Fat man with a bike

[BigDougie]

Hi people well as the title says I'm a bit overweight (300+lb) and after losing my license due to having a form of epilepsy ive decided to give cycling a try (cos im too lazy to walk), my partner got me a Viking Phantom road bike and after being on it for a few miles Ive discovered Im not very good at it but i will keep trying. Im going to be using this mostly for commuting about 14 mile round trip everyday but there is a few things im worried about.
The seat doesn't feel right in fact it feels it should be giving me an saposatory, ive read this happens to newbies and it will pass it this right, the other problem i have is i feel the seat is far to high compared to the handlebars?
The other thing i need to ask is what distance should i be setting myself is 14k a day to little or is it ok for an unfit loaf like myself (be gentle i like in a place with big hills).
Any advice would be much appreciated.



Thanks
Dougie

 

[maydog]

Hello,

I figured that I would chime in since there is not much movement on this thread.

It is going to be difficult for anyone to comment on the fit and setup of your bike without your and the bike's measurements. For a basic fit, your knee should be nearly straight, with your heel level when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke. Seat setback should be comfortable, generally you kneecap will be over the pedal spindle when the pedal is in the forward horizontal position.

It appears that your bike has a quill stem, so you should be able to adjust the handlebar drop to some extent.

There are a lot of tutorials regarding bike fit and adjustment. A few good places to start are the park tool and sheldon brown websites.

Since you are starting out, I would not get hung up about distance or speed. Work on getting comfortable on the bike and getting in at least 4 sessions a week. Make riding a habit and keep it enjoyable.

 

[doss]

If you have an iPhone iPad etc there is an app called bike fast fit. It is actually really good it allows you to video you on your trainer and measure your angles etc. might be a good place to start. You could post some screen shots of your fit for further suggestions here Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BigDougie]

Thanks ill look them up, i guess if i had said the bike is 59cm frame and my inside leg was 82cm it would prob have been helpful.
The bike in question is this one http://www.sportsdirect.com/viking-phantom-bike-senior-933101 , however after the arm falling off halfway to work id question its build quality. Speaking to the local shop bike shop they have suggested a brand called giant, much lighter and apparently a lot better build quality which i may buy once i get the hang of it and start enjoying it more.


Thanks

 

[BigDougie]

Looked it up but its only on apple im a bit of an android geek but have found something similar.



Thanks

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by BigDougie
The seat doesn't feel right in fact it feels it should be giving me an saposatory, ive read this happens to newbies and it will pass it this right, the other problem i have is i feel the seat is far to high compared to the handlebars?

FWIW. In addition to lowering the height of your bicycle's seat, you may ALSO want to consider a different saddle ...

The "standard" BROOKS B17 saddle (the preferred saddle of many long distance tour riders) is considerably wider than a typical "plastic" saddle ...

• the rail to top distance is greater & the seatpost needs to be lowered, accordingly
• leather saddles require regular maintenance