rgconner

Russ Conner from Sacramento.

After a long hiatus (and a motorcycle accident) I am finally back on the bike after being cleared for action.

Started riding again last October, ride twice a week depending on work and weather.

Riding a custom bike I had made back in 2001 by Curtis Inglis and if the roads are wet I ride a Sakai I found at a garage sale and turned into a Fixie.

Typical ride is 15 to 20 miles on the American River bike trail, with longer rides on the weekend usually 30+ (50 max)

Started riding again at 260, currently 212, target 205. Went on a no sugar diet to support my wife doing the same and between us we have lost 120+ lbs.

saskskier

Hey there!

Just got back into riding last summer after a number of years off. I used to dirt jump/bmx a ton back in high school and university and still think it's a blast, but moved away from the flatlands of Saskatchewan and to a whole new world of terrain in Calgary and area (i.e. - the Rocky Mountains). After a few years off the bike, a few years of olympic weightlifting and then some general laziness, my 6'4 frame has steadied out around 280lbs.

Picked up an older mountain bike (SC Nomad) and have had a ton of fun with that (some shuttling, but mostly earning my descents) and then found a killer deal on a used Eddy Merckx carbon road bike. I road a fixie a bit back in university, but my goodness... I love mountain biking, but road biking on something designed to go fast is something else.

This will be my first full summer of riding in a while, so I'm hoping to get out a ton and hopefully bring that weight down a bit (and make those climbs either easier or faster!)

aod43254

Hi, I'm from the hampton roads area in virginia, just purchased my first bike (other than an old department store bike I had in highschool) and just started riding last month. Riding a 2011(?) Trek 1.5 compact with 700x23 Michelin Pro 3 Race tires, I have been trying to get out at least once a day after classes and on my days off doing about 10 miles a day. When I got my bike I was roughly 280-290 lbs and only 6' and since starting to ride I'm already down in the 270-280 range trying to get to 190-200.

Dreaded1

6 foot 208ish. I've been riding for years, but other activities take over late in the season. This year I am going to find a way to dedicate time to cycling while making my other commitments. Volleyball, golf, family, social life. I intend to do a modified commute to work 2-3 times a week. And get some longer rides in on the weekends.

2003 Marin Bear Valley will be carrying me to work. I can never get a good picture of the Bear Valley.

My brand new 2017 Masi Gran Corsa Disc

DjDavo

AMEN. I love it every single time. After riding for just a few weeks my back is a TON better when walking around at work.

SHiZNiLTi

Hi, I'm 6'6" and currently a muscular 245lbs.

3 years ago I was 300lbs+ I was a lazy bum that was was addicted to beer and pizza, hit weights but had a gut.

Since I've dropped the weight I constantly ride 5 times a week and hit the gym 3 times a week. I've been the healthiest I've ever been.

JamesGTRS

I was sent a link to this forum from a friend on an email list. I recently just got a new bike after not having one for about 20 years.

Some background.

I started cycling when I was 13 as my main mode of transportation in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. I rode by bike everywhere and would regularly challenge myself to bike farther, or faster, or longer than before. All my friends were also into cycling. I was in pretty good shape when I was at the height of cycling. 6'3" tall, 185 pounds. I have a lot of good stories from those days. Once I got my first car at 22, I stopped cycling for 4 or 5 years. Once I took my car off the road to fix it up, I was back to cycling. At this point, I was 230 pounds, which seemed to be a good weight for me. Cycling 30 or 40 miles a day was not uncommon during the summer as I would cycle to work, home and anywhere else I was going to go.

In 1999 I married my wife in Asheville, NC, USA and moved there. No cycling while living there and my weight ballooned to 280.

In 2002 we moved to Chattanooga, TN, USA, for better employment. No cycling while living there and my weight ballooned to 320 by the time we moved to St. Louis, MO in 2008.

In the last 10 years, my weight had ballooned to a max of 398 pounds. Since January 15th, I've lost 30 pounds just by watching my diet and eliminating drinking alcohol. Knowing I needed to do more to get healthier, I took advantage of my work's Health & Wellness benefit and bought a bicycle. We get $200 towards health and wellness purchases for the year.

A disease I have causes me to purchase and like the most irrational things. So, for most of my life, I've looked for things that were uncommon and unusual. My car is 1976 Mercury Capri II. Our family vehicle is a 2004 Mercury Monterey minivan...this is about as close to mainstream as I have gotten. They were not popular but based on the Ford Freestar minivan. My PC is a low power 25W TDP system from AMD that I built myself using oddball computer components. I am the only person at work with an Android phone. I have used an LED projector for a TV, then I used it for a monitor for PC when we got our 1st generation 4K TV. I've been using Linux for almost a decade now as my operating system of choice.

This brings me to my bicycles. I've always had mountain bikes and in my earlier years I would customize them to be different...road bike curl bars on my mountain bike before other people did it. I would also take the handle bars and flip them left to right and mount them upside down. Instead of coming up to your hands, you would have to lean over even farther and more forward to reach them. Eventually, I got around to painting them myself with my own paint schemes and upgrading their components.

That's why I bought what I bought, as you can see in the attachment.

It's ridiculous, and it was also pretty cheap. There are a few others out there that cost way more than what I paid for mine, but I think that comes down to just the components. The frame is still the same across all the models. Over time I'll upgrade it's components as I get into better shape. Right now, I have difficulty just getting once around the block before I feel like I've run a marathon...but it will get better over time.

I am currently 368 pounds with a goal to make it to under 300 by the end of the year and down to my ideal weight of 220 by the end of 2018. Hiking & Cycling is about the other exercise I can tolerate.

JamesGTRS

Dennis609

Welcome!

I like the Asheville area but haven't been there for a while. I mentioned to a buddy from work that I'd like to ride in that area (particularly the Blue Ridge Parkway.) He physically shuddered... then told me that NC is consistently rated as one of the most dangerous states for bicyclists, PARTICULARLY the Blue Ridge.

So perhaps your timing is better than you knew. Just food for thought.

I'm also a recent "returnee." We're in good company here.

Peachyleigh

...about riding a bike, but when you are done you still won't be able to do it...(one of my favorite things to say and yet for the past week I've been reading and lurking).
I don't want to be scared or worried anymore (I am, in fact, out of my comfort zone posting this). So, here I am. Hi ya'll.
I have lots of titles. Wife (I got it right the 2nd time), mother (to 2 Wild girls), daughter (to now "elderly" parents), sister (to an air force brother that is very well maintained but doesn't do well in the civilian world), employee ( by day I'm a 911 telecommunicator),MS sufferer, and hopefully by the end of this week, or next depending on my bike choice I can officially add Athena to my titles (to be honest I would more be a miniature Clydesdale mare). I haven't been on a bike since I was 10-12ish... I am thinking about a hybrid. Hopefully I can go to the "LBS" that has really good reviews but is about and hour away and get some good advice. I don't live in a very bike friendly area so there isn't a lot to choose from as far as used to get started.
I started reading about biking last year and then dismissed the idea like so many others, out of fear...
Fast forward to February of this year... started eating better. Started exercising. Got a bowflex max trainer, which I love and hate. Started walking on my lunch break. Looking into adjustable dumbbells. Started chopping wood for exercise and to help out in-laws, still... I want more. I have to be careful with getting too hot, my special MS super power is to loose vision... I feel like the air movement and the vitamin D provided by "getting out there" will be kryptonite to my vision loss... any good beginner guides, info, recommendations, websites etc. will be appreciated since I am still in my reading stage.

Dennis609

Believable right up until that point. It's accepted scientific fact that Dispatchers know NO fear.

Hardest part, IMO, is pulling the trigger and getting out there. No matter how much research you do, once you're rolling-- figuratively and literally-- your Good Ideas are likely to be replaced by Better Ideas.

You're in good company here!

Peachyleigh

Thanks for the welcome!
We SHOW NO fear, but we know too many that can and do come true.
...I took my first real step today and went to the LBS I was interested in... I have to go back tomorrow because they didn't have the bike I liked in the size I probably need built. We will see... to quote a cartoon pony named Pinky Pie I am "nervicited."

Dennis609

FTO tip from the "other side of the radio" back in the stone age: If you can hear the stress in the dispatcher's voice when s/he keys the mic, it's gonna be a REALLY bad call.

Pictures of the new bike when you decide on one, or it didn't happen.
(And if the new bike turns out to not be the "right one" in a few months, you can always sell it, just in time for the summer!)

IamAlan

HI! I am Alan from Ohio. 6'01" and the last time I checked I weighed 225. (I threw the scales into the corner and there they stay until they learn better manners)!

I always hated exercise and still do. Like most, I rode daily until I turned 16 and after I got my driver's license, adios bicycle!

I'm a widower who started dating last year and my girlfriend is a cyclist, therefore I am a cyclist. This bicycle rekindled a flame I hadn't felt in a long time. Growing up in the Appalachian foothills in the 60's, I rode miles and miles all summer, simply to see friends, or play baseball. We'd leave the house after breakfast with a sack lunch and orders to be home by dinner.

This is me on my Specialized wearing my favorite jersey. I look better and feel better and although I still get winded too easily, I get on my bike almost daily.

I had no idea that Ohio had such an extensive network of trails and paths. It's wonderful!

digitaldave

Joined several months ago, but never got around to posting my info. I'm currently 6'1" and 290 lbs. I'm 60 and have been riding on and off for the past 4 or 5 years. When I was diligent with my intake and consistent with my riding, I got down to about 230. I have a Giant Yukon, selected by my kids for it's larger frame and solid reputation. I am currently looking for a road bike to hopefully extend my rides and would love to hear some suggestions. I'm a teacher and so am on a budget out here in California.

WillB82

Hi everyone, Will from Lewes, South East England here. I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks because I want to get into biking again, for fitness and pleasure.

I started dieting at the end of March (no sugar, low carbs) and have already gone from 288lbs to 253, so I thought I'd treat myself to a new mountain bike (haven't ridden for 20 years). I went with a Giant ATX 1 2017 and it looks like a great bike, except, unfortunately, before even testing it properly I managed to injure myself. I think I'll make a separate post about this.

cppeace

Hiya all, new to the forum and "biking in general.
I'm a 5'7" woman who weighs way too much and am trying to lose weight healthily. I have successfully lost a bunch in the past and have let it creep back on with laziness. I have never had luck learning to ride a bike-my short inseam definitely doesn't help with trying to get the right fit. I have decided to get a trike to exercise with. I found a good one for a great price and it is arriving Tuesday. It probably needs a new tube but that should be no big deal.
Hoping to use it 3-6 days a week and put at least 10 miles a week on it.
My guy will probably be riding a bike with me as he doesn't like me going out alone.
Started at 325lbs in March
Currently at 315lbs
Hoping to lose about 2lbs a week until down to 250 and then probably drop it to 1.5 lbs a week or so.
Wanting to finally get below 200lbs in my adult years. My lowest was 206lbs.
Hope to find some friends here

trike.jpg

mtallerico1

Hey All,

I'm getting back on a bike after a 10 year hiatus. I am way overweight(5'9/334). I am down 16 lbs as of today and I bought a 2017 Cannondale Bad Boy 4 on Saturday. It seems to be holding up well but I've only put 10 miles on it as of today. I'm really enjoying it and I look forward to dropping weight and getting in better shape.

Sonoma_Mike

Welcome! Keep riding and keep posting. There's lots of encouragement and advice here.

HippieMama

Hello all! I am new to this site and happy to find this forum. I am a plus size woman who is just getting started with cycling. I am losing weight to get healthy and to reach the BMI required to receive a kidney transplant. I have polycystic kidney disease (PKD) which is a genetic kidney disease. I'm currently researching what models to check out so I can purchase my first bike since I was a teen.

jzftrph

Hello everyone I am Jorge new to this forumcurrently 5’10 I weight 299 lb. I had been over 320lb most of my adult life atmy highest 363lb really enjoy riding. With that said I have only beenconsistent for the last 2 weeks riding to work every day 10 miles, also plan onjoining the aids life cycle in 2018 as a rider.

shopboyjr

Hello everyone I'm Gregg I'm 55 years old. I have been reading stuff on this sight for about a year. I got bad knees so I started riding about 2 years ago. I got a crosstrail April of 2016 but i didn't start riding a lot till August of 2016. We went on vacation in Florida and I came back weighing 268lbs. Now I'm down to 228. I have put around 2000 miles on my bike since August with no riding from December-February. My goal is to ride 2000 miles in the next 4 months and lose 20 more lbs. Doing my first bike ride with 2 of my brothers on the GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE TRAIL in 2 weeks.

imyregomaniac

Hello. Thought i should introduce myself.

Im Gusstav, originally from Scotland but now living in Southern Portugal.

Was always into MTB in my teen s and early 20s however i was always more happy to drink beer and eat crap.

Anyway ive recently started training properly again to lose weight (12kg thsfar) and that has spurred me onto getting my MTB shipped over so i can get riding again. However the fact that road cycling is a major sport in Portugal, especially where i live im gettng the itch to get some narrow wheels to help supplement my training and also because i know i will enjoy it despite the crazy drivers here.

BluFalconActual

Hello everyone. I'm Kevin and I am a US Marine currently stationed in SoCal. I guess I'm a member of the Clydesdale club because I'm around 215 pounds and 6'1". Im not overweight, I just like to lift a lot of weights. Im currently riding a Felt Z85.

theHomelessJedi

I think I am just shy of 200lbs. Around 198(ish)... it's been a while since I was on the scale. So I'm not sure if I'm in this category exactly.
Started Strength training in the winter, don't really want to lose that, I like feeling strong, and doing squats+deadlifts gives me a sense of accomplishment since I wasn't really in sport during high school.
I suppose leaning out would be my primary objective. I've got some fluff around the midsection that I wouldn't miss.
Riding a 2015 Specialized Allez Sport.
I'm currently 198lbs, 5'11.5" (don't forget that half inch), very bottom heavy, I've always had muscular, tree trunk legs, which are helping a lot transitioning to cycling from running.

amchef

Loved my Z85. Now on a Z3.

Welcome aboard!