raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
just go for it, you'll be fine.As for bikes I'd recommend a rigid (no suspension) Hybrid simply for the gearing range or a touring bike if you want to spend that much money on one.
Am I to fat to bike
- Thread starter Ronald Harrup
- Start date
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just go for it, you'll be fine.As for bikes I'd recommend a rigid (no suspension) Hybrid simply for the gearing range or a touring bike if you want to spend that much money on one.
Nibor
Bewildered
- Location
- Accrington
As to your original question most definitely no
steve292
Guru
- Location
- Weston-super-mare, north somerset
No, your not to big to ride. I would go for a road bike personally, that will take guards and a 28 mm tyre, this would be a versatile bike. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent bike, but generally the more you splash out the better the kit.
Cycling won't shift weight on it's own, but in combination with a sensible diet it will.
As for the p*ss taking. I cycle up a hill called Burrington Coombe often, it's about 4/5 km long and averages @6% iirc. I often used to pass a big, and I mean big lad on the way up, sometimes still riding and sometimes pushing. The only people I ever saw take the piss were fat people in chav cars. Go figure.
I still see the same fella now and again, but he's nowhere near as big nowadays.
Cycling won't shift weight on it's own, but in combination with a sensible diet it will.
As for the p*ss taking. I cycle up a hill called Burrington Coombe often, it's about 4/5 km long and averages @6% iirc. I often used to pass a big, and I mean big lad on the way up, sometimes still riding and sometimes pushing. The only people I ever saw take the piss were fat people in chav cars. Go figure.
I still see the same fella now and again, but he's nowhere near as big nowadays.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
@Ronald Harrup just ride, be warned it takes commitment to lose weight, set a goal and stick to it once you weaver ............. on the plus like everyone says its probably the best all round way of getting and staying fit, weight aside at the end of the day its your fitness thats important not so much the waist line.
just ride, be warned it takes commitment to lose weight, set a goal and stick to it once you weaver ............. on the plus like everyone says its probably the best all round way of getting and staying fit, weight aside at the end of the day its your fitness thats important not so much the waist line.
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Profpointy
Legendary Member
Regarding the weight loss thing. I was slightly above my ideal weight in middle age, though not really a fatty, I found just with regular commuting 7 miles each way daily, I could stuff my face and needed to move my belt in a notch or two. And when I started I was by no means fast on the 7 miles either, but after a few years, I was in the quick end of the ride-to-work pelaton, and only the young whipper snappers on carbon bikes really managed to pass me. Unfortunely a year working away in hotels, eating lots of curries and drinking beer hasn't helped matters, so I need to get back to the bike .
simon.r
Person
- Location
- Nottingham
Hello from just over the county border.
There are many, many people on this forum who started cycling again in mid-life to lose weight and gain fitness. From what I've read on here those who stick at the cycling and combine it with a more sensible diet succeed.
Go buy a bike and ride it. Don't forget to smile. It will be hard work initially, but it should also be enjoyable.
There are many, many people on this forum who started cycling again in mid-life to lose weight and gain fitness. From what I've read on here those who stick at the cycling and combine it with a more sensible diet succeed.
Go buy a bike and ride it. Don't forget to smile. It will be hard work initially, but it should also be enjoyable.
Mrs M
Guru
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Hello
Have fun
Have fun
I very slowly grew bigger and bigger, from leaving my twenties behind, until in my forties I made it up to 18 1/2 stone. I'm just under 5' 10" I decided to tackle my weight meaningfully and lost a pound a week for 14 months. I did some cycling on a mountain bike, but at 16 stone keeping up the weight loss was becoming more difficult so I bought an out and out road bike and really upped my exercise.
It was a specialized allez elite and it never even entered my head that I might be too heavy. The stock wheels were crap and I eventually bought a fairly modest set of shimano wheels, but I never had any problem with them weightwise.
It was a specialized allez elite and it never even entered my head that I might be too heavy. The stock wheels were crap and I eventually bought a fairly modest set of shimano wheels, but I never had any problem with them weightwise.
jefmcg
Guru
this would have carried more force before you changed your avatar
@everyone: it's "too fat". Just sayin'
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Firestorm
Veteran
- Location
- Southend on Sea
I am 58 yo, 5ft 9 and weighed 100 kg in january,
I lost about 5 kg then decided to get back into cycling. I got my brothers road bike as he was upgrading, the only issue was what wheels to put on it ( He was keeping his ) as some had a suggested weight limit of 85 kg
Steadily built up my Sunday ride regularly doing 50+ now and this week I am 79kg.
So , you will be fine, its a great way of getting fitter and the desire to ride further , and maybe quicker, tends to focus the mind on the weight management too.
Good luck, and let us know how you are getting on
I lost about 5 kg then decided to get back into cycling. I got my brothers road bike as he was upgrading, the only issue was what wheels to put on it ( He was keeping his ) as some had a suggested weight limit of 85 kg
Steadily built up my Sunday ride regularly doing 50+ now and this week I am 79kg.
So , you will be fine, its a great way of getting fitter and the desire to ride further , and maybe quicker, tends to focus the mind on the weight management too.
Good luck, and let us know how you are getting on
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Hi Ronald - welcome to CC!
Too old? No - I have done 200 km audax rides and chatted to riders in their late 70s/early 80s who were way fitter than me and really enjoying their cycling. I know someone who will soon be 80 and he still races, and occasionally wins!
Too fat? No - I have met people half as big again who were cycling regularly. I got to nearly 18 stone at one point but was still riding over the huge hills we have round here. Weight doesn't make a huge difference to how hard it is to ride until you go uphill, when it certainly does! I had a look on my OS maps and it seems that Coalville is in an undulating area. Some significant hills, but not monstrously hard ones. You will probably find them hard to start with though, but soon get used to them as you get fitter and learn to pace yourself. I'd suggest making sure that you have some pretty low gears on your bike for the climbs.
Bike for the road? Road bike! Maybe a cyclocross bike if you think that you might fancy doing some offroad riding from time to time - you could ride semi-slick tyres which are ok-ish on and offroad, or buy slicks for road rides and knobbly tyres for offroad. Better still, 2 sets of wheels, one with slicks, one with knobblies, and swap wheels according to where you will be riding.
As others have suggested, most of your hoped-for weight loss would better be achieved through controlling your diet. It takes roughly 100 miles of cycling to burn off a pound of fat so doing it purely through exercise would mean a lot of hard work!
Good luck, and enjoy your cycling ...
Too old? No - I have done 200 km audax rides and chatted to riders in their late 70s/early 80s who were way fitter than me and really enjoying their cycling. I know someone who will soon be 80 and he still races, and occasionally wins!
Too fat? No - I have met people half as big again who were cycling regularly. I got to nearly 18 stone at one point but was still riding over the huge hills we have round here. Weight doesn't make a huge difference to how hard it is to ride until you go uphill, when it certainly does! I had a look on my OS maps and it seems that Coalville is in an undulating area. Some significant hills, but not monstrously hard ones. You will probably find them hard to start with though, but soon get used to them as you get fitter and learn to pace yourself. I'd suggest making sure that you have some pretty low gears on your bike for the climbs.
Bike for the road? Road bike! Maybe a cyclocross bike if you think that you might fancy doing some offroad riding from time to time - you could ride semi-slick tyres which are ok-ish on and offroad, or buy slicks for road rides and knobbly tyres for offroad. Better still, 2 sets of wheels, one with slicks, one with knobblies, and swap wheels according to where you will be riding.
As others have suggested, most of your hoped-for weight loss would better be achieved through controlling your diet. It takes roughly 100 miles of cycling to burn off a pound of fat so doing it purely through exercise would mean a lot of hard work!
Good luck, and enjoy your cycling ...
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Don't forget that close to Coalville is the 'Cloud Trail', pretty much flat all the way to Derby.
jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
You have absolutely nothing to worry about.
I am a stone heavier than you and ride a carbon rimmed road bike with race tyres (like low profile).
I ride through London streets, over potholes speedbhumps, broken glass, in rain, sun and wind.
I've ridden 100 mile sportives over cobbled rutty roads, slick with mud and rain.
And nothing has ever failed me due to pure "mass"
If you are worried, just check that whatever you buy ( frame, wheels, whole bike) will provide warranties above your weight (which I would be amazed if almost everything doesn't)
Don't get bogged down with equipment choices, you don't need to.
Enjoy
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
This all day long. One of the most common thoughts of a non cyclist looking at a big, fat, padded gel saddle is "wow, comfy looking!" Even my wife still says that despite lectures to the contrary. You need a firm saddle to support your weight on your sit bones. The first few short rides will make that area a little tender but it gets better really quickly as the bones get used to it. Ride a big sofa and you'll be perpetually uncomfortable and sore, in fact if you do a few miles I'll wager that your sit bones may well feel the steel frame underneath the gel.
Felix79
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Oxford, England
I am 6.4 and I was just under 22 stone two months ago when my 2012 Cannondale CAAD8 arrived (it's a 56cm frame, which I believe is like a 58cm frame with other manufacturers) . I have to run my 23mm tyres at 120psi otherwise I feel too much compression on my rear tyre, which could cause me to get a pinch flat or worse cause damage to the rim of my Madoux RS 3.0 wheels.
I think a good way around the problem of being as heavy as I am, would to use a bigger tyre size which will allow the weight to be spread over a larger surface area. This, IMO should give me more resistance against damaging the rims. As the road surface/quality in Oxford is extremely poor, which is crazy when this city is famous for the sheer number of bike users, as well as being a pretty wealthy city.
I think a good way around the problem of being as heavy as I am, would to use a bigger tyre size which will allow the weight to be spread over a larger surface area. This, IMO should give me more resistance against damaging the rims. As the road surface/quality in Oxford is extremely poor, which is crazy when this city is famous for the sheer number of bike users, as well as being a pretty wealthy city.
