tmeisky

I am a big guy (obviously) covered in tattoos. Throw me in bibs and a bicycle jersey and I'm a rolling oddity on the road and a spectacle on the typically crowd trail I ride. The looks and gawking haven't phased me and never will. Live your life for you.

Neil_B

I hate to break it to you, tattoos aren't that uncommon among cyclists. That said, I agree 100 per cent.

tmeisky

Sure, but add them to a 280 lb body in really tight clothing and main line Philadelphia mothers pushing strollers are slightly confused.

lilpoindexter

Hey...I'm 5' 11" In September 2011 I was over 250lbs...I was too embarrased to get on the scale to tell you my actual weight. I started going to the gym, and i could maybe last 10 minutes on the elliptical and i could only lift the chrome plated weights the ladies use. Today I can do a few pullups, and use the real weights. i was at least 240lbs when I started bike riding...I'm 199 now, and going lower this year. I was embarrased someone would see me at the gym and say something, or laugh at my butt cheeks trying to eat my bicycle seat, but no one said anything, and who cares if they do.

Gumbus

Hmmm.......how to begin. I am in the Clyde/Athenas not because I am heavy but because of the heart and kindness here. I am slender and moderately fit at 59 yoa. What is so captivating about this group is the sense of understanding and support. You see, I think it is more than just the difficulties of weight that many deal with. I just want to say that I am very proud of all of you out there that refuse to be victims and got and live life on your own terms. It is very motivating for me to hear all the success stories. Thank you all for being part of this great culture of cycling. To all of you, a great New Year and hope to any of you on the road enjoying the gift of life. God Bless you all and thank you.

kinetic

By the way....the stars cover up fat arse

wbuttry

Well i'm about 225. I got this big when my thyroid cancer got bad and turned me into a diabetic. On 4 shots a day high blood presure high cholesterol and just plain lazy. Well having 2 heat strokes didnt help much. But i used to when was younger skinnier and more energetic used to tour on bike small tours a week at a time. But life caught up quick got married had kids work to support them. Kids old enough to help do things so i wanna get back into riding steady. I do it off and on but not like i should .And now it is cold outside and dont like the cold So i decided to buy a bicycle trainer to help me get going better and get me through the winter. So i can try to get my weight down and my blood pres and high cholesterol under control. I would like to get off those shots to. And my new years resolution is to loose enough to start riding 20 mile round trips by spring. And work up to longer and longer rides and hope to get to where i can start to tour again .And turning 40 this year i better get a move on so i can fulfill my dreams before i get to old to pedal much less travel the country .

whitenhiemer

Keep it positive bro, I'm just now to the point where I can feel like I can make it around on a bike. I had gastric bypass just a little over a year ago now. I started out at 388 lbs, my heaviest, and I get angry that I let myself get that big. Even after the surgery it took a long time before I just didn't feel digustingly fat anymore. I'm currently at 235 lbs and just trying to get myself under 200lbs.

When I lost about 100lbs I bought a new bicycle and the tires still popped under my weight (granted they were probably cheap tubes), but that still put me in a depression for a few weeks. I've been riding for about a month now, on a 700cc road bike, challenging myself to do a century ride this summer. I'll make this happen, just make a reachable goal, complete that goal and make the next one.

https://divorcinghunger.tumblr.com/

Neil_B

Just to update my post, I seem to be back. I'm leading a group ride tomorrow.

Here I am after my first ride outside in months, with another poster to this thread, Nerys. Neither of us are embarrassed riders.

MadProphet

You and I are on the same page. Had gastric bypass in August of 2011. Went from a high of 412 (365 right before surgery) to 225. Can't seem to break that for long. I occasionally hit 219 but I always bounce back up. I bought a bike in November of 2012 and have a little over 200 miles on it now. I'm challenging myself to a group ride of 40 miles next month, but I am fighting some serious sciatica. My longest ride was just last week and at 15 miles, the pain was so severe I was wondering how I'd make it back to the truck.

But I'm never embarrassed to ride - just self conscious. I'm working on that.

bikingshearer 

Great thread. You folks are the true stars of the sport.

I am a big boy. 6'3", 275, definitely overweight -- you can judge for yourselves how much.




But as you can also see, I ride what like, dressed how I like. I do not ride a "fat person's bike," I am not bashful about wearing lycra bibs and snug jerseys.

My story differs from many in this thread, but I absolutely understand the self-consciousness and fears. I am just a big guy. I have ridden off and on for close to 40 years. For all of those 40 years, I have gotten occasional "lard a$$" comments, and even more "get off the road" comments. The vast majority of people, though, leave me alone and go about their business.

I did some (very) low-grade racing in my high school days until I figured out that (1) I wasn't very good at it and (2) bike racing is about pain. I have done loaded bike touring, including a coast-to-coast self-supported loaded tour in 1980. The end of that ride was the last time I weighed less than 200 pounds - it was 198, and I'm here to tell you that after 3600 miles in six weeks there was not one ounce of extra weight on me. I creeped up as high as 290 during a stretch of about 10 years when I rarely rode: college, law school, marriage, kid, new career, you know the drill. I got back into riding in 1992 when my bike was stolen from my garage. It ticked me off enough to actually get out on the new bike I let my homeowners insurance buy me. But I had lost virtually all my riding fitness. What years before would have been a routine hill killed me halfway up. If I tried to kick the flatland speed up a notch, the only thing that wanted to come up was lunch. As I say, a different story from many of you, but the frustration, the self-consciousness, the feelings of failure are very similar.

The key, as everyone has said, is to keep at it. I climbed up that hill a little bit further each time I tried it. Sooner than I expected, I made it to the top. Then I took on the next hill, this one harder and further away. Same thing - it kicked my butt the first few times, but kept at it and was finally able to conquer it. Boy, did I enjoy that view.

I have been around 275 for close to 20 years now and my guess is that fighting trim for me now would be somewhere in the 230 to 240 range. My shoulders are significantly broader now than when I made that tour (I continued to bulk out in the shoulders especially well into my 20s). I will always be a Clydesdale, gravity will never be my friend going uphill, and I will forever be jealous of those spindly legged climbing farts. I am slooooow on climbs. I have been passed by runners and by unicyclists on uphills - believe me, for someone who once considered himself a racer, that is embarrassing. But at least I could (and did) kick their patooties on the descents.

Some thoughts that may (or may not) help others in their mental approach: (1) As noted, I have never been a fast climber, and I have only gotten slower with age. That's okay. It took a while to learn this, but now I live by the mantra that I do not have to get there fast - I just have to get there. If I am not feeling the love that day, I am even prepared to be flexible about what "getting there" means.

(2) I don't exercise, or train, or work out. I ride a bike. This is a statement of my mental approach, not physical reality. It is not a mental approach I particularly cultivate, but it occurred to me one day that that was how I felt about it. Riding a bike is just fun for me and leaves with a great feeling afterwards. The fact that it is also good exercise is icing on the cake.

(3) If you want to ride faster - and I'm not saying you should, but if you do - then ride faster. Want to be able to hang with people who go 12 mph, or 15 mph, or 20 mph? There is only one way to learn to do this, and it is to ride at 12, 15 or 20 mph. At first, you won't be able to do it for very long. But keep at it, and you'll be able to do it for longer, and longer, and longer stretches. If you never go faster than 12 mph, how can you ever expect to go 15 mph? The same is true for climbing hills. You want to be able to climb a particular hill? Go do it. Keep at it. Eventually, you'll do it.

(4) Pretty much any decent bike with old-fashioned wheels (meaning 32 or 36 spokes rather than the minimally spoked new-fangled things) will be fine for anyone well into the 300's. I can't speak to my comrades who are bigger than that, but a well-built bike is stronger than most people think.

(5) For us Clydesdales, the maximum air pressure listed on a tire is the lowest pressure we should put in. Pretty much every tire manufacturer is conservative about max air pressure, and some are very conservative. More air means less chance of pinch flats or damaged rims.

(6) I saw an article recently - I think it was linked to a post in another BF forum - that contained some brilliant advice that is reflected in the story on eposter relayed about the drunks on the porch of the bar who were heckling the rider being brought up short by a woman's observation that they couldn't do what the rider was doing, so why should they be laughing. In essence, if you are going to compare yourself to anyone in terms of cycling performance, don't compare yourself to the Tour de France pros or long-distance tourists; compare yourself to the people in the supermarket. How many of them could do what you are doing? Damn few. (Warning - this advice does nto work so well in college towns, especially ones with serious ssports programs.) In that setting, you are one of the top 10%. And that is no small feat.

(7) Most of all, keep it up. You are worth it.

teufelhunden222

I started at 300 lbs on Dec. 9th in the next 30 days I lost 30 lbs. as soon a 3 weeks ago I could not do hills hardly at all. Guess what my ride leader tried to kill me with a torrey pines ride with more hills. now I do out of the saddle sprints up the short steep stuff. If I notice people looking at my tights, I party boy in thier general direction(Marines have no modesty). you just have to find the balance between rpm and effort. then climb up stuff

Alfredosauce

So here's me right at 341 at the moment, I had never gave too much thought on how ridiculous I might look on a bike until I had the wife snap a couple pic's. I do look pretty big on the bike but its only a matter of time till I grow (shrink) into it. I was proud of myself for putting 32 miles in this week (second week back on a bike since i was in high school although I know for many that may be an afternoon ride, anyways its all about forward progress and i know i will be there soon enough! Anyways it's good to know there are others out there in the same boat as myself.

Neil_B

I now ride on a regular basis with Nerys, a 429 pound cyclist. I will never be an "embarrassed rider" again after meeting this man.

99Klein 

bikingshearer= my new hero! Well said.

whitenhiemer

This ride looks super comfortable.

nerys

that seat and configuration is a life saver. "zero" back pain. none at all. makes all the difference in the world.

bikingshearer 

Thank you. I am humbled.

I love cycling. I love the freedom. I love being able to really see the world around me and yet move through it a speed that means the scenery is constantly changing. I love the feeling in my legs during and after a good ride. I love the friends I have made through cycling. I love having instant friends out on the road in my fellow cyclisats, even if only fleetingly.

And I wish all those things for everyone here. I said it before and I'll say it again - you folks are the real heros of the sport. Courage is being afraid of something and doing it anyway. You guys and gals are truly courageous. Tailwinds to all of you.

CraigB

Nice DeRosa. Love the red Silca. But don't post it in the 41 with that triple or they'll have your hide.

bikingshearer 

That's why I hang in C&V instead.

MetalPedaler

I'm not the type to care what people think or say....but even I have to admit, that when I started riding 9 months ago, it was very embarrassing poking along at 4MPH up small hills- or having to stop and rest and pant half-way up a hill that was barely even perceptible to a car! I was a clyde (the operative term is "was") but you really couldn't tell by looking at me, as my fat was always very solid, and I looked fairly fit (which meant that the weight was harder to lose...and I was even more embarrassed, because it's worse for someone who looks fit to be out of breath/resting/going slow, than for a blatantly fat person, whom you expect to be that way.

Oh, and add to that, that I'm the only cyclist around here....people are not used to seeing bikes here on these rural roads- not even kiddies on bikes....makes me somewhat obvious. People have even stopped their cars to ask questions/strike up conversations.

It's all part of the experience- and I love it! We're doing what WE want to do- and something that is worthwhile; healthy; and enjoyable, while 95% of those around us just sit on the couch, like lumps.

Thankfully 9 months/3000 miles later, I can whiz over all but the biggest, steepest hills!

MetalPedaler

Not to mention the drafting potential!!!!!![Then again, if he farts...you're dead!]

nerys

I have a little igniter on the back. if I fart SPARK SPARK and Vrooom momentary rocket propulsion :-)

bici_mania

I didn't read all the replies to the original post so please forgive me if I am being redundant.
Any one who laughs at you is acting like a jerk.
To many Americans, assuming you are American, are overweight. I don't know if you're over weight or just a big guy but it doesn't matter. By riding you are doing something god for yourself and your community. There is also a good chance you will inspire some one else to ride who is reluctant because of their size.

skills and confidence come with road time, the more you ride the better it gets so stay at it.

I dropped 60 pounds after I started cycling and as a result I have become a much better and faster cyclist.

nerys

like I always say. if someone says something nasty to me I just growl at them. that is always enough to make them "move along" cause if they don't ..... they get the squish. huahahahaha :-)