phatkat

I havent been on a bike since a kid I want to loose weight and have arthritis i wieght 380 it is hard for me to walk. Im thinking about getting a mountain bike. I need to know am i to big for a bike. IM thinking a bike would be a lo impact exercise for my knees

born2bahick

Your not too big. Riding is still just as fun as when you were a kid too! You may want a beefier set up than an average XC bike.

mcoine

Did you miss this part?

Yes, you are too big. Stop eating crap, join a fitness club and walk in the swimming pool, ride the stationary bikes..etc. When you are down to 250 and can walk again.. go get a bike.

Ashen

Absolutely not too big. Just make sure the shop gets you set up with a solid frame, and maybe a set of high spoke count wheels. Get out and have fun.

edbikebabe

For a different (read helpful) set of comments, check out the clyde/athena forum. They will have lots of useful advice on finding the right bike & getting started riding.

elf 232

Yes, you could definetly get a bike that will work for you but i would start on road to begin getting your legs prepped, in shape, and get used to your bike first, that doesnt have anything to do with weight though, thats just a good idea for anyone starting MTB.

elf 232

I agree, your going to get a bunch of smack talk from 120 pound anorexic men here.

indygreg

Here is my advice, as a formerly obese individual who is rather fit now. (to be fair, I was not very far into the obese classification, but I got to about 240 on a 5'10" frame).

Lose weight. Then worry about fitness. That is my $.02 that some will disagree with. I believe weight loss is easier without exercise. I think exercise will help maintain a lower weight and has tremendous health benefits.

MY BOTTOM LINE: 85-90% of weight loss is what you put in your mouth. People who are overweight and try to run or ride the weight off are OFTEN disappointed. It is hard to do. You have to balance fueling the activity but staying at a calorie deficit.

Let me now say some other things.
A) you can do it. Most fail at this goal, but there are plenty that succeed. There is NO reason you cannot be one of the minority that succeeds.
B) it will be hard. Weight loss is hard. Any diet or exercise plan or gym or fitness device that claims to be easy or effortless is a lie. Just accept that now. Things will improve the second you accept that. Not eating what you want is hard, but it can get easier with time. Sticking to exercise (when you get to that point) is hard to do, but it gets easier in time. I train about 10-12 hours a week and I now go nuts on my day off when I am not doing something.

I would set a weight goal to hit as a first step. Then I would add walking, water walking, cycling at that point . . . but watch it. If you stop losing weight, postpone it until you get to a weight you want.

You can do it. I did.

WrenchDevil6

Phatkat, I'm all for you getting a bike and joining our ranks, and while I think that a Spec'd Hardrock Comp Disc frame with Rhythm Control 2.3 tires would serve you well, I would suggest this:

Regardless of how you arrived at your current weight, be it overeating or a condition such as diabetes, or a combination of many other issues, you need to speak to a physician before you begin any workout program. What I suggest above all others is for you to find a fitness center that has Concept2 rowing machines and start rowing.

Rowing is as low-impact as you can get without sitting still. Yes, it has a modicum of impact, but it is minimal. If you seriously want to shed the weight and get fit, integrating rowing into your life will help you above all others. Rowing works almost every muscle group in your body at the same time.

I personally have aided individuals in their weight loss using rowing and have seen great results in my life from rowing. I'm a certified personal trainer and hold an associates in exercise science.

Again, as much as I would like to see you on a bike, I recommend rowing and possibly some stationary bike work to get you started. At this point, I feel that the money that you would spend on a bike would be better spent on a fitness center membership. Once you're able to get on a bike, you'll be more likely to stay on it. Also, it is important not to get on a scale when you begin a fitness program. Why? As your fitness level increases you are building lean muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. You will find, in the beginning especially, that you are gaining weight. This weight is from the muscles holding water/blood and growing. Your clothes are a better tell of weight loss than any scale will be at the onset.

Good luck, regardless of what you decide to do. At least you recognize a need and are seeking help.

Pumbadoo

Mountain Biking is a great way of keeping fit.

I've tried the Gym, Swimming, Jogging etc etc and I always end up bored before I even start to get any benefit from them. Mountain biking's great, because you're constantly concentrating on the terrain, views and generally enjoying each trip, it takes your mind off your own fatigue + for every hill you climb, you have an adrenaline inducing downhill to reward yourself with.

Also, i've always had problems with my knees which ruled me out from sports like football etc but my GP told me that cycling was fine for them - Just make sure your seat height is fairly high and that your knees are almost straight when the pedals are at their lowest point.

Go for it mate,

Cheers!

Tom Stormcrowe

In response, me 3 years ago vs me now. Note, I'm on oxygen in the first pic.



Now, doing long distance cycling, etc.



No, you aren't too big. The frame will hold you just fine. Spec your wheels for your weight with good high spoke count wheels. Stick to a hard tail bike, at least, like the Hardrock Sport, from Specialized, and get out and ride. Keep your doctor in the loop as well.

As to the arthritis, the key to mobility with arthritis is activity.

Don't let the naysayers discourage you, they are wrong, and I'm living proof.

Do stop in to Clydesdale's, please.

born2bahick

^^^^^ Awesome Tom!

mcoine

This is what I meant by "stop eating crap".

elf 232

I know getting in shape for me works best when i fall into a routine. Rather than eating when I'm hungry or whatever is around at meal time i think ahead of what im going to eat and eat only that and when im done think about what im going to eat at the next meal at a set time. It takes a little concentration the first day or two but its not hard once it becomes a habit. If i get hungry in between meals, i grab a coffee or low cal. drink (not double mocha frappa latte or diet drink either).

The only thing i disagree with above is with exercise. It may be a personal preference but i think that exercise establishes cost/benefit relationship between eating and exercise. At meal time, i may look in the cupboard and see a donut but think to myself, 1 donut = 1 hour of exercise, a cold siver runs down my spine, and i grab an orange.

WrenchDevil6

Yeah, I forgot about Tom. He's the exception in my opinion. Still, I'm always impressed with his tenacity and results.

How's your recovery coming, Tom? (not to go off topic)

elf 232

Your bike says thank you.

Your lookin great now.

Tom Stormcrowe

Sore as hell, but off the cane for short bits already. I've already started the torture sessions for shoulder mobility as well. Road rash on the leg is healing slowly, but healing. I'm hoping to be back on the bike for short rides at least in the next week or so.........

mcoine

I'm not a naysayer. Your success is amazing, but I would also say its the exception, not the norm. For someone at 380 and can barely walk, I would think biking would be just as painful until some weight is lost, which begins with eating properly.

Tom Stormcrowe

I'm not in disagreement with the general principal. I might have phrased it differently, though. The fact is, it's a change of lifestyle, and opting for saner choices, and use ANY tool necessary to achieve your goal. As to the pain, well, I can tell you from experience that cycling is considerabley less painful than walking and has greater caloric burn for the same time period.

• Cycling, easy: 10 MPH for 20 minutes at 380 pounds = about 421 calories burned
• Walking, 20 minutes, paced for a 24 minute mile = 181 calories burned

burn data: https://www.drgily.com/exercise-calorie-counter.php Not perfectly accurate, but shows trends accurately and is a good starting point.
Cycling has 0 impact on the knee joints and hips as well, as long as you don't fall.

I should also point out that I could barely walk when I started riding again, and I'm getting ready for a triathlon at the end of June if my crash damage has healed enough. In the first pic, I weigh in at 451, by the way and could only ride 1/4 mile

born2bahick

Losing weight is a pretty simple formula on paper, burn more calories than you take in. In actual practice it's like trying to stop smoking. It takes determination and will power. Tom is most definately an exception and not a norm.

dminor 

No, he's not a Norm - - he's a Tom

But in seriousness, I still marvel at Tom's before and after - Wow!

Tom Stormcrowe

Thing is, we have a bunch of guys in Clyde's with similar results....not quite as dramatic, perhaps, but not very far off of it. Look in on our Before and after pictures thread in Clydes, and you may well be surprised. Another place to look is the Emeritus thread. I give out certificates for Clyde Emeritus to the guys that succeed in hitting their sub 200 goals. I'll never make it because my ideal weight is over 200poundfs, but that's life....besides, it's no fun giving myself a certificate......kind of like kissing your sister

indygreg

I have done both. You are right, very simple on paper and they both take a lot of determination and will power. And as I said, they will never be easy for those reasons. But things worth doing are not easy.

elf 232

Iv never been "heavy" but got pretty out of shape a couple years ago and I know that MTB really brought me back and id hate to think how the trend may have continued had i not begun MTB.

So far MTB is one of the best physical things that has happened in my life which is why i encourage anyone, heavy or not to start asap. Im young so that doest say a ton though.



haha i say this as i sit in front of the pc eating a bag of fritos.

Chris_F

How does the balance thing work out for folks that big. I have no doubt that a bike can physically support the weight (a 200lb person landing a 4 foot drop to flat probably stresses a frame far more than a 400lb person riding on pavement). But I'd be worried about balance and catching yourself should you start to fall. Obviously it can be done as we have Tom to prove it for us.