Can a Fat Lady Ride

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I love riding a bike. I didn't even think about the fact that I would lose weight, I just loved riding. The freedom of it. Freedom is the biggest part of it for me. I cannot bear the thought of ever giving up the freedom to move myself under my own power like I do on my bike. Whatever bike I have.

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That's the attitude I started with about 2 years ago, when I bought the Buicks off of some guy. I'd had quite a few bikes in my adult years, and always craved the riding like I did when I was a teenager. (I taught myself to ride a bike for my mother's birthday present when I was 4 years old.) But those years between 13 and 42 were taken up with raising children and stuff like that.

Only now am I feeling free again. And part of that is my youngest son is just so cool to hang with, and athletic, and he likes me and we go places and do things together that I didn't have time or money to do with my older sons.

Today I did 11 miles on my mountain bike (on the road :D ). I wound around all the side streets in my town and a little on the highway, and then I caught up with the trail around the baseball fields and I suddenly had a flashback. I was going over a tiny little hill...tiny hill only about 30 feet long, and I remembered actually *panting* to the top of this tiny hill when I first rode the trail 2 years ago.

Wow. I rode a lot in those two years, until last August, when I got bifocals. I'd never worn glasses before in my life. I got too scared to ride. I could barely walk down stairs without getting dizzy. By the time I adjusted, it was winter, and then I had gotten out of the habit of riding. But during those 2 years while I rode, I rarely went over 2 1/2 miles. To the ballpark, around the loop, and back.

Fast Forward to March. I crave new bike. Take a few spins on the trusty Buick. Really crave new bike. Hubby gets his bonus. Buy new bike, while suffering from the cold-from-hell-that-never ends. Take it to the woods the next day. Ride one mile before the lungs give out. Put bike away until the cold finally does end. Ride every day for one week, first the 2-1/2 miles, then three, then 4. Then 25K charity ride. A few rides in between. Today I did 11 miles, just because I needed that happy feeling of being on the bike--a real stress reliever.

I went from nothing to 11 miles easy in less than 4 weeks. I'm just incredulous writing it all out like that!

And I am FAT. I weigh 198, but no for long.

Karen

Yes, silly, a fat lady can ride. And sing at the same time if she feels like it.

Look, I'm heavier than you are (not gonna say by how much :rolleyes: ) and last year I went on a week-long solo bike trip across the midwest. I ride daily. Others on this forum (not all by any means) are heavy too, and do whatever they %*$*#!! want to on a bike. We just tend to do it more slowly.

AND THAT'S OK.

So welcome to the club. You'll find all the moral support you'll ever need right here.

(Did you introduce yourself on the Getting To Know You Thread yet? I haven't gotten there yet.)

I bought my Townie 7 speed last saturday. I had ridden at all for the last three years, and not much before that because of wrist pain. My Townie freed me from the wrist pain. I've put about 36 miles on in the last week. There's a couple hills on my commute I craawl up in the lowest gear and a couple I walk, but it's already getting easier.

I'm way out of shape and weigh twice what I ought to, but I am loving riding my bike. Can't wait for days that I get to ride to work, and I'm looking forward to a longer ride with a friend this weekend.

Keep at it, it will get easier.

Ellen

You rock :-) You're *DOING SOMETHING* about it.

You're also pushing along a bike that's gotta be pretty hard to push along. I ride a single speed cruiser often, and it's a workout... and it's due for a tuneup. Air in the tires is a biggie... but lubing that chain and, yes, greasing the bearings, can make the bike a lot easier to push around.
When my friend got me a "new" wheel for my cruiser, and put it on, in 15 miles, it started *screaming* when I'd apply the brakes. I like attention and all, but the cruelty-to-machines folks were going to come after me, so I went into the bike shop, and put the wheel on the counter and said, "It screams at me... where should I put the lubrication?" He asked me if I had three different tools which I'd never heard of, and then asked if I had fifteen minutes (it was February) and gave me an apron and we went into the back of the shop.
Well, this is going to turn into another "Drafting story" if I'm not careful! At any rate, suddenly I was a much stronger rider and knew a lot more about ball bearings, and they all had a jolly time admiring this wheel with its old-fashioned spoke nipples and brass brake shoes... they figured it was from pre-WWII.
So get out there and keep riding... you'll soon have stories of your own!!

Yeah, you go girl! last summer I rode about 1000 miles. About 10 years ago, I too was really out of shape and could ride only about a couple miles without huffing and puffing. Even tho I ski all winter, that isn't much work or very aerobic. I also developed high blood pressure. Now the bp is down, I lost 30 pounds last summer and feel SO much better both physically and emotionally. I ride alone mostly (can't get fat DH to do much) but I love it and have actually acquired 3 bikes (road, mt, cyclocross) and use them all. (I am 63 by the way). My son is proud of me and gives great encouragement. Family may make remarks at the beginning but they WILL be proud later!

yes, yes, yes... YOU CAN!

Look... I'm not fat. I'm not skinny. I AM 165 lbs of muscle. My first ride hurt. Bad. I did 10 miles and was sure the Grim Reaper was staring in the front window as I lay on my couch trying to recover... I didn't move for almost 4 hours.

Fast forward 3 years. I ignored the naysayers... I beat the odds. At 165 lbs and 5'7" I have ridden NINE centuries. I can climb any hill I want. I can ride as far as I want. I feel stronger than many other "skinny" women... because tho I am heavier I am also solid... and many of them are soft.

I will never be soft again. I will never be "skinny" by societies standards... and I don't care. I am damned proud of my achievements. I look forward to you joining me... and you will if YOU believe it.

*looks around* hmmmmm I don't see any fat ladies here. I DO see a lot of women that ride bikes and love every minute of it! OK..so your first ride in how many years your heart was pounding, you were breathing in gasps, and you felt like a bag of wet cement and you rode last time when??......it's not the weight it's the amount of physical fitness and right now yours is a little lower than it used to be! And you were on a SS with coaster brakes!!! You ROCK!!!! My first time back on a bike I was NOT going to ride anything less than 18 speeds coz I was KNEW I wasn't going to be going anywhere fast!!! Welcome to the wonderful world of cycling!!

If you get a chance wander on over to the "getting to know you thread' and tell us a little bit more about yourself while you learn more about us than most of our mothers know!!

Then hop back on that bike and go kick some skinny booty!! ;)

You go girl!!!!

Everyday you ride even for 10 min. is 10 more towards your goal if its loosing weight or riding farther. Trust me you can go out and ride your bike.

I am a bit younger then you but I started out riding my bike at 240 pounds and I still have a ways to go at 178 but I'll make that 145-150 yet.

My first ride on my Cannondale was eight miles and only averaged 11.92mph. A month later I did my first 50 mile ride and every good sized hill I came to I had to walk. One of them I got down into my lowest gear and 10 feet up the hill I couldn't move the cranks. I was to heavy for my legs to get me up the hill. The next big hill I didn't even try to climb, it was huge and looked almost straight up, it was like a 10% grade. The third hill I was able to climb half way then had to get off becaue it was straining the cranks to get up. The fourth I made up it was more of a shallow grade.

Fast forward six months. Get down to 185 and climb the first hill on my 42 chain ring. (the second ring on what they call a triple crankset). A year later I climbed that second hill with no problem. Now I can climb whatever I want if I take my time. I'm still not a fast climber but capable.

So get out there and ride, and when you get down to 200lbs or less then you can see who's laughing at who.

Hey bamakathey - yay - another member of the "big gal cycling club"!

I'm another one who's lost 50 pounds on the bike - I still have a ways to go, but wow - has it been fun! (and this after 25+ years of battling my weight, hating to exercise, and feeling like I was doomed to "diet - fail - repeat" for the rest of my life).

My first time out I rode barely 5 totally flat miles and thought OH MY GOD this is impossible! But it did get less impossible, and each ride was more fun, and immensely gratifying. Being outside, riding alone or with friends - it's all great! Also, since we are moving more weight along than the skinny riders do, it seems to me we must be building muscle faster. And it's is a wonderful feeling to feel strong instead of just heavy.

I heartily second the recommendation to get padded shorts - sooner the better - TE has some in plus sizes - I started with the Mt Borah baggy shorts with padded underliner. (In fact, that's how I found this forum - searching for plus-size cycling clothes after my second 5 mile ride! Best google search results ever!)

Welcome! Enjoy the ride!

I too am trying to lose weight and get in better shape. The weight loss has been slower than I'd hoped, but I'm down about 4kg since Fall and recently I've noticed that my clothes are getting loose. So today I tried the next size smaller. Yep. They fit. A bit snug still, kinda like the size I'm in felt 6 months ago. I'll wait another kilo or two before down-sizing my wardrobe, but if it hadn't been that the cheapest pair of pants and the best colour was in my "old" size, I might have got a smaller pair already today. And ... I no longer feel like I'll pass out at spin class, I did 43 miles into the wind a few weeks back, and I climbed about half of Ben Nevis (got stopped not by my lungs, heart, or legs, but by my fear of heights). So yes, definitely, biking is a good way to get back in shape!

Do get some bike shorts. Wear them under your regular clothes if you want to. Team Estrogen has a section just for larger bike clothes. They're not cheap (even the smaller ones aren't), but it will make your riding more comfortable.

Pretty soon, you will not identify yourself as a Fat Lady. You will start to see yourself as someone who loves to be active, is strong, and controls her own destiny (if even you decide where and how far to ride!)

As for the naysayers (family and others), just remember that you cannot control what other people say or do. But you CAN control your reaction to them--you can choose to be embarassed and stop riding, or you can choose to smile at them and pedal away.

Best of luck and do keep us posted. We're here for you!

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Originally Posted by bamakathy

You have no idea how much your encouragement means. My family thought me riding a bike was hilarious. :(

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Your family should not be laughing at you they should be encouraging you! I think it is awesome that you want to start riding. It is a great way to lose weight and get fit.

Stay with it!

You most certainly can ride. The nice thing about a bike is it does not care what you look like or how much you weight. Climb abroad and enjoy yourself. Start slow - none of us started out riding 100 miles in a day. Listen to your body for it will tell you without hestitation if you are pushing it too hard or not pushing it enough. Keep a log so you can see the progress your are making (my boyfriend thinks I'm anal because I record data from every ride but it helps me see how I'm progressing). Only listen to those who will offer words of encouragement and turn a deaf ear to those who tell you it can't be done or laugh at you. Have fun, enjoy your bike and take care of yourself.

Oh, Honey, have you come to the right place! The answer, as you can see, is yes! yes! yes!

I was above your weight range and about 43 when I had major realizations about how my health, self-esteem, and marriage were all being threatened by my obesity and lack of self-confidence. I joined a gym and was so self-conscious that I wore baggy pants and a turtleneck, so all that was visible was my head and hands. My doctor gave me some great advice when I talked to her about making changes - "Don't focus about how you look, focus on how you feel. If you focus only on the changes in your appearance, you'll get frustrated and quit."

2 years later, I decided I deserved a gym with better facilities and there ran into a trainer who's also a master class cyclist. He got me into spin classes for the winter, and that spring, I tried a bike. I struggled to ride 3 miles, and if anyone had heard me struggling for breath, they would have called an ambulance. I am not exaggerating in the slightest.

Now, I may even be under 200 lbs (don't know, don't really care) lift major weight at the gym, use heart-rate goals for someone half my age, and am starting to do "club" rides 0f 25/30 miles, with a goal of riding a century (100 miles in 1 day) by my 47th birthday, 10/10/06.

You are doing the hardest part right now. Come here often for all the encouragement you need. I felt like I was facing so many internal demons when I got that bike out. Some of them still show up from time to time. Just keep at it.

You might enjoy a book called "The Slow Fat Triathlete" by Jayne Williams (pretty sure that's right.) It's about becoming an athlete in the body you have. Even though I am not interested in doing a tri, I learned a lot from her attitude.

Keep in touch. This forum has made all the difference for me! -
Latelatebloomer (who really does need to change her name to Relentless. She's not a late bloomer any more!)

BikerChick, I get what you're saying about being 165 lbs of pure muscle.
Before I went into the Army, I weighed about 130. When I left boot camp, weighed 140. Yet, everyone at home said how skinny they thought I was, (especially in the face, I heard a lot). Through the next 10 years in the Guard I struggled to keep my weight under 137 (the requirement for my age/height), even though I was wearing a size 7-8.

I'm convinced I have large (heavy) muscles by nature. I was definitely ripped after boot camp, but still heavy for 5'4". I've always called my legs speedskater legs, even at my lightest...those large upper thighs and thick calves. Can't tell now because they're covered in fat! However, I'll never be tiny. I'll probably never be a size 8 again, but I'd be happy with a 12, which I can buy off the rack. People still don't believe that I weigh 198, because I'm compact, not roll-y. (But I'm not fooling myself...I'm still fat and need to get it off before menopause.)

I got my first pair of bike shorts yesterday in the mail. The Mystic Elite MTB shorts mentioned earlier. They fit fine in XL, but the Belwether jersey I bought in XL is too small in the boobs and feels too tight for comfort in the arms. I'm disappointed in that because I'm smaller on top than on bottom. Manufacturers should settle on a standard size, I think. But, I'll keep the jersey because it will fit in a couple of months. :)

That would be an interesting thread for us Athenas: what is your weight and your general clothing size? I know a woman or two who are my weight, but wear much larger clothes. I know weight is not the only factor--my baby belly overlap affects my clothing size, and I can wear size Large t-shirts and they fit fine (not Jerseys, though).

Anyway...if anyone wants to answer, I'd like to know so we can see what I expect is a huge diversity of weight to size.

Karen