Giant riders..not the brand either

[t'kay]

I'm 6 ft and my license says I weigh 280... I'm just getting into riding again. A friend of mine gave my husband, 6'6" 360 some old trek bike that I ooksride everywhere I can. I want to ride harder, faster and more crazy and I don't know anyone who can teach me. So to get around to my questions. A) as a humongous women should I just go with any bike that fits or does it really make a difference for fit with female specific bikes? B) are there any good books I should read or workshops I should attend? I'm in Portland, OR C) Anyone know where I can go ride and crash (I'm pretty damn clumsy being a giant) without too much mockery or concern? I have other questions but they'll come up over time.

[Susan]

Whether you need a women specific geometry or not depends on your body type. Womens bikes are often built to fit riders with long legs vs. a short torso. There are men who need that specific geometry too, and there are women who fit well on a mens bike.

I am not tall, but ride a mens bike (in small size) with no problems. If you have trouble finding womens bikes for your size, but would need a womens geometry, you can still do a lot by for example changing the seat post and stem.

It's best to find a good bike shop and testride some bikes. They should know which bikes could fit you and how they can adjust them to your needs.


Generally, mountainbiking is very much learning by doing. No other mountainbiker has ever mocked me for being clumsy, and many have been very helpful when I started riding.
In the beginning I learned a lot by practising skills in empty parking lots. Some sort of bike clinic can do a lot for your skills too, it helps if someone can tell you what you are doing wong and how to correct it. There was another thread not long ago where some women talked about their experiences in one of those bike clinics.

[Irulan]

There is a clydesdale/athena forum at the mountain bike forums at www.mtbr.com You might get lots of useful info there.

http://forums.mtbr.com/clydesdales-tall-riders

[Biciclista]

I don't see where you said that you were doing MTB riding. If you are comfortable on the bike you are on, keep riding it. Taller women tend to fit into men's bikes better than us shorter gals, so you might just be fine. Ride like the wind, find some nice bike trails. The more you ride, the less you will fall. good luck!

[Bethany1]

I'm 5'10" and can fit on a WSD or a men's bike. Most important thing to any bike is that it fits right. If your Trek bike fits you can do what you want.

It also depends on what kind of riding you plan to do..street or mountain. You might like a 29er MTB (tires that are 29 inches instead of 26) if you are looking into a mountain bike. 26 MTB are almost too small for me. Check your LBS if you are wanting a new bike or needing to see if your bike fits.

Some great books that I've picked up are "Bicycling Bliss" by Portia H. Masterson, "New Cyclist Handbook", "Bike For Life", "Serious Cycling" and a mountain bike book I have on my Kindle, but can't find to give you the title.

Crashing is part of learning. Last crash was a couple of days ago while going up a steep hill, tried to change to a lower gear and the chain came off as I was going too slow. Ended up on the side of the road. Sigh. I still have a giant bruise from trying to do a wheelie on my MTB in my back yard 3 weeks ago. I can at least get my front tire up more than a couple of inches now. Grass is the best place to fall but stay off of busy roads if falling is a concern.

You'd have to check your LBS for any kind of classes. If you have local bike trails, go out for rides. Most people are very kind if you fall off. Let the mean people laugh..their turn will come. The important part is that you are having fun. Make sure you have a helmet. It has saved my head many times this summer.

[Irulan]

I don't see where you said that you were doing MTB riding.

OP posted in Mountain Biking....

Portland's MTB club is P.O.R.N Portland Off Road Nuts or something like that.

[Bethany1]

LOL. I didn't see the Mountain Biking part. The books are still good references even though they weren't made for mountain biking. YouTube has some great videos on mountain bike skills. I had to Homer Drool on some of the beautiful places these guys live at while watching them.

Found my Kindle. The book is Mastering Mountain Bike Skills 2nd Edition by Brian Lopez.

[Trek420]

BTW, welcome to TE!

A) as a humongous women should I just go with any bike that fits or does it really make a difference for fit with female specific bikes?

Most WSD bikes whether road or mountain have the short or shorter rider in mind. That does not mean you won't need one or even aspects of WSD with a standard mens bike. Have you had your bike fit to you? If you're feeling clumsy that could be why you feel that way and not just because of height. Best to check with a local shop.

B) are there any good books I should read or workshops I should attend? I'm in Portland, OR

Portland's very bike friendly. Ask at your LBS (local bike shop) which clubs they recommend. Check the clubs schedule for rides listed as "no drop". Those will be more newby rider friendly, supportive.

You also might find or start a ride here! Check the regional section to find TE members in your area.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=51

C) Anyone know where I can go ride and crash (I'm pretty damn clumsy being a giant) without too much mockery or concern? I have other questions but they'll come up over time.

I'm a roadie, so I don't ride to crash although MTB'ers may seek that out. I refer you to answer B for rides for new/newer riders.

[Eden]

BTW, welcome to TE!

I think the forum change may have dredged up some ooooold threads the OP (and the last time she posted) and last reply on this one was Oct of last year.

[radacrider]

Welcome to TE! Portland has quite a few MTB type orgs and clubs, some have workshops and such to help riders improve.

NW Trails Alliance (http://nw-trail.org/) might be a good starting point.