yamaha2r1

Ok i am a newbie in all sorts of ways. I rode a bike about 8 years ago, and was in great shape and now I am in horrible shape 270lbs 6 ft tall. I have lost 30lbs in 3 months at the police academy however due to medical reasons (bells Palsy) I was not able to continue. I ran and was on a strict diet and all my friends starting biking and now they are still losing weight. I am in need of a bike and any sort of help would be great. I am located in Palm Harbor Florida and I am willing to spend some money providing it is the correct setup. All I have seen and heard is how they wish they would have done the right setup and got the right bike to begin with. I am budgeting not more than 800.00 for all gear, shoes, water bottle, and whatever else I need. Which brings me to my next questions what all do I need. I am going to jump into this quickly and want to be able to stick it out. My girlfriend biked about 6 years ago and went distances, that was before I met her. One of our mutual friends does Triathlons and his bike is a lot of money and he is going to ride with me 3 times a week. I want to be able to do a 200 mile ride in 30 days. By the way my goal is to loose an additional 50 lbs in 3 months. I have lost 30 in the last 3 months just running, and dieting.

Please do not be negative towards this, and I have thought about this for about 3 weeks now and need to get going. Your positive reinforcement and ideas are needed and wanted you can email me directly at nickcoppley@yahoo.com.

Thanks for reading this.... And if you are selling a bike that is not something that I would regret getting as I get better please send me an email also.

kpug505

Howdy! And welcome to bikeforums! Congrats on the weight loss! That's quite the accomplishment in such a short period of time. I would suggest checking the Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) forum and my personal favorite the classic and vintage forums for advise on bikes that are suitable for you. Also an intro in the regional forums for the area closest to you so you can get aquainted with folks in your area. As far as getting a bike right for you I'd do some interweb searches on bike fit and get yourself edumacated on getting a bike that fits you properly so it is a comfortable and fun experience. A poorly fitting bike can really be a pain in the a*#. Literally. You don't need to spend big bucks and buy tons of gear to get rolling. Just need to get a bit of knoweledge.
Maybe check out the commuting forum. Thats how I got back into bikes and found this wonderful community. If your trip is within 15 miles it can be a real blessing to start that way. You'll get a good work out before work, save cash on gas, accomplish something before your work day begins and have a great wind down after work.
Getting in good enough shape to do a ride of 200 miles in 30 days after so long out of the saddle is a whole other game and I don't have much advise there except make sure your bike fits properly and have a saddle you love. I prefer a good old Brooks. Mines older then me by almost 20 years! Best bike purchase I ever made.

Thats my 2 cents..........And again welcome to BF's.
Kelly D

hale2thechief

Hi from another chubby newbie!
Like you, I was overweight (225 at 5'9"). I had a mountain bike, but I didn't ride it. I gave in to peer pressure and picked up a used road bike on Craigslist. For less than 500.00, I got a bike, pedals, a new headset (old one was crap), and some shorts (your nether regions will thank you for the padding). With the help of some hand-me-down shoes and gloves, I was off. It's now 10 weeks later. I'm down to 205 and I'm riding in a metric century (100 km/62 mi) on Sunday.
Thirty days to reach 200 miles cumulative is totally within reach. Thirty days to a 200 mile single day ride is a pretty tall order. Even if the legs and boiler room hold out, your back, arms and behind will probably forsake you.
Best of luck. I'm a big believer in a fast start...let us know how you fair.

twobikes

You might be interested in downloading a big study done by some Germans titled "Cycling and Health." It has some affirming things about benefits of cycling, as well as some weight loss helps. There is an English version, but it is obvious the translator/author did not have English as a first language.

East Hill

A tall order, but it can be done. As kpug says, visit the Clydesdales/Athenas forum, and the Classic & Vintage forum.

The C & V folks can help you find a good used bike in your area, that would fit your needs.

The Clydesdales/Athenas will help keep you motivated and on track.

Good luck!

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

RonH

There are LOTS of bike shops in the greater Tampa area. Visit a few and tell them about your goals and budget and test ride a few bikes. Once you find a bike you like the folks at the bike shop will set it up so it fits correctly.

All you'll REALLY need to get started is a good pair of cycling shorts or bibs and maybe a jersey and of course a helmet. You won't need shoes right away. You can get toe clips on the pedals and ride in sneakers until you're really hooked.

East Hill

This works really well too, especially if you find an LBS with employees like Ron (unfortunately, he's not in Tampa). A good LBS will make sure that you get the best possible setup for your budget, because they know that if you enjoy and trust them, you'll be back later for more .

East Hill

yamaha2r1

Well following up I got a bike it is a Fugi. Went to a couple of stores but I got one that fits, also purchased riding shorts and helmet and gloves. Did not get the clip ons but they have the strap for the top of my tennis shoes. Tomorrow is my first day we (my girlfriend and I) are going for a ride in the morning before church. I will let you know how it goes and thanks for the advice

East Hill

Great!

I am always interested in how it goes .

East Hill