goldfinch

I wouldn't experiment with new saddles until you have a couple of weeks of riding under your butt. You need some adaptation time first.

Congratulations on the new bike, the blue is really a nice color.

Jarrett2

Up to 38 miles, down 38lbs today. Going to do my first 10 mile ride tomorrow morning. Digging it.

My favorite part about biking/cyling/whatever the term is that when I am done I don't have any aches or pains and almost immediately after I have more energy than before. Most other exercises I do leave me limping and tired afterward.

Jarrett2

On the bike I have, what sort of average speed should I be shooting for? I live in a fairly hilly area (which I didn't really realize until I starting riding a bike around it ) so how does that factor in?

c_m_shooter

There are no hills in Tx, don't kid yourself. Ground speed isn't important at this stage. Ride at an effort you can handle for an hour at a time. Once you are riding an hour a day 5 of 6 days a week, you can make one of those days for hill repeats or intervals. Then one of the days will be for longer rides 2 hours or more. The speed will come from hill repeats, endurance will come from longer rides.

marmot

Yeah, my town is flat as a pancake in a car. On a bike, it's all long, gradual slopes.

Jarrett2

Hit a milestone today, I've ridden 300 miles total since I got the first bike on 5/24. So just over a month. I'm starting to do 70+ miles a week now. I bought a new bike along the way. Got a Trek FX 7.2. And I've bumped my average speed up to 13 MPH and climbing. Thinking about selling the Specialized Expedition Sport at this point. Also, I'm 15lbs down since I got the bike and 50lbs down total since I started working on my weight on 4/1.

justin_nj

Great job - 300 miles. Keep going! Just be really really careful with the quick weight loss. It's pretty well known that the body does better with a slow steady weight reduction. You have been dropping weight pretty fast, 5.55 on average since 4/1. While in the begining, dropping weight fast is common, you should try to slow down to a 2 pound a week average. Your body is going to start building a lot of muscle which will counter what the scale says. If you try to keep up the average, your body fat loss over a short time will be very high, which is not conducive to keeping it off and allowing your body the time to adjust to the changes.

I am now on my 2nd major attempt to drop weight in the past 6 years. I put back on 34 pounds of the original 53 pound drop, which I did very fast. Now I am working on a 1 pound perweek average setting small milestones between major goals and the ultimate goal.

Jarrett2

That's solid info, thanks. I am trying to lose slowly this time. I've done a couple of 80lb drops in the past at a much faster rate, so trying to ease into it more this time, but with all the exercise it's still going pretty fast. 361 miles today

barnabyjames

This.

barnabyjames

Holy Moly! That's ALOT of weight on a CAAD9 frame and a not-so-strong wheel set IMO. That particular size wheelset/frame arent made to carry biggins like yourself. How you're not having wheel/frame issues is a mystery to me. I'm a Clyde too, but Christ on a bicycle, almost 4 bills on a tiny CAAD9 bike IMO, isn't good. If it works for you though, good. (Scratches head).

gyozadude

Jarrett2:

Gotta love your enthusiasm. Not even 400 miles and you've already bought the 2nd bike, a Trek FX 2.0? LOL! Yeah, I'd say you're on a good path. Keep it up and stay safe. Riding is fantastic. You move way faster than walking. You get to see lots more land. It feels great to cover so much distance with just your own human power, and you're probably losing weight, or if not, you're toning leg muscles and at our size, it's like weight lifting so you're growing muscles too, which burns more fat. Soon, you'll be like some of us who ***** ourselves for bike hardware. 7 bins of new parts, tonnes of tools, and more than a half dozen bikes in the stable... and still entertaining the possibility of expansion. :-)

Jarrett2

I'm almost to 400 miles now I do enjoy biking quite a bit. I got a taste of how much today.

I went out for my daily morning 11 mile ride and a lady was walking her dog on the trail. I thought I would drop off the trail onto the grass for a sec and go around instead of trying to get her to reel her dog in. Bad idea. I scared the crap out of her as my tire dropped off the trail and then when i was getting back on my side wall rubbed and about 40 yards later my front tire was flat. Lesson #1 learned.

So then I took the front wheel off and tried to use this handy dandy patch kit the LBS sold me with my bike. I overestimated the amount of CO2 in the cartridge and wasted it all trying to find the leak Lesson #2 learned.

So I got the tube patched and back on the bike, but no CO2 left. So I started walking. Thankfully it happened when I was near my truck and was only about a mile away. As I was walking along this familiar trail with my bike, I thought to myself... "Walking sucks"

goldfinch

I always carry a spare tube. It is easier for me to change out the tube and bring the old one home to patch.

Looks like you are having fun!

otis66

At 392 lbs my LBS recomended a Giant Sedona with a standard CroMoly fork. I also had to replace the suspension seat tube with a solid seat tube. This bike is holding my weight no problem. The only other mods I have made are new brakes and Shimano shifters. My LBS keeps this bike in stock for heavey weights like me,under 400lbs . My first goal was to keep from weighing 400 lbs. I'm unable to weigh myself because I cannot find a bathroom scale that goes past 300lbs but I have went from a 60 waist to a 54 waist since I started riding.

phread59

Did you ever get a bike computer? If no may I suggest one of the Garmin units. I have a 200 and love it. A 200 goes fro around 140$. Well worth the cost. You can download you're activities to Gamin Connect or Strava or what ever and track you're progress.

I'm glad you're on the second bike. It takes a bike or two till you learn what you want and need. I'd suggest trading the Expedition in on a nice Mountain Bike. You have a truck. It can take you to some offroad stuff. It will expand you're options. I primarily ride road. But I do have a used mountain bike to ride easy trails. I enjoy being in the woods on a really hot summer day. Some food for thought.

Mark Shuman

Jarrett2

Yeah, I've been using a free app on my HTC One. Did my first 25 mile ride yesterday:

Jarrett2

Five months, 4 bikes and 2,036 miles later, I made it under 300. 103 lbs. total down this week. What a fun ride it has been. Thanks for all the help and support along the way

2 wheeler

Sounds like you're doing great, J2!

ill.clyde

Penny4

Wait, 4 bikes?? What came after the Trek FX, or did i miss it in your posts?

Jarrett2

Specialized Expedition Sport
Trek FX 7.2
Trek DS 8.3
Specialized Secteur Expert Disc

I wish I would have gone to a road bike sooner. I still have my DS 8.3, but it just sits in the garage now. I probably should point out I broke a lot of spokes on the Trek's, but none on the Specialized so far.

Jarrett2

120 pounds down total as of today
160 miles for the year
2350 miles since I got the bike last May

I'm stunned at how much weight loss can be had with calorie counting + cycling.

Thanks to this forum for all the support along the way.

Cycle Babble

Jarrett2,
Congratulations on the weight loss!

ill.clyde

Congrats man! that's fantastic!

MRT2

what an inspiration.