lose weight fast on bike?

Swan, that's wonderful news. So glad you're doing so well!

Swan, that is terrific! Keep going!

Well if you can fit size 12 you've arrived. I like your approach. I think if anyone does numbers at all it should be something like resting heart rate and cholesterol, but those aren't very motivating because they change slowly. Or perhaps a fitness metric like how far or how long or how many of XX. But never pounds and calories. Good job and I will share your story when relevant, it is inspiring. Thank you!

Yay Swan!

Fantastic Swan, this is great news! I also really like your approach to metrics on this!

Nice!

Very good news and a great strategy.

this frustration I'm having with my bike. The tires can only hold 185lbs, and I keep bursting the back tube[/QUOTE]

Congrats on everything, but the thing about your tubes bursting jumped out at me. Are you trying to pump your tires to 185lbs? Because your weight isn't enough to burst a tube unless it is way over inflated. Most tires need to be pumped only to 80 lbs. The pressure range should be printed on the side of the tire.

Congratulations Swan on finding a sensible plan that works!! That is an amazing story with amazing progress. But I agree with RedRhodie. Perhaps you are mis-interpreting how much you should be inflating your tires. You didn't tell us what you weigh, but I cannot imagine that you cannot find tires that would not be able to support a person who is wearing size 12 clothing. My daughter is your size and has no problem riding a bike. I am sure you are no heavier than a typical man riding a bike. I too can't help but wonder if you are simply over inflating your tires and that is why they are bursting. Perhaps you either mis-read the numbers on the sidewall, or you pump has lost calibration (this happened to our pump once, it was reading a tire pressure lower than the real tire pressure, so we were overinflating even though we thought based on the gauge we were inflating to the recommended pressure). You certainly should NOT be inflating them to 185 psi! Depending on the tire, 80-140 is more typical (and 140 would be a skinny racing tire, wider tires take lower pressures).

That jumped out at me, too. Or maybe you're underinflating your tires, which is a typical cause of pinch flats, especially with larger people, but that's not a "burst." If you weigh 185 then you're the same as very many male cyclists who are perfectly fine on ordinary tires. Where on the tubes are the holes happening?

Usually along the side of the tire near the metal wheel rim, it will give you the max. psi for inflating the tire.

Hi, thanks ladies. The psi is something loke 45-80 (I am awful with numbers, please bear with me... I thought 702 was 501 the other day). The pump is fine-- initially I thought that was the problem so I used a store's pump and the same thing happened. I don't know where the holes are happening because I started getting self-healing slime tubes (they don't work... slime just goes everywhere). But the tires explicitly state that they shouldn't carry more than 180lbs.

You might see bike tire load limits in catalogs. The Schwalbe catalog has load limits.

http://www.everybicycletire.com/shop...-115-load.aspx

I assume that load mean the amount of weight on a particular tire, which would be the rider, bike and gear, but only the part of the weight which is born by the tire. The rear tire would be carrying more weight than the front.

But, like others I question that the load limit is what is causing Swan's flat issue.

I haven't updated in forever! So here's the lowdown: I moved to North Carolina, got a job waitressing, and I took my bike apart to clean it but haven't figured out how to put it back together again (sighs, of course).

But the most important part: I am no longer "morbidly obese". I'm not even obese at all! I went to the doctor here and asked that they NOT tell me my weight at any time. But I WAS told "You're borderline obese..."

I guess they thought they were delivering bad news, but I was elated!! Now that it's warmed up a bit, I'm going to hopefully find a YouTube video that can help me put my bike back together. Goodness knows I don't have the money for a new one this soon after moving...

Great Swan. Are you finding your lifestyle and eating habits different when living away from family?