Overweight issues

[faroe78]

Mary,
Congrats on all the great weight loss and all you are trying to do to get healthy! I'm planning to get a bike next month. I'd do it this month, but I havet to get air conditioners for my house--it gets soooo hot here in the summer, and the 9 fans don't cut it.
That said, the next big purchase will be a bicycle. Reading your post just solidified that idea all over again!
I went to visit my family back in Iowa once, and I had gained weight, and you could just see the looks on their faces. No one said a word, but there was that "attitude", for lack of a better word, a hesitation. None of them are skinny, but I somehow felt as if I repulsed them a bit. I am doing this all for me, to be healthy etc, but also I want to see their faces when they see the new smaller me! The one that might actually look good in bike shorts!
Anyway, congratulations on a job well done! You're doing it, and you're grandkids will be proud of you.
Susan

[faroe78]

Does anyone here wear special bike clothes? How do you find them? And I mean bike clothes in what I call size Fat A--. I can't see me in spandex right now, if ever. But it seems to me, I'll want to get something with the padded crotch, so I don't kill my butt or vaginal area either one. I can just see that: "I can't come to work, my vag hurts!" "Just waddle in, Susan, we need you!"
I have T-shirts, that I think will be OK. At least they won't show every bump and roll.
Suggestions, anyone? You've been there, I haven't. YET!!
Susan

[mary9761]

I do wear bike shorts and jerseys and all of my gear except for one jersey, I made myself. I don't have chamois in any of my shorts but I do have a large comfort seat on my bike. One of the keys to comfort is NO UNDERWEAR. I thought ewww, dunno 'bout that, but every time I wear street clothes now I remember WHY. We may not look as pretty in spandex, I think I look like baby shamu most of the time myself, but comfort definitely makes the difference.
When I think there's a possibility [now that the heat is building again] of chafing I make sure I put chamois butt'r on in the creases where your saddle will make contact with your sit bones or where your legs may rub the seat. Chafing is a big problem for riders at times and this WILL make a difference. If you are having problems with excess soreness in the seat area, you may need to have your seat adjusted. There's a possibility your saddle nose is too high if you are having specifically vaginal pain, you may be putting way too much pressure on the soft tissue area. Granted we are larger so we may not be as comfortable on a road bike [I'll likely put my comfort seat on a road bike until I lose more weight and get used to the difference in HOW you sit on the bike too] but for now, I may be a slug compared to my roadie buds, but I keep peddling. Between a nearly 50# bike and 265# of rider, I'm not made for speed yet, BUT when I get on a road bike, my legs are going to be stronger for it.
Good luck

[mrsh]

Faroe - I would suggest trying to find yourself some of the stuff Louis Garneau makes. They have larger women's sizes I'm currently sporting Cameleon shorts, they are pretty comfy, don't have to be seen in spandex and have a nice pad. For jersey's (need the back pocket) I just buy a guys and go bigger I like having them a little baggy.

[Bad JuJu]

Also check out Terry's plus-size biking clothes. Her stuff is a bit pricey, but I've found it very comfortable. Having said that, I only have a couple of the older jerseys in plus sizes--never tried the plus-sized shorts. Terry also makes a cycling knicker (capri length), which is nice when you don't want to be seen in shorts--here in Florida, they're three-season wear (too hot for summer, though).
Also look for Mt. Borah clothes--they make jerseys and I think shorts too in plus sizes.

Having said that, I often just wear a t-shirt if I'm going out for a short ride--an hour or less. You can sometimes find t-shirts in wicking fabrics these days. It's nicer to have a jersey with the pockets, but there are ways to do without the pockets--tiny handlebar bag, little fanny pack, etc.

Closing thought: dress for your comfort, not the comfort of someone who may be looking and not care for what they see--that's their problem, not yours.

[Geonz]

when I picked my first "real" bike I went to all the bike shops - though in Richmond VA there were only four or five. I was looking for what felt good to ride, and the Bianchi at the last bike shop felt the best of all.
I thought maybe it felt better because wtih all those test rides I was just riding better so I went back and tested some more, but they weren't better. So I went back to the Bianchi, which had been sold and I couldn't afford this year's model.
I asked the guys why it would feel so much better and they said the stem was at a different angle, and they popped a Bianchi stem off and put it on a Giant. Voila! It was the magic proportion!
I think it comes down to finding the bike shop people who will listen and help.
Had experiences like Pachyderm's, though - I recommended that Virginia shop to somebody, who went out there and got a different person who informed him that no, he did *not* want a hybrid, he wanted... YUK! (and I'm not sure, but I think *this* may have been the owner, and I worked with the employees, who were "just" biker - types who wanted to share the fun in whatever way I wanted to get started!)
There are a whole lot more options now, which is good but more complicated! I like my 7500FX a lot - still hybrid, but light and as fast as I want to go.
Pachy, I hope also that the fearless manager had a few words with the other guy about using those two appendages on the side of one's head, not just the hole wiht the tongue flapping around in it.

[faroe78]

when I picked my first "real" bike I went to all the bike shops - though in Richmond VA there were only four or five........I think it comes down to finding the bike shop people who will listen and help.
Had experiences like Pachyderm's, though - I recommended that Virginia shop to somebody, who went out there and got a different person who informed him that no, he did *not* want a hybrid, he wanted... YUK!

I went to another bike shop today. This one is down the street and around the corner from me--a little further than that, but pretty close. Guy was trying to sell me on a Giant Suede--or was it Specialist. It was a doofy looking comfort bike. Now, maybe that would be best for me, I don't know, the store was closing soon, I'd got there late, and didn't have time to take it for a test drive. I know the whole point is not looks, but even so. Some of those "women's" bikes look like they belong to a 12 year old girl. I'm a 46 year old woman. But I now have 2 more catalogs to look at.
I'm going back to REI tomorrow, as they are having a bike class for women. Then I am going to check out some other bike shops. I really want to get a bike in the next month. There are lots of bike shops in this area to scout out. I don't know if I said, but I live in Springfield OR, right next to Eugene, and both are quite bike friendly towns. I see cyclists all the time, and it would be weird not to see them. And there are all kinds of them. Some for the environment, some for their health, and some because they're poor and that's how they get around. I've seen a lot of homeless people with bikes. I've never lived anywhere where I saw so many adults riding bicycles. It's kewl. But I digress......I am going to do some serious bike shopping tomorrow.
Susan

[jeannierides]

I think it comes down to finding the bike shop people who will listen and help.

Sue, I'm curious about the bike shop you went to in Richmond... I live in Richmond & have had some not so great experiences at a couple of them. The worst of which is the new Performance Bike store that just opened!

[Brina]

there are underwear that have a chamois that you can put on under any shorts. They sell them here at TE.