Don't Even Have a Bike Yet, Very New

[karatemomLisa]

Hi! My name is Lisa and I want to get into cycling. I want to find a decent road bike, but I wonder if I'm too heavy or what not. I've been losing weight and running and swimming, but still uncomfortably close to 300lbs. I'm also short 5'4". I've been to a reputable bike shop, but couldn't find a bike that I could stand over and put my feet on the ground. The shortest I found was 44 cm.

[hebe]

hello and welcome! Congratulations on the weight loss, cycling will definitely help with that.

I would suggest trying some different bike shops, some are definitely more helpful than others and will go out of their way to help. My local one is ok, but if I'd known how excellent the shop in the next one was I'd have gone there first.

I think there are a few threads on here from people who have had similar worries on setting out, they should come up on a search. I'll edit with links if I find some. Anyway, I think the verdict is that weight isn't a barrier to riding. Good luck!

Editing to add - nice post here. If you do a search on 300lbs or 250 or whatever you'll get lots of threads. I'm sure that more people with more specific experience will be along soon.

[chicagogal]

Hi! My name is Lisa and I want to get into cycling. I want to find a decent road bike, but I wonder if I'm too heavy or what not. I've been losing weight and running and swimming, but still uncomfortably close to 300lbs. I'm also short 5'4". I've been to a reputable bike shop, but couldn't find a bike that I could stand over and put my feet on the ground. The shortest I found was 44 cm.

5'4" isn't that short! I am 2 inches taller than you and ride a 54cm (or is it a 53?). Anyway, unless your inseam is very short and your torso very long, I am surprised that you couldn't stand over the 44cm. Maybe check some other bike shops . . .

In terms of your weight, you are not too heavy to ride a bike!!! I'd just advise staying away from low spoke count wheels.

[tulip]

I'd just advise staying away from low spoke count wheels.

Very good advice. Be sure to get wheels with 36 spokes, not the usual 32 or even lower. It's nothing to be embarrassed asking about; it's just the facts. Broken spokes are no fun, and can be expensive to replace unless you know how to do it yourself.

[Roadtrip]

Lisa-

First off, welcome. Glad your here. I'm too am a larger gal and now a rider and thought the same thing. It's FALSE. Just because your not a 4% body fat tour rider doesn't mean you can't have SO much fun on a bike and continue loosing weight.

OK. You may need to stay away from the zippy bikes right now and the cool "new" thing is low spoke wheels that are lighter and more aerodynamic. You don't need that in a fitness bike. What you need is a bike that fits you and feels good under you. I have Trek Pure "comfort" bike.. some call then pedal-forward, crank forward, and cruiser bikes. You're not laid out like on a road bike when your down in the drops.

A little more then two months ago I didn't know HOW to ride. At all. I can't say enough for what the bike has done for me once I conquered my fear of failure. I used to wake every morning with back and leg pain and sometimes still do, but the pain is less, plus after a ride (even the short ones) I feel so much better. I even breath much better too, even at rest here at work, so here's to you and your bike.

Oh, I'm 5'5" and the 15" bike (38.1cm) fits me pretty good.

Here's my ride:
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...resportlowstep
26" wheels with big tires and 32 spoke wheels

Good luck!
Shannon

[Pascale]

You'll find one! I'm not even quite 5'0" and have found comfort, hybrid, road and mountain bikes to fit me. Did I have to visit several bike shops? YOU BET! But it was worth it. Only once did I get on a bike that fit me right away, too - everything else needed to be tweaked a bit I had to drive to a town about 50 miles away to find my road bike (and I'm in a large metro area, so there were lots of bike shops within 20 miles), so don't be afraid to call around and see what sizes they have in stock and drive a bit, it'll be worth it! Good luck!

[inkspot]

Welcome!

I am a bigger gal myself, and at 5'4 I am very comfortable on my 52cm frame. I'm sure you will find a great fit - IMO it all has to do with getting knowledgeable and patient service. I second all the advice given on trying a variety of bike shops until you find one where the staff will go out of their way to make sure you find what you need! When I purchased my cyclocross bike the guys at my LBS took the time to pull out every bike they had that might fit, they measured, adjusted, tweaked, and even got other staff opinions to make sure I had the best fit possible. They even offered to order in anything I was interested in trying if I didn't find a good fit with what they had in stock.

Another benefit to finding an LBS with great service is the support and kindness that comes with getting to know them well. When I expressed concern about my size when purchasing my bike, they were able to (gently) ask relevant questions, give me honest, helpful answers, and otherwise reassure me that my bike wouldn't fail me! Now when I stop in, they know me by name, are genuinely interested in my progress with cycling and how well my bike is working, and often have news about stock that they specially ordered thinking about me and some of the challenges I have in finding the right gear and clothing.

I wish you all the best in your search for the right fit!

[Trek420]

I'm 5'1", my road bikes have been approx 47 cm, I test rode a Surly LHT at 42 cm and loved it. OTOH with some adaption such as shorter stem I've ridden bikes in the 51 cm range. It's all about the fit and the shop that fits you.

[sarahspins]

I've been to a reputable bike shop, but couldn't find a bike that I could stand over and put my feet on the ground. The shortest I found was 44 cm.

There is SO much more to bike fit than standover height... I would personally question if you could be comfortable on a 44cm frame at your height. I would think that you would essentially be all scrunched up when you ride on a frame that small. I am only a little taller and I ride a 47cm felt (which fits more like a 50-52cm frame in other brands) and I don't think I could ride anything smaller. I have long legs and a short torso though.. so standover height was never an issue for me.. I am sure I could "clear" frames that are way too big... but they definitely wouldn't fit.

I think the women of TE are a real testament to wide range of frame sizes that fit people of similar heights.. but the key is that you need a frame that is the right size for *you* - not necessarily someone else the same height (or weight, or whatever). If you visited a bike shop and they're basing your frame size on standover height alone, I'd go find another shop.