insylem

Hello Everyone!
I'm the new guy. I live in Southern Alabama.
A little history first.
When I was a teenager. A friend of mine and I would ride our bikes all over the county and into the next. Normally wed do 15 mile bike rides, that would take about an hour. Occasionaly we would do 20 - 30 miles. I had a Huffy and he had a Mongoose. (sp?)

Ok now about 15 years later to this week.
I'm 34 years old. I have sleep apnea and slightly overweight. Both my parents have diabeties. My sister last year did this Tour De Cure thing. I guess it was like 100 Km (62.1371 miles). I remember loving bike rideing as a teenager. It's great excersize and its not as boreing as weight lifting and running.

So yesterday I went out to a bike shop and purchased a Mt Bike. It's a Fuji Nevada. It says 3.0 on it but I couldn't find it on Fuji's web sight. Maybe some one here is familure with that model. My sister said it's not really that good for the long distance. It should be good for trails. When I got it home, last night after work I weighed it. 32 pounds. It's abit heavier then I thought it would be after pickign it up out of the trunk of my car. But hey, I can loose 32 pounds and be in my ideal weight.

I want to get on some local trails here with it though. I figure the excersise would do me good. I can't do Tour De Cure this year because my sister is getting married too close to the date. But next year Id like to. That means I'd have to get a new bike for the street/ cross country rideing. By then hopefully I'll be in better shape.

Took it out this morning. Did about 3 miles. Feel good, felt the lactic acid build up in my legs.

The Tour De Cure is a next year goal.
This years goal is to cycle my way into better health. Because of a birth defect, I doubt I will ever be free of Cpap, however, loosing weight should help less it, and help prevent me from getting diabeties, or if I do get it, help control it better.
-Jonathan

Phil_gretz

Hello, Johathan.

Your Fuji Nevada 3.0 comes with a lockout feature on the front fork, so you can make it rigid for road riding. Then you'd just have to exchange your knobby tires for some road slick compatible 26 x 1.5" tires - and you'll be good to go. With a rigid fork and slick higher pressure tires, there will be nothing holding you back from riding on paved surfaces for greater distances.

As it is, you can gain quite a bit of fitness by just riding your bike wherever you'd like. It will do fine on any types of trails or off-road riding in your area, too.

As to the type 2 diabetes, you'd do well to watch what you eat scrupulously, not "giving in" to processed foods, sugary or non-nutritive foods, or soft drinks. Stay with foods in as close to their raw or natural states as possible. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grain breads, yogurts (not sweetened varieties), meats, eggs...that sort of thing. Also, watch your calorie intake - with your increased activity level, you may "feel" hungrier for a while. Continue to limit your portion sizes and eat small amounts more frequently during the day. Be very careful about your evening or night eating. Limit it to fruits and water, and you should be fine. No junk snacking at night!!!

Riding for 30-45 minutes, three or four times per week regularly, should lead to gradual weight loss and improved health.

Keep up the interest in riding, and keep posting on your progress!

Phil G.

Yo Spiff

Welcome to a lifetime addiction. A good one to have!

I use a CPAP myself, since 2000. Took a year or so to really get used to using it and it ain't a big deal anymore. I need to get another sleep study done to see if all my bike riding and weight loss have done anything for it.

insylem

Thanks Guys.
From looking around here there seems to be so much more to cycling then I realised was possible. I have no clue what I'm doing. I just like to ride. I've missed riding. I need to get back into shape and get my endurance back up.

insylem

Ops I posted this in the wrong thread. I Just found the introduction threads. Oh well.

insylem

Hey Phil, the guy at the bike shop. (Literally called "The Bike Shop") Showed me how to do the front fork. It even adjusts the 'give' in it or whatever it's called. But this bike weighs like 32 pounds. That woudln't hurt me on long distance rides? Even with road tires. Also Ive prety muhc cut out eating food after work. I work 2nd shift so I get home around 1130pm. Thanks for the tips though

Phil_gretz

^ Don't exchange your fork, just use the lockout feature. That's $100 that you don't need to spend. 32 lbs is not a problem once you get it moving. My touring bike can weigh 50 lbs fully loaded and I don't feel it unless on a steep, prolonged incline. Unloaded, I think it's in the 30 lb range. Just ride what you have.

Back in the 1970s, we rode high tensile frames with steel rims. Our bikes weighed in the 27-28 lb range. Never held us back.

insylem

I dont think Im going to modify my bike anytime soon. Thanks for the advice though. I Think I'll do like Phil says. I've been useing the lock out feature since ive only been on roads so far with it. Other bikes i've ridden in the past with a front suspention always felt like they had a flat tire on the road. My friend from work wants to get a bike now. Hopefully we can go bikeing together. Then I wont be by myself. Hard to stay motivated when your alone.

terrymorse 

As a new cyclist, you'll benefit greatly by joining a local cycling club. Not sure if there are any in your area, but here are some Alabama clubs:

https://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/6213/al.htm