For any of you who think you're too big to ride

[mtnbiker]

It doesn't matter how big or small you are. Cycling can be great for both physical and mental health. Here's the story of a guy in Massachusetts who was up to 570 lbs. Got on a bike and has so far lost 200 of that and also overcome anxiety attacks.

link to velonews story

[bluegoose]

It doesn't matter how big or small you are. Cycling can be great for both physical and mental health. Here's the story of a guy in Massachusetts who was up to 570 lbs. Got on a bike and has so far lost 200 of that and also overcome anxiety attacks.

link to velonews story

What a great story. Good for him and also for his new riding buddies who seem to have taken him under their wings.

Not that this is the same at all, but I sure am grateful for some good buddies who got me into riding about 8 years ago. I rode a little bit in college, even doing a few sprint distance triathlons. But my longest ride at that time was about 30 miles and I was dying at that.

After taking a few years off to finish school and move to a new state, I started again in 2004. My first ride was 18 miles. About 12 miles in there is a hill that is about .3 miles at a pretty good grade. I hit the top of that hill and had to sit on the side of the road for about 10 minutes as I waited for the nausea to pass. We finished the last 6 miles averaging about 12 mph.

It definitely takes a lot of patience to bring someone along into the sport. I'm glad that my buddies took the time to put up with some painfully slow rides when they would have undoubtedly preferred more challenging rides and routes.

[Donuthole]

What a great story. Good for him and also for his new riding buddies who seem to have taken him under their wings.

If they were being completely honest with themselves, they would admit they just want to use him for the drafting.

[Tim]

Very inspiring. Interestingly I've been thinking about buying a bike again lately. I've owned several over the years but it's been a while. Can any of you point me to a good reference that can help me find the right bike based on my size, riding plans, etc.?

[kimchicoug]

Biking is wonderful and for everyone. I broke my knee (I'll spare the gory details) awhile back and thought that rigorous exercise was over for me since it never healed properly. However, biking has allowed me to start exercising like I want to without the pain. My knee does still swell, but if I manage it all is good. Biking is great.

[mtnbiker]

Very inspiring. Interestingly I've been thinking about buying a bike again lately. I've owned several over the years but it's been a while. Can any of you point me to a good reference that can help me find the right bike based on my size, riding plans, etc.?

Most of us that post in The Bike Shop can give you pointers of what to look for. There are also a number of threads that others have started. The recent thread that Dabrockster started has some info, for example. Post what type of riding you hope to do, and we'll all chime in with suggestions.

[dabrockster]

Very inspiring. Interestingly I've been thinking about buying a bike again lately. I've owned several over the years but it's been a while. Can any of you point me to a good reference that can help me find the right bike based on my size, riding plans, etc.?

Here is a list for spec's..

13" (extrasmall) standover 26.5" fits most riders 4'10" to 5'1"
15" (small) standover 27.5" fits most riders 5'1" to 5'6"
17" (sm/md) standover 29" fits most riders 5'6" to 5'9"
19" (medium) standover 30" fits most riders 5'9" to 6'
21" (medium/large) standover 31" fits most riders 6' to 6’4”

[Tim]

Here is a list for spec's..

13" (extrasmall) standover 26.5" fits most riders 4'10" to 5'1"
15" (small) standover 27.5" fits most riders 5'1" to 5'6"
17" (sm/md) standover 29" fits most riders 5'6" to 5'9"
19" (medium) standover 30" fits most riders 5'9" to 6'
21" (medium/large) standover 31" fits most riders 6' to 6’4”

Awesome. Any tips on wheels? I'm planning on exclusively riding on roads and hard surfaces. No dirt or off-road riding. But I'm a big boy, so I want strong wheels. Even if they're heavier...

[mtnbiker]

Awesome. Any tips on wheels? I'm planning on exclusively riding on roads and hard surfaces. No dirt or off-road riding. But I'm a big boy, so I want strong wheels. Even if they're heavier...

From what little I know about you, I'd suggest a hybrid bike. Something like a Trek 7500, or maybe its little brother, the 7300. I like the derailleur specs on the 7500 better, though, and think it'd stay tuned better. Either would probably suit your purpose. You could also check out their Livestrong FX bike. (I actually don't like Trek all that much, but they do have a good range of bikes to compare.) It looks like Specialized has a series of bikes that might fit your needs, too. Check out their Fitness/Commute bikes such as the Sirrus or Crosstrail.

The hybrid bike gets you out quickly and relatively inexpensively, with a more upright posture that's more comfortable than either a road bike or a mountain bike. And it's geared fairly well for casual road riding and commuting.

Also, go to a couple of bike shops, tell them what kind of riding you anticipate doing, and see what they recommend. Good luck!

[Katy Lied]

If they were being completely honest with themselves, they would admit they just want to use him for the drafting.

I despise myself now.

[dabrockster]

Awesome. Any tips on wheels? I'm planning on exclusively riding on roads and hard surfaces. No dirt or off-road riding. But I'm a big boy, so I want strong wheels. Even if they're heavier...

Be sure to get "Double Walled" wheels.. I ride a mountain bike but it's wheels are not "true" mtn bike wheels. I ride on asphalt trails and the road and it works well for me..

[dabrockster]

From what little I know about you, I'd suggest a hybrid bike. Something like a Trek 7500, or maybe its little brother, the 7300. I like the derailleur specs on the 7500 better, though, and think it'd stay tuned better. Either would probably suit your purpose. You could also check out their Livestrong FX bike. (I actually don't like Trek all that much, but they do have a good range of bikes to compare.) It looks like Specialized has a series of bikes that might fit your needs, too. Check out their Fitness/Commute bikes such as the Sirrus or Crosstrail.

The hybrid bike gets you out quickly and relatively inexpensively, with a more upright posture that's more comfortable than either a road bike or a mountain bike. And it's geared fairly well for casual road riding and commuting.

Also, go to a couple of bike shops, tell them what kind of riding you anticipate doing, and see what they recommend. Good luck!

I agree with this. My mtn bike serves my purpose but now that I am riding longer the leaning forward has put a good amount of pressure on my wrists.. My right hand has carpel-tunnel issues already so it doesn't help it and has caused it to inflame again...

[NorthwestUteFan]

If they were being completely honest with themselves, they would admit they just want to use him for the drafting.

Are you suggesting he may be well adept at breaking wind?


Thanks for posting mtnbiker. It makes me want to start riding again. When I was in HS and the first years of college (and of course during the mission) I rode a ton. I was averaging 150-200 miles a week during the spring/summer/fall season. My wife teaches spin classes and wants to get a spin bike for home use. I could stand to lose 40-60 lbs...

[Tim]

From what little I know about you, I'd suggest a hybrid bike. Something like a Trek 7500, or maybe its little brother, the 7300. I like the derailleur specs on the 7500 better, though, and think it'd stay tuned better. Either would probably suit your purpose. You could also check out their Livestrong FX bike. (I actually don't like Trek all that much, but they do have a good range of bikes to compare.) It looks like Specialized has a series of bikes that might fit your needs, too. Check out their Fitness/Commute bikes such as the Sirrus or Crosstrail.

The hybrid bike gets you out quickly and relatively inexpensively, with a more upright posture that's more comfortable than either a road bike or a mountain bike. And it's geared fairly well for casual road riding and commuting.

Also, go to a couple of bike shops, tell them what kind of riding you anticipate doing, and see what they recommend. Good luck!

Thanks!

[Tim]

From what little I know about you, I'd suggest a hybrid bike. Something like a Trek 7500, or maybe its little brother, the 7300. I like the derailleur specs on the 7500 better, though, and think it'd stay tuned better. Either would probably suit your purpose. You could also check out their Livestrong FX bike. (I actually don't like Trek all that much, but they do have a good range of bikes to compare.) It looks like Specialized has a series of bikes that might fit your needs, too. Check out their Fitness/Commute bikes such as the Sirrus or Crosstrail.

The hybrid bike gets you out quickly and relatively inexpensively, with a more upright posture that's more comfortable than either a road bike or a mountain bike. And it's geared fairly well for casual road riding and commuting.

Also, go to a couple of bike shops, tell them what kind of riding you anticipate doing, and see what they recommend. Good luck!

Went to a couple shops this weekend. My last bike was relatively low-end and didn't handle wear and tear very well, so this time I'm going to spend what it takes to get something that's well-made and that will stand the test of time (assuming I keep it tuned, serviced, etc.). I like your suggestions and used them as a starting point, but I think I'd rather invest a bit more and step up a notch over the level you recommended. Here are the bikes that I'm contemplating (all are pretty similar):

- Giant Seek 0: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...ek/9016/48859/

- Trek 7.5 FX Disc: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...fx/7_5_fx_disc

- Scott Metrix 20 (cheaper but with what appears to be similar features and a name I'm less familiar with): http://www.scott-sports.com/global/e...957/metrix-20/

Opinions or thoughts are welcome...