Can Someone Give Me Direction

[Serious1]

I would like to start riding again for weight loss and know that their are a lot of different styles of bicycles out there. I am about 6' tall and at 230 lbs.(female) can anyone lead me in the right direction as far as styles/names. I want to start riding with my friends that are group riding. Riding through certain areas of town that have hills, some are long routes and some aren't. I would appreciate any info...

[Pedal Wench]

If you're trying to stay with friends on group rides, it would be beneficial to be on a similar type of bike. Since they'll know the types of riding they're doing, you could ask them. If they're all on hybrids, or ride occasionally on dirt trails, you'll want the same kind of bike. If they're all on road bikes, that's what you should get. Hope that helps!

[beccaB]

I really like my hybrid because it's a great starter bike , but still faster than what I had before. It allows me to go off the road which I do by mistake sometimes. I will eventually graduate to a faster road bike, but I really like this one for now, a Trek 7.3fx.

[Dogmama]

Ditto on checking what others are riding. A good bike shop is a must. You need to be fitted correctly. As a newbie, it might be difficult to discern what is correct. Ride lots of different bikes.

You might want to be modest in your first expenditure, since you are new. If you decide you love it, you can always upgrade to a better bike & keep your first one as a commuter.

Watch the overzealous salespeople. I almost bought a bike that was a steal except it didn't fit me at all. It just felt weird - I was too stretched out. Later, I realized that I would never have fit on that bike - it was too big. The salesman was anxious to move it out of inventory and kept telling me that I'd get used to it. Wrong. That is another reason for a good bike shop.

Good luck & welcome!

[tc1]

Steel frames are much more comfortable than aluminum. They flex. I am 5'10" and 250 lbs, and my bike is a Rodriguez steel frame road bike.

[boy in a kilt]

It's the frame builder, not the material. Rodriguez makes a really comfortable frame.

[dex]

I'm 5'5" and 235 lbs.--short legs, long torso. I like steel. I also like aluminum. I've never ridden full carbon, but I bet if I found the right frame, I'd probably like it too. It's all about the geometry, the fit, and how the frame is made. My commuter is an older steel road bike (1980's Novara Strada). My "fun" bike is a newer aluminum singlespeed ('06 Giant Bowery). And my long-distance/go fast bike is a newer aluminum road bike ('07 LeMond Reno). *shrug* They all fit well, they're all comfortable, and they all have sturdy wheels...and that's pretty much my main concern when it comes to bikes these days.

[pll]

Careful! At the low end of the sprectrum, some bikes are made of steel, but they are very heavy. I have a Giant hybrid (my beater bike, bought in '03) that seems to be made of lead.

Steel frames are much more comfortable than aluminum. They flex. I am 5'10" and 250 lbs, and my bike is a Rodriguez steel frame road bike.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It's the frame builder, not the material. Rodriguez makes a really comfortable frame.

It's a combination of many things, actually.
Aluminum 'in general' gives a harsher ride than steel.
And of course no frame is comfortable if it doesn't fit right.

Serious1- it might be good for you to consider exactly what biking can do for you.
Yes you can lose weight if you increase your activity level overall and don't increase your calorie intake along with it. But by riding a bike frequently you may also gain muscle (muscle is heavier than fat) and you'll increase heart/lung health, improve circulation, plus many other benefits- mental, emotional, and physical. Many overweight women start biking and when they don't lose a bunch of weight right away they get discouraged and stop. Actually, what is happening is that they are losing some fat and gaining some muscle and their body shape is starting change. I don't weigh a whole lot less than when I started biking but I sure am shaped differently! Woo-HOOOO!

Biking offers so much more than just the weight thing- it will give you a whole FITTER and HEALTHIER life. Dropping excess weight will likely follow naturally as you slowly improve your whole lifestyle.
All this can start with just a few little bike rides each week- they can be as short as just around the block a few times or like 1 mile down the road and then 1 mile back. Try to enjoy your riding and keep it fun and do-able....that way you won't hate it and stop....you'll love it and want to do it more!
Good for you wanting to make healthy changes!

[Pedal Wench]

Biking offers so much more than just the weight thing- it will give you a whole FITTER and HEALTHIER life. Dropping excess weight will likely follow naturally as you slowly improve your whole lifestyle.
All this can start with just a few little bike rides each week.

That's a great point. It becomes part of your lifestyle, and you make healthier choices because of it. I would love to pig out on sugary stuff, but I know that the sugar crash will keep me from riding strong. The day before a ride, I have to watch what i eat so that I'll sleep well and won't have a heavy stomach from fried foods. I look at everything through the eyes of a cyclist -- will this help or hinder my riding.

Good luck serious1!

[Geonz]

+1 on what BleeckerSt said.

I started with a steel hybrid ... still have it and ride it lots but have a go-fast bicycle too. Start with a bike that feels good NOW.

[alpinerabbit]

hit-and-run? troll? I dunno....

[TxDoc]

I would like to start riding again for weight loss and know that their are a lot of different styles of bicycles out there. I am about 6' tall and at 230 lbs.(female) can anyone lead me in the right direction as far as styles/names. I want to start riding with my friends that are group riding. Riding through certain areas of town that have hills, some are long routes and some aren't. I would appreciate any info...

Do your friends ride mainly on the road or on the trails? If you can be a little more specific about what you would like to do with this bicycle, maybe we can give you some better suggestions.

[TxDoc]

hit-and-run? troll? I dunno....

Ooops! Now I'm confused about trolls again...

Ok, I'm doing more homework in the meantime... here, directly from Wikipedia:
"An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial and usually irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of baiting other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion."
So... do you have to cause conflicts or offend someone to be a troll, or is any off-topic poster a troll?

[Flur]

Trolls are generally looking for trouble. I'm not sure why that's mentioned here though...