Happy to see other in my position
Hi I was so happy to see that there are other woman cyclists out there who have a lot of weight to lose. I need to lose 100lbs and have started cycling. I love it but I don't feel to cool.
I got a cruiser bike that is incrediably comfortable but not fast. I have a back injury and need to get a bike that didn't aggrivate my back pain.
I am excited to see that others share my adventure.
Good Luck and Enjoy the ride
Karenv2
Another Weight-Challenged Rider
Hi Ladies,
Well a bit over ten years ago I quit smoking, and the weight has been slowly but steadily going up since then. I'm now at the point where I should lose 60 to 70 pounds.
In the spring of 2006 I was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. I spent most of 2006 going through surgery, then chemo, then radiation therapy. The combination of these treatments, especially with the relatively new chemo drug that I was given, left me incredibly weak and sore. It was a painful and draining task just to walk to the bathroom.
In the fall of 2006 I got the first bicycle that I'd had in at least a decade. My trip to the LBS was rough because I was wearing a wig and didn't want the young salesman to know it... and I was scared to death that the wig would come off with along with the helmet that I wore for a test ride! But it ended up being ok.
I rode the bike a few times in the fall. I could only make it up the street to a couple of houses away. Then it was time to wrap it up for the winter.
Last spring I started up again. Little by little I could go just a bit more each time, though it was still very painful. When I got to about a 2 mile round trip around the neighborhood, I discovered area bike trails. I soon became hooked.
I began by cycling 3 days a week. Each week I'd add 1/2 mile to my total trip mileage. It was very painful and difficult, but each week I could see more progress. I worked myself up the about an 11 mile ride, which takes just about an hour for me. But I was not losing any weight. So several months ago I increased to 5 days a week riding. The most I've gone in one ride is 16 miles, because I find that one of my knees begins really hurting at somewhere between 10 and 12 miles. A few weeks ago I finally went to an orthopedic doctor about it, and now I have a brace to wear on that knee when I ride, plus I take an anti-inflammatory. I have noticed an improvement because of these.
I've still not lost any weight, though. I seem to justify eating extra food by the fact that I've done so much exercise! I know that's not the way to go but I love to eat, what can I say.
Hills are pretty tough for me. I'm sure that if my weight dropped they would be a lot easier. As far as clothes go, about half of my clothes are mens riding clothes, because women's in my size are tough to find. I wear bicycle shorts with a pair of regular shorts over top of them for modesty. I do like tight fighting athletic tops, even though I know they're not flattering.
I'm now at about 990 miles for the season, and should break 1000 soon. Unfortunately, fall weather is here and I won't ride when it's cold. But when I think back to just 7 months ago and realize how far I've come, and how much I've improved, it's amazing. I love to cycle and can't wait to do it every day that I go out!