cant really drive. is 70mi a day doable.
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...What? How? Did you order it before starting this thread, in which case you should have told us about the bike in your initial post? Or did you order it today, in which case you should immediately tell the bike shop you've changed your mind and are cancelling the order?
#27
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By the way, if you really wanted a cruiser-type single-speed made from heavy, low-quality steel, this $65 one is almost identical in riding style and quality to the Sun.
Or, if you wanted a single-speed that was actually suited to your goal of riding fast, and insisted on buying new with a ~$400 budget, you'd be better off with a #kiloTT (hashtagged, as is the custom in the fixie forum ) and then adding a $20 single-speed freewheel and some brakes to it.
There are also a bunch of other choices on the Oklahoma City Craigslist in the $50-$250 range that would suit your needs better than the bike you bought. Sorry to keep ragging on it like this, but I'm actually kind of offended that the bike shop had the nerve to sell you something so terrible and overpriced.
Or, if you wanted a single-speed that was actually suited to your goal of riding fast, and insisted on buying new with a ~$400 budget, you'd be better off with a #kiloTT (hashtagged, as is the custom in the fixie forum ) and then adding a $20 single-speed freewheel and some brakes to it.
There are also a bunch of other choices on the Oklahoma City Craigslist in the $50-$250 range that would suit your needs better than the bike you bought. Sorry to keep ragging on it like this, but I'm actually kind of offended that the bike shop had the nerve to sell you something so terrible and overpriced.
#28
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does anyone know any good electric bike kits that would accomodate my weight and allow me to quickly detatch the battery and put it in a bag and take it inside with me so it doesn't get stolen.
i caught the bus up there today about 3 o clock after talking with them on the phone. Its no big deal to me really. I just dont really like the idea that they may have just sold me a bike to get my money. A new bike is appealing to me after the problems i've had with my other bikes and bikes ive had given to me. Like i said in my previous post ill just get both bikes and have different gears on both once i learn what i want in a gear setup from this forum.
...What? How? Did you order it before starting this thread, in which case you should have told us about the bike in your initial post? Or did you order it today, in which case you should immediately tell the bike shop you've changed your mind and are cancelling the order?
Last edited by longdistancecy; 06-10-16 at 08:51 PM.
#29
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yeah i didn't really check craigslist cause i know a guy who has a bike that the chain pops off all the time. Ill go ahead and buy one of those other bikes since they are so cheap once i have some more cash probably and look at getting rid of this one maybe. I dont know though yet. I may just keep both of them and have different gear setups on each one. i think my mistake was i told them my budget and they found me a bike right at my budget. they said there other bikes were rated for around 250 lbs but after i paid and started asking about the other bikes for when i lost weight the second employee said everything in here was rated for about 275lbs....then when i said i would have to lose some weight first he said generally everything could accomodate a 300 lb rider. i think they get a commission.
And I'd say just about any well-made steel-framed bike (other than a folding bike) would hold your weight just fine, but mountain bikes (like the Hard Rock and the Trek) would have the greatest margin of safety since they're designed for bumpy trails and such.
#30
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ill try to address everyone. I plan on buying mirrors to watch traffic behind me as that makes me nervous. Cops here will pull a bike over if you ride against traffic so i dont plan on doing that. Im going to buy multiple used mowers and store them at the clients houses. I have previous clients all over the city from when i mowed before that i have a relationship with that i would trust leaving a lawnmower at their house. I will get my money back after a month. theres about 6 months in the mowing season here so there is still potential to make a profit. i also plan to pass out flyers in my moms neighborhood and primarily focus on that area. I've had a really good response with flyers so if i flyer every 6 weeks i should be able to get full time work in just her neighborhood. Im hoping at least. But that could take me till next year since im getting a late start.
I plan to go to college at rose state college in midwest city. I still owe 300 from when i went before but i should be able to start in august. some of the classes are online which will help alot but i have to go in to take tests and stuff even on the online classes. But i've never had any luck applying for jobs in that city and i've passed out plenty of applications in the past. All my jobs have been like 16 to 20 miles away in okc. its about 4 miles wide but when i was 18 i had to commute like 20 miles to walmart to work as the walmarts close to me didn't give me a call and every other place i applied passed me up. They dont have on campus housing.
i went ahead and went to my bike shop and got a bike. They recommended the sun atlas x type bike for 380$. Its a single speed and i was weary about getting a single speed at first cause i thought it would be harder to ride long distance but i saw another thread of people riding single speeds for 70 miles and touring up to 170 miles. Granted they were probably in better shape then me but its shows i could build up to it. They just had the correct gears lined up. Also i thought it would prevent the chain from slipping. The chain could have a habit of popping off but they offer lifetime tuneups at this bike shop for free or reduced price plus it comes with a warranty so i went ahead and got it.
The reason i gained so much weight is i was walking 10 miles a day to and from work and i mowed 24 yards a day (with a 3 man crew) for a lawn company. So i averaged walking 15 miles a day. I developed a healthy appetite that consisted of sweets mainly as thats what they sold at my job (muffins, chocolate pies, ect.) Well i lost my job and started mowing on my own and only did a couple yards a day and i stopped walking 15 miles a day and still ate the same food. Cookies and chocolate milks. Well i started gaining about 10 pounds a month and i was so good at losing weight that i didn't worry about it. Fast foward a year or so and i weigh 310. I can still walk long distances and ive cut out sweets so i havent gained weight in 2 years. ive actually lost about 50 pounds but i stop dieting and i gain it back. But i think once i start biking again i will lose weight rapidly. Ill make a journey thread once i know im committed after a month. But thats the main reason i have gained weight is i haven't been walking everyday and riding my bike everyday. i think i addressed everybody.
I plan to go to college at rose state college in midwest city. I still owe 300 from when i went before but i should be able to start in august. some of the classes are online which will help alot but i have to go in to take tests and stuff even on the online classes. But i've never had any luck applying for jobs in that city and i've passed out plenty of applications in the past. All my jobs have been like 16 to 20 miles away in okc. its about 4 miles wide but when i was 18 i had to commute like 20 miles to walmart to work as the walmarts close to me didn't give me a call and every other place i applied passed me up. They dont have on campus housing.
i went ahead and went to my bike shop and got a bike. They recommended the sun atlas x type bike for 380$. Its a single speed and i was weary about getting a single speed at first cause i thought it would be harder to ride long distance but i saw another thread of people riding single speeds for 70 miles and touring up to 170 miles. Granted they were probably in better shape then me but its shows i could build up to it. They just had the correct gears lined up. Also i thought it would prevent the chain from slipping. The chain could have a habit of popping off but they offer lifetime tuneups at this bike shop for free or reduced price plus it comes with a warranty so i went ahead and got it.
The reason i gained so much weight is i was walking 10 miles a day to and from work and i mowed 24 yards a day (with a 3 man crew) for a lawn company. So i averaged walking 15 miles a day. I developed a healthy appetite that consisted of sweets mainly as thats what they sold at my job (muffins, chocolate pies, ect.) Well i lost my job and started mowing on my own and only did a couple yards a day and i stopped walking 15 miles a day and still ate the same food. Cookies and chocolate milks. Well i started gaining about 10 pounds a month and i was so good at losing weight that i didn't worry about it. Fast foward a year or so and i weigh 310. I can still walk long distances and ive cut out sweets so i havent gained weight in 2 years. ive actually lost about 50 pounds but i stop dieting and i gain it back. But i think once i start biking again i will lose weight rapidly. Ill make a journey thread once i know im committed after a month. But thats the main reason i have gained weight is i haven't been walking everyday and riding my bike everyday. i think i addressed everybody.
#31
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I don't know if you are a troll or if you are serious. If your goal is to ride 70 miles per days or to ride 20 mph, you bought just about the worst bike imaginable in an era where you can get 18 lb road bikes, 24 lb hybrids, and even sub 30 lb loaded touring bikes, you just bought a 42 lb single speed cruiser. Makes me tired just thinking about climbing hills on that bike.
yeah but i plan on having an electric motor with custom made electric batteries. this guy built a 24ah battery pack for 55$ using used 18650 batteries. he was able to get 100 miles on a charge. i just gotta find a motor that will hold up to the weight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjr2LKmhdVw
#32
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Sheesh. This whole thread is a nightmare.
Let me be blunt, OP. You have poor-man's schizophrenia in that you're just a bit dissociated from reality...but probably not so much that you'll have to pay a therapist.
OK, I gained a bunch of weight recently, and I can tell you one thing about quality bikes, and especially quality electric bikes, is that they're not cheap. And if you're overweight, add a whole bunch of extra money to not cheap. Give up on the electric bike. Forget buying one, building your own, etc. If you don't have $1000-2000 to spend on the project, give up. Honestly, one of the reasons your life is so out of whack is probably because you spend way too much time dreaming up these insane projects than just keeping things simple. You're not going to commute 70 miles a day. At 300lbs, and with a junk single speed bike, I'd be impressed if you could commute 7 miles a day consistently on flat ground without hurting yourself. Get a bus pass.
Second, to get back in good shape, you need consistent and realistic goals. You can probably pick up a nice used (and geared) old bike on Craigslist in good shape for a couple hundred. Try not to impulse buy, though. Post here and get opinions if you're not sure what you're looking at. Spend about $200-$250 on the bike, and use the remaining $150-$200 to get a good saddle and for any tune up work or miscellaneous gear you may need. Then start riding 2-3 days per week. If you can get a consistent 15-25 miles per week starting out, you're doing well. Count your calories, eat a balanced diet, and let the weight come off at a healthy rate (about 1-2lbs/week). And stick to it. You can't just dream your way out of Coalwood.
Oh, and if this entire thread was a troll, good job, OP. It's a pretty good effort.
Let me be blunt, OP. You have poor-man's schizophrenia in that you're just a bit dissociated from reality...but probably not so much that you'll have to pay a therapist.
OK, I gained a bunch of weight recently, and I can tell you one thing about quality bikes, and especially quality electric bikes, is that they're not cheap. And if you're overweight, add a whole bunch of extra money to not cheap. Give up on the electric bike. Forget buying one, building your own, etc. If you don't have $1000-2000 to spend on the project, give up. Honestly, one of the reasons your life is so out of whack is probably because you spend way too much time dreaming up these insane projects than just keeping things simple. You're not going to commute 70 miles a day. At 300lbs, and with a junk single speed bike, I'd be impressed if you could commute 7 miles a day consistently on flat ground without hurting yourself. Get a bus pass.
Second, to get back in good shape, you need consistent and realistic goals. You can probably pick up a nice used (and geared) old bike on Craigslist in good shape for a couple hundred. Try not to impulse buy, though. Post here and get opinions if you're not sure what you're looking at. Spend about $200-$250 on the bike, and use the remaining $150-$200 to get a good saddle and for any tune up work or miscellaneous gear you may need. Then start riding 2-3 days per week. If you can get a consistent 15-25 miles per week starting out, you're doing well. Count your calories, eat a balanced diet, and let the weight come off at a healthy rate (about 1-2lbs/week). And stick to it. You can't just dream your way out of Coalwood.
Oh, and if this entire thread was a troll, good job, OP. It's a pretty good effort.
#33
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Dissociation from reality is a very common on LCF forum. There are a lot of topics and threads on this list which are based on dreaming and imagination rather then facts...I don't know why but this forum just seems to be a magnet for attracting weirdos and their weird wacky ideas....Seriously, it would of been better for OP to just buy an E-Bike then **** around with projects and ideas which will never work.
#34
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Second, to get back in good shape, you need consistent and realistic goals. You can probably pick up a nice used (and geared) old bike on Craigslist in good shape for a couple hundred. Try not to impulse buy, though. Post here and get opinions if you're not sure what you're looking at. Spend about $200-$250 on the bike, and use the remaining $150-$200 to get a good saddle and for any tune up work or miscellaneous gear you may need. Then start riding 2-3 days per week. If you can get a consistent 15-25 miles per week starting out, you're doing well. Count your calories, eat a balanced diet, and let the weight come off at a healthy rate (about 1-2lbs/week). And stick to it. You can't just dream your way out of Coalwood.
As far as the bike you bought, if you're really stuck with it then that's what you're going to have to work with for a while. It sounds like you live in a pretty flat area so just ride the single-speed cruiser and be happy it's heavy-duty (to support your weight) and that you won't have to deal with gear adjustments, shifting cables, etc. The main thing is to be consistent in riding. Don't ride 30 miles one day and then give up riding. Ride an amount that you can ride daily or on certain days of the week for certain trips. Once you establish some commuting route for certain trips, you can build on that. The trick is to establish sustainable patterns of activity and then build on those in a way that doesn't undermine your established routines.
Dissociation from reality is a very common on LCF forum. There are a lot of topics and threads on this list which are based on dreaming and imagination rather then facts...I don't know why but this forum just seems to be a magnet for attracting weirdos and their weird wacky ideas....Seriously, it would of been better for OP to just buy an E-Bike then **** around with projects and ideas which will never work.
#35
Sophomoric Member
The reason i gained so much weight is i was walking 10 miles a day to and from work and i mowed 24 yards a day (with a 3 man crew) for a lawn company. So i averaged walking 15 miles a day. I developed a healthy appetite that consisted of sweets mainly as thats what they sold at my job (muffins, chocolate pies, ect.) Well i lost my job and started mowing on my own and only did a couple yards a day and i stopped walking 15 miles a day and still ate the same food. Cookies and chocolate milks. Well i started gaining about 10 pounds a month and i was so good at losing weight that i didn't worry about it. Fast foward a year or so and i weigh 310. I can still walk long distances and ive cut out sweets so i havent gained weight in 2 years. ive actually lost about 50 pounds but i stop dieting and i gain it back. But i think once i start biking again i will lose weight rapidly. Ill make a journey thread once i know im committed after a month. But thats the main reason i have gained weight is i haven't been walking everyday and riding my bike everyday. i think i addressed everybody.
I know it can be difficult to make these positive changes while you're dealing with a chronic illness, but it sounds like you're doing very well.
Keep up the good work!
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#36
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Without being harsh on the OP, I am going to lay some stuff out, good and bad and hope that he/she takes it all into account.
1. Good for you for at least trying to accomplish this task. Between the desire for weight loss, and the desire to do a 70 mile commute, good for you!!
2. That 70 mile commute is highly unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, it can be done, but not at your current weight or on a heavy single speed bike. That long of a commute even 3 days a week is going to take a toll on your body, and on the bike. You are going to wear things out at a much higher rate. Tires, cassettes, chainrings, cables, brakes, etc. You will be exhausted as well. 70 miles a day, every day during the week? That is a huge goal.
3. 20mph average is attainable, but it will take you years to reach it. I am 43, 210 lbs and have been riding on and off my entire life, with the last 3 years being more serious between mountain biking, road riding/commuting and a few off road races. Last year in a B paced group ride, in a pace line, we hit the 20mph average. One hour, we went 20.01 miles. I was on a full carbon 105 endurance road bike. At 23.5 miles, I dropped off the back, because there was no way I could keep that pace any longer.
4. I currently commute 7.5 miles to work each way on most days. I find myself right around 18-19 mph average give or take. This is on a fixed gear track bike weighing in at a beefy 17.8 lbs. It is no longer work for me because I have been doing it for long enough. It is more of a warm up ride if anything.
5. You are biting off way more than you can chew. Start with a realistic goal of mileage. Don't worry about the mph or time it takes you. Get used to riding again. Start small if you need to, like 5-8 miles at a time. Get comfortable doing that. Get so comfortable that you don't even think about that ride. Then increase your mileage slowly. Maybe to 10 or 12 miles. Repeat.
6. Find someone with the same interest in cycling as you and have them take you under their wing. Be it the mechanic at the bike shop, someone from a group on Facebook, or even someone here. You will need their experience, and if you follow their advice, you will have success in this.
1. Good for you for at least trying to accomplish this task. Between the desire for weight loss, and the desire to do a 70 mile commute, good for you!!
2. That 70 mile commute is highly unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, it can be done, but not at your current weight or on a heavy single speed bike. That long of a commute even 3 days a week is going to take a toll on your body, and on the bike. You are going to wear things out at a much higher rate. Tires, cassettes, chainrings, cables, brakes, etc. You will be exhausted as well. 70 miles a day, every day during the week? That is a huge goal.
3. 20mph average is attainable, but it will take you years to reach it. I am 43, 210 lbs and have been riding on and off my entire life, with the last 3 years being more serious between mountain biking, road riding/commuting and a few off road races. Last year in a B paced group ride, in a pace line, we hit the 20mph average. One hour, we went 20.01 miles. I was on a full carbon 105 endurance road bike. At 23.5 miles, I dropped off the back, because there was no way I could keep that pace any longer.
4. I currently commute 7.5 miles to work each way on most days. I find myself right around 18-19 mph average give or take. This is on a fixed gear track bike weighing in at a beefy 17.8 lbs. It is no longer work for me because I have been doing it for long enough. It is more of a warm up ride if anything.
5. You are biting off way more than you can chew. Start with a realistic goal of mileage. Don't worry about the mph or time it takes you. Get used to riding again. Start small if you need to, like 5-8 miles at a time. Get comfortable doing that. Get so comfortable that you don't even think about that ride. Then increase your mileage slowly. Maybe to 10 or 12 miles. Repeat.
6. Find someone with the same interest in cycling as you and have them take you under their wing. Be it the mechanic at the bike shop, someone from a group on Facebook, or even someone here. You will need their experience, and if you follow their advice, you will have success in this.
#37
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#38
Sophomoric Member
Let's keep in mind that a fellow cyclist has asked for information and support. I'm sure we can come up with some more helpful posts!
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Last edited by Roody; 06-13-16 at 12:58 AM.
#39
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Without being harsh on the OP, I am going to lay some stuff out, good and bad and hope that he/she takes it all into account.
1. Good for you for at least trying to accomplish this task. Between the desire for weight loss, and the desire to do a 70 mile commute, good for you!!
2. That 70 mile commute is highly unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, it can be done, but not at your current weight or on a heavy single speed bike. That long of a commute even 3 days a week is going to take a toll on your body, and on the bike. You are going to wear things out at a much higher rate. Tires, cassettes, chainrings, cables, brakes, etc. You will be exhausted as well. 70 miles a day, every day during the week? That is a huge goal.
3. 20mph average is attainable, but it will take you years to reach it. I am 43, 210 lbs and have been riding on and off my entire life, with the last 3 years being more serious between mountain biking, road riding/commuting and a few off road races. Last year in a B paced group ride, in a pace line, we hit the 20mph average. One hour, we went 20.01 miles. I was on a full carbon 105 endurance road bike. At 23.5 miles, I dropped off the back, because there was no way I could keep that pace any longer.
4. I currently commute 7.5 miles to work each way on most days. I find myself right around 18-19 mph average give or take. This is on a fixed gear track bike weighing in at a beefy 17.8 lbs. It is no longer work for me because I have been doing it for long enough. It is more of a warm up ride if anything.
5. You are biting off way more than you can chew. Start with a realistic goal of mileage. Don't worry about the mph or time it takes you. Get used to riding again. Start small if you need to, like 5-8 miles at a time. Get comfortable doing that. Get so comfortable that you don't even think about that ride. Then increase your mileage slowly. Maybe to 10 or 12 miles. Repeat.
6. Find someone with the same interest in cycling as you and have them take you under their wing. Be it the mechanic at the bike shop, someone from a group on Facebook, or even someone here. You will need their experience, and if you follow their advice, you will have success in this.
1. Good for you for at least trying to accomplish this task. Between the desire for weight loss, and the desire to do a 70 mile commute, good for you!!
2. That 70 mile commute is highly unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, it can be done, but not at your current weight or on a heavy single speed bike. That long of a commute even 3 days a week is going to take a toll on your body, and on the bike. You are going to wear things out at a much higher rate. Tires, cassettes, chainrings, cables, brakes, etc. You will be exhausted as well. 70 miles a day, every day during the week? That is a huge goal.
3. 20mph average is attainable, but it will take you years to reach it. I am 43, 210 lbs and have been riding on and off my entire life, with the last 3 years being more serious between mountain biking, road riding/commuting and a few off road races. Last year in a B paced group ride, in a pace line, we hit the 20mph average. One hour, we went 20.01 miles. I was on a full carbon 105 endurance road bike. At 23.5 miles, I dropped off the back, because there was no way I could keep that pace any longer.
4. I currently commute 7.5 miles to work each way on most days. I find myself right around 18-19 mph average give or take. This is on a fixed gear track bike weighing in at a beefy 17.8 lbs. It is no longer work for me because I have been doing it for long enough. It is more of a warm up ride if anything.
5. You are biting off way more than you can chew. Start with a realistic goal of mileage. Don't worry about the mph or time it takes you. Get used to riding again. Start small if you need to, like 5-8 miles at a time. Get comfortable doing that. Get so comfortable that you don't even think about that ride. Then increase your mileage slowly. Maybe to 10 or 12 miles. Repeat.
6. Find someone with the same interest in cycling as you and have them take you under their wing. Be it the mechanic at the bike shop, someone from a group on Facebook, or even someone here. You will need their experience, and if you follow their advice, you will have success in this.
Good post!
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#40
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You rode about double what an average daily distance is for a TDF stage at at least 25.5mph?...who sponsored you back in the day?
#41
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Totally unrealistic post. Seventy miles per day would be fine for someone touring the USA in a hurry, not commuting to work.
Get a motorcycle of at least 250 CCs to handle your weight. It will cost the least amount of money for a reliable motorized vehicle that will take you seventy miles per day. Use the time saved to exercise on a bicycle or some other way. You'll get into shape and in time you might become a fast cyclist. Until then don't kill yourself trying to accomplish a long distance riding goal.
Get a motorcycle of at least 250 CCs to handle your weight. It will cost the least amount of money for a reliable motorized vehicle that will take you seventy miles per day. Use the time saved to exercise on a bicycle or some other way. You'll get into shape and in time you might become a fast cyclist. Until then don't kill yourself trying to accomplish a long distance riding goal.
#42
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My First Two years of riding, I averaged 72 miles a ride.
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#43
Uber Goober
I've been riding 6 or 8 years, have ridden about 80,000 miles, down to 192 or so, and still can't average 20 mph, or even very close to it. So don't get your hopes up on that end.
Riding 70 miles in a day is no problem if you do much riding. Riding 70 miles EVERY day is a little different, though, that involves riding in rain and heat and snow and wind and darkness and whatever else comes your way.
Putting a lot of miles on a bicycle, you either need to be a good bicycle mechanic, or you'll be paying what you'd pay to keep a car running on your bike. Good bikes, good tires, good parts aren't cheap.
Riding 70 miles in a day is no problem if you do much riding. Riding 70 miles EVERY day is a little different, though, that involves riding in rain and heat and snow and wind and darkness and whatever else comes your way.
Putting a lot of miles on a bicycle, you either need to be a good bicycle mechanic, or you'll be paying what you'd pay to keep a car running on your bike. Good bikes, good tires, good parts aren't cheap.
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#45
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A 70 mile recreational ride done once or twice on the weekends is easy...But commuting 70 miles everyday while working is unsustainable...Even if you weigh 140 pounds and ride a $ 5000 racing bike, riding that kind of a distance daily would wear you out mentally and physically.
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Public transportation for work, cycling for recreation/health. Keep it fun and a part of your health goals. Bus/train rides are time to relax.
Honestly, it's a great goal to be able to ride that far to work. But that's a long way for anybody.
And an additional vote to get checked out by the doc. Whether or not the car collisions have anything to with health, it's always a good idea to see what's what.
Honestly, it's a great goal to be able to ride that far to work. But that's a long way for anybody.
And an additional vote to get checked out by the doc. Whether or not the car collisions have anything to with health, it's always a good idea to see what's what.
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While weighing 300 lbs ... and also while trying to mow enough lawns to make a living?
From what I can gather this guy is talking about cycling 10 miles to one job, mowing a lawn, cycling 10 miles to another job, mowing a law, cycling 5 miles to the next one, mowing a lawn ... and on and on ... every day.
From what I can gather this guy is talking about cycling 10 miles to one job, mowing a lawn, cycling 10 miles to another job, mowing a law, cycling 5 miles to the next one, mowing a lawn ... and on and on ... every day.
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#48
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I agree with the rest of your post, but keeping a bike on the road is much less expensive than running a car, even if you don't do your own mechanical work.
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There certainly will be some element of training. How fast is the is all supposed to happen?
10 miles a day now, expanding to 20 or 30 miles a day soon? Work on losing 50 pounds a year for the next couple of years (sub 200 pound goal?)
There are some big fit people. From reading the board, some of them can hold their own on the flat rides, although they may suffer on the hills. So, a lot will depend on the OP's terrain.
Work up to 350 to 400 miles a week over a few years, and I have no doubt the OP would get very fit, and if he works at it, he will get faster too. While 20 MPH is tough, 15-18 MPH is very possible for a motivated rider.
Of course there is also a time commitment. 70 miles a day, or 35 miles twice a day will take a minimum of 2 hours morning and evening. Add that to an 8 or 9 hour workday, and it becomes a long, hard work day.
Riding 10 miles between lawn mowing jobs would be hard, more because of the time commitment than the actual effort. I've ridden my bike, then done physical labor, then ridden my bike again. It is all possible. However, the key will be route planning whether it is mowing the lawns or heading to the office. Find a place to live near work. And, if doing multiple lawns, do them in clusters that don't all require long rides.
10 miles a day now, expanding to 20 or 30 miles a day soon? Work on losing 50 pounds a year for the next couple of years (sub 200 pound goal?)
There are some big fit people. From reading the board, some of them can hold their own on the flat rides, although they may suffer on the hills. So, a lot will depend on the OP's terrain.
Work up to 350 to 400 miles a week over a few years, and I have no doubt the OP would get very fit, and if he works at it, he will get faster too. While 20 MPH is tough, 15-18 MPH is very possible for a motivated rider.
Of course there is also a time commitment. 70 miles a day, or 35 miles twice a day will take a minimum of 2 hours morning and evening. Add that to an 8 or 9 hour workday, and it becomes a long, hard work day.
Riding 10 miles between lawn mowing jobs would be hard, more because of the time commitment than the actual effort. I've ridden my bike, then done physical labor, then ridden my bike again. It is all possible. However, the key will be route planning whether it is mowing the lawns or heading to the office. Find a place to live near work. And, if doing multiple lawns, do them in clusters that don't all require long rides.