I live in the midwest and we have our fair share of snow. I am in slim down mode and trying to cut 65lbs.

That said, I'm looking for an exercise alternative to the treadmill and have been considering buying a bike for the spring. I enjoyed bike riding when I was younger.

Looking for others who have cycling experience and can offer some guidance especially around what sort of workout one can expect and what is the best set up for indoor cycle exercise/training until the snow goes away!

I am currently 230lbs and about 6'1. I'm not looking to invest more than 300-500 dollars. I live pretty close to Sioux Falls, SD so there is a Dick's Sporting and Scheels for a few places to pick up a bike.

Any advice to share would be appreciated.

Thanks~

Kris

Welcome to the forum, Kris. Biking is a great choice for weight loss. It's fun and easy on the joints. We have a sub forum here called "Clysdales and Athenas" that is especially for heavier cyclists. I suggest you post your question there. You'll get great advice and find a very friendly, supportive community. They'll know more about what kinds of bikes are best for your purposes. Good luck!

The workout all depends on how hard you work. Visit local bike shops, and find a couple of regular group rides.

You can pick up a used set of rollers in the meantime.

What is a used set of rollers?

Personally, I find it easier to lose significant weight by concentrating on calorie restriction and doing only light to moderate exercise. For me, vigorous exercise just makes me ravenous, and also is very difficult to impossible to do when running significant caloric deficit. My recipe is to lose a the bulk of the excess weight by caloric restriction and gradually ramp up physical activity and fitness toward the end.

Hi Kris,

I'd recommend looking at a LBS (local bike store) instead of a "sporting store" (where they may or may not be able to properly assemble a bike). If you have a friend who knows about bikes, or your local bike stores sell used bikes, that can be a great way to get a nice bike for less money.

Looigi is right that if you don't match exercise with a change in how you eat, you may not lose much weight (it is worth pointing out that weight by itself is not the only indication of health, and exercising and not losing weight is much better than not exercising and not losing weight). Instead of concentrating on eating more or less, I'd start by working on eating better (or, even, less worse ).

Good luck!
Charles

Yes, and it's less stress full on ligaments and such. Great advice!

All, thanks for the information. I hope to see what the LBS have to offer this weekend.

Right now I've been exercising daily about 65 minutes on the treadmill. I am also a Fitbit'r so I am tracking all my activity and weight with their devices and am attempting a caloric intake reduction by 1000 calories a day. So far I have lost 18lbs but have much more to loose. I am just getting really tired of the treadmill and need something else to alternate too.

What about the indoor cycle trainer? I know there are various types but is there a type that will work but not break the bank? Especially if I am going to drop 500-600 on a bike.

Rollers are cheaper. It's the same principal as a dyno machine in motor sports. I hear the work really well, and take up less space...space you could use for an actual bicycle.

what is a roller?

https://www.tacx.com/en/products/trainers/galaxia
https://www.tacx.com/en/products/trainers/antares

nice ones..
the roller is a bit concave, smaller in the center of the cylinder,

to tend to re center your wheels.

Welcome Kris.

I'm 5'11 and was at about 220 when i started to focus on cycling for weight loss, so similar to your current state (last Nov). I've lost about 25 lbs. so far without religously adhering to a diet or excercise schedule. One thing i found very effective (beyond switching to a lower carb diet) was to do a ride of less than an hour first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I'd then wait about 30 minutes to an hour to eat after the ride and have a low carb high protein breakfast. This forces the body to burn fat for energy and the post-ride wait still burns fat as your body is ramping down from its aerobic state. I did this every other day, it was both fun and effective. Be warned: fat will disappear faster than you'll lose weight as you're also building muscle.

biking is a good sport cuz it's FUN! welcome to the BF - you'll find lots of friendly advice I'm sure ... my 2-cents ... put some money together and if you are budgeting, keep in mind the ancillary stuff in addition to the bike itself. no shame in starting with used gear either!

You're advising a noob to pick up a set of rollers? Good Lord.....


No no no. Trainers are fine. Cyclops and Kurt Kinetic are quality brands. Keep an eye on eBay and Craigslist. You might find one marked down.

Good advice..... what are you limiting your caloric intake too?

I normally exercise between 630-730am and then eat shortly after that. Right now I am only eating oatmeal in the morning. I had been eating eggs but for some reason they get me a gut ache so I have stayed away from them.

In January I lost about 12 lbs but in Feb I have barely lost 2lbs. I've had a few days where I am over my caloric intake but not by too much.

I haven't really worried about calorie limiting explicitly, mostly focused on limited carbs and minimal junk food. I just put an average day into a calorie calculator and it came out to 1998. In that, though, I ate less than 50% of the daily recommended carbs and >125% of the recommended protein for my calorie budget (which is apparently 2883).

HTH

Don't answer the phone!

Kris,
Welcome, and please remember to introduce yourself in the Clydesdale/Athena sub forum. You'll receive encouragement from folks who share your specific goals. Bike riding can be really, really fun, especially if you can fine one or two friends with whom to ride from time to time. The company helps to make the rides more interesting, and you can discover new places.

The recommendation about a bicycle trainer is a good one. On your local classified ads, or Craigslist, or whatever, you will find folks who are selling a trainer for far less than the retail price. In it, you'll be able to mount your own bike by the rear axle, and can ride while watching TV or films, or maybe even reading (which my daughter manages to do, I don't know how). It's boring, but the winter passes pretty quickly.

Good luck and keep posting your progress.

Well if you are newbie rider then I must say read the article wriiten by Edmund Burke.It proved very much helpful to me.Hope so you will also be benefited.

https://www.humankinetics.com/excerpt...indoor-cycling

Do you have spinning classes in your area? A good spinning class will get you in shape for the spring!

I lost 65 pounds by riding a recumbent exercise bike and building my endurance. I have recently moved to a real bike and am able to ride 20 miles or better. My only regret is not making the switch sooner !! Good luck and remember losing weight and staying healthy require permanent lifestyle changes not fad diets and exercise. It's only permanent if you make it that way.