DiabloScott

The Sirrus I think is a good choice for you... not for the century, but for regular exersize and time on the bike, and to get you ready for a road bike when you hit 250. If you're not a bike guy though, you won't know if it's the right size for you - lots of people in your situation buy the wrong size bike and have regrets. School yourself or bring along a bike-savvy friend. Or go to a reputable dealer and get a new one.

A century really is going to be a challenge - I suggest you make some shorter-term goals to give yourself confidence.

You know you can do the trainer for ~75 minutes... you ought to be able to work up to a 25 mile ride without stopping in your first month. There - that's your first goal.

I always thought us ex Navy guys should have a "semper fi" kind of greeting... but it usually goes "Hey, you were a squid too!?"

elocs

19 years ago when picking orders in a food warehouse I herniated a disc--ta da!--L5-S1. It was a worker's comp injury so I went to Occupational Health where their assumption was that everyone was faking it just trying to get off of work. Fortunately I was a union member and so I was told by my rep that I had the right to see my own doctor which I did. I had an MRI but the pathologist who read it claimed he couldn't see any nerve compression and so they put me into work hardening to prepare me to go back to work. I started on a Friday and by Monday I was in the ER with the kind of pain you know about. But they decided I needed to stay in work hardening so back I went on Tuesday and ended up on the floor in pain. They iced my back and sent me home in spite of the fact we were only yards from the ER where they could have checked me out. But I ended up there Tuesday night after falling at home and experiencing wave after wave of pain from my back down my right leg that did not stop.
It was my one and only, so far, ride in an ambulance.
So they did a second MRI and I was seen by a neurosurgeon who had just come from Mayo in Rochester. He showed me the MRI and said it clearly showed nerve compression at L5-S1. My choice: continue PT or surgery.
The choice was a no brainer: surgery. I had a laminectomy where they basically cleaned out all the ruptured material and sewed it back up. I spent 1 night in the hospital and went home the next day with a bottle of hydrocodone, but never took a single one of them. A month later I returned to work and in the next 14 years before I retired I never missed a day of work for anything and in particular not for my back. I did have some discomfort for a few years and it did take some years before my limp disappeared, but in the 18 1/2 years since that back operation I have not used an entire bottle of Ibuprofen.

Now for the bike choice. After I had returned to work I knew that by that summer I wanted to get a good bike to ride in general for commuting to work and for recreation. I knew right off that I did not want a speed bike with drop handlebars along with a seat that felt like a continual prostate exam and where I would always be craning my neck to see ahead. I wanted a comfortable ride and one in particular that would offer me support for my back. Ultimately I chose to buy a long wheel based recumbent, an Easyracer EZ Sport, which I have ridden for all these years and have never for a moment regretted my choice. No back pain, no butt pain, no wrist pain--all of which I am call a "recumbent nut" because I prefer a comfortable ride and don't like pain, particularly in my back. You would be hard pressed to find anyone in this forum even mention a recumbent as a viable choice much less recommend on. Recumbents can complete a century just like a diamond frame and you legs will be tired when you finish but your butt and wrists and neck will not hurt. You can get a fast recumbent or a slow one. Mine is slow but it's all about comfort for me. People who have tried recumbents and switched to them are passionate about their rides, either bike or trike. But given that you had the same back problem that I did, all I can say is that you owe it to yourself to seriously give recumbents some study and to at least give them a try.
I don't think you will regret it but nobody else in this forum will tell you that. Bike Forums has a recumbent sub forum and you are welcome to ask any questions there about them in a much more friendly atmosphere concerning bikes that are not like all the others.

wphamilton

I did start at zero, from near 50 so maybe I can add something here. I considered myself an average athlete in football and track and then nothing after I was 20, so my "zero" is lower than your "zero". Even so, I expect to whip myself into condition faster than most people, and recover quickly, and being able to deal with the challenges as they arise, and if that's true it also poses a problem. We don't heal as quickly, and the stronger you are in some ways the more easily you can strain things that have degraded. So if you want to accelerate your fitness schedule you have to pay very close attention to various twinges and pains rather than ignoring them, and work around it until they're healed before stressing them again.

Specifically for your goal next August, I think you should get a bike as soon as you can and mix in outside rides. I wouldn't necessarily expect the performance to reflect the stationary trainer but there's nothing wrong with doing both. Just add miles on the bike and gradually increase distance and speed. I wouldn't even recommend working up a formal plan until getting a couple thousand base miles in.

dfull

@DiabloScott Yeah I'm a squid...LOL ET2
Trust me, I've got lots of short term goals like that. I guess I sounded like I thought I'd hop on a bike and ride 100 miles the first day. I know that's not the case.
This is what I've been doing: Set a distance goal on a flat ride. Maintain that distance on flats until I shave 2 minutes off the time. The next spin, I choose a rolling hill route and ride it until I can repeat my best time. Then, I increase the distance, rinse and repeat. It's worked (in my mind) well for these first 3 weeks. Started at 10 miles, went to 16.7 (1 hour), and now to 20 miles. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting my wind and endurance (workout time) back. The distance is gravy but is great motivation for me.
@elocs
Thanks for the info. I seriously considered a recumbent before the weight started coming off. After riding the trainer, I've felt so much better physically, I truly believe I can go to a traditional bike without so much discomfort that it can't be overcome. That route is not off the table however.

MRT2

Or not. You can set up a drop bar bike to be quite comfortable. Fact is, a lot of bike companies are making relaxed geometry road bikes with guys like us in mind these days. I hear this all the time, but you don't need to get two bikes. If you want to start training for a century, and you know this is something you will do, there is no reason to spend extra money on a starter bike.

dfull

Thank you. I think you are correct in saying that getting a bike sooner rather than later is the way to go. I may be on 2 wheels before I hit my weight goal.

Maelochs

I learned this .... took a long time.

Being tough and dealing with pain is great when you are young. When you are older and particularly when rebuilding it is better to play it Very safe. The “little pain I can overlook,” becomes the “the pain I can tolerate,” becomes “I’ve pushed through worse,” becomes “the minor strain” becomes “the injury I shouldn’t have ignored when it was just starting,” and there goes another six or eight weeks of training time ... Reset, start over.

Yup ... you know how people become zealots to try to explain a bad decision they can’t admit.

Seriously, if you have back issues and constant pain already, look at recumbents. It isn’t the “normal” biking experience, but none of us is really “normal” anyway.

I have looked a quite a few recumbents. They tend to be a bit pricey and the ones I like best—tadpole trikes—look too low to be safe in heavy traffic (even recumbent fans will admit this—if you really press them.) But if you don’t plan on commuting, a cattrike or something looks very, very appealing.

I might never get one—I am still able to ride diamond-frame and I am used to it, and I am not eager to drop a couple grand on a machine I learn, over time, doesn’t suit me ... but if I had spine issues I would find a dealer and do a test ride immediately.

Oh, and just so I don’t lose my cred here: Recumbents aren’t really bikes and only old people who are afraid of bikes ride them.

(Got to maintain my cover, ya know.)

DiabloScott

Squid fist bump MM1/ss.

Yeah, you don't want a klunker, and you don't want to get your good bike just yet, but you do want to get on the road soon - so a flat bar road bike with really tough wheels and meaty tires is a good choice, and it'll be a great second bike once you do have your nice bike.

dfull

Hey, a bubblehead!

The town I live in is pretty much an island surrounded by dirt. The nearest bike shop just happens to be where the HHH is. Spoke with them yesterday about test riding a few models. After reading a lot on the interwebs and talking to them, I may go straight to a drop bar but have them set it higher. Never knew it was gonna be like this. Until now, when I thought bike, my old banana seated chopper from 1971 came to mind......

dfull

I'm either a quick study or big sissy because it didn't take long for me to realize I don't bounce back from exertion like I did when I was young.......

Maelochs

Yeah, elite navy unit ... I am sure you are just a sissy .......

because the alternative is that I am kind of dumb ... can't be thinking that ...

Classtime 

You got this dfull.
Get a nice second hand road bike. You can adjust the cockpit to be comfortable wrt your current conditioning. If you want to look cooler and get more aero make further adjustments as you train 1 cm at a time. No Biggie. As you train, keep in mind that your cardio improves pretty quick and your connective tissue lags some so don't think it is ok to hammer before your ready. So, Ultegra level road bike that fits 28s. August is plenty of time.

TiHabanero

Hey, you were a squid, too?


Upper body workouts using light weight dumbbells in the 15-20 lbs range for simple curls and triceps work. Upper back exercises along with neck shrugs. This will help prevent fatigue along the way and allows me to go 60 miles without too much trouble.


All bike brands have "endurance road" models that will likely fit your needs. Not one of them is "better" than the other. They all use the same parts. The difference is how the frame is designed and how your body fits it. Cannondale Synapse is my personal favorite, however the Specialized Roubaix is very popular. It fits differently than the Synapse. Norco and Scott are lesser known brands, but have bikes in the same category and should be scouted.


I have a horrible back littered with arthritis and bulging discs, but I ride as much as time permits and enjoy it. My time in the Nav was spent below decks, in the hole. I recall we thought nothing of hauling leslie valves balanced on a shoulder 5 decks up and down the passageway to the machine shop. Now we are paying for it!


Recently I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. My mom was a diabetic and decided to do as much as possible to avoid going down that road. My dietary intake has dramatically changed. I do not eat bread, anything with sugar, and have given up chocolate. My caloric intake is significantly reduced and I have lost several pounds already, only a few weeks into it. As I taught my kids in self defense, the body goes where the head goes. This holds true when setting goals. You go where your head tells you to go.


One other thing. Two weeks ago I discovered CBD oil made from the hemp plant. It has been a miracle for pain management. No more knee pain, shoulder pain, and greatly reduced wrist and back pain. It has also lowered my blood pressure, and it has been two days now that I have not taken blood meds, and my blood pressure is lower than with meds! Something to look into and experiment with.

dfull

Thanks everybody!

@Maelochs
That was a long time ago....LOL
Didn't mean for it to come across as you being dumb at all.

elocs

It's great that your BP has lowered after stopping your meds for a couple of days, and that is your personal choice, but if anyone has hypertension serious enough to need medication I wouldn't be casual about suggesting they might stop their meds before talking with their doctor. Everybody is different and there are different BP meds and some should not just be stopped cold turkey.

Also, concerning CBD, this site extols many of its virtues but adds a warning: https://www.leafscience.com/2017/10/...nnabidiol-cbd/
"
Even though CBD shows much promise as a medicine, it remains illegal in many parts of the world. CBD is classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States and a Schedule II drug in Canada.
On Dec. 14 2016, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) made it clear that any marijuana-based extract is considered a Schedule I drug under federal law, including CBD oil and other types of CBD-rich products.
On the other hand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a request to trial a pharmaceutical version of CBD in children with rare forms of epilepsy. The drug is made by GW Pharmaceuticals and is called Epidiolex.
CBD products may also be sold in certain states that have legalized medical and/or recreational marijuana."