Out of Shape Beginner Seeking advice

[e0richt]

my recommendation is to fix the car AND buy a less expensive bike... there are some out there that are built more for durability/low cost compared to the higher end bikes... start working out by time and increase... it won't be very long (as long as you are consistent...) to work up to doing the commute...

you might also check into any local riding clubs that handl d/c level riders where they aren't dropped...

I was nervous about joining a club because I was worried about what speed/distance they were going to ride so I worked up to about 15 miles for a ride before I joined up.

good luck.

 

[ajessup]

I mostly agree with what the other's are saying. Fit is paramount! Do you have a friend who is a cyclist that could help with that? I am lucky that my husband works with a former racer who knows all about it and has the equipment necessary to do a proper fit. The guys at the LBS did NOT help with that at all. And I purchased a $2000+ bike! Weight of the bike is important because it won't be fun lugging around more than you have to, especially once you are in better shape and want to take on more challenging rides. That said, there is a lot of room for adjustment once you purchase your bike. Seat height and tilt, placement of brake levers, handlebar height and size, etc. You can add spacers and you can replace the stem with a longer/shorter one. To lighten a "heavier than you would like" bike you can change out the forks, seat post, wheels . . . I hope you get what I am saying: you are not necessarily "stuck" with exactly what you buy. For an alternative to Walmart or even the LBS used selection, try Craigslist.com and do some price comparisons online to see if what you are getting is a value. Best of luck to you and I am jealous that you will be living in year-round riding weather (as I sit watching the snow fall on May 6)! :-(

 

[cricketk]

I know I'm late to this party, but I'd just like to suggest that you're probably going to find 20 miles a day (there and back again), every day as an extremely tough start to cycling, particularly if you're not used to doing any exercise at the moment. If you have any way to start slow and do fewer miles less often to begin with, I would really strongly recommend that you get underway with that and then move to commuting when you've got a bit of fitness and conditioning under your belt. Going from nothing to 100miles a week will leave you exhausted and aching and extremely likely to quit.

WRT your car - if you don't get your car fixed, will you still have a way of getting the groceries and transporting stuff other than yourself on the occasions when you will need to do so?

I don't want to discourage you in any way, as commuting to work is one of my daily pleasures - I love it and I want you to love it too. If you have limited money now, I would suggest getting your car fixed and putting a bike on lay-by when you get to Arizona and start your job.

My partner weighs 120kg/264lb and commuted decent distances for years on Giant road bike (OCR). He had no need to go to any kind of specialist shop - the local bike shop was able to look after him. I'm no expert, but I think you'll only really have to make sure that your wheels are able to take your weight - shouldn't be a problem with the frame. I'm sure that body weight and wheels comes up pretty regularly in the equipment forum.

Like everyone else, I can't emphasise enough that you need to get a bike that fits you. Anything else will lead to pain and aggravation and possibly injury.

Hello! I will try to go as much into depth of my situation, since I am very new to cycling, and personally do not have any friends who even like to walk. (Am I the only one who cringes when people complain about having to take a short walk from a corner of the parking lot to the store, or when people drive .25 miles to pick something up? )

I'm 21, 5'8, and a bit overweight at 220 pounds. I'm a bit out of shape, because I've grown accustomed to parking my butt in front of the computer 24/7, both at work and at home. I'm moving within 2 weeks to the next state, and my new job is 10 miles away from where I live. At this moment, I am tired of gas prices, inching along in traffic, etc. I am tempted to, rather than paying $1000 to repair my car for its new home in Arizona, to use that $1000 to invest in commuting to work on a road bicycle. My main concerns are theft (which many topics have covered and I'm not quite so worried now), and the fact that I have grown very out of shape. (I used to be really into sports/jogging, but in the past few years as a student, I slipped.)

I consider the health benefits and financial benefits substantial, BUT at the same time, 10 miles can be a bit long for someone of my size. :/

I also have no idea where to begin looking for a bike for someone of my size, though I will be dropping by a bike shop soon. I want to know what kind of things to ask them. I would only need to be carrying work clothes, water, bike repair supplies, etc.

I would really love some advice. I've been considering for a long time, but I know such a long commute in an unfamiliar area is kind of crazy. :/ Trying to weigh my options as much as I can.

 

[lizardofdesert]

I know where you are at! I'm 32, and overweight. I started off horribly, I rode my bike around the local park to the equivalent of 10 miles or so and decided to do our local bike marathon. I got up to 22 mi, but had to stop, exhausted. I recently did 2 tours that were 25 miles long, and did well. Not great, but I finished and wasn't the last!

My advice would be to start off small. See what you can do on the weekends, and go from there. You said you were going to live in AZ? I wouldn't recommend riding during the day, it just makes it miserable for you. The heat is horrible! If you can, go in the am, ride 5 mi, then bump it up by a couple of miles every other day, or just on the weekends.

Just keep doing it. Pretty soon 100 mi a week is going to be a piece of cake! You'll really enjoy it too.

Best of luck!

 

[LaDolceVita]

I've recently started cycling myself and purchased a Specialized Dolce. I really like the way it fits, but didn't like spending the $$ . My husband is really the one getting into this but I'm going along for the ride (no pun intended ).

I think what 60ish is trying to say in her advice (which was excellent) in how to purchase a bike, and what I've learned in all of this, is that the more you spend, the better the bike you're going to get and the more you're going to enjoy your ride. And I completely agree. I never had a clue how huge of a difference there is between bikes until I got on them. I've bought bikes at Wal-Mart in the past and ended up just parking them in the garage and leaving them there, just to eventually donate them to the Salvation Army -- Wasted money. My Specialized might be expensive (although not the most expensive), but it'll last awhile and I know I'll use it. I actually look forward to riding it.

The bike store where we bought our bikes lets you trade up. Maybe there's a store near you that does the same thing and you could try that. First buy one that's not so expensive and then, if you think you want one a little nicer, trade up. But do buy one that fits so you'll enjoy the ride!!

 

[red_five]

I did the same thing a few years back. I wanted to ride so bad and thought what a perfect way to get in shape. So, I purchased a bike from Wal-Mart and I rode it less than 3 miles and it stayed in the garage for 2 years. I eventually got rid of it.

Then last summer '06, the same idea popped in my head. Ok I'm going to get a bike. So this time I went to the local sports stores (e.g. Sports Authority). Then I realized I'm doing the same thing. I'm going to get another bike like the one from Wal-Mart in other words a waste of $$$. So I researched bikes online, thought about what I wanted it for: 1. Comfort 2. Enjoy what I was doing 3. get into shape.

so I ended up purchasing a Trek 7100. I'm 5'6 205lbs. I rode this bike everyday 7+ miles for the first 2 weeks. Then I started riding 60+ miles on weekends. I dropped the weight so fast without thinking about it -45lbs. I out grew the bike I needed to upgrade to a road bike. but then winter came. I didn't ride the weight came back, ever pound came back!

So about a month ago i purchased a new bike Trek 1500 SLR. I commute to work 17 miles one way 3 times a week. I didn't do this last summer I wanted to, but the Trek 7100 was too heavy. So once again I'm addicted to riding. This winter though I'm planning on keeping in shape with getting one of those stationary training thingys for my bike. (so I can ride indoors).