Can a Fat Lady Ride

[bikerchick68]

yes, yes, yes... YOU CAN!

Look... I'm not fat. I'm not skinny. I AM 165 lbs of muscle. My first ride hurt. Bad. I did 10 miles and was sure the Grim Reaper was staring in the front window as I lay on my couch trying to recover... I didn't move for almost 4 hours.

Fast forward 3 years. I ignored the naysayers... I beat the odds. At 165 lbs and 5'7" I have ridden NINE centuries. I can climb any hill I want. I can ride as far as I want. I feel stronger than many other "skinny" women... because tho I am heavier I am also solid... and many of them are soft.

I will never be soft again. I will never be "skinny" by societies standards... and I don't care. I am damned proud of my achievements. I look forward to you joining me... and you will if YOU believe it.

[CorsairMac]

*looks around* hmmmmm I don't see any fat ladies here. I DO see a lot of women that ride bikes and love every minute of it! OK..so your first ride in how many years your heart was pounding, you were breathing in gasps, and you felt like a bag of wet cement and you rode last time when??......it's not the weight it's the amount of physical fitness and right now yours is a little lower than it used to be! And you were on a SS with coaster brakes!!! You ROCK!!!! My first time back on a bike I was NOT going to ride anything less than 18 speeds coz I was KNEW I wasn't going to be going anywhere fast!!! Welcome to the wonderful world of cycling!!

If you get a chance wander on over to the "getting to know you thread' and tell us a little bit more about yourself while you learn more about us than most of our mothers know!!

Then hop back on that bike and go kick some skinny booty!!

[CR400]

You go girl!!!!

Everyday you ride even for 10 min. is 10 more towards your goal if its loosing weight or riding farther. Trust me you can go out and ride your bike.

I am a bit younger then you but I started out riding my bike at 240 pounds and I still have a ways to go at 178 but I'll make that 145-150 yet.

My first ride on my Cannondale was eight miles and only averaged 11.92mph. A month later I did my first 50 mile ride and every good sized hill I came to I had to walk. One of them I got down into my lowest gear and 10 feet up the hill I couldn't move the cranks. I was to heavy for my legs to get me up the hill. The next big hill I didn't even try to climb, it was huge and looked almost straight up, it was like a 10% grade. The third hill I was able to climb half way then had to get off becaue it was straining the cranks to get up. The fourth I made up it was more of a shallow grade.

Fast forward six months. Get down to 185 and climb the first hill on my 42 chain ring. (the second ring on what they call a triple crankset). A year later I climbed that second hill with no problem. Now I can climb whatever I want if I take my time. I'm still not a fast climber but capable.

So get out there and ride, and when you get down to 200lbs or less then you can see who's laughing at who.