Pedal_Pusher

Based on my weight (~212 lbs), I reckon I'm a Clydesdale. Are there some other Lady Clydesdales out there? If so, I would very much apreicate some advice on bikes. I haven't ridden a bike in years and thought I would be riding my daughter's Specialized Hardrock, but wouldn't you know the minute I decided to start riding, she decided she wants her bike at college. I believe I will be looking for something in the comfort or hybrid area. Hubby and I will be riding mostly on the roads and bike paths. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Tom Stormcrowe

Pedal, a lady is referred to as an Athena! Sounds a lot better than calling you a horse, right?

Pedal_Pusher

I knew I'd learn a lot here. Thanks for correcting me. So, any Athenas out there? Gee, I feel strange calling myself an Athena, though it does make me feel more ladylike than a clydesdale.

magoolc1

Hello and welcome..my wife and i are bigger folks to. We both ride trek 820 and love them and they have held up for a year with no problems what so ever. I just put a nicer seat on hers and switched to more of a ashphalt tire instead of a knobby she really loves riding it now. Good luck with your search.

jyossarian

Go to your LBS and ride every bike that catches your eye no matter what it is. You'll get a feel for what you think is right for you.

Tom Stormcrowe

Magool has a good suggestion or another might be a recumbent, bike or trike! Mrs Stormcrowe is an Athena, and is getting her recumbent trike in a couple weeks or less. (A Recumbent trike is just plain fun to ride! The sports car of cycling, lowslung and fast!)

Lil_round_one

I know there's got to be more of us out there! C'mon ladies! Where are you?

I'm an "Athena", 5'3" and 313 as of today. I recently joined Weight Watchers and have lost 11.8 pounds so far. I'm hoping once we get my bike modified to make riding more of a daily part of my exercise routine. As Magoo pointed out (I'm his wife), we both have Trek 820 mountain bikes. I didn't really know what I was getting when we got the bikes, and when we test rode them at the bike shop, it seemed like a good fit. I know now what I wanted was a comfort bike. I like the feel of the ride on the 820, but the handlebars are lower than I would like so I ride all hunched over which hurts the dickens out of my wrists after about a mile of riding. My husband bought better "road" tires...smoother in the center with knobbies on the outer edges so I can still take it "off road" if I need to. I usually stick to the paved paths and roads, while Magoo there is a tad more adventurous than I am! I would definitely check out the comfort bikes, or hybrid (I think...Magoo is more "lingo literate" than I am when it comes to bikes!). Good luck, and let's get more Athena's posting on the board! There's got to be more of us "more to love" gals out there!

foehn

I am an athena, and appropriate that name is because I always list "domestic goddess" on applications.

5'8" and about 230.

I am riding an impulse buy Giant Boulder. It has taken me a while to fit it correctly to me, but it is now pretty nice for me to ride. Still looking for the perfect saddle though.

If you are shorter than me, you should check out women's geometry bikes. Women tend to have shorter torsos and longer legs than a man of equal height and this will make a difference in how your bike fits if you end up buying a mans bike/frame.

My standover height was ok when I bought the bike, but I ended up getting a shorter handlebar stem and swept-back handlebars to get rid of the "too stretched out" feeling and to become positioned infinitely more comfortably upon my saddle(s).

If you can afford, get fitted at a responsible bike shop. And if you ride a standard frame, learn how to step-pedal up to sit on the saddle and do the same in reverse to stand astride the bike, both feet on the ground.

tlong

Unfortunately, I fit into this category. I am about 5'8" tall. I weighed about 170-5 when I got pregnant with my first child in 2002. I had gestational diabetes and put on about 65lbs. Then when he was 8 months old, I found out I was pregnant again. I tipped the scales at 252 when my daughter was born in Feb 2004. I bought a Giant Sedona and Burley trailer in March of this year and started to pull the kids around on the bike paths of a neighboring town. I loved it! I soon bought a road bike (Trek 1500WSD) and joined an MS team. I have ridden about 1700 miles since then and weigh about 200 now. I was down to about 215 when I started riding this spring, but am really pleased with the way my body is taking on a new shape. Naturally, I wish it were happening a little faster, but I'll take what I can get. I have recently ridden my first century and the MS150. I feel like I have really accomplished something. It has helped me mentally and emotionally to set these goals that seem somewhat unrealistic and then achieve them! While riding takes some time away from my kids, I think that the physical and emotional benefits make me a far better wife and mother!

As far as what type of bike to get, find something that fits and then ride it. I would not spend a whole lot on a first bike, but definitely buy from a bike shop that will help you achieve the proper fit and find like-minded people to ride with. After a few months, you may find that you want to upgrade to suit your riding style. You will probably not know exactly what this is until you ride some. I ended up trading my Sedona in on a Jamis Coda (a more hybrid style bike), because I liked a little more athletic position than I could get on the comfort bike. I may end up eventually trading it in on a mountain bike before too long, though...

Marylandnewbie

Tlong has some great advice.

Definitely work with a shop where you feel comfortable. A shop that caters to commuters or families may be a better fit than one the serves the racers and wannabes. They can really help you on fit, advice on riding techniques and even good places to ride. Also good shops will see you as an ongoing investment and try to steer you to the right bike -- not just what they want to get rid of.

I second the notion to test ride a lot of bikes to get a feel for what's out there. It won't be perfect but you need to know something about how available bikes feel and what you like and don't like. Take your knowledge to the LBS and talk honestly about what you liked and didn't like.

Also do some web searching for info on women's saddles. There is some good discussions and comparison info out there which will help if the stock saddle doesn't work for you. Remember saddles are easy to change and can be relatively inexpensive to make a bike more comfortable.

Finally, you will find the fit of the bike and your riding style changing as you lose weight and get in better shape so be prepared to work with your LBS. Probably over the first year there will be some tweaking of the bike as your abilities change and improve. Pains in different parts of your body (wrists, knees, back, etc.) will suggest that it is time to tweak a setting a little bit and are probably the result of improvements you have made in your body.

tlong

It sure would make me feel better if more women would respond to this thread, so I don't have to sit around thinking I am the only chubster!
On another note, I have been thinking that I am really getting fit. In my mind's eye, I am starting to look like a cyclist. I picture thin muscular legs and a flat belly (and normal size boobies) A couple of weekends ago, I rode in the MS150, because I have a frind with MS. She posted pictures from the event on her website. We all wore the same jersey, so it was hard to distinguish us in the thumbnail previews. I was flipping through them when I came upon a rather large individual. I could not remember anyone that big on our team, so I clicked on the picture to get the enlarged version and see who it was. When the picture appeared, the first thing I noticed was the bike. It looked strikingly like mine. I was really shocked and disappointed when I figured out it was me...so much for my mind's eye!

Pedal_Pusher

Thanks for the response, ladies (and guys, too). I am happy to know there are others like me out there. I was toying with the idea of riding my daughter's Specialized Hardrock, but she has definitely decided she wants it at college, so I will soon be shopping for my own bike. You all gave lots of great advice and, fortunately, we have a great bike shop where the employees are very helpful. My husband recently bought his bike there and, though there are several shops closer to our home, the customer service at this particular shop is so good that it's worth the few extra minutes it takes to get there.

I know exactly what you mean about looking at pictures of yourself and being disappointed, tlong. PLEASE don't let that stand in the way of your continued success on the bike. Ignore the pictures and keep the great attitude and view of yourself in your mind's eye. Kudos to you for participating in the MS150. I look forward to the day I do something like that. I have been so very frustrated and disgusted with myself for a long time now. When my husband (an uber clyde) decided he would like to start cycling, I looked at this as a new beginning for us. As a child, I was thin and very, very active. In the summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school, I was so thin (86 lbs), the doctor instructed me to drink a milkshake with protein powder daily. I finally hit triple digits when I was a college freshman and I just kept going and going. I was eventually diagnosed with thyroid problems and, though I would like to think that has affected my weight, I cannot place the blame there. I have the most awful eating habits and the only exercise I have been faithful about is that for the past 14 months, my best friend and I walk every morning (M-F) from 5:15 - 6:00. My embarrassment over my weight has kept my from seeing aunts, uncles and cousins who live back home. I avoided a cousin's funeral and another cousin's wedding because of it. I'm ready to take back my life and gain control. I have read so many inspiring stories here. Many thanks to all and keep on keeping on!

CliftonGK1

I've learned not to be concerned with my current appearance in comparison to old photos. I could go back and look wishfully at pictures from my post-high-school triathlon racing days and complain about not having washboard abs and race-trim figure any more. I don't. Back in the days of racing, all I did was study and train. I was putting every spare minute of my day to training, and I missed out on so many other things I could have been having fun doing. I could go back to doing that again, get back down to 5% bodyfat, and stop enjoying so many of the things that I do now.
The first concern should be health. Being able to ride the MS150 is a pretty good indicator of being reasonably healthy. If your cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. are in good shape, then eventually with slight modifications to diet you can lose the extra pounds that you're aiming to drop.

Phloxen

Another Athena here! I'm so glad I stumbled on this part of the forum. I have been having so much fun getting into cycling, but feel a little inadequate around the "fit and fab" cyclists... At 5'7" and 250, I look quite a bit different in my cycling shorts.

I will admit that if/when I slim down I'll miss the suprised look (and the occasional thumbs up) I get when I zoom past the runners and cyclists on mile 20 of my (almost) daily ride... It's quite vindicating.

Lil_round_one

Hey gals! Just thought I'd let you know I started us a thread titled "Athena's Hangout" if you'd like to join me. I thought it would be cool to have our own little corner of the board to call our own!

**Mods, if that's not cool, let me know and I'll delete it...I'm a newbie around here and don't know if it's ok for me to do that**

Hopefully we can get a bunch of us together and be a great support and information system for each other! Have a great day!