Looking for Newbies with a large amt of weight to lose..

[robinmary]

I live in Plymouth, in fact I live on a bike loop. Let me know next time your in the area.

[Tuckervill]

Plymouth, VT?

My son is going to camp at Farm & Wilderness camp in September. I'm thinking of driving him up there, and bringing my bikes. My friend has a house near Brattleboro and we will probably stay there while my son is at camp.

I would be interested in knowing some cool places to ride around there!

Karen

[rivergrl]

LoriO,
If you don't mind me asking...was the knee problem caused from riding or was it something you were already dealing with prior to riding?

I'm just wondering if some of you experienced knee issues ONLY after taking up riding or if those of you who do have knee problems had the problems before taking up the hobby. My Mother has really bad arthritis in both knees and has had knee replacements. I'm wondering if me taking up riding will HELP me fend off arthritis in my knees or will riding cause me to have knee issues sooner? I'm hoping by strenthening my legs and losing some weight that I won't get down in my knees early in life. Arthritis runs in my famiily so I'm worried that I may be doing more harm than good by cycling. I'm 35 and I'd hate to have to give it up.

[Kano]

rivergrl, I think that our joints were meant to be used, and the harm comes from using them too hard, you know? The way I understand cycling is that it's not weight bearing, so doesn't really stress our knee joints like running does -- pounding on them, you know?

We can probably do some damage when we "hammer," but if I'm guessing correctly, that's more to the connecting tissues surrounding the joint itself than to the "padding" that's in there keeping friction from happening.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that using our joints, which are self-lubricating, is what stimulates our bodies to produce more of the lubricants that keeps them moving smoothly! (then again, there's my fingers, and you'd think...)

Karen in Boise

[LoriO]

LoriO,
If you don't mind me asking...was the knee problem caused from riding or was it something you were already dealing with prior to riding?

I'm just wondering if some of you experienced knee issues ONLY after taking up riding or if those of you who do have knee problems had the problems before taking up the hobby. My Mother has really bad arthritis in both knees and has had knee replacements. I'm wondering if me taking up riding will HELP me fend off arthritis in my knees or will riding cause me to have knee issues sooner? I'm hoping by strenthening my legs and losing some weight that I won't get down in my knees early in life. Arthritis runs in my famiily so I'm worried that I may be doing more harm than good by cycling. I'm 35 and I'd hate to have to give it up.

Don't mind you asking at all!! I don't think the bike riding contributed to it but more the horseback riding and just general wear and tear, not to mention I'm sure the weight didn't help either. My knee would hurt so bad after horseback riding that I would have to hold on to my horse for a minute or two after dismounting until I could stand on it. It finally got so bad I couldn't sleep so that pushed me to go see a DR and do something about it.

I was lucky that there surprisingly wasn't a tear but a lot of gunk plugging up the joint and a lot of imflammed crap in there. Got the Roto Rotor job and have been much better since!


Robin. You are on for that ride!!!! WHOO HOOOOOO

[poetcomic]

hi everyone, this is Doreen. I just found y'all today. I won a really nice bike last year and have been too chicken to get on it. I haven't been on a bike since I was a kid - that was a 1-speed about 35 years and 70 pounds ago!

I have a helmet, but nothing else yet. What are my "must haves"?

Reading thru these posts has been very encouraging!

I just started eating better last week and have lost 4 pounds. I am diabetic and by not behaving, got thisclose to needing insulin. I just don't wanna go there. I am following the GI eating plan and using fitday.com as my log.

At my heaviest, I was 252 - that was about 2 years ago (I'm 5'8"). I am now at 222. I would like to be 199 by New Year's. I am looking at it in 25 pound segments because getting to my goal is too intimidating otherwise.

I'm looking forward to "meeting" everyone.

[rivergrl]

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad your knee is feeling much better.

Happy riding!

[robinmary]

There is a parking area on the other side of Woodward Reservior (the lake F&W is on). From there go right about 2 miles North on 100 to route 4 east take a right and travel 5 miles (this part of the ride has the most traffic but the shoulder is wide) to route 100 A. Turn right onto 100A (the bridge is out so wait for the light) On 100A ride 7 miles mostly a long slow up hill with a big downhill at the end (are your brakes good?). Oh and the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge is along 100A if you want to stop for some history. Then make a right at the bottom of the hill back onto Rt. 100 and ride aproximately 6 miles back to your parking spot.

Total about 18 miles with hills.
Happy Riding

[LoriO]

There is a parking area on the other side of Woodward Reservior (the lake F&W is on). From there go right about 2 miles North on 100 to route 4 east take a right and travel 5 miles (this part of the ride has the most traffic but the shoulder is wide) to route 100 A. Turn right onto 100A (the bridge is out so wait for the light) On 100A ride 7 miles mostly a long slow up hill with a big downhill at the end (are your brakes good?). Oh and the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge is along 100A if you want to stop for some history. Then make a right at the bottom of the hill back onto Rt. 100 and ride aproximately 6 miles back to your parking spot.

Total about 18 miles with hills.
Happy Riding

Great! We have a little place we like to stay at that is just down the road from there in Bridgewater just down the road from Long Trail Ale and behind the Bridgewater Mill stores. I love that area!