Too Fat to Ride??? (Gear shifting problem)

[planetluvver]

Can a woman be too fat to ride? I weigh about 264, and am 5'6" tall.

When I stop, and dismount from my seat, my belly bumps against my shift levers. I have a 1980's Schwinn, with shifts levers mounted near the handlebars. The bruises are bad enough, but it is the fact that I move the levers, and I am not in my proper gear that is my concern.

Has anyone else had this problem, and what did you do?

Thanks!

[Tuckervill]

I assume they're friction shifters? Just move them back to where they were. The chain will stay in place because you're not pedaling when they move.

You could also dismount your bike (by leaning it way over) in a way that allows you to stay more upright and not bend at the waist so far.

Keep riding and you'll shrink and it won't be a problem anymore!

Karen

[planetluvver]

I am not bending at the waist! There is no room for my girth from front to back between the tip of my seat and my shifters. I guess I could try to lean over and stand to the side.

Or just ride more! I used to be active in the past, and I never lost weight. (However, I also had a BF then who browbeat me, and I wouldn't eat at his house, because he was so harsh. So I would scarf down Big Macs before or after visiting him.)

[Biciclista]

Maybe you need a bike that fits you better.

[dex]

Can you look into getting bar end shifters? Otherwise, I think you're probably going to just have to move them back into place after each dismount.

Mimi, this isn't really a "bike fit" issue. Some of us are just bigger front-to-back than side-to-side. I'm built that way--I carry my weight all out in front, but proportionally I have very little in the way of hips or butt. On some of the bikes I've ridden, this has made for very little room between my stomach and the stem when standing over my bike.

I often knock my bento box off-kilter when I stop and dismount my bike. I just push it back into place when I start riding again. Not a big deal, but a minor annoyance. I suppose I could look for a bike with more room to stand, but that would make the top tube too long while trying to ride it...and since riding is the point of the bike, I just deal with the lack of room when I happen to be not riding. *shrug*

[Tuckervill]

Oh, I was thinking it was "unstraddling" issue. Yeah, I get what you're saying...when you're just standing there, astride the bike, you don't have any clearance. That's okay, still. Just move the levers back after you get back on the saddle.

My road bike saddle hits me in my lower back right where my scar from surgery is, unless I move all the way forward so the drop bars are hitting my thighs--and that makes the bike a little unstable for just standing over it.

In addition to continued riding, you might want to start keeping a food journal (there are tons online like calorie king and SparkPeople.com) to see what your true intake and output is.

Karen

[pardes]

In answer to your question, of course you are not too fat to ride! Your spunk shows that to be true that you ARE JUST RIGHT to ride and as you ride you'll get righter and righter.

I dropped 25 pounds in about six weeks when I started riding this past summer. And believe me, I didn't go many miles (I couldn't) and I didn't do hills (I couldn't). I just pedaled for the sheer joy of it at the speed that felt good and when you become happier and more content and stop worrying about things, the weight falls off. Of course it didn't hurt that the temperatures were very high and I sweat buckets and buckets from unfamiliar exertion.

So hang in there and love that belly. It's part of you so it's about loving YOU. I loved my belly but I'm glad to see that it went somewhere else and doesn't live here any longer. Hey, wait a minute.....did my belly move into your house?

[fastdogs]

of course you're not too fat to ride a bike. I started out riding on a folding bike with 20" wheels. I always imagined I looked sort of like one of those circus bears on a tiny bike.
I still rode, and kinda learned to to not worry about how I must look riding my bike, I was just having too much fun.
I would probably have a problem with shifters in that position. I have a handlebar bag that faces toward me- it's small, only big enough for a cell phone and a can of pepper spray. I still hit that thing getting on and off. Maybe the bike shop could move the shifters?
vickie

[Aggie_Ama]

Given the wide variety of shapes and sizes I see on bikes I would say no your body should not keep you from riding. I think re-routing to bar end shifters might help and might not be too expensive of a change. I would discuss it with your LBS.

[emily_in_nc]

And there are always recumbent bicycles if you're really uncomfortable and can't find a good position on an upright.

But no, you're certainly not too big to ride! Good for you for getting out there - stick with it!

[redrhodie]

I agree with Mimi. It's an issue with your bike, not your body. You will be more motivated to ride if you're comfortable, and bikes have come a long way since the 1980s. I think you should go to your lbs and look at bikes. It will be easy to find one where the shifters don't hit your belly. I know buying a new bike is expensive, but you should be comfortable. You won't want to ride if your bike is giving you bruises! That's not good!

If a new bike is out of the question, look into having the shifters moved. Still, I think you should test ride some other bikes, just to see what has happened since the 1980s.

[lauraelmore1033]

If they make a bike that can hold a 500 pound rider, I'd say it is not really possible to be too fat to ride.
I'm a similar size and stature and my belly also knocks my bento box askew. I don't think I'd want to deal with shifters on the tube rather than the handlebars, though. You are totally worth a new (or new to you)bike that is better suited to your body!

[RoadRaven]

... you ARE JUST RIGHT to ride and as you ride you'll get righter and righter.

This has got to be one of the absolute best things I have read for a long long time
Well said, Pardes
Wish I'd written it for Planet...

[AutumnBreez]

I agree with the others, really, one is never too big to ride a bike. You always have the option of looking at used bikes, often they are not really all that used, people get things with intention to ride or they buy a bike to find they want a different one than the one they just bought. Craigslist may be an option. If you go check out a bike shop and they help you recognize the right bike and size, and if you can't afford their price, go to craigs list with the brand and model and do a search on Craigslist. You may find a real gem just waiting for you. Meanwhile keep riding while you look for that bike. Your height is not going to change, but your body will! That new bike will be a great motivator, while you look and once you get it. Take care.

[Zen]

keep it and have the shop switch out the shifters to bar-end shifters