures.

Good SAFETY tips from Tom - a helmet and lights are a priority.

Your possible new bikes looks great! Welcome and keep us posted

Haff

Whatever bike you get I suggest bringing it to your local bike shop. Explain to them about your concern about the unauthorized hoo-hoo invasions and they should be able to suggest some changes (if needed). My limitedunderstanding is that there are some differences in sit-bone locations between the genders, so make sure the LBS you go to has plenty of experience with the ladies.

Ok, that didnt sound right, but you get the idea.

jethro56 

Welcome. Biking is really great but few people can just get on one and ride,ride ,ride. Being active is a lifestyle not a mission. Let bicycling be a passtime not a job. Later when you're hooked on this will be the time to work hard and be grinning from ear to ear.

Seattle Forrest

Wheels tend to be the biggest problem for big people. Everything else on the bike will have no trouble with your weight. If the wheels do go out, down the line, they can be fixed or replaced.

The saddle on the bike you're looking at is pretty thick, like a bar stool:



Did the spin bike have a more narrow one, like you'd find on a road bike?



If so, that's probably what's going on with that. Any saddle will take some getting used to, but ... you can see how some would take more adjusting than others. Also, these are very easy to change out.

The Schwinn is going to be very heavy, but that's only an issue when you accelerate and when you climb hills. They don't say that much about what the gearing is. But this comes with fenders and a rack, which you'll come to appreciate.

If you're going to ride at night, get a bunch of lights, even for your wheels.

goldfinch

You might also look at a Trek, like the Trek Navigator. My husband recently bought a 7 speed Navigator and got a 2010 so did well on the price paying $270. It will be close to double the price of the Schwinn but might be a better buy and there are more size options. Plus, a bike store can help you find one that fits you and help you set it up right. Be demanding!

I sympathize with the seat. I am an athena emeritus, half way through to my weight goal. I have struggled with getting comfortable on my bike and ended up changing out the seat.

Good luck! I am new here too and haven't seen many athena posters around yet. I need company!

iqbal624

Before ordering the bike online, definitely go try it out at target. I would also go to a local bike shop and tell them your goals and you budget. See what they can do.

I personally am all about ordering lights from eBay as they are fairly cheap...

Good luck!

Aquakitty

There are ways around the "hoohoo" problem, but they may cost you more.

When I weighed 264 riding a "normal" bike was hell for me so I found another way to do it, I rode a recumbent/semi-recumbent (AKA "crank forward"). I am sure to be blasted for this, but the recumbent is so comfortable it got me out every day when on an "upright" I was in pain. There is a lot of weight on a small area when we are overweight and it does take some getting used to.

My ride of choice at the moment is a Rans Cruz but that is kind of out of your price range. If you can find a bike shop and test ride some...there are lower end crank forwards available though I haven't tried them, something like the Fugi Saratoga.
You won't win the TDF with a crank forward but the goal is to get you out and not be in pain!

If you are brave enough to explore full recumbancy (if you don't mind looking different) keep an eye out for used recumbents, you might find something like an Ez-1 or a Bike-e for under $300. Walmart even sells one but it is a Walmart bike and the quality is probably low, though I heard of people buying it and putting better parts on it and having a nice ride!

Haff

I'm a big fan of recumbents, and my ride of choice is a recumbent trike, but I'm not sure it would be the right choice for short rides in queens. I think you want to be tall, and your road contact width to be narrow.

Have you considered used bikes? craigslist is useful around here. You'll get a much better bike for the price.

jyossarian

Forget Craigslist. Everyone in NYC thinks selling the $90 Huffy they bought in 1988 for $300 is a good deal cuz it's vintage. The most important thing about that Schwinn is whether or not the wheels are true when you get it. When you get it from Amazon, take it to a bike shop and have them assemble it or at least check it out to make sure everything's cool. To grease the wheels, go into the bike shop to buy some accessories like locks, lights, helmet, tools, etc. and ask if it'd be ok to have them check out the new bike you got. If they act all uppity, don't buy anything and go find another bike shop. Also, grab a free NYC bike map from any bike shop. Lots of good riding in Queens and the rest of NYC. I'm in NYC too so if you have any questions specific to NYC, lemme know.

Next up is check out Times-Up! (times-up.org) to find out about the Women's Bike Repair nights (usually Mondays) and other bike related things like the monthly rides in Central Park, Prospect Park and Riverside Park, etc. It's a good way to learn basic maintenance and repair and some advanced stuff. Transportation Alternatives is another advocacy group based in NYC and memberships gets you discounts at bike shops and sponsored rides like the NYC Century.

As for the saddle problem, every cyclist has issues w/ their saddles. The one on the Schwinn looks way over padded, but it might work for you. Most bike shops have a sit bone measurement thing that tells you how far apart your sit bones are. That helps you pick out the right width saddle if the saddle that comes w/ your bike isn't working for you. Even after you pick out the right width, some people prefer more padding, others less. Give the saddle a good couple of weeks of solid riding to get used to it before you make a decision to replace it.

dehoff

Looks like Times Up! has a recycling program that could be a good option as well for providing a bike to the OP- https://times-up.org/index.php?page=b...cyclingProgram

Bike coops are great for people just getting into cycling. They can buy or earn a bike and learn about bikes, safety, basic maintenance and repairs.

exile

Welcome Missjules .

The Schwinn looks fine for now. You should bring it to the bike shop just to make sure everything is working or put together properly.

Let us know when you get it and how much you enjoy it.

gapwedge

Welcome. Great replies to your post, so I will just encourage you to enjoy the experience and kudos for taking the inititive to ride a bike.

bassjones

I'm pretty sure that bike will not come assembled from amazon. Worse is buying it at target or walmart where it will be (sort of) assembled, but not very well... Living in NY, I would recommend checking out the bike co-ops in the city. You will likely end up with a much nicer bicycle (albeit older) that way. I just put a deposit on a used mid-60s Schwinn for my daughter. The front hub needs to be rebuilt, but I'll end up with less than $200 in a bike that's lasted over 40 years and will probably last another 40 with regular maintenance.

steve0257

That bike should be fine for the type of riding you're describing, relatively short rides. The saddle should be OK for the short rides, and depending on the amount of padding may be fine on longer ones. One of the more comfortable saddles I have for upright riding is one from a 60s cruiser.

Missjules

Thank you so much to everyone for your thoughtful comments. You have given me a lot to consider. I'm heading out now to the closest bike shop to have a look and see if they can match an online price for the bike I want.. or maybe they can show me something better. I'll also be sure to pick up my NYC bike map while I'm there. I'll return and report just as soon as I buy something and take my first ride!

Tom Stormcrowe

Good on ya! Yes, and welcome to the wonderful world of cycling.

cyclokitty 

Nice to meet another Athena!

I bought a similar saddle for my bike a few months after I started riding. It felt really lush, kind of like lounging on my bike rather than sitting on it. One thing, the initial comfort and security of a wider saddle helped when I was mostly riding shorter rides. Once I started riding more than 10 miles my legs would feel sore and my speed would reduce to practically nothing. I decided to switch to my original saddle (no where near as narrow as a road bike but still a fair bit smaller than the recliner style seat) and the first thing I noticed was that my legs were able to fully extend during the pedal down stroke. The wider seat prevented my legs from working properly and that fatigued them rather quickly.

Definitely get a helmet. There are lots of different makes and styles of helmets. Lights. Comfy clothes -- I started with gym clothes and then bought jerseys, shorts, skorts, cold weather tights, and wind proof stuff as I found them on sale. Terry's, Team Estragen and Junonia sell bike and active wear in plus sizes as well as some great sales.

ecovelo

Nothing to add to the excellent replies except welcome and have fun!!

Rhodabike

Bike shops that take trade-ins can sometimes be a good source for an inexpensive first bike. Sometimes they'll even offer some sort of guarantee. A little more money than buying off Craigslist, but you can take it back if there's a problem.
Even if you don't buy from a shop, haunting bike shops for a few weekends can give you an idea of which models fall into what price ranges, so you'll have an idea of what a used model should cost should you run across it. (For example, my husband just sold his 3 year old 'cross bike for 60% of what he paid for it new. Another year and he would have asked 50% of the new price.) You'll also get an idea of which shops are a good fit for you and which ones make you feel like an outsider. Sad to say, some not-so-savy shop owners do treat potential customers in a snooty way if they don't seem to fit their ideal customer mold.
Good luck, and happy hunting.