# Bicycles



## kayrae (Sep 16, 2008)

Hi ladies, I live in the city and am thinking about buying a bike as a means of transportation. I think this bike is cute: http://mikesbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=1468

I'm worried about my weight and riding a bike. Does anyone have any tips for picking out a good sturdy bike? I'm 235-lbs.


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## Tad (Sep 16, 2008)

kayrae said:


> Hi ladies, I live in the city and am thinking about buying a bike as a means of transportation. I think this bike is cute: http://mikesbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=1468
> 
> I'm worried about my weight and riding a bike. Does anyone have any tips for picking out a good sturdy bike? I'm 235-lbs.



My wife was biking lots at your size, on a pretty standard bike. For that matter neither her nor I are all that much lighter than you now, and we each log probably a thousand miles on our bikes each year, with pretty normal bikes.

Two things to look at: 
- you probably want to change the seat, and get one that is more comfortable for you. In particular there are seats designed for women, cut out down the centre of the tongue, to keep weight off of, umm, delicate parts. Don't want to be numb there! Also one wide enough in the back to give you a comfortable sitting position.

- You probably want either a mountain bike or a hybrid. I'd lean towards the hybrid. They look a lot alike, but hybrids have somewhat narrower tires (which inflate to a higher pressure, so give you an easier ride). More critically, on a pure mountain bike the seat is a little more over the peddles, on a hybrid it is a little farther back. Unless you need that vertical position for crazy hill climbing, being a little farther back is probably more comfortable and easier on the knees.

Pretty much the rest is standard bike stuff, that any good store should be able to tell you. Do shop around and find someone that you feel comfortable talking to about it!

Also, there have been a number of threads about biking over the years, so if you do a search you should find more advice.

ETA: if you city is not really flat, then you'll want a good range of gears. It is not so much how many gears, as how much variety there is in their sizing. For example, on the physically largest cog on the back wheel you can get a somewhat oversized one put on, giving you an extra low gear for going up hills, which is very handy for bigger folks.


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## Risible (Sep 16, 2008)

Kayrae, there is at least one thread, perhaps more, on plus-size bikes here in the Health forum - be sure to look them up!


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## knottyknicky (Sep 16, 2008)

Biking at 235 should be fine, just get a wider seat if its more comfortable for you. Thats my biggest issue, my bike seat KILLS ME...but I know its not just me, my skinny friends say the same thing 


I'd be terrified to bike in SF though, personally. Biking in Portland was scary enough!


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## Tad (Sep 16, 2008)

knottyknicky said:


> Biking at 235 should be fine, just get a wider seat if its more comfortable for you. Thats my biggest issue, my bike seat KILLS ME...but I know its not just me, my skinny friends say the same thing
> 
> 
> I'd be terrified to bike in SF though, personally. Biking in Portland was scary enough!



Forget terrified, I can't imagine dealing with those hills! (well, I guess there are flatter parts of the city too).

Biking in traffic gets easier with practice. If is like people first driving in the city who grew up in the country, at first it seems crazy, but most adapt.


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## Tracy (Sep 17, 2008)

Kayrae, the bike that I purchased is a Trek Navigator and with me being 5'9 and 265lbs. it fits my fat butt just fine. My advice would be to check around at local bike shops. The people who work at these shops should be trained to help you in finding the right bike that fits your needs in regards to weight and height.  

View attachment navigator.jpg


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## fatchicksrockuk (Sep 17, 2008)

I used to ride pretty seriously offroad at about 200-220..pretty much any bike should easily be sturdy enough. I remember a British mountain biker racer who was 6'4 and 280 lbs. Mountain bikes are built very strong and will take a lot of punishment!


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## HottiMegan (Sep 17, 2008)

I'm 350 and did just fine for years on a Schwinn mountain bike. The kind you can get preassembled at Toys R Us. I'm now looking into saving up for a decent Trek bike. At your weight, you probably don't need to worry about a bike supporting you. The kind of bike you want to more worry about is the kind that will fit your needs. A street bike would probably suit you more in the city. My husband commutes, on occasion, with a mountain bike and he can really feel it's limitations on the road vs trails. But you may want a set of off road tires because the bay area has a TON of great bike trails!
I also whole heartedly second the idea of a wider seat, it's wonderful to have a wide cushy seat!! It's still very normal to have a sore butt for a couple of weeks after you start biking though.


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## stan_der_man (Sep 17, 2008)

Here are a couple of threads that have discussed this topic:

http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39009&highlight=bicycles

http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29011&highlight=bicycles


Personally, I prefer bicycles with fatter trail tires (like mountain bikes) or balloon tires (like what beach cruisers have) for the softer ride. I also like to have "thorn proof" inner tubes, not only to protect against road hazards, but also because they can hold more weight. Fat tires don't glide as smoothly on city streets (as I presume that is the type of riding you will be doing in The City...) but they are less likely to get wedged in rain gutters or other grooves you may encounter in typical roadways. Also, since you will be riding in SF, good brakes will be important (disc brakes are better as opposed to calipers or coaster brakes...) as will a bicycle that has a granny gear for climbing hills. Your bicycle doesn't necessarily have to be that expensive, many of the bicycles they sell at Target stores are more than adequate. I do also recommend a good padded seat (or gel seat cover...) if you haven't ridden for a while. Getting a sore butt while riding is a common symptom most people have returning to cycling as an adult....


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## kayrae (Sep 18, 2008)

Thanks for the links, Stan. And for everyone's advice as well.


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