AToM

First - the reason I'm posting this in the men's forum is because I'm looking for replies from people that once were closer to my weight and I figure that's most likely going to be men than most of the women here.

One thing that I am really looking forward to once I lose some weight is to buy a decent trail bicycle and start slowly doing something I haven't done since 1985. Being overweight has prevented me in exploring biking options but I look forward to adding that part of my exercise plan.

I am currently 2 weeks post op and weigh around 385 (guessing until my 2 week appt this week). I want to lose some more weight before I purchase the bike but was wondering if anyone here had starting biking and at what point or weight did you start? I haven't done too much research so I don't even know the weight most mountain type bikes can hold, but thought I would start here.

Thanks

fisher1000

What a coincidence! My wife and I just got the bikes out of storage today! We bought the bikes when I was at 375 or so, but I used it once and stuck it in the garage. We got them out today...at 259 (5 years later!) and I'm excited about using them! We went to Dick's sporting goods and bought a baby attachment so that we could the Diva onto the back!

Here's a pic!

-Mike

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FISHERBEAR MIKE
402/232/under 200 (As of 06/23/08)
Highest/Current/Goal
Open RNY - September 24th
170 pounds GONE, BABY, GONE!

BMI: 63 (was) / 35.8 (is)

JWinMN

I was about the same weight you are now when I had my surgery last year in July. I'm about 235 now. I bought a hybrid bike and started cycling about a month ago. I really enjoy riding the bike. Once you start losing weight and exercising, I think you will be surprised how far you can go on a bicycle, and how much fun it is. Regarding your question about bicycles and rider weight, I found this on the internet: bicycle weight capacity
After reading articles about configuring a bike based on rider size and weight, I filled my tires to the max pressure and made adjustments to the front fork for my weight.

AToM

Thanks. After finding a group on Bikeforums.com that was for 300#+ riders, I decided to purchase a Specialized Hardrock bike. I'm at 340 now and haven't had any problems though all my riding has been on paved streets - no off road. It's taking me awhile to get use to having 24 speeds though.

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440/393/314/?
High/DOS/Current/No Goal Set
Lap RNY 4/01/08

waterbottle

I am not a man but thought I would share something that has happened to a good friend of mine she says through biking.


She had a bypass and was 540lbs when she started, she started biking and has lost alot of weight but her muscle is so high that her weight is slowed down now and her bulk is getting to much?

I would be worried about starting biking as my thighs are my problem area now so do not want any further BULK on them.

Has she got this information right

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Gastric band fitted 25th August 2007

Start weight 18 st = 252lbs

weight May 2008 11st 10lbs = 164 lbs

28th June 2008 weight loss 11st 3lbs

MY excess weight loss for 10 months is now 81%

porshh951

no she doesn't. She already had the bulk. It happended when she was carrying around a extra 400lbs of fat on her body. Her legs had to develop alot of muscle to carry around all of that weight. Now that she is loosing the fat all thats happening is revealing all the muscle she already had developed.

People don't realize just how much lower muscle you force your body to create when you are 150-200-250lbs overweight.

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TT Gym rat club member #1
Any action ever taken out of fear is always going to be the incorrect one.

Gina in NY

Oh for heaven's sake. John is being very kind - but think for just a moment - in fact, take me for instance. I weighed 288 and lost 135 pounds. Is there any way on earth that my thighs could look bigger now than they did 135 pounds ago?? uh - no.

It is not possible to add so much muscle while you're losing weight, that you'll look like you're bulking out, ESPECIALLY coming from being morbidly obese. That is just crazy. And ESPECIALLY with cycling, as it is not dependant upon strength. You don't need to have strong legs to bike, really - it isn't like other sports where you carry your weight around. The bike carries you. Cycling is a cardio sport.

Now there is an adjustment for the first 6 weeks when you go from being sedentary to active. (You need to draw this) So, draw a small circle, then draw another circle around it, and a third circle farther away, around that. The inner circle is your bone, the next, your muscle, the last is fat. When you first start working out and developing muscle, that second circle will expand, partly though to relase the inter-muscular fat, but mosty because to build you muscles, you tear them and they swell - don't worry - it is suppose to be that way. It will then lean up and get more efficient as you keep using it. But if that muscle expands faster than you're losing weight, it might momentarily look like your legs are getting bigger, but the problem is not the muscle - it is the huge layer of fat in there. Nothin but weight loss will save you there.

When the fat is gone, you'll have nice, toned, developed legs.

Having once been as heavy as I was, I carry about 20 pounds of extra muscle on my legs. I sure as heck didn't build that much muscle cycling!! I built it carrying 135 extra pounds on my ass for 20 years. It takes a lot of strength to be obese!

So no damage can be done to you cycling. It won't "bulk out" your thighs, but it may help lean them up so that when you lose the fat, they look good. Other wise, you'll lose the weight and have...well...

As far as weight loss slowing down, yea, that happens but not because you're too muscular. The muscles burn more calories than fat anyway.

So tell your friend to get back on the bike and ride harder! The gift we have as having been obese is that we do have adequate muscle to really move the bike when we've lost the weight. I mean think of it - I spent 20 years training my legs to carry 280 pounds, then took 135 off of them. Yea - I can ride fast!

And biking is THE sport. You can ride till you're 100 - there are a multitude of bikes to fit your needs and it is all so adjustable, you can always find a way to be comfortable.

Cycling rules!!

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Gina in NY
288/261/152 - 5'3"
High/Pre-op/Current
Goal - 19% BF. Dr. Goal - 150 My goal: 130
Open RNY 6/20/06 Plastics 7/27/07
TT Gym rat club member #5

deadboy

I started biking, I BELIEVE, right around 2 months after my surgery. At that time I believe I'd lost about 50 pounds off my surgery weight so we'd have to do the math. I agree with the sentiment about biking being THE exercise. It's great cardio with almost no impact on the joints.

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Ron

6'0"
360/200
Start/Current

Surgery date 5-9-06

andrew76092

I started at 380 and 9 months post op, down to 220. I have been biking for about 3 months now (technical / difficult trails). I love my mountain bike and do about 40 miles of these trails per weekend....BEST EXERCISE IN MY OPINION.

Go to a site called w w w. bikesdirect .c o m to buy your bike!

Squishy

Jane and I recently bought hybrid bikes and are really enjoying it. When I was bigger, I was worried that the bike wouldn't hold me, plus I did not feel very balanced. Center of gravity just seemed too high. There was a bike shop in town and the owner said he could build a bike that would hold me. He said that he used the bearings, etc. from bicycles built for two to make it tougher. I never took him up on it though.

The new bikes are amazing. They have really improved in the years since I last road. I think you will like it a lot!

-Mike-

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TT Squishybear

"If you are going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

05/30/07 Open RNY
430/346/240.5/225?
Highest/Surgery Date/Current/Goal
6' 2"

TT Gym Rat Club Member #65