Rowan

I am sure we all were or are hoping that Hites would make an effort to make some progress beyond where he has been for some time now. But that picture with the Vets woman really tells the story... the GT bike that has been donated to him just won't cut the mustard.

I go back to one of my previous posts. This guy needs emotional/psychological help. He is delusional, and his delusions now mean he is riding a wave of celebrity that is going to make it very difficult for him to let go.

This is a quote from WebMD - Better information. Better health.

Delusional disorder, previously called paranoid disorder, is a type of serious mental illness called a "psychosis" in which a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. The main feature of this disorder is the presence of delusions, which are unshakable beliefs in something untrue. People with delusional disorder experience non-bizarre delusions, which involve situations that could occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned, deceived, conspired against, or loved from a distance. These delusions usually involve the misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences. In reality, however, the situations are either not true at all or highly exaggerated.

People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and function normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner. This is unlike people with otherpsychotic disorders, who also might have delusions as a symptom of their disorder. In some cases, however, people with delusional disorder might become so preoccupied with their delusions that their lives are disrupted.

Mithrandir

On August 4th, 2010, I weighed 462 pounds. It was that day when I decided I would be changing my life, forever. I dug my old mountain bike out of storage, pumped up the tires, laboriously hauled it down stairs and into my parking lot...

And realised that I wouldn't fit. No matter how I tried to squeeze myself in, I just could not fit. The entire process was thoroughly humiliating, and after 5 minutes I gave up and hauled the bike back upstairs. My game plan changed immediately. The bicycle was out. I guess I was walking instead. So I spent the next 8 months walking, lost about 50 pounds, and then come next spring, I tried the bike out again. I haven't stopped since.


It was obvious to me within just a few minutes that I wasn't riding my bike 3 feet, much less 3 miles, much less 3000 miles.


Draw what conclusions you may.

Bockman

This just appeared on his website:

'For all media and business inquiries, please contact AEP Media at aepmedia.fgaa@gmail.com'

chibul

Well this is certainly an interesting thread. I've gone from being fully behind him and thinking he was just way in over his head, to reading this thread and now not knowing what to think. The family members certainly seem to reek of a "we have a personal grudge against this guy" complex, so they don't seem very objective....OTOH, everything they've said lines up with what we've seen thus far. And now he's at the doctor again this morning, getting medicine for his "bronchitis"...so I doubt we get any riding pictures today.

I honestly don't know what to think. It appears more and more likely this will never get going....and even if he means well, having the wife/"wife" with him is going to be a huge distraction.

mahlers2nd

Worse yet -- they make it actually sound like has been plugging away making consistent progress.

From the article:

I thought he was still in Tiverton -- and frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't made that his permanent residence at this point.

I do love how none of the articles show him actually riding the bike... they just show a cartoon or a generic cyclist (who is not overweight) on a lonely empty road... Instead of the guy sitting on his duff in front of a tent or eating at a local restaurant.

chibul

AEP Media has had one post on their Facebook page since 2013.

https://www.facebook.com/activeep

A whopping 224 likes.

nordek

I found this board because I found FGAA to be a little fishy. I am glad his brother came forward to expose him,it took a lot of courage.I really don't think he will make more than 20 miles.But,on the other hand maybe some other individual,who wants to lose a bunch of weight will come forward next year and do it.I like to bike and do like 50 miles a week and have been looking for a bike forum,so FGAA has sorta of been a good thing,after this train wreck is over I plan on visiting this site for more productive reasons.

Little Darwin

I quit reading that magazine long ago, although it was great fun to read long ago. I don't know if I grew beyond needing the magazine, or if it went down hill, but I do know that I quit getting anything useful from the articles.

I wonder if where else this will show up.

It does seem that either every article is based on previous articles, or Eric has his spiel down real well.

chibul

Looking at the GFM page...donations have definitely slowed down by a lot.

nordek

Whats that old expression,**** or get off the pot.He needs to ride now or admit he is a fraud.

scrming

Bicycling Magazine just tweeted:

"Meet the incredible 500-pound man bicycling across the U.S. for love"

Incredible? There are a lot of incredible folks right here... Based on what I've seen Mr. Hites is definitely not incredible!!!

Ive dropped 110 pounds in 11 months for the LOVE of my children!

Sorry Mr. Hites, time to put up or shut up!!!

Perisphere

First of all, many congratulations on getting it done! When I was 340 lbs I also realized that I needed to simply do whatever I COULD do and like you, that was some walking. At first, I didn't walk far! I was afraid that I would not be able to get myself home! It did not take much physical activity to make my whole body ache! Up to that point, I had carefully planned my life to avoid even minimal walking.

In the years since I've lost weight, I became a certified trainer so I could help people get over that sense of what I call exercise anxiety. I work with people with a heart rate strap and for very large people, it takes SO LITTLE activity to get them seriously winded and their hearts racing. A few years ago I met a woman who told me when she was 417 lbs, the most she could manage at first was walking to her own mailbox and back. She developed a walking course for herself by going to a Walmart and walking from bench to bench. I worked with a man who, at 450 lbs, was THRILLED with himself the first time he could do one full minute at a good pace on a treadmill.

So when I read of a 560 lb man saying he's getting on a bicycle, well, I'm skeptical. And seeing that photo and how much weight he carries up front? I think there's a reason we've never seen a photo of Eric on a bike. Today was supposed to be "go go go day." The current excuse? He's at the doctor getting medication for bronchitis.

Little Darwin

Welcome!

You don't have to wait for this train wreck to be over before you participate elsewhere.

In general, the forums here are defined on interests etc, but the lines are kind of fuzzy. Don't worry if you don't fit within the strict definition of each forum, as long as the discussions are of interest to you.

bassjones

Welcome! We're generally a good lot. The sub forums are great places for information on specific interests. I tend to post here or the Road Cycling sub forums. C&A is probably the friendliest place for bigger riders since we have some unique issues that the 140 lb gazelles don't have.

Willbird

Bicycling magazine on Facebook could maybe let Eric do a guest column on how to poop. Not kidding at LEAST 50% of the articles in bicycling's news feed are about pooping and other bodily functions. For the print magazine he could maybe do a spot on smoking dope. Never thought bicycling would become High Times magazine but this months copy proved me wrong :-).

I have no idea if Eric ever smoked dope but he for sure knows as much about it as riding a bike across a county, or across a state, or coast to coast :-).

Incredible kinda means "not credible" or "beyond belief". A 500 lb guy could walk across America and stay ahead of Eric at 5 miles a day :-). Even walking 15 minutes and resting 15 minutes, then repeating.

ColaJacket

And if Eric Hites were to come on here, and ask for help, you might be surprised how many people would be willing to offer constructive advice, and try to be supportive.

But, one of the first things that people would probably tell him, is to quit digging a hole, stop talking to the media, and dump most of the stuff in the trailer (especially the cigarettes and soft drinks). Use a mapping app to map your rides (e.g. Strava, MapMyRide, etc.). A lot of people would suggest some type of Calorie tracking app, if he really wants to lose weight. And then advice on the bike.

But FGAA is giving us a bad name. His weight is caused by his other personal problems, not the other way around. And those other personal problems are keeping him from cycling across America.

GH

Haff

I thought I just saw a picture of her bike on here, but I will assume it was deleted for a good reason. Either way, it got me thinking. There are a huge number of threads in here about people trying to find a good bike to handle the weight, and most of the people asking dont quite reach the 500+ pound range. I dont know how much she weighs, but I know it isnt 150. I wonder if the bikes they have can take it. That GT frame looked a little questionable to me. i dont know what its rating is, but I could see it having trouble on a pot-hole. And if she gets the bike I thought I saw, I dont see it taking anything over say 250.

so if the dude decided to spend some of that $10k he now has on some beefy bikes or trikes that could actually take the abuse. would we generally applaud him, despite the additional delay it would cause, or would we condemn him? I think I would be frustrated, but it would look like a smart move, so I would probably support the move.

chibul

The bike she's using can be found on his facebook page, he replied to a comment asking for a picture of it with said picture.

Beachgrad05

He got the wife a Liv hybrid that looks like an FX

billyymc

A picture of a bike, not even with his wife standing near it. So weird.

billyymc

"Fat guy Across America Im doing my best. My bicycle shop friend Rob, has been out of the shop due to his wife's accident and my bronchitis really put us behind, but that is life, I'm trying to reorganize a ride across the newport bridge for the Am because I'm sure he needs to stay with his wife and not worry about me. She is much more important and that is how it should be. Rob and his family are now part of extended family, and we've been sending a lot of prayers thier way."

Uh-oh...

RollingBlubber

He's had over $5,000 in his GoFundMe account for long enough to have had either a 48h wheelset built or a trike found for him and his "wife". That he posted a picture of a sub-$500 hybrid with 32h wheels as his "wife's" bike with her not in the picture is really telling. In other words, if he really wanted to go that route he would have done so already. That he hasn't tells you all you need to know.

PhotoJoe 

My computer will NOT let me see page 26! I feel so out of the loop. Did I miss anything? Has he made it to New Jersey yet?

Mithrandir

He managed to find a doctor in Newport to give him a physical.

Color me impressed. When I need to schedule a physical with my doctor, it takes at least a month to fit it in!

Little Darwin

I would think that if I was running a Facebook page like his, I wouldn't bury a status or picture in a reply to a comment, but actually post it on his wall where everyone would easily see it. I still don't see things on Facebook that others are seeing, I wonder if it is because I am using my phone... or that I am not his FB Friend (I have just made a friend request).