whm1974

I used ride everywhere, outside the small city where I live. Stopped doing that after I gotten my disability ~10 Y/O ago. Did buy a new 26" road bike to replace a 24" MTB, big mistake there. The shop I purchased it from is not selling new bikes anymore. Can ride the 26" bike, but it is harder now that I'm middle age.

The bike is a diamondback edgewood dbw 700 model. Took off the cargo rack off after falling out last year.

Thanks.

Eric F 

What makes your new bike hard to ride?

EDIT: I stopped riding for 15 years. 3 years ago (at the age of 52), I got back on my bike, and have worked my way back to being in fairly decent shape....and lost a bunch of weight. For me, the big key in getting back my fitness is being fairly consistent with my riding schedule.

icemilkcoffee 

First of all- middle age is not that old. Don't sell yourself short. Secondly- what about the current 26" road bike is hard for you to ride? Is the position adjusted correctly? If the seat is uncomfortable- that is normal. You just have to get your rear end toughened up.3 weeks of riding will do that.

phughes

Start slow, don't get frustrated, and just enjoy riding. Welcome back.

urbanknight

I also came back after about 10 years off and agree with the above statements that you need to set a consistent schedule and start slow. I have been back at it for about 3 years now and have to remind myself that I will likely never reach the ability I had in my 20's, but I can keep losing weight and staying in shape.

ARider2

Start off with modest goals that you can consistently achieve. If you can get on a schedule of riding for a specific length of time for a set number of days each week then you will have a good chance of success. If you keep it up you will eventually begin to ride for longer times and more distance. Having a bicycle that fits you well and you find comfortable is most important as well.

Eric F 

This ^^^ !!!

A bike that is uncomfortable, or you aren't confident in, is demotivating. Bikes should be exciting enough that you WANT to ride!

_ForceD_

The only question mark I saw was in your subject “Tips for out of shape man?” So…my answer would be…that for you to get from “out of shape” to ‘in shape’ you need to exercise regularly. Like several times per week. It doesn’t have to be bicycle riding, but…since you mentioned a couple of different bikes…it sounds like you want to add bicycling to your routine. It can be bicycling AND other activities like running, swimming, rowing, weights, etc. Now I’m not a certified fitness expert, but at 62 years old…like many in this forum…I’ve been doing fitness stuff since I was in my teems. Like what was alluded to in other posts above…you need to figure out which bike you want to use, and get it adjusted so that it’s comfortable to ride. If that can’t be done, get one that is comfortable. You don’t have to start out riding hundreds of miles per week. None of us did. But just do it regularly, and try to always be adding to your base. Like I said…I’m not a certified fitness expert. So, if you’re sincere about getting in shape, perhaps you should consult with one to help you map out a plan to build on. Good luck.

Dan

jon c. 

Echoing the prior sentiments, there's nothing more important that having a bike that feels good. If you ride very far, your butt will be sore at the start no matter what what. But everything else should be comfortable.

I started riding in my 50s after 30 years off the bike. Tried a couple of bikes in the first month and then found a bike I really liked riding. Made all the difference and I wanted to ride as often as I could. In the first three to six months you'll see fairly rapid progress in terms of the speed and distance you can comfortably handle. Then you tend to plateau and you have to work a lot harder to improve. Or not if you don't care to.

whm1974

Well guys I had the bike for ~10 years and didn't riding all that much like I did when I was working. Really let myself go. My previous bikes were 24" MTB. I plan on replacing the 26" road bike with one like I used to ride. Went to the city park today and yesterday so making progress.

The streets around here in Madison and St Clare Counties IL are and not the best, and good MTB are the best suited for riding.

Wildwood

Good saddle, good cycling shorts, good padded gloves, comfortable shoes.
A big smile.
Desire to get it right.

big john

If you have a park you can ride in that's great. Just get some saddle time a few days per week if you can, and keep it fun.

Eds0123

for me the hardest part is always the first step, gets a lot easier after that,
Also; The law of inertia, or Newton's 1st law of Mechanic, body at rest stays at rest, unless it is acted upon by an external force, and a moving body keeps moving unless . . . etc,

rsbob 

I think we need to discuss the cargo rack issue. How did you fall out? Or did it fall out? Or did you fall out of the rack? If we can solve this riddle, it may hold the key for getting back into shape (since you brought it up).

PeteHski

As others have said, the top tip is to exercise consistently for the rest of your life. Exercise needs to become an essential part of your weekly routine.

I know a lot of people who decide to get fit, start going to the gym or riding a bike or whatever - for a few weeks or even a few months, maybe a year. They get fitter and then at some point they start to lose interest. 6 months later they are back to doing nothing and they might as well have not bothered in the first place. Don't be that guy.

BlazingPedals

I haven't seen anyone mention proper use of the gears. Keeping it in high gear does not make you go faster; it just makes it harder to pedal. Keep a low enough gear that your feet are turning 80-100 rpm all the time. Any time your feet get outside of that, feel free to shift up or down to regain the correct cadence.

As far as the wheel size, it really doesn't matter. Maybe the current bike is too big for you - which is a frame issue, not a wheel size issue. You should be able to comfortably straddle the top tube without banging any tender bits. Adjust the saddle so that it leaves your knees slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke. This necessarily means that you cannot sit on the seat when your feet are on the ground. If that's a feature you want, you should look for a different style of bike, a cruiser, which puts the pedals further forward.

Your current bike is not a 26" bike, it has 700c wheels, which are roughly - but not exactly - the same size as the old 27" standard. If you only ride on paved trails and streets, you can always change the tires to something with more or a road tread.

10 Wheels

My First Year at 9,000 mile mark.
Ended The year w 11,200 Miles.
I was 66 Y/O

john m flores 

Don't compare yourself to what you were 10 years ago. Look forward. Bike forward.

BobbyG

Have your bike tuned-up by a shop. a cleaned and lubed tuned drive train, wheel and crank bearings may just rejuvenate both your bike and you.

Clyde1820

Okay. So, injuries and/or disabilities. And let yourself "go."

Do your legs function appropriately, suitable for at least some exercise, perhaps suitable specifically for use of a bicycle (even a seated/safe gym type cycling station)?

Does your sense of balance function appropriately, sufficient for simple weight-bearing exercise, simple gym "floor" exercises, and/or suitable for maintaining safe balance while cycling?

Do you have a muscle strength problem or limitation that would get in the way of general exercise or (seated gym) cycling?

Do you have a cardiovascular limitation that would inhibit exercise, or cycling specifically?

My own situation:
Can't say that this will necessarily work in your case, as it's unclear exactly what your disability's limitations are. But, assuming you've got some balance and some muscle function, it ought to be possible. Try finding a couple of different physical exertions that you can do daily, do safely, and do sufficiently energetically to benefit your cardio and muscular needs. In time, I'll bet you will see sufficient improvements and increases in strength and ability that'll allow you to regularly (perhaps even daily) engage in cycling or other activities.

Jughed

Similar situation here. Was an active cyclist/power lifter... life got in the way of that, coupled with a back injury that had me sidelined for the better part of 10 years.

Got fat, very fat -along with all of the other health issues that go along with that.

First - diet is absolutely 90% of the equation. Without eating right - you will be fighting a very hard battle.

Baby steps at first. Don't over do, don't burn out.

I started by walking at lunch. 1/2 hour here, 1/2 hour there.

Then I got the bike fired back up. Was inconsistent, rode way to hard, had constant muscle soreness and burnout. I was riding too hard trying to recreate my youth.

Then I scaled back intensity, rode easy rides, added volume & before I knew it - metric centuries and full centuries were possible.

Then I added structured training a few times per year.

Many bumps, bruises and setbacks along the way - but you have to keep at it. Don't stop in the winter, don't stop just to stop, do something easy when on business trips or vacation, do take time to recover and incorporate easy months.

This took 4+ years. Patience is key.

RH Clark

I got on a bicycle for the first time since I was 12 at 50 years old. I weighed 360 lbs. and couldn't ride it out of sight before I had to get off and walk. I got my diet right and cycled EVERY day. Actually 360 days that first year. Sometimes it was only for 10-15 minuets, but I did a few miles every day and was averaging a bit over 100 miles a week by the end of that first year. In less than 18 months I went from 360 lbs. to a very fit 170 lbs.

Nothing worthwhile is easy but you can do it.

rumrunn6

for me it's about motivation
if I don't have it I don't work out
I'm on week 3 of nothing
then there's life disasters & obligations that pull me away from my own self care
back to motivation - it's different for everyone, I think. what motivates me, wouldn't necessarily motivate someone else. & vice a versa
good luck finding your own personal motivation

CAT7RDR

Make and find a variety of routes that you find interesting and enjoyable.
Rides can be a great source of joy and you will find yourself looking forward to them.
Rides will not be exercise alone, but become part of your lifestyle.

PeteHski

Little and often is a good tip for making it sustainable. It's less daunting if you only commit 20 or 30 mins of your time 3 or 4 times per week. Which is a good idea when starting from scratch anyway. Those who steam into it full-on tend to blow-up within the first 6 months or just lose motivation.

Make exercise a simple habit.