DavisClydesdale

You'll get nothing, and like it (Caddyshack reference)!

I highly reccomend the Pearl Izumi Peer and Pivot Jerseys. Both are loose fit. I have a few XXL pivots, and I find that I would be comfortable in XL, as XXL is getting too loose. Both are short sleeve. I think you can get the veer in sleeveless too. I also need to start looking for long sleeve. I heard the Pivot has been discontinued. However, they still have them in local shops here.

DavisClydesdale

Have you called Specialized? That is where I would start.

maxrep

just wanted to post that i have really been loving biking since i started about a month ago! I am up to 25 mile rides 2-3 times a week now on my trusty Specialized 07 Cirrus Sport. the accessories keep on piling up.. got some clipless pedals that work both ways (regular shoes and clipless) and some Specialized shoes with recessed cleats. Looking into finding a good jersey. definitely love the biking shorts with chamois.

I am still having issues on finding the right riding position to keep my traps and neck from hurting.. trying to follow the lining neck up with back, using core muslces to support and rolling the eyes up.. i think i may need some minor adjustments..by the way i suggest spark people www.sparkpeople.com for anyone looking to lose their clyedesdale status. That community is just huge and supportive and its free.

https://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=MAXREP < thats my member page, feel free to drop me a line there if you check it out.

Hambone

I'm with Davis... The thing about carbon fiber is it doesn't go a little at a time so much as all at once.

And if you think pulling fusili Gerry out of your ass has to be painful -- I can only imagine what a new Specialized Roubaix Elite would do to you!! Yow and with the sloping top tube on that compact frame...

laterstarter

In metric I'm @ 95-97Kg (209-215lb) weight at 175cm (5'9"). I'm actually not too overweight with my build, however could lean down by 5-10Kg.
Riding since Feb 2006 on a Giant CRX2 (last time I rode a bike was at 15yrs old in 1970) and more lately a 2nd hand VanWerkhoven with down tube shifters that my son keeps grabbing off me to ride to Uni. Love the sport, now concentrating on building up bike strength and speed esp. in the hills.
Both my boys have started riding since I bought my bike. We are all going on the Brisbane GoldCoast 100Km in October.

Air

Padded shorts question:

Just got my first pair of padded shorts from Nashbar. 40" pants fit me with some room to spare so I put my pants at around 39" (which would be greater than their 'L' and smaller than their 'XL'). When I ordered them they had XL and XXL. I told them this and they recommended the XL and maybe even the XXL since they usually run a size smaller (their chart would say that's between 44-46" waist). I could BARELY get these on and they felt like they were going to rip apart (and at that point almost translucent) - not to mention how the boys felt. Couldn't wear them for more than 5 minutes without feeling like there was no circulation. The shorts also say XXL.

Is this normal? Do these stretch out a bit? My legs are thick (not fatty though - that's all around my stomach and a$$ ) so I sometimes have to get a size up on my pants and tighten the belt so the legs fit right. Do I have to go with pants that are supposed to be for a 50" waist [boy, that's the opposite of vanity sizing huh? ]? I'm guessing I should return them but wondering if that means Nashbar doesn't carry anything in my size.

shakeNbake

Yeah, different brands have radically different thigh room, the waist are pretty constant though.

Some brands' larger size are designed towards "in shape" clydes, i.e. really tall dudes. While some are for the more rotund

I have 3 shorts/bibs at this point:

Nashbar's cheapest shorts(XXL) - Waist is loose and thigh is pretty roomy, I felt like I could go down a size.

Performance Elite Knicker bibs (XXL) - a tad more snug than the nashbar, still feel good

Performance Elite Short bibs (XXL) - thigh is really tight, the rest fits fine.

Air

Thanks shakeNbake!

If you don't mind saying, what pants size are you normally?

Hambone

My two cents worth is on sale today...

I love the fit of my Nashbar century gel bibs.

Their other shorts are so-so. (I do like the feel of the partial cotton shorts, but not the fit.)

I'm a 40-42" waist now. (From a big 48 less than a year ago.) Short legged, 6'1" tall guy (29" inseam.)

I'm your typical barrel chested son of a Bavarian farmer. (In other words, Schultz not Klink!)

shakeNbake

Between 38-40, but I suspect those are manufacturer's vanity sizing.

5'11" 240. Big thighs. Small calves and arms.

I look like Mr. Potatohead.

Air

That's awesome!

DIGITAL39

I just found my winter tights I bought 10 years ago, hardly used them, but since they are rated to 30 degrees I didnt want to ditch them. Here is the interesting thing, im 250, 5'9 with about a 42' pants size. These tights are labelled as small and I bought them when I was 14 and much smaller than I am and they still fit. Good thing of course, but it just ammused me especially since my calves and thighs have gotten much larger.

Now my jersey thats different. Looking in the mirror reminded me of the previews for the movie the deuce bigalow guy did with Spears in the belly shirt, just think much larger belly and a blue tight shirt

abertsch

New clyde here. Now that I've actually gone for a ride on my road bike, I feel like I can chime in. 6'7" 260. Now riding a Specialized Roubaix Elite, my first road bike. Lots of bike porn pictures over on flickr. Several years ago I got down from 340 to 260, and that felt great. Maybe cycling will get me to my ideal weight of around 225. ~200lbs of lean mass, so I'll always be a clyde.

-Adam

TeamPlayers

I did my first race yesterday and I was the biggest guy there

DavisClydesdale

Sweet! How did you do?

Air

I failed my first century. While I'm happy I did 80 I'm disappointed my body couldn't finish the last 20. Legs felt fine but my breathing seized up - not sure if it was asthma or cramping of my lungs. I did find I require a large lunch in the middle of a longer ride; just having the smaller snacks wasn't enough for me. Anyone else find that?

DavisClydesdale

I've only done metrics to date. However, I have felt fine at the end of those. How did you feel at the 65 mile mark? Did you gradually get worse, or did you just run out of gas all of a sudden?

Air

At around 50 I had a pretty massive asthma attack (I think). Couldn't breathe at all, practically fell over my bike and had to sit for a while. Ever since that anytime I tried to either go faster or go up a hill (elevated breathing) I would have the same sensation of not being able to breathe. So from that low 50 mark till we got to Astoria (80ish for me) I had to take it really easy (not over 12 mph, no hills ). Legs felt fine though.

Tom Stormcrowe

Sounds like exercise induced asthma. I have that problem and Albuterol is my friend! If it continues, talk to your Dr about it! Controlling your breathing to a full in and out cycle may also help. You actually get more blood oxygenation that way rather than surrendering to the urge to pant, which can trigger a histamine reaction in the Bronchial Tree. Does it feel like trouble getting air in, or trouble getting air out or both?

Air

More in. I talked to a friend of mine who's a doctor and that's what she felt it was too.

Ya know - I was doing that full breathing thing; but if I started pushing my whole chest/lat/back cramped up. That's when I figure I'd just walk it up the hills.

I do have an Albuterol and Serevent (more for longer term use) inhalers - I just never had an attack before. I took a couple of hits - my muscles in that area are actually much more sore than the rest of my body! My official opinion is that it sucks big time.

It's funny - I tend to breathe harder when I swing dance and I have the inhalers in that bag. Never thought about putting them in my biking bag but I guess that's changed! Do you take a few hits every once in a while as a preventive measure or when something starts happening (or both)?

Thanks!

Tom Stormcrowe

I do two puffs before I start a ride (15 minutes B4) and every four hrs. If you ride competitively, you'll need to get a waiver, by the way, as Albuterol is a PED.

Air

Ahh - good to know. Though I doubt I'll ever get to that point - would have to dive face first into getting a road bike

I really wonder how much faster I'd be on a road bike with those skinny tires and half the weight of my bike. I'll build one up....sometime...

Mugsy Malone

Thanks, Air, for pointing this thread out to me!

I'm a Clydesdale (220 pounds or so; I just got a new, even more accurate scale, so who the hell knows anymore), but working to get under 200 (I'm only 5' 10"). But I should be in the club for another few months for sure!

I ride a Trek 7000, mostly for commuting, but I try to get out for longer rides on the weekends. My fiancee rides with me on those rides, but she's not quite as quick as I am, so it sometimes turns into a bit of a domestic disturbance, if you know what I mean.

I only got back into riding earlier this summer, and actually, I have Air to thank for that - he started posting about biking on another discussion board, and it got me thinking about how much fun it would be. That was about 15 pounds ago.

Here's a picture of my current ride:

Air

Welcome Mugs!

Tom Stormcrowe

Considerably faster! It's like riding a glider compared to a fat tire bike! I currently ride an older Raleigh I found in a yard sale with virtually 0 miles on it. The prior owner rode it on one 5 mile ride and recently did a 167 mile ride in 11.5 hrs.
See here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=225318

Here's my bike, by the way!