Hi Teppi,

There are a lot of larger women riding road bikes and doing well. Oxysback is one example. I weighed more myself too, though not as much currently. The road bike allows you to do the distance. The weight is mostly a factor on the climbing because the more weight you pedal up the hills, the slower you will be, and the slower your overall average speed will be.

Yeserday, with my cycling buddy, I did the same event ride as Oxysback. My GPS Garmin said there was 3354 feet of climbing. In 2007 I finished that ride with a 13.3 average. Yesterday I weighed a lot less and I finished the ride with an average of 14 mph, so you can see how the weight loss is effective for getting up the steep grades more quickly.

If you want to put in the distance, you will need a road bike. The right saddle will make you comfortable. I use the same Brooks saddle as Oxysback and I rarely experience any discomfort. Trust me, your weight won't be a factor on a road bike except for on the hills. Get fitted to the bike properly, have the right saddle, wear the right clothes, learn how to fuel yourself before, during and after the ride, and you will be able to do the distance.

Darcy