New rider with lots of restrictions
 

Hello all. I'm new to this site but already have so many questions. First of all, I have Fibromyalgia. Second, I don't know exactly what I weigh (too afraid to find out) but it's somewhere in the mid-upper 200s. Lastly, I have a budget limit so whatever will do for a while would be the most appreciated - I'll upgrade later as needed.

I stopped into a local bike shop and they mentioned a Globe 4 Low Entry. I test rode it in the parking lot a few times and it was smooth as butter and caused no pain. It's an aluminum frame and only a 32 spoke single wall. Now...my main question is how long should this get me before I need to upgrade to 36 double? I'm only going to be using it for neighborhood roads and the paved bike path in town - all flat, no hills at all. Planning on riding every other day at least and no speed biking or anything like that. Easy does it.

Any suggestions? I can't afford anything over 300 (this bike is on sale for 299).

It will probably work just fine for you. However, I always suggest getting a used bike over a new low end bike. Often you can score a 700 dollar bike in good condition for around your price--it will just take some time searching around.

Another suggestion is try and write yourself some fitness goals. Often symptoms of fibromyalgia and other chronic pain problems can be decreased by increasing ones fitness. The first step is to make some achievable yet challenging goals. "Easy does it" is fine, but it is important to test yourself and keep working. If it is too easy, its just that, too easy. Try to work progression into your goals. For example you may ride 20 km for week one, then move up to 25 the next etc etc. You may also want to form a long term goal such as riding in a race or around a local lake or whatever. Something that isnt achievable at this point in time.

If weight loss is something that you want to work on, I suggest doing a little research on nutrition and use this along side cycling to help you meet your goals. Although you may be scared of the scale, they can be very helpful for monitoring progress over time--however, it is more important that you feel good about yourself. This can be done many ways, and progression can be measured in many ways as well. Becoming fitter, lowering resting heart rate, fitting smaller belt sizes are all equal ways to measure progress. Just pick whatever works for you :)

Good luck,

Mark

My Globe has been super-fun, easy to ride, and just a great bike for what you describe. The nice thing about a new bike is that it will need nothing, and the bike shops generally give you some assistance with fitting, "break in" tuning, etc. The Globe can also be easily upgraedd at a later date, if you decide you need something "more." That sounds like a great choice to me--and you liked the way it rode... :)

My wife has fibromyalgia. Exercise is one of the best things you can do when you have this condition. She started riding again last year after 30+ years off. Just start off slow and you'll be amazed at how you can ride more and more.

ecoahl: I'd rather you got something with more gears but as you're the one riding it it's up to you. As far as Goals I say forming good habits is more important than what you do. I suggest holding yourself back and thinking you could have done more is better in the beginning. Once daily exercise is a habit and not something you have to do. Then maybe push yourself. If you want to.

If you like the bike then get it. If things break, then upgrade. If the shop people are nice and take the time to go over things with you, even better. Right now I don't see you having any problems, and if the LBS is a quality one, they will help.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm leaning more towards getting the Globe. Definitely don't want something older or used that I have to try and figure out and upgrade right away.

What is the benefit of more gears if I will not be using it for anything intense? I'm sorry, I'm not a biker and don't look for the biggest and best and fastest with the longest ride options there is so I don't understand much about them other than what I've attempted to read online.
I understand what some of you are saying about working up - starting slow and then getting into it more. But this is really just for relaxation and easy going. I do other stuff (walking, swimming, etc) so I don't really need to push myself later with riding the bike. Just something simple is all I want.

Again, thanks for all the posts. I appreciate the help.

Different gears let you match how you're feeling to what the terrain is like. You can pick a gear that makes it so that you don't need to push down hard on the pedals -- as long as you're comfortable turning the pedals around more often. That trade-off -- how hard vs how fast -- will probably be something you want to change if the road has a hill in it, or if you're feeling more or less energetic some days. Three speeds may be perfect for you, especially if you'll be riding in a fairly flat area.

A headwind can feel like a neverending uphill grind, too. It's nice to be able to gear down and pedal faster, not harder.