Can a Fat Lady Ride

When I was looking for my new bike, I was well-educated by Trek's website about women's specific design. Here's a link.

http://www2.trekbikes.com/us/en/WSD/WSD_Difference.php

Also, for journaling your rides, there's bikejournal.com.

And for those of you drinking diet drinks...after more than 20 years, I gave them up about 2 years ago. I substituted hot tea with sugar (20 calories) in the morning, and unsweetened ice tea with meals (or water). I'm not a coffee drinker.

I had begun to wonder about all those chemicals and so I just stopped. Then when I tried them again, I noticed I got way hungrier than I had been the day before or whatever. This happened over and over, in about the once every 2 weeks that I would get a diet coke with my fast food. I began to suspect the diet drinks bringing on the hunger (I've only gotten fatter since I started drinking them, after all). And then I saw it in black and white in the local newspaper's ask the doctor column....that there is evidence that diet drinks increase appetite. (I tried to find the column to no avail.)

So, I'm staying off of them, except when I'm PMSing (like today). It's anecdotal at best, but it's MY anecdote, so that's good eough for me. :)

Karen

My level of diet soda drinking has completely dropped off since we got one of those spring water coolers at home. It's made a huge difference to our drinking patterns, and in fact we pretty much drink water now. Its so convenient! I find that the number of soft drinks I buy at the supermarket has also dropped off. I heard that the phosporic acid? in Coke is what's very bad for you. (Don't really know what it does or what it is)

Bamakathy - of course she can, and she can feel proud of herself too.
I ride with a friend of mine, and the pair of us are useless at the hills - we just don't seem to have the mental attitude to keep going! (I think its called being lazy! :p ) But as we push 25lbs of bike up those hills, we still feel proud - we might not be super fit and brave, but we are out there in the country side taking exercise- and the ride down is lovely! :)
It's a pity we're not on the same continent or you'd be welcome to join us as we pootle around the bridle ways
Good luck - and let us know how you get on - we think its a great idea!

bamakathy, you can absolutely ride. Don't worry about how much or how little you can ride at the beginning since quite a bit of that is your body beginning to get used to the riding. What matters is you're getting out there to ride!

I am no lithe skinny thing. ;) I have a big frame (look at the pictures that jobob posted from the Alameda Creek Trail thread. I'm the tall one in the back), I'm 5' 10.5" and 225 pounds. Not small at all :p

What I've found that has realy helped is I commute via the bicycle now daily. Instead of exercising at the end of my day, which then keeps me from sleeping due to endorphins running amok, I get my exercise in the morning and evening. Plus it keeps me from having the excuse "I'm too tired to ride" ;)

bamakathy, I know you can ride and you should be proud to be riding. Don't let your family get you down. :)

Mel

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Others on this forum (not all by any means) are heavy too, and do whatever they %*$*#!! want to on a bike.

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Don't hold back, MomOnBike, tell us how you really feel.:rolleyes: :D

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I loved the feeling of the wind in my face.

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Bamakathy, ride because you love the feeling of the wind in your face, ride because you like the feeling of accomplishment in getting healthier, ride because you want to. :D

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My family thought me riding a bike was hilarious.

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That's unfortunate and sad. They should be supporting your efforts. Maybe your improving health will inspire them to get their butts on a bike with you.

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Originally Posted by allabouteva

And now I'm about the same as Tlkiwi about 57kg and about 5'3".

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Hey! We're the same height too!

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Originally Posted by tlkiwi

Hey! We're the same height too!

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And we're practically neighbours (on this side of the globe)!!!:D

I'm loving this thread, so supportive and encouraging!

Of course fat ladies can ride. A lot of us have given our statistics, I'll chime in. I weigh 245 lbs and stand 6' tall, and I am a lousy rider - but I do it anyways, because it's the first time exercise has been fun, ever. And I used to excercise a lot - I trained to box for two years. In that time, I ran 6-8 miles a day and spent an additional 2-3 hours a day in the gym, and every minute of it was torture. My lowest weight was 180.

I bought a bike with the intent of commuting to and from work, a 7 mile round trip. I got pretty good at it, even though coming home was mostly uphill. And then I went back to school, and my commute went from 7 miles round trip to nearly 60, and I don't get home until very late. I leave the bike at home for that, but I still try to ride a bit every weekend. It's a joy to do - and I've enjoyed it so much that I think my silly boyfriend might even join me!

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Originally Posted by uforgot

Wow, once again I need to say how supportive everyone on this forum is. I belong to the bicycling.com forum, and went over there for a few minutes today. (It's been ages since I lurked over there, ever since I found you guys!) I didn't realize how much testosterone is flowing over there. Everyone seems to be in perfect shape and aren't tolerant of anyone who isn't! I remember posting a couple of questions and was totally bashed. Now I've found my niche with TE, and can ask any question I want and I get a myriad of answers! OMG, I can't even imagine this topic over there. Thanks!

Now for the hard part. 5'4" 165 lbs. I managed to put on 20# in the last year, not sure how, but I refuse to buy larger clothes, so I'm in impossibly tight 12s. My 10s are just glaring at me when I open the closet. I'm in good shape, I dance, teach dance and ride my bike, but that's the story of my life. I'm in better shape than my friends, but I'm also heavier. I have this one teeny tiny friend I work with, she couldn't even get through 10 minutes of a FIRM workout. Where is the justice? Oh, and she drinks regular soda and eats candy. sigh. I don't ever remember drinking a regular soda...

Well, I'm just glad to have found this forum, as bike riding is somewhat foreign in my small town. It's great to kick around stuff with others going through the same thing!

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hey, we are built about the same! I am 5'3 and 155lbs! I put on 20lbs in the past 2 years of school and am now trying to just get in shape. If I lose the weight, bonus! I just want energy again.

I second your impressions about bikeforum.com. There is a lot of postering going on over there. the women's forum in there is good, but--overall...I like how this forum is supportive across the board.

I also wanted to let the woman know who started this thread: keep it up! cycling is fun and we are all shapes and sizes! I am so glad to hear that you want to do something healthy for yourself! You are an inspiration to me!

You are starting down the best road to better health and a longer life.

As someone who is an insulin dependent diabetic and a registered nurse, I applaud you!! I lost about 90 pounds several years back but still need to drop about 30 pounds. I've recently had knee surgery and have the bike on a trainer but hope to get it on the road soon. My orthopedist, who is also a good friend, has restricted me to 3 miles walking, 3 days a week. This is due to the placement of the meniscus damage. He and my daughters and husband have been my biggest encouragers to get on the bike and ride. I ride a Rans Stratus recumbent. At 5'7" and 176lbs, I get some funny stares on the road. Before the surgery, I was riding and passed this one guy on an upright that was all decked out in team jerseys, expensive bike, etc. About 5 minutes later he's passing me, huffing and puffing, determined not to let this fat old woman pass him again. I think my laughter shamed him into pushing too hard. Another 10 minutes and he's by the side of the road, still huffing and puffing, as I wave and go my merry way. ;) It really felt good.

Keep on biking. You are doing a great thing for yourself and your family will eventually see it.

Donna :)

Okay, I have a question then... I am about 90kg (about 195 pounds I believe?). I am new to this and have been riding a mountain bike for about 3 months. I've dropped a dress size and am riding about 120km (74 miles - go the conversion website I found!!) a week and loving it. A friend and I have set ourselves a goal of riding a 180km race togather in November - 1/2 each. She has just bought herself a road bike and is off racing around her town, whereas I am petrified of going into a bike shop and asking for a road bike. I promised her I would do it this morning - but here I am on my computer - just too scared in case they laugh at me or tell me to lose more weight first etc.

So, are heavier people riding road bikes? Can I? Every shop here seems to be staffed by skinny men - and I can't believe I've let it scare me this much! So I am counting on you guys to sort me out here before I put myself through the trauma of the lbs - and be honest!

Thanks wonderful women,

x

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Originally Posted by kiwi in oz

So, are heavier people riding road bikes? Can I? Every shop here seems to be staffed by skinny men - and I can't believe I've let it scare me this much! So I am counting on you guys to sort me out here before I put myself through the trauma of the lbs - and be honest!x

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I weigh 87k and my sister was shocked to see that I did NOT get a road bike for my year here! My sister, some ks less but also 8" shorter, not only has a road bike, she has a custom built beeeauty of a bike! I think there are pictures of her and a whole bunch of other TE gals, in many shapes and sizes, posted in the California section of the forum. Just look for ride reports with pictures. For instance here: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...?t=6348&page=2
and on the next page of that thread.
These gals, skinny and round alike, all ride road bikes ... AND get respect from their local bike shops! If you see anybody smirking, then walk out'a there and find a bike shop prepared to take you seriously. My guess is that you're not going to see any smirks in the first place. Although the quality of service varies from shop to shop (some just don't seem to be knowledgeable about fitting a bike), I have always been treated with respect and taken seriously as a biker.

Dear Kiwi in Oz,

Yesyesyesyesyes!

signed, BWOARB*

*another big woman on a road bike

Yes! I freakin' did it!

Just after I finished the earlier post, my partner called from his work and asked if I had been to the bike shop yet. He pushed me to go right there and then - so I did. I walked in all flustered and perspiring, and stuttered my way to explaining that I wanted a road bike. And the guy serving me said ''cool''. No drama, nothing. So, a couple of hours later I have returned home with my first ever road bike - a pale lavendar Sarah Ulmer bike, and I can't wait to get my new shoes on and start riding. I am soo, soo excited - and I think even writing down my fears and panic in this forum helped so much.

I ended up leaving the bike shop laughing - apparently no staff member had ever had anyone in a state of panic like me before, and they all ended up getting involved in my purchase in one way or another. Yay!

happy cycling!

Anna

YAYYYY! Way to go Kiwi! And way to go bike shop! Now we're all waiting for ride reports and bike pictures. ;)

Hey Anna - that's excellent! I can totally relate to your panic - that's exactly how I felt when I went to get my bike. And the big deal was all in my head!

Happy trails! (Oh, and 120 km/week - wow, that's a lot of cycling on a mountain bike - just wait ' til you get some time on those new skinny tires of yours!)

I'm guessing it's this one. Enjoy the new wheels. :)

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Originally Posted by tlkiwi

I'm guessing it's this one. Enjoy the new wheels. :)

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:-) Yep, that's the one. Have been for two baby rides so far today - no pedal dramas, so I'm happy. Now I have to start preparing for Taupo. Yay home :-)

Well, I think this is as good a place as any to introduce myself. Being 5' 8" and I think about 195 lbs, I can relate to a lot of these stories. I've just returned to cycling after about a 7 year hiatus. I can't quite figure out why I stopped. I moved to Oregon from the flat Midwest and I remember hating the hills. I hated riding in urban traffic. I hated having to take extra care of a derailler. I began to avoid my bike. So then last year I had this health problem that forced me to have to take high doses of prednisone for 4 months and I gained 40 lbs and developed lots of icky corticosteriod side effects. I think it finally got out of my system completely because that's when I started losing weight. I lost enough to be able to ride an aluminum frame and so I bought a Breezer 8 speed a month ago.

How is riding now? The hub gear makes me willing to deal with the frequent stops & starts of my urban commute and there is very little maintenance to be done for it. I'm taking hills one yard at a time. Sometimes I have to get off the bike and walk it. That's ok. While I am very knowledgable of the rules of the road and follow them, I manage to annoy most of the inner-Eastside Portland bike hipsters because I'm slow and that just ruins their lives. Tough. They annoy me when the pass me on the right without warning, never think to signal turns, and don't even slow down for a stop sign or red light.

Every day my 3.5 mi commute to work becomes easier and takes less time. My muscles seem to remember cycling and are shaping up fairly quickly, considering 7 years of neglect. I've lost 5 lbs in the last month I've been riding. I have tons of energy. Now if only the rain holds off for the Pretty Dress Ride tomorrow, I'll be truly content.

Hi Bamabike girl! I am just like you only heavier (300 lbs or a little lighter) and a real beginner in biking! See my blog:

http://losing-half-of-myself.blogspot.com/

Yes you can do it and don't let anybody stop you from biking, no matter how much they try. It will save your life. I am on my journey, temporarily sidelined but I am going to keep on going.

YOU GO GIRL, keep on riding!! :D

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Originally Posted by kiwi in oz

:-) Yep, that's the one. Have been for two baby rides so far today - no pedal dramas, so I'm happy. Now I have to start preparing for Taupo. Yay home :-)

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Beautiful bike. Congratulations and happy riding.:)

Hi bamakathy,

Sorry I hijacked your thread for a while there. I have been lurking here for a while and was so, so glad that someone started that thread. On the topic of families - I spoke to my parents in NZ after I bought my bike on the weekend - my mum was stoked for me - and dad, well, he doubted I would be fit enough to do 80km in November. No worries - I'll show ém ;) And I am tempted to get one of those Jelly Belly cycle jerseys to wear while I'm at it!

Good luck!

Anna

Found another inspirational Big Dudettes link (and it bumps up the thread):

http://www.bfpd.com/pages/FatGrannyonaPurpleSchwinn
Just a snippet:

"A man I passed the other day summarized it in a way I never could have... As I huffed and puffed up a hill on the tandem... my four-year-old in the trailer being pulled behind and my 9-year-old on the seat behind me barely pedaling... my face beet red and my hair drenched with sweat, I noticed a man who had been washing his SUV stopped to stare at us. I felt I needed to explain and so I shouted, "I'm too fat for this!" To which he responded, in the most gentle, reassuring voice, "You're doing just fine, just look at those smiles behind you.""

... first time I read it, I thought it said, "You're doing just fine, just look at those miles behind you..." and that would work too!

Congratulations and keep up the good work to all of you fabulous women out there who are trying to do something for yourselves and your health by riding a bike. Don't let anyone tell you that you are "too" anything to ride a bike.

I think cycling is an especially good choice because you can see improvement so quickly! Do keep a journal--put anything in it you like, but here are some suggestions:
date, time, weather, distance, average speeed (eventually get yourself a computer), who you rode with, how you felt (physically and mentally), what you ate before & during...
It's fun to go back and see evidence of your improvement, and it's helpful to see what works and what doesn't (like eating, for example).

Keep pedaling...:D

I just started doing www.bikejournal.com It's a hoot! If you hit the TE link on BJ, you can see the stats for a lot of the folks on this board.

You can record all the stuff Prof mentioned!

I can certainly relate to much of what you have all graciously shared. I discovered these threads today and just joined. It's great to know that others share in our experiences. Regarding purchasing a new bike - make sure you feel comfortable with the salesperson you end up with and take a bike savvy friend if necessary. I did not feel taken seriously when I went into a bike shop and it took awhile to find a salesperson and shop that gave me the attention we all deserved. Ultimately I ended up with a Trek Lamond and have been happily riding it for a year now. Regarding clothes: has anyone discovered plus size biking rain gear. I'm preparing for a century ride in the Canadian Rockies and am not adequately prepared for the rain. Thanks!

An emphatic "YES" - you can ride! I rode a lot when I was younger but then got waaay out of shape. I started riding again for this year in March. I managed to go about 2 miles and I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital with an asthma attack. It took me almost 20 minutes to recover! Two months later, in May, I did a 25+ mile ride and actually dropped some thinner, more in-shape looking people! For the record, I'm 5'2" and currently 252 pounds. So, again, yes it can be done. Just keep it up and don't listen to the nay-sayers.

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Originally Posted by bamakathy

Just hearing how many of you have done this gives me hope. I think of bike riders as tall, thin people in little stretchy suits. But maybe that's what I'll be after doing this for awhile!

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Only if you're already tall. ;)

And, to echo what everyone else has said here, yes, you definitely can ride! And leave plenty of others in the dust. :)

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Originally Posted by Geonz

"You're doing just fine, just look at those smiles behind you."

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People can really surprise you sometimes. That made me well up! Anytime I see a mommy out there running, biking, whatever...with a kid or 2 in tow, it makes me so proud. I just want to yell out at them "WAY TO GO MAMA!"

Great quote Geonz...thanks for sharing!

You Go Girl!!!!!!!!

Welcome!

I joined this forum only a week or two ago. I am 47 and weigh 260. There are other women here too who are in similar circumstances. And some have reported incredible improvement in their well-being.

I know it is difficult when your family laughs at you. Here you are trying to do something positive. What do they think, you'll look better if keep doing what you have that led to your current weight?

Have you had the bike adjusted? I know that my thighs burn if I ride with my seat set too low. I am not very experienced and I think you can probably get better advice from others. Also, you are using my muscles in an unfamiliar way, so your body needs to adjust.

I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do!

Mary

I just found these forums today, and this is my first post here. This thread caught my eye, since I am a fat lady myself, and trying to get back into cycling after about a 7 year hiatus. This thread has been so encouraging--it is really heartwarming to see that there are so many supportive women cyclists out there. Also, to those of you who described yourselves as having a "speedskater build", I can't tell you how awesome that is to hear! I have finally found my people:D ! I have always described myself the same way, and no one seems to "get it" when I say that. Hey, these big thighs are NOT all fat--I have smoked skinny women up hills in my day! (just need to get back into it, that's all:rolleyes: )

Linda

Welcome back "into it" :) :)
You can tentatively teeter or peremptorily plunge. Just get pedalin'!

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Originally Posted by WrensMom

... Also, to those of you who described yourselves as having a "speedskater build", I can't tell you how awesome that is to hear! I have finally found my people:D ! I have always described myself the same way, and no one seems to "get it" when I say that. Hey, these big thighs are NOT all fat--I have smoked skinny women up hills in my day! (just need to get back into it, that's all:rolleyes: )

Linda

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Oooh! Speedskater build! I wish! My butt and thighs are not all muscle. But I do know what speedskaters look like. I also know what they look like well after sports retirement. We have a few former world champs in town, one of whom was dad to some kids on the same figure skating team as my daughter. These guys do get a more even muscle distribution when they finish their speedskating careers and go over to just working out in the gym, hiking with the family, etc.

I found this board while doing research on what bike to get, after not having ridden a bike in over two decades! I did buy a bike - a Giant Cypress DX - and now, with hubby, am planning to get in better shape through bike rides around our area. We live in a place that has a lot of bike trails, so hopefully all summer long we'll be pedalling our butts here and there!

I'm forty this year, and would like to lose about 15 pounds. I was so happy to see how supportive this board is! I'm looking forward to knowing you all better!

Sonya

I'm relatively new here and just want to say thanks for all the support in this thread. :D

I'm 5'4 and 230 pounds. I've been afraid to post thinking everyone is tall and thin riding miles and miles each week. Today is the first day I got on my bike (Trek 800) after many years of it sitting in the garage. I rode a little over a mile, but it's one more mile than yesterday and I'll just keep going. It's going to take time to get my body used to riding, but I'll get there and I'll have fun doing it...now I just need the temps to get a big cooler since it's been 99 degrees for the last 4 days.

Carol, near Chicago

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Originally Posted by biking4health

I'm relatively new here and just want to say thanks for all the support in this thread. :D

I'm 5'4 and 230 pounds. I've been afraid to post thinking everyone is tall and thin riding miles and miles each week. Today is the first day I got on my bike (Trek 800) after many years of it sitting in the garage. I rode a little over a mile, but it's one more mile than yesterday and I'll just keep going. It's going to take time to get my body used to riding, but I'll get there and I'll have fun doing it...now I just need the temps to get a big cooler since it's been 99 degrees for the last 4 days.

Carol, near Chicago

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I too love this forum because EVERY type of rider imaginable posts here

Congrats on getting back on the bike - careful though it is addictive, you'll find yourself giving up things like TV ! ! ! just so you can go ride your bike :D

Keep us posted on how you are doing :)

Way to go, Carol! That's terrific!

Take it easy and don't worry -- you'll get used to how it feels to ride again, and you'll be staying on the bike longer and longer. There's no rush -- you've got the rest of your life!

I told my husband when we got our bikes in June -- my goal is for us to be in better shape one year from now than we were ten years ago. Because we haven't been in good shape for so long -- it won't take a whole lot of improvement to pass our conditioning from back then!

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Originally Posted by biking4health

I'm relatively new here and just want to say thanks for all the support in this thread. :D

I'm 5'4 and 230 pounds. I've been afraid to post thinking everyone is tall and thin riding miles and miles each week. Today is the first day I got on my bike (Trek 800) after many years of it sitting in the garage. I rode a little over a mile, but it's one more mile than yesterday and I'll just keep going. It's going to take time to get my body used to riding, but I'll get there and I'll have fun doing it...now I just need the temps to get a big cooler since it's been 99 degrees for the last 4 days.

Carol, near Chicago

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Carol,
You and Steve have the same Trek! :D Apparently I do not pay close attention when we talk. :o
I am so proud of you for getting out on your bike. You will do great! Next we will get you clipless. It is so blasted hot, I have not been able to go out until almost sunset, at which time i am covered with bugs. YUCK. As soon as the cool air arrives you will not want to come in from a ride. Next spring or fall (summer is too hot) we need to get together for a bike trip. :)

Yes fat girls can ride and it's great. I started almost a year ago and i'm 240 lbs and 5'5". It's hard work up the hills, but I love riding my bike. I started slow and small. Riding into the city (12km) was a major major achievement. I was so stoked I could do it. This week I rode to work (25km round trip) three days in a row... a first for me. I'm pretty damned proud of myself. And i'll be riding again tomorrow... so that's 4 times this week :D .

I ride with 3 friends who do it for fun, they dont care how fast we go as long as we have fun. I know it's hard to find people like that, but they are out there! And if they are not around, hell I just go out by myself! I get excited when I overtake people (cos people usually whizz by me) and i've overtaken 3 in a year (and am looking for my fourth :p ). I felt so good one day when I whizzed past a woman (who wasnt overweight) and she said "does it ever get easier?"... so i slowed up and we rode home together while we chatted. It was her third ride and she was feeling down. I felt great knowing I'd made some progress, and we had the best chat and ride home together. So say hi to people when you pass, you just never know... they might want to ride with you!

So, fellow fat lady, please dont take any notice of those who make fun of you. People laugh at me when i rock up in my TE plus size biking clothes (god I love that someone makes plus size bike clothing - impossible to get here in Oz), but I could care less. I love my bike, I love riding my bike, and I figure every km I do on it is a bit more exercise I'm doing to take care of my body. And one day we might even be one of the thin girls!