Bike & Equipment recommendations for a heavyweight

[LardLad]

Hey everyone, I'd like to get some ideas and suggestions from the forum.

Here's some background. I used to do a lot of road riding when I was in my mid twenties. I'd ride up to about 25-50 miles at a time and maybe 150 miles a week or so. I had the entry level Bianchi racer at the time and I weighed probably about 190-200 lbs. (6 feet tall)

Fast forward 20 years. I'm in my mid 40s and started at over 350 lbs. A couple of years ago I picked up a bike that would describe as a cross between a cruiser and a MTB. Curved top tube with suspension fork, wide street tread tires 27 spd etc. I tried riding it some but gave up because I got frustrated with my lack of endurance and some issues with the bike itself.

Today: I've been seriously working at my weight and fitness for the past 6 months. I've been doing a lot of work on the eliptical and dieting. I'm down to just under 300 now. My wife has come up with the goal of riding a Century in June. I went through and fixed up my existing bike and got it working as good as I could but I have yet to ride it more than about 10 miles due to a back injury.

I have a ton of questions.

Should I try this on my existing bike or am I fooling myself. One of my thoughts is that I'm carrying around an extra 100 lbs of me, is the maybe 10 lbs I'll save by swtiching to a road bike really gonna make that much difference? How are those little tiny rims gonna hold up to my weight? What considerations are there in a frame with my weight? Any suggestions on a bike <$1000 USD or so?

Thanks,

Rick

 

[capwater]

Congrats on your newfound quest for fitness. Check out this link: www.fatmancycling.com Eldon Ward just completed a cross country bike ride two weeks ago dropping from 400 to 300 lbs along the way. You can contact Eldon, he's done a ton of research into equipment and nutrition.

 

[dgregory57]

Congratulations on your successful weight loss so far! And on the desire to get back on a bike in a significant way.

Looking at the numbers, if by June you lose another 50 pounds (an aggressive goal for 4 months)... you plus a 30 pound bike would weigh 280. You and a 20 pound bike would weigh 270. Not a significant difference.

Your weight would not be as big of an issue as the mileage you have rode to prepare. I completed a Metric Century in October 2004 at about my current weight (310) and hope to complete an imperial century this year by the late summer or early fall after lots of miles and weight loss...

Weight is a challenge for you, but should not be a show stopper.

However, before my metric, I had been riding for about 18 months, and got to the point that a 20 mile ride was my norm, and 30 mile rides were relatively easy. You need to spend time in the saddle.

If the bike you bought is a real cheap one, that could be a hinderance. However, I completed a Metric Century on my Giant Sedona DX... completely stock except for the narrower road tires. Heavy and slow... but reliable!

If the ride you hope to go on has a metric option, you may want to consider that. If you are feeling bold, and it is a supported century, go ahead and ride the imperial... The SAG support is there if you aren't able to go the whole way. I would however strongly suggest a metric as your first venture into century cycling.

The only way you will get there is to put miles on the road.

When I first got on a bike after a 30 year hiatus, my first ride was around the block, and I thought I was going to die. I discovered that the flat block I lived on had a very minor grade to it (I weighed 365 at the time). In the course of a month, I was riding a 2.5 mile loop at least once, and sometimes 4 times per ride (those used to be my long rides).

Remember to increase your mileage as you can, and be sure to take rest days. Keep your cadence up, and don't worry about what you are doing compared to others, or what you used to be able to do (other than as a long term goal).

For my metric century, I took almost 6 hours, and could barely get off my bike at the finish... I then sat in my car for a few minutes and cried tears of joy that I had been able to do it... Then I went and had a great meal with the people that had passed me along the way, some who were very helpful to me, providing encouragement and comeraderie along my journey.

The training plans I have seen for imperial centuries take 10 - 12 weeks, and are designed based on a person starting out already with a significant number of base miles behind them. I believe the one by Bicycling states that it should be followed by someone who usually rides 80 miles per week before starting the program. However, you have an advantage, you will be losing weight along the way, and therefore each mile you ride will be even easier than a person who is maintaining their weight... If you can get up to 40 or 50 miles per week by the time you get down to 270 pounds and keep working, you should improve faster than the typical rider...

You could in effect lose the equivalent of the difference you have asked about in bike weights each month... If you lose 10 pounds per month, you have lost the whole bike... plus some.

I am rambling on, but I would liike to encourage you to challenge yourself, while understanding the reality of the hurdles you must clear along the way.

Enjoy the ride, and I hope your back issues don't hinder your efforts. I am fortunate to not have to deal with that issue.

... Darwin

 

[dgregory57]

With all of my rambling, I forgot your question about tires etc...

I plan to ride a used touring bike I got this year, the components for a loaded touring bike seem appropriate for the weight I am asking it to carry, and the distances I am asking it to go.

My opinion is that as long as you avoid stupidly light components you should be OK. I would suggest 36 spoke wheels, but wouldn't hesitate too much to ride 32's. Don't worry about bike or wheel weight as much as component and bike strength, also look for frame geometry, assortment of riding positions (drop bars) etc.

 

[LardLad]

Congrats on your newfound quest for fitness. Check out this link: www.fatmancycling.com Eldon Ward just completed a cross country bike ride two weeks ago dropping from 400 to 300 lbs along the way. You can contact Eldon, he's done a ton of research into equipment and nutrition.

Wow, that sounds like just the info I'm looking for. I can't wait to check out the web site!

Thanks!

 

[LardLad]

Great Info, thanks!

I know the mileage issue is my current problem. I've lost almost a month of training because of my back... the irony is that I've been pain free for a long time then I decide to take this on and the back goes out. I changed the seat and the bar height on the recommendation of a local bike shop which helped.

The bike I bought wasn't too cheap. Certainly not a dept. store bike. I can't remember exactly what I paid but I seem to remember around $500.

We're planning on doing the Tahoe ride which doesn't have a metric option but I can bypass a section which will shorten it to 72 mi.

Thanks again for the encouragement... I see so many smaller people riding around here and it's nice to get some feedback from someone my size!

Rick

Congratulations on your successful weight loss so far! And on the desire to get back on a bike in a significant way.

Looking at the numbers, if by June you lose another 50 pounds (an aggressive goal for 4 months)... you plus a 30 pound bike would weigh 280. You and a 20 pound bike would weigh 270. Not a significant difference.

Your weight would not be as big of an issue as the mileage you have rode to prepare. I completed a Metric Century in October 2004 at about my current weight (310) and hope to complete an imperial century this year by the late summer or early fall after lots of miles and weight loss...

Weight is a challenge for you, but should not be a show stopper.

However, before my metric, I had been riding for about 18 months, and got to the point that a 20 mile ride was my norm, and 30 mile rides were relatively easy. You need to spend time in the saddle.

If the bike you bought is a real cheap one, that could be a hinderance. However, I completed a Metric Century on my Giant Sedona DX... completely stock except for the narrower road tires. Heavy and slow... but reliable!

If the ride you hope to go on has a metric option, you may want to consider that. If you are feeling bold, and it is a supported century, go ahead and ride the imperial... The SAG support is there if you aren't able to go the whole way. I would however strongly suggest a metric as your first venture into century cycling.

The only way you will get there is to put miles on the road.

When I first got on a bike after a 30 year hiatus, my first ride was around the block, and I thought I was going to die. I discovered that the flat block I lived on had a very minor grade to it (I weighed 365 at the time). In the course of a month, I was riding a 2.5 mile loop at least once, and sometimes 4 times per ride (those used to be my long rides).

Remember to increase your mileage as you can, and be sure to take rest days. Keep your cadence up, and don't worry about what you are doing compared to others, or what you used to be able to do (other than as a long term goal).

For my metric century, I took almost 6 hours, and could barely get off my bike at the finish... I then sat in my car for a few minutes and cried tears of joy that I had been able to do it... Then I went and had a great meal with the people that had passed me along the way, some who were very helpful to me, providing encouragement and comeraderie along my journey.

The training plans I have seen for imperial centuries take 10 - 12 weeks, and are designed based on a person starting out already with a significant number of base miles behind them. I believe the one by Bicycling states that it should be followed by someone who usually rides 80 miles per week before starting the program. However, you have an advantage, you will be losing weight along the way, and therefore each mile you ride will be even easier than a person who is maintaining their weight... If you can get up to 40 or 50 miles per week by the time you get down to 270 pounds and keep working, you should improve faster than the typical rider...

You could in effect lose the equivalent of the difference you have asked about in bike weights each month... If you lose 10 pounds per month, you have lost the whole bike... plus some.

I am rambling on, but I would liike to encourage you to challenge yourself, while understanding the reality of the hurdles you must clear along the way.

Enjoy the ride, and I hope your back issues don't hinder your efforts. I am fortunate to not have to deal with that issue.

... Darwin

 

[PeterF]

Personally I'm a road guy myself and find that the lightweight and aerodynamics of a road bike over a cross, will make the century more enjoyable. I would look at frames that are steel, and I would avoid any of the lightweight stuff (for now), like low-spoke wheels and carbon bars and seatposts. I have ridden a road bike at a weight up to 260 and have never had much problem (other than broken spokes on one set of 16-spoke wheels). I lost some serious weight while training for a century. If you can work up to 40-50 mile rides in a couple months, the weight will take care of itself. I had a bad back too before cycling. Try some crunches and other ab exercises to strengthen your core and when you ride, take periodic breaks to stretch it out. I used to have to stretch every 20 miles. Now I can spend 5-6 hours in the saddle with no stiffness. Keep up the excellent work!

 

[LardLad]

Thanks Peter. That's good advice!

Rick

 

[RickF]

I have had chronic back and knee problems for years. Last summer, the best I could do on the road was 16 miles at an average speed of 11 miles per hour. In the fall, I started doing core exercises on the balance ball, and since December, I have been riding on the trainer three to four days per week. In December, I weighed 265 pounds and could ride for 30 minutes at an average speed of 11 miles per hour. Now, I am 235 pounds and ride for 60 minutes at an average speed of 14 miles per hour. I am still a long way from my goal of 180 pounds, but I am making progress, and my back and knees are much better. I am anxious to see how I do on the road this year.

My short term goal is to ride in the beginner level group rides sponsored by my LBS this summer. My intermediate goal is to be 200 pounds by my youngest daughter's wedding in December. My long term goal is to be 180 pounds and ride a century with my middle daughter and her husband in the summer of 2007.

Some good core exercises are available here: http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bl_core.htm

Everyone has given good advice. Good luck, and keep up the good work.

 

[PeterF]

I have had chronic back and knee problems for years. Last summer, the best I could do on the road was 16 miles at an average speed of 11 miles per hour. In the fall, I started doing core exercises on the balance ball, and since December, I have been riding on the trainer three to four days per week. In December, I weighed 265 pounds and could ride for 30 minutes at an average speed of 11 miles per hour. Now, I am 235 pounds and ride for 60 minutes at an average speed of 14 miles per hour. I am still a long way from my goal of 180 pounds, but I am making progress, and my back and knees are much better. I am anxious to see how I do on the road this year.


It's amazing what a difference core exercises can make. My preference is to use an ab roller and crunches with an aparatus. At 235 you are about my size. I'm assuming you are riding solo? Group rides will help increase speed for a couple reasons. Most obvious is the drafting effect, but also you tend to work harder without even realizing it. I find that my first hour is often my slowest but on 3 hour rides my tempo seems to build as I go. Try stretching the rides out to 90 minutes or even two hours. Don't concentrate on speed, but cadence and keeping a constant effort. You might be closer to that century ride than you think.....

 

[RickF]

Try stretching the rides out to 90 minutes or even two hours. Don't concentrate on speed, but cadence and keeping a constant effort. You might be closer to that century ride than you think.....

I know the legs could take a longer ride, but at this point, I do not have the time to ride longer than an hour at a time. What I have been doing after a five minute warm-up is moving to the smallest gear where I can keep the initial cadence at 80. If the cadence goes below 60, I shift to a larger gear. If 80 is easy, I shift to a smaller gear. Since time is fixed by my schedule, all I can do is try to increase speed (keeping cadence up).

I think I could do a century this summer, but my daughter will be about 9 months pregnant when the century she and her husband want to do is scheduled.