Too Fat to Ride??
07-28-17, 02:07 PM
#26
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Yesterday I went to a few different bike shops. After some detailed talk with a manager at the trek store I ended up getting a 2017 Trek XF 3. They were running a sale on the older model with the release of the 2018 bikes.
I'm a little nervous with the thinner tire but he assured me I should be ok as long as I stay away from rough roads and such. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Thanks again for all the suggestions! Hoping to take it out today to get more familiar with riding a bike again.
I'm a little nervous with the thinner tire but he assured me I should be ok as long as I stay away from rough roads and such. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Thanks again for all the suggestions! Hoping to take it out today to get more familiar with riding a bike again.
07-28-17, 07:45 PM
#27
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You got a good bike! I'm not loyal to any particular brand, but when someone asks me for a starter bike that will carry them past just tooling around the neighborhood, the Trek FX series is my quick response. My wife has a FX 7.2 and it's her favorite ride. You can find them everywhere. They don't have the unnecessary suspension. The flat bar doesn't seem to scare people as much as road bars. The tires are wide enough. They are good bikes. Looks good, too.
07-28-17, 10:05 PM
#28
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You got a good bike! I'm not loyal to any particular brand, but when someone asks me for a starter bike that will carry them past just tooling around the neighborhood, the Trek FX series is my quick response. My wife has a FX 7.2 and it's her favorite ride. You can find them everywhere. They don't have the unnecessary suspension. The flat bar doesn't seem to scare people as much as road bars. The tires are wide enough. They are good bikes. Looks good, too.
Road bars are a little intimidating! Lol So far I'm absolutely loving it. I didn't want a full cruiser bike and I was too intimidated by road bikes for now. This seemed like the perfect compromise. I haven't been on a bike in like 10 years at least so in a way it was almost like starting over. Might sound dumb but I'm still working on the whole starting and stopping efficiently. I don't want to be too hard on the brakes at my weight.
Anyone familiar with the stock tire on this bike? I'm going to stick with them for now but it doesn't seem to have any tread. I want to ocassionaly ride on some crushed limestone trails and I'm worried the very little tread is going to make it extra slick.
07-29-17, 08:05 AM
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07-29-17, 09:54 AM
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Congrats on the new bike and getting out with it. Keep it up.
07-29-17, 10:13 AM
#32
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Hello All!
I've been glancing around here for about a week trying to learn as much as I can about getting started but after today's experience I thought I would ask for some suggestions/advice.
I'm a 27 year old female from Columbus, Ohio. I started my weight loss journey about a year ago and I've gone from 460 pounds to 375 pounds. Now that I'm relatively lighter I've been looking into cycling as a form of exercise. Anyway, I went to a local bike shop today to check out some bikes and they wouldn't even give me the time of day. One of the sales guys came over and basically told me I'm too fat to ride. I left the shop more than a little frustrated and defeated.
Does anyone have any advice as far as selecting a bike? I was looking at a specialized roll low step bike as a starter until I'm in better shape to get a road bike. Would this bike work? I'm worried my weight will be too much on it.
Thank you in advance for any help, I really appreciate it!
I've been glancing around here for about a week trying to learn as much as I can about getting started but after today's experience I thought I would ask for some suggestions/advice.
I'm a 27 year old female from Columbus, Ohio. I started my weight loss journey about a year ago and I've gone from 460 pounds to 375 pounds. Now that I'm relatively lighter I've been looking into cycling as a form of exercise. Anyway, I went to a local bike shop today to check out some bikes and they wouldn't even give me the time of day. One of the sales guys came over and basically told me I'm too fat to ride. I left the shop more than a little frustrated and defeated.
Does anyone have any advice as far as selecting a bike? I was looking at a specialized roll low step bike as a starter until I'm in better shape to get a road bike. Would this bike work? I'm worried my weight will be too much on it.
Thank you in advance for any help, I really appreciate it!
... I'm in western PA, was actually considering a somewhat similar post. I'm a 55 yr old male still tipping the scales at close to 350 6 years after my stroke which happened after topping out @427 during a 22 year truck driving fatty food eating career. I rode an industrial type tricycle for a couple years but have not yet attained 2 wheel status
.I live in a nice area for cycling, paved paths historic points of interest etc... but I don't know much of anybody in the local cycling scene. I've been trying to get involved on the volunteer end of local events and get great feedback on the phone, especially when i mention the stroke but when I show up for the events looking almost as wide as i am tall, I can feel the"seriously YOU want to be a cyclist?" just oozing out of folks. I say to hell with them and anybody else, do what makes you happy
the spesh roll looks awesome to me ESPECIALLY the low entry models(i can't get my leg over the saddle/toptube of a standard diamond frame)coincidentally I talked to the local spesh dealer about the roll elite LE just this past week but he only has a large, even with the low entry my short legs need a small. so, "you do you" and ignore them. Judgemental jerks masquerading as lbs employees are not worthy of your time. one more thing, as a long time customer/fan of Bike Nashbar (used to be in Youngstown, now in Canfield) I would like to say you might consider them, they sell boatloads of bikes and frames every year to regular folks,I have never heard anything bad about the strength or durability of their frames from anybody that I trusted.Let the boney little weight weenies deal with the arrogant lbs edit... I see you got a bike, good for you
Last edited by keg61; 07-29-17 at 10:37 AM.
08-27-17, 01:05 PM
#33
Newbie
Hi CM,
Congratulations on your weight loss so far and on committing to that new bike! Your confidence and comfort level are going to improve every time you ride, and aside from the obvious health benefits, you're going to have more fun than you thought possible.
I wrote up a big devil's-advocate comment about our litigious society and everything being lawyer-rated and disclaimered to hell and back, but then I noticed this thread is a few weeks old. It's all water under the bridge now. You found a better LBS and you got that beautiful bike. That's fantastic!
Don't worry too much about lack of tread depth for what you're doing with the bike. Slightly loose surfaces aren't a big deal as long as your speeds are reasonable and your inputs smooth. It's sort of like holding a squirming toddler or wriggling puppy - you just have to allow the bike to move within a given range. As the old song says, hold on loosely, but don't let go; if you cling to tightly, you're gonna lose control. You'll develop a feel for it. If it proves to be a problem, the LBS may have a better option for you, but until then, try to avoid solving problems you haven't had yet. Good bikes (and components) are remarkably tough and capable. Give yourself a chance to learn what the bike can do, and to improve your skills and confidence level, before replacing components.
The same applies to the brakes. By all means talk to your LBS about different pads (or maybe making some adjustments) if they're not working effectively, but don't worry about being too hard on them. Brake pads are consumable items, just like the ones on your car, or like tires; they do their job by wearing out. When they wear out, replace them.
Chuck nailed it. His comment mirrors my experience getting back on a bike. After riding more, and making little adjustments to improve the fit, the saddle has started to "disappear". It still gets to me after an hour or so, but then, I'm still riding in jeans. The point is you may have to adjust the height and angle of your seat to get you in the right position and keep you there.
Speaking of fit and comfort, I found that a set of padded cycling gloves made a huge difference, though I sometimes get a little numbness in the hands after about 45 minutes. Bar ends ($2 at the local used bike parts emporium) help just by offering a little variety for a few minutes. You can also get grips that have integrated bar ends, like the Ergon GP2/GP3/GP4/GP5 line.
Anyway, you've had the bike for a little over a month now. How are things going?
Congratulations on your weight loss so far and on committing to that new bike! Your confidence and comfort level are going to improve every time you ride, and aside from the obvious health benefits, you're going to have more fun than you thought possible.
I wrote up a big devil's-advocate comment about our litigious society and everything being lawyer-rated and disclaimered to hell and back, but then I noticed this thread is a few weeks old. It's all water under the bridge now. You found a better LBS and you got that beautiful bike. That's fantastic!
Don't worry too much about lack of tread depth for what you're doing with the bike. Slightly loose surfaces aren't a big deal as long as your speeds are reasonable and your inputs smooth. It's sort of like holding a squirming toddler or wriggling puppy - you just have to allow the bike to move within a given range. As the old song says, hold on loosely, but don't let go; if you cling to tightly, you're gonna lose control. You'll develop a feel for it. If it proves to be a problem, the LBS may have a better option for you, but until then, try to avoid solving problems you haven't had yet. Good bikes (and components) are remarkably tough and capable. Give yourself a chance to learn what the bike can do, and to improve your skills and confidence level, before replacing components.
The same applies to the brakes. By all means talk to your LBS about different pads (or maybe making some adjustments) if they're not working effectively, but don't worry about being too hard on them. Brake pads are consumable items, just like the ones on your car, or like tires; they do their job by wearing out. When they wear out, replace them.
Speaking of fit and comfort, I found that a set of padded cycling gloves made a huge difference, though I sometimes get a little numbness in the hands after about 45 minutes. Bar ends ($2 at the local used bike parts emporium) help just by offering a little variety for a few minutes. You can also get grips that have integrated bar ends, like the Ergon GP2/GP3/GP4/GP5 line.
Anyway, you've had the bike for a little over a month now. How are things going?
Last edited by DarkMonohue; 08-27-17 at 01:11 PM.
08-29-17, 03:44 PM
#34
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Hi CM,
Congratulations on your weight loss so far and on committing to that new bike! Your confidence and comfort level are going to improve every time you ride, and aside from the obvious health benefits, you're going to have more fun than you thought possible.
I wrote up a big devil's-advocate comment about our litigious society and everything being lawyer-rated and disclaimered to hell and back, but then I noticed this thread is a few weeks old. It's all water under the bridge now. You found a better LBS and you got that beautiful bike. That's fantastic!
Don't worry too much about lack of tread depth for what you're doing with the bike. Slightly loose surfaces aren't a big deal as long as your speeds are reasonable and your inputs smooth. It's sort of like holding a squirming toddler or wriggling puppy - you just have to allow the bike to move within a given range. As the old song says, hold on loosely, but don't let go; if you cling to tightly, you're gonna lose control. You'll develop a feel for it. If it proves to be a problem, the LBS may have a better option for you, but until then, try to avoid solving problems you haven't had yet. Good bikes (and components) are remarkably tough and capable. Give yourself a chance to learn what the bike can do, and to improve your skills and confidence level, before replacing components.
The same applies to the brakes. By all means talk to your LBS about different pads (or maybe making some adjustments) if they're not working effectively, but don't worry about being too hard on them. Brake pads are consumable items, just like the ones on your car, or like tires; they do their job by wearing out. When they wear out, replace them.
Chuck nailed it. His comment mirrors my experience getting back on a bike. After riding more, and making little adjustments to improve the fit, the saddle has started to "disappear". It still gets to me after an hour or so, but then, I'm still riding in jeans. The point is you may have to adjust the height and angle of your seat to get you in the right position and keep you there.
Speaking of fit and comfort, I found that a set of padded cycling gloves made a huge difference, though I sometimes get a little numbness in the hands after about 45 minutes. Bar ends ($2 at the local used bike parts emporium) help just by offering a little variety for a few minutes. You can also get grips that have integrated bar ends, like the Ergon GP2/GP3/GP4/GP5 line.
Anyway, you've had the bike for a little over a month now. How are things going?
Congratulations on your weight loss so far and on committing to that new bike! Your confidence and comfort level are going to improve every time you ride, and aside from the obvious health benefits, you're going to have more fun than you thought possible.
I wrote up a big devil's-advocate comment about our litigious society and everything being lawyer-rated and disclaimered to hell and back, but then I noticed this thread is a few weeks old. It's all water under the bridge now. You found a better LBS and you got that beautiful bike. That's fantastic!
Don't worry too much about lack of tread depth for what you're doing with the bike. Slightly loose surfaces aren't a big deal as long as your speeds are reasonable and your inputs smooth. It's sort of like holding a squirming toddler or wriggling puppy - you just have to allow the bike to move within a given range. As the old song says, hold on loosely, but don't let go; if you cling to tightly, you're gonna lose control. You'll develop a feel for it. If it proves to be a problem, the LBS may have a better option for you, but until then, try to avoid solving problems you haven't had yet. Good bikes (and components) are remarkably tough and capable. Give yourself a chance to learn what the bike can do, and to improve your skills and confidence level, before replacing components.
The same applies to the brakes. By all means talk to your LBS about different pads (or maybe making some adjustments) if they're not working effectively, but don't worry about being too hard on them. Brake pads are consumable items, just like the ones on your car, or like tires; they do their job by wearing out. When they wear out, replace them.
Chuck nailed it. His comment mirrors my experience getting back on a bike. After riding more, and making little adjustments to improve the fit, the saddle has started to "disappear". It still gets to me after an hour or so, but then, I'm still riding in jeans. The point is you may have to adjust the height and angle of your seat to get you in the right position and keep you there.
Speaking of fit and comfort, I found that a set of padded cycling gloves made a huge difference, though I sometimes get a little numbness in the hands after about 45 minutes. Bar ends ($2 at the local used bike parts emporium) help just by offering a little variety for a few minutes. You can also get grips that have integrated bar ends, like the Ergon GP2/GP3/GP4/GP5 line.
Anyway, you've had the bike for a little over a month now. How are things going?
As far as the saddle...It has gotten better but once I get up around 45 minutes it starts to get uncomfortable. I plan to upgrade that and add some bar ends for my hands. I tend to get a bit of pain in the wrist I broke years ago.
This has by far been the best purchase I've made for myself. All I can say is I wish I did it sooner!
08-29-17, 07:12 PM
#35
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Things are going great! I did a 12 mile ride this weekend which is a PR for me. I've found a few nice places to ride close to me and the people have been crazy supportive. I fully expected to be heckled but instead I've had a lot of thumbs up and such. Very motivating!
As far as the saddle...It has gotten better but once I get up around 45 minutes it starts to get uncomfortable. I plan to upgrade that and add some bar ends for my hands. I tend to get a bit of pain in the wrist I broke years ago.
This has by far been the best purchase I've made for myself. All I can say is I wish I did it sooner!
As far as the saddle...It has gotten better but once I get up around 45 minutes it starts to get uncomfortable. I plan to upgrade that and add some bar ends for my hands. I tend to get a bit of pain in the wrist I broke years ago.
This has by far been the best purchase I've made for myself. All I can say is I wish I did it sooner!
I love my ergon grips and bar ends, but for wrist pain, the best thing I did was switch from cycling gloves to weightlifting gloves with wrist wraps. I use these:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...rwrstwrpgleaca
08-30-17, 05:03 AM
#36
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Glad to hear it's going great!!
I love my ergon grips and bar ends, but for wrist pain, the best thing I did was switch from cycling gloves to weightlifting gloves with wrist wraps. I use these:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...rwrstwrpgleaca
I love my ergon grips and bar ends, but for wrist pain, the best thing I did was switch from cycling gloves to weightlifting gloves with wrist wraps. I use these:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...rwrstwrpgleaca
I've looked into getting different grips but apparently the grips on the fx3 are molded into the handlebars. From what I've read most seem to use the bontrager bar ends but those are a little bigger than what I wanted. Not sure if I should do it or wait awhile. Having a different hand position would be nice now that I'm increasing the distance more.
Last edited by Chunky_Monkey; 08-30-17 at 05:08 AM.
08-30-17, 07:13 AM
#37
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I brought some cycling gloves the other day. I'm going to try that first and then if that doesn't work I'll try the weight lifting ones. Thanks!
I've looked into getting different grips but apparently the grips on the fx3 are molded into the handlebars. From what I've read most seem to use the bontrager bar ends but those are a little bigger than what I wanted. Not sure if I should do it or wait awhile. Having a different hand position would be nice now that I'm increasing the distance more.
I've looked into getting different grips but apparently the grips on the fx3 are molded into the handlebars. From what I've read most seem to use the bontrager bar ends but those are a little bigger than what I wanted. Not sure if I should do it or wait awhile. Having a different hand position would be nice now that I'm increasing the distance more.
08-30-17, 12:31 PM
#38
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Congratulations! For anyone in the same boat (who hasn't picked a bike yet) a couple of thoughts.
1) I went with an ebike (stromer), as I'm very much a destination rider, and I needed to get to work in about the same timeframe as driving (originally 7 miles, big hills ... 15-30m by car, 20m by Stromer). Pedal assist only, and I tapered off the assist over time (2 years and 5K miles ago...).
2) Check out cargo bikes. They are designed to take a more load than "regular" bikes. Also, over time being able to carry lots of stuff can come in handy.
In any event, ride on!
1) I went with an ebike (stromer), as I'm very much a destination rider, and I needed to get to work in about the same timeframe as driving (originally 7 miles, big hills ... 15-30m by car, 20m by Stromer). Pedal assist only, and I tapered off the assist over time (2 years and 5K miles ago...).
2) Check out cargo bikes. They are designed to take a more load than "regular" bikes. Also, over time being able to carry lots of stuff can come in handy.
In any event, ride on!
08-31-17, 02:02 PM
#39
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Hello All!
I've been glancing around here for about a week trying to learn as much as I can about getting started but after today's experience I thought I would ask for some suggestions/advice.
I'm a 27 year old female from Columbus, Ohio. I started my weight loss journey about a year ago and I've gone from 460 pounds to 375 pounds. Now that I'm relatively lighter I've been looking into cycling as a form of exercise. Anyway, I went to a local bike shop today to check out some bikes and they wouldn't even give me the time of day. One of the sales guys came over and basically told me I'm too fat to ride. I left the shop more than a little frustrated and defeated.
Does anyone have any advice as far as selecting a bike? I was looking at a specialized roll low step bike as a starter until I'm in better shape to get a road bike. Would this bike work? I'm worried my weight will be too much on it.
Thank you in advance for any help, I really appreciate it!
I've been glancing around here for about a week trying to learn as much as I can about getting started but after today's experience I thought I would ask for some suggestions/advice.
I'm a 27 year old female from Columbus, Ohio. I started my weight loss journey about a year ago and I've gone from 460 pounds to 375 pounds. Now that I'm relatively lighter I've been looking into cycling as a form of exercise. Anyway, I went to a local bike shop today to check out some bikes and they wouldn't even give me the time of day. One of the sales guys came over and basically told me I'm too fat to ride. I left the shop more than a little frustrated and defeated.
Does anyone have any advice as far as selecting a bike? I was looking at a specialized roll low step bike as a starter until I'm in better shape to get a road bike. Would this bike work? I'm worried my weight will be too much on it.
Thank you in advance for any help, I really appreciate it!
Here is my advise; go find a different Bike Shop!! I am sure that there are numerous shops in Columbus Ohio. Yes they do make bikes for tall people (got a friend who is 6 plus foot tall he found a bike that fits him).
In the same way they make bikes for us "well rounded" folks. Heavier frame tubes, wheels, spokes, tires/tubes and the like. I am sure there is a shop that carries them that would love to service you and would desire to get your $$ (after all they are in business for 2 reasons; to serve the biking public and make money.
09-01-17, 11:37 AM
#40
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Keep it up, your enthusiasm is great.
I suggest that you get a trainer for the winter. riding that for 20 minutes a day will keep you in cycling shape for springtime. Also it will keep your butt acclimated to the saddle in the spring and there will be less saddle pain problems.
I suggest that you get a trainer for the winter. riding that for 20 minutes a day will keep you in cycling shape for springtime. Also it will keep your butt acclimated to the saddle in the spring and there will be less saddle pain problems.
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