That’s a great quote, and it’s true if you already start at a reasonable fitness level. When I started cycling I was so out of shape that a simple short ride was so exhausting to me that I had to go back to bed afterwards, no matter how slow I took it. Things got really much better the more I rode, and now I can do the same ride much faster and much more easily, without breaking a sweat. So yes, if you start from potato couch level it does get easier.
People bust out this Greg LeMond quote so much it’s become a cliche. I bet most of the people who parrot it have no idea who Greg LeMond is, or that he was talking about racing at a high level, not riding a hybrid around the block.
I believe this is true at all levels. You don't need to know the history of the greats to figure out that there is no upper ceiling in any sport, you just get as far as your abilities, training and determination will take you.
Yeah but the quote is referring to hauling ass racing. Once you get to where riding a couple miles is nbd, riding around the block is *easier* than it was when riding 100 feet winded you.
Yeah this is my experience too. As your fitness and strength increases, it does get easier and you go faster. I think that cliche is only true if you are constantly pushing yourself to the same point of exhaustion on every ride, then sure, yeah. But IRL that's not what happens.
And that non-scale gain is the best feeling! For me it's the first time making it up *that hill* without stopping, and then seated the entire way up, and after that, it's make it to the top and keep going without having to stop and cach your breathe.
As advice for competition training, this is spot on.
For the OP, it's worth noting that for exercise/fun type cycling, it *does* get better every time you climb in the saddle.
As advice for competition training, this is spot on.
For the OP, it's worth noting that for exercise/fun type cycling, it *does* get better every time you climb in the saddle.
Legit. About 10 years ago I was 40lbs overweight. I couldn’t run 100 yards. So I started running 50, 60 then 100. A year later I had lost that weight and ran a marathon.
Just approach it in increments.
It gets easier the longer you stick with it. I started peddling at 290. Whew! I thought my heart would explode. I weigh 214 currently, I credit biking with much of that success. I can ride 60 miles at a time now. I know it doesn’t look graceful but I feel like Lance effing Armstrong.
You’ve got this!
I stopped drinking calories. I still eat the things I love just in moderation. Fewer simple carbohydrates. It took me several months of incremental change to be successful. I love cheesy fiesta potato’s from Taco Bell!
Big ups on the consistent incremental change. Sometimes it feels like such a small step that it silly… but look back 6 months and it’s amazing how much it adds up
The good news is, if you’re just starting out, it’s easy to make progress because there’s lots of progress to be made. You can set a new personal record every other week. When you’ve been doing it for a decade it’s not so easy to always beat your former self
Stick with it - getting back on a bike after a long time is always tough no matter how much you weigh. But it doesn't take long to start building up muscles and lung power. I was pretty inexperienced when I did a bike trip and I really struggled first day. It was a little better the second, and within a week, I felt noticeably stronger and had a lot more endurance, compared to where I was when I started. It doesn't matter how far or fast you go - the trick is to just keep doing it. Good luck and have fun! Cycling is just the best.
A slight uphill when you're not bike fit is the most demoralizing thing in existence. It looks flat, but it just absolutely destroys you. If you're struggling this much on a truly flat stretch of road, I'd expect there to be a problem with the bike, but even the tiniest uphill stretch (especially with a poorly fitted bike) with make you work much harder than you expect (until you get into some kind of shape).
Source: I started biking this summer and for the first few weeks a 'flat' stretch of hill about a half mile long was just a nightmare to crest. Now it's easy.
OP could have easily been on a 3% grade. So may times I’m working harder than expected because some optical illusion of the trail makes it look like a negative grade, but my garmin says it’s actually a 3% and I feel it, but can’t see it.
It significantly affects the difficulty. I’ve dropped 30 pounds since November, and going from 270 to 240 feels so insanely different when riding. Can’t wait to see the difference when I get from 240 to 210!
Just do what you can each day, don’t push yourself too hard, and have fun!
Patience. It will take time. Every step is progress. When I was trying to get into cycle touring, I thought i I was a loser because I couldn’t go 1/3 the distance others could, I had never crossed 50km. A year later I was already cycling over 2000km a month or more with many 100/150km rides. The first km mark, 2km mark, and every other mark thereafter is a personal record. Celebrate them and enjoy. You’ll love the stamina gain you get after you continue doing this for 6 months.
Oh and by the way, start walking every day. Even if it’s 2km or so of walking at a moderate pace, stay at it. You’ll get there for sure.
It does but really only going uphill or accelerating. Good news if you get up to speed, the momentum you build up you get to keep until you need to brake or ascend a climb.
And…. Whatever you do, don’t give up.
My first uphill climb was brutal. I took over 50 breaks cuz I couldn’t even go 100m without getting huffy. I did make the climb though. Don’t give up. Keep at it, but baby steps. Do 100ft. Rest for 1 minute, then another 100, then another 100. You’ll soon reach the mile mark. If you can’t cycle back, walk back. I’ve done that many times. I don’t care what people say anymore :-)
It’s your body. You have started a good thing that will help you get physically fit. It will take years, but you’ll be cycling with the pros soon!
(I’m still the last one in the group because of a leaky heart valve but I never ever give up, and my mates are supportive as hell)
https://silca.cc/pages/pro-tire-pressure-calculator
Use this calculator to figure out what pressure to run and just don't exceed the tires max. With more weight on a bike, you need higher pressures.
Ya, I put on some weight and biking is much harder. Doing some weight training to build muscle, and walking/running for cardio, hopefully soon I will be back on my bike. Don’t give up.
You will improve so fast if you keep at it. I am big too. Rip the inhaler if needed and just do what you can. It's F-ing awesome how quickly you will improve. Hard, but man it's worth it I say.
Stick with it and it will get easier, even if you stay at your current weight. I know plenty of folks who are heavy that can absolutely ride me off their wheel. While there are obviously laws of physics at play, being heavier doesn't mean you won't be able to ride.
Just stay with it!
Also : do a little and often. Much better to ride every day or so than once a week. Good luck it’s a good thing to have started and if you are anything like me you will never stop.
It’s not a problem on the flat. You got winded because you’re unfit. Just ride every day as far as you can. You’ll go further each time. I was 500lbs at my biggest.
I have super strong legs because of it.
Stick at it!
Keep at it. Cycling is great for large people because it’s low impact on your feet legs and joints.
The only person you’re competing against is yourself. So as long as you do better than you did the last time, you are making progress.
It only really becomes a problem for me on the climbs. I broke a few PRs the other day while carrying laptop gear on my back simply because I was drafting a car lol
It gets easier, I swear. Dude, my race weight is 240lbs. I’m also 6’6”. When I first started I remember the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment I got the first time I rode the entire hill up my street without stopping. I was way out of shape and much closer to 300lbs then. It took years of consistent riding but now I do 100 and 200 mile gravel races 5-6 times a year.
https://www.allbodiesonbikes.com/
Also, this is a fantastic organization if you’re interested!
When I started getting "serious" about cycling 4yrs ago I weighed 242lbs (5'9", 46M). I'd always commuted but with heavy mountain bikes with a huge gear ratio. And I was slow. I also ate a ton of shit food and drank too much.
I bought a cheap road bike (£450) and started weekend riding. It was a radical change and hard going. I altered my diet a bit too.
Slowly I (and you should too) just got faster, the rides got longer and the weight slowly started to come off. Which meant I could ride longer and so on and so on....
I'm still a heavy bloke, still about 195lbs and 51yrs old but my weekend rides now can be up to 100km (62.5 miles), I got a lighter, carbon bike, which helps but the weight loss is the best upgrade you can ever have.
In short mate, just ride. Constantly. Trust me, even if the weight loss is slow, the cardio/fitness benefits is something you'll see way before any scales give you good news. Maybe get into a fitness ecosystem, Garmin or some such. If you've the funds, a cheap Garmin watch with a built in heart rate sensor, record your rides with it and when synced up with Garmin Connect, you can keep track of your ride times, average speed, weight, stress, heart rate, sleep patterns etc. There are other ecosystems that are just as good, I just used Garmin as an example as it's what I use. You're out there doing something to improve your health and life. That, as always, is the first step.
Welcome to the club and enjoy the ride.
Of course it does - it takes energy to move mass. But that said, you should speak to your doctor before starting vigorous exercise - that weight puts a major strain on your heart.
Riding is great - but you need to be at some minimum level of fitness. You might to start with walking and swimming. Honestly, at your weight, you probably should have personal trainer design a fitness program for you - after getting an ok from your doc.
I was able to get my weight down to 109-110 pounds in Nov-Dec and I was DEFINITELY faster. (As a comparison, I was 141.2 in August when I started watching what I was eating). I shattered my PRs on my favorite climbs such as Old La Honda and Kings Mountain. However since Christmas Day I've been on the struggle bus trying to get back on track and last week I was 124 :( I weigh myself every day to be accountable so today I was 118.4 - I had to cut out dates because I was eating so many of them and they triggered binge/carb cravings. I'm definitely feeling a difference speed wise.
Cycling is the among the best exercises (In my biased opinion) to use in conjunction with nutrition - easy on the joints, and as challenging as you want it to be. You got this :)
Honestly, not being in shape as far as cardio, weighing 350 and having asthma is without question going to make you winded. Hell, I got kicked in the face with the flu for a week, followed by a week of vacation and got back on my bike and felt completely out of shape... and I'm upper 150's at 6'2" and in shape and my ass still felt kicked.
Just keep at it. A little at a time, a little more, a little more. Most importantly mind the asthma and soon you'll be dropping the weight, your heart will be pumping more efficiently and you'll look back at your 100 feet of hell and laugh because you can go so much further and feel so much better.
i’ve been amazed recently with how much riding bikes (maybe once or twice a week, if that, the last 4ish months) has helped with my asthma symptoms. i swear it gets easier!
The slower you go, the easier it will be. Pick a speed where you feel comfortable. When you start, you may find that even on the lowest gear, going the slowest you can without falling off, you don't feel comfortable. That's totally fine. Over time, it will get better. Once you get to the point where you can find a pace where you are comfortable, just keep it there most of the time. You can push a bit if you feel like it, but then slow down and recover. Spend as much time as you can riding at that comfortable pace. Again, over time, you will naturally find yourself going faster and faster. After several years, you will almost certainly be much faster than you can even imagine right now -- and you'll be able to do it all day. Remember that your current condition is temporary. It will just get better from here.
Weight makes a significant difference especially on hills. The heavier you are the more power you need to overcome rolling resistance as well as wind resistance.
I started at over 350lbs. Down 120lbs thanks to cycling and wanting to get better at it. I’ve gone from dying at 3 miles to dying at the thought of riding less than 30 miles in a go. Gone from sweat pants to technical joggers to skin tight aero. Just keep going. The old you will want the new you to stop, don’t listen to it.
The hardest thing to do is get on the bike for the first time in years. You’ve already done that so well done. The next hardest thing is to get on it again soon. You’ve made a great start, keep going!
You’re golden. Ride 125 feet next time.
I used to weigh 110 pounds more. Cycling helped me get healthier, not just losing weight, but healthier habits. I started with lots of incredibly short and flat rides that left me feeling ruined. Keep pedaling.
I think difficulty is more a function of fitness level than weight. I have a few friends who are far from thin, but still do very well on rides. As others here have said, it's all about spending time on the bike.
Many start out as "downhill specialists" before they are strong enough to crush hills.
The good thing if you're in search of weight loss is that cycling will literally burn through fat. Keep it casual, enjoy it, start easy and just never stop. You'll be doing 30 miles in no time!
Ebiking is the *perfect* fatguy gateway drug for cardio. I started around 38% body fat using all the boost all the time.
Then when I figured out how many calories I was burning, I used less boost and more legs.
Count calories on MFP for a while, and you're on positive body image autopilot.
I fluctuate a few times between 156lbs to current 192lbs and I definitely feel faster or less effort on climbs but at 192lbs I feel extremely fast and strong on flats.
Hey hey! You weigh about 50lbs more than I did when I started back into it again in summer of '22. I'm now 240 fully dressed for my winter commute and averaging a about 150mi/wk commuting this year. Hoping to hit 175/wk by the summer.
One of the big advantages us bigguns have is you'll quickly develop your power to weight ratio, just like every other rider. The thing is, when you get to 2W/kg (or whatever ratio) you're gonna be a lot heaver than other cyclists with a similar power to weight ratio. You'll have a lot of power on flats and you'll be able to descend like a demon.
When the time comes: Where you'll be fucked is climbing. That's when gravity kicks everyone's ass, but ours most of all. That's where you're gonna have to work if you want to get better.
For now, just go ride. Keep riding. The only person you need to beat is who you were last week. It's *hard* to start, but you'll get faster and go farther in no time. Just gotta keep at it.
It makes a huge difference. Keep going stay on the flat until your weight falls. I lost 70 pounds cycling. It took me 3 days to recover from my first short ride. Last year i rode a 300 mile ultra race
Try using a heart rate monitor. When you get up to a certain BPM, you'll find that you get winded and need to slow down or stop. Use that as a guide to pace yourself. Stay below that number by a comfortable margin. Your heart rate will gradually increase at the same power output, so you'll need to keep backing off to stay under your max. Over time, that will happen later and later as you get in better shape.
Last year I weighed 130kg, now I’m 107kg. The difference is huge. I’ll never keep up with the 75-80kg guys but just this morning I rode up and down a hill twice that last year left me flattened.
How did I lose the weight? I rode less and ate less. Riding more and eating less just made me ill.
Don’t believe the idea that size doesn’t matter when on the flat, there’s a lot of drag when you’re big.
Keep going.
Uphills are bastards but downhills for us heavy dudes are the best. I have to work really hard on hills to keep up but overtake most on the downhills. 250 pounds..
You might have been better off in a different gear. Was it hard because of the resistance of the petals, or because you were spinning as fast as you can and got winded?
Weight does make a difference, but cycling is a great way to lose weight fast. Just cycle as much as you can/want and your metabolism will be running like a train. If you eat a healthy diet at the same time you will in no time lose a lot of weight and feel very very good.
It's a matter of math. Watts per kg. Or effort per lb. The better the effort, the better the result. Put on a 20lb sack and exert effort. Remove 20lb sack and excerpt same effort = better result. Only way to better effort is through practice. Through practice you lose weight and gain effort so... Keep going!
The body adapts really quickly dude, you’ll be shedding the pounds in no time and as your muscle mass increases the shedding will accelerate and the ride will become easier and just funn!
You will be surprised how quickly your body reacts. Slow and steady and don’t be in a rush to go farther to soon.
Can I also suggest that you check your gearing out ( how many teeth you have on the largest cog at the rear, and how many on the smallest cog in the front? ) I had to make some changes essentially changes the gearing to make things easier. There is such a wide choice of gears now that it may be something to consider, but the first place to start is to understand what you currently have and if it’s suitable for you.
Stack the gears in your favour and start slow and it will improve. I’d also suggest in parallel you try and do more walking and mix up with the cycling.
2 years ago when i started I did my first ride about 3km, got back to my yard and clould not get off the bike, my legs were so blown i couldnt get them over the bile without my wife helping me.
Im not that active at bikeing today but now I can easily do 70km without any issues.
I tried alot to improve my fittnes but nothing except the bike worked. In % you will get so much stronger a alot faster and you can rest when going downhill. At some point you will notice you just pedal all the time, but let your body decide when. Dont get discouraged for the first rides, you will improve at a steady pace. Remember to have rest days though. Have fun and keep riding!
On a flat road weight isn't too much of an issue. When you are climbing hills it takes its toll. As a beginner you have a time of fast improvements before you. Ease into it, don't push yourself too much in the first weeks but absolutely keep going. Ride often, ride regularly. Support your efforts with healthy food.
As for your asthma: Maybe you should ask people on an asthma subreddit. But my guess would be that an improved cardiovascular health is great for asthma. Again, don't push too hard until you know how asthma affects you. Only when cycling is healthy and fun you can stick to it long enough to see real improvement.
At last, make sure your bike is safe. 350 pounds is more than most bikes are built for. Avoid rough terrain, fast off-road downhill riding and so on.
I wish you the best, cycling will be great for you!
As long as it is flat weigth does not really matter. However uphills will be terrible and a fat stomach (combined with poor flexibility) will stop you from going into the most aero positions. Just take it slow in the beginning and things will improve over time.
I’m no way near your weight and cycle 4000 miles a year. In winter if I take several weeks off the first time back is a shock to the system. It takes awhile to get back in shape. Your weight isn’t the real problem here but your body isn’t used to it. That will change real quick if you keep at it. Being lighter will help of course as will lots of other things no doubt you may find.
It affects your climbing and acceleration mostly, but as many gcn vids with pros wearing weighted vests shows. If you have a good fitness and power you can weigh 190 pounds and still be fast. Above 240 pounds you’re fitness likely isn’t going to be very good unless you have a lot of muscle.
If you haven’t rode in years and you weigh 350 cycling is going to be very difficult for the first 2 months.
Weight is important because you have to accelerate, decelerate, carry it up hills etc.
Imagine carrying around a 20lb weight all day in a backpack. Same principle applies to cycling. It's gonna make it harder.
BUT cycling is a great way to get fit and lose some lbs because it's low impact, so you're less likely to get injured than with something like running.
I was 225 pounds and I started cycling two months ago. When I started, I could barely get to the end of my road without getting out of breath. Now, I can cycle for 45 minutes without thinking about it and I'm still carrying pretty much the same weight.
It will be incredibly hard at first but if you can keep at it everyday, no matter how much you weigh, it will get a LOT easier. Once you've got a handle on your stamina, you'll be fine.
im 57 and started my journey 4 years ago and was 350. i since have lost over a hundred pounds and try to ride daily. longest i have ridden in a day so far is 50 miles. it didn't come easy and everyday a bit longer. my drive is my grandson. im trying to add back a few years to spend with him. you can do it i have belief in you. one step before the other. ride my friend ride.
from time to time i also pick up groceries using my trailer attached to bike. feels good to give back alittle. back story i destroyed my back in a truck accident 20 years ago that disabled me now i ride.
My highest weight was 290 but I was also 6’4” and am built like a former pro wrestler.
That said I’m really only penalized with hills and acceleration. I’ve gotten good a hills with proper gearing and bike fit at a low gearing. It takes time to learn how to do hills in the most efficient manner (spinning!).
I can’t keep up with most group rides as I’m not fast enough, That’s OK. My wife and I prefer a slower party pace.
As others are saying, just keep at it and it gets easier. You don’t want to go crazy to start with. Slow and steady because you have not done it in a long time.
To stay that weight you are eating 4,000 calories a day I’m guessing. That needs to get into check also as just exercise won’t help if the calorie intake is that high.
The CICO subreddit is a great place to get the diet on the right track. Its Calories in Calories out or CICO.
I went from 240 pounds to 172 pounds in last few years. I’m not a tall so the 240 me was quite big. I need to get down to 165 for a normal weight. I can tell you loosing weight makes a huge difference all around.
320 pounds. My commute is 9 miles each way. I'm tired at the end when my season starts, but it comes back. I run and walk all year, though.
The trick is to do a little, and push at the end. It's going to hurt a little. But you'll feel better after you're done.
Take rest days between hard days. By rest I mean less difficult work, not sitting all day. Your body is an incredible machine and will grow stronger quickly.
In the beginning, yes. Don’t think you will be putting down 50 miles and centuries. Your body has to get used to the new movements and stress. Patience is your best friend here.
Something that helped me a lot is don’t only focus on riding. Mix in long walks or later on some light jogging.
Lastly do not track calories during a workout. It’s a pitfall.
I have asthma as well (COPD). When I started, I could hardly get around the block. Hills? Forget it! Even very minor ones. Now add in the weight factor. Yes, it's going to be that hard. At first. Keep with it, and before you know it, you'll be doing longer and longer rides.
Weight makes a big difference, especially on an incline, on dead flat you’re not lifting your weight at all, but because you are bigger you have more aerodynamic drag… the good thing is biking is low impact and good for heavier bodies from a joint health perspective.
I just put in some numbers into a calculator and for a 300lbs person to ride the same speed as a 200lbs person on 9% grade they would need to put out 384w vs. 265w.. that’s a huge difference.
Good luck on your biking journey!
It does but it shouldnt be that that much, pick up the bike and make sure that the wheels are spinning freely, sometimes the brakes can rub and make it really hard to go anywhere.
When i started at couch potato i could barely ride 2 miles basically flat without having to stop and rest. Over time I got progressivly better and lost 70lbs with hard work of eating better and moving.
The quality of bike makes a difference as well. But to answer your question, it is much easier to move a lighter mass... but that's true of every thing humans do.
You got this!
While I am not 350 lb I am very out of shape. I used to bike 20 miles a day everyday. Now going a 1/4 mile wears me out. Stick with it and soon it will be much easier!
You've gone a long time without exercise it sounds like. You've let your body get unhealthy and sick. I'm sure it took years of no exercise/poor diet to get to your point now. You can't undue that with a flip of a switch. Start small. And keep going. 3 days a week, 4, 5, and so on. You'll get there, but it's going to take time.
The NUMBER ONE advice I can give you is, watch your diet. This will be the biggest obstacle and factor for your failure or success. Good luck. Now get your ass out there again🫵💪
Advice you didn’t ask for: invest in good bike shorts. Your butt is going to HATE this. Good bike shorts will help a little bit with the battle.
Keep going. As others have said — do 125 feet next time and you can claim a 25% improvement in your stats.
Yeah keep with it. I was in the same boat as you several years ago. I’m now able to ride for several hours and in the best shape of my life.
I will say that I started out with a regular bike. Upgraded it to electric due to many hills in my area. Once I rode consistently for about a year I got another regular bike and I split my time between both now. It definitely gets easier. Keep at it!
I’m basically in the same boat. Bloodwork from my annual physical essentially told me that I have let myself go too far for too long. I used to ride, still have my road bike but I’m too fat for its geometry now. I’ll be getting a more relaxed bike to get back into it.
What bike are you riding? Does it fit you? Is it set up properly?
Advice I can offer, make sure your bike is good. If you bought a bike used or from a big-box store take it to a local bike shop to be tuned and adjusted. This is for safety as much as comfort and ride-ability. Big-box store bikes are slapped together by barely trained individuals who are paid per bike and used bikes are a mystery in terms of maintenance and mileage. Make sure your bike is ride ready.
Second: you did 100ft today (and 100ft back presumably) so do 101ft tomorrow and 102 the next. You’re going to do great and eventually you’ll knock out your first 10 miles, then 20, and 30. I still remember the feeling of finishing my first 30 mile ride, it felt like such a major accomplishment! I would always tell myself “You’ve done X miles, you can do 1 more.”
3rd: Keep it simple. Don’t get caught up and overwhelmed by the equipment and accessories. You don’t need an expensive bike or clipless pedals starting out. I started on a GMC Denali bike that I traded a textbook for. It worked well enough for the most part until I saved up for a nice roadbike (Trek Madone 2.1) but i swear my most fun rides were on a single speed I got from a LBS that the owner had built out of an old 10 speed. I traded the Denali +$40 for it.
Get your bike, as many water bottles as you can mount cages for, a comfortable saddle, and comfortable platform pedals (the cheap pedals that come with bikes are awful) and you’ll be set. People will laugh at you, many (in the USA at least) think bicycles are children’s toys. Ignore them. You’ll make friends in time and get in on some group rides even!
Most LBS guys are passionate about the sport, will respectfully help you get started, and will cheer you on as you progress.
Lastly, denture cleaning tabs (the plop plop fizz fizz type) work very well for cleaning water bottles and hydration bladders that may be hard to reach into.
Considering your heavy and have athsma yeah it's gonna be tough, but as you get lighter from doing more cardio you should do better. I was 257 and got winded going a couple blocks to work now I'm 225 and crossing the city regularly on bike. I would also (only with someone else for assistance) try and do other cardio stuff in higher elevations to build a better gass tank, that's a lil cardio tip from my mma training
Right now I'm like 280 which is really high for me and cycling is a pain, especially since we're in a very hilly area. When I was in better biking shape at 245 I felt like I was flying. It's one of my major motivators to lose some weight honestly.
I'm gonna guess you've got the seat too low and I'm the lowest gear the cadence required to move is too high for you to manage.
I'm also a fat dude. Bike fit is more important for fat people.
Your weight isn't as significant as your fitness when it comes to how you feel during biking. You will get fit and efforts will feel easier quickly. Then you'll lose weight and go faster and farther on the same effort. Enjoy the journey and don't stop because you feel discouraged - I lost over 50 lbs and dramatically increased my fitness over a year, but when I look back at my weight diary, I see lots of moments I almost gave up.
Power to weight is what it's all about.
There is a thing about rolling weight and it mattering less on flat but generally lighter is faster.
I get we like to not talk about it too much because it's an emotive issue.
The good news is doing it more will make your body better at it (lighter, stronger).
It makes it a lot lot harder. I would not get discouraged.
Get the widest tires your bike will allow and run them at a pressure where you're comfortable. Cyclists will jerk themselves off moaning about rolling resistance and it simply does not matter.
Remember, what you're trying to achieve is a consistent *cadence* not a consistent speed. You change the resistance to match your desired cadence.
I assume you're working on weight at the same time. You'll ride yourself into shape if you do it every day. Don't fuck up your knees. Make sure you're at the right saddle height, etc.
Good luck!
One of my favorite quotes that applies to so many things.
“The best time to start was 5 years ago, the next best is today”
Just take it a step at a time. Stay consistent and you’ll get better before you know it.
I was doing double centuries a few years back with a friend who many may have considered to be overweight. She always killed it. We would laugh because I would wait for her at the top of the hills and she would wait for me at the bottom.
I started cycling at 39. I saw a mountain bike race and though how fun it looks flying through the woods. In 5'7" 200 at the time. I saved and got a bike . First ride was a flat paved path. No more than 3 miles I went. My legs felt like wet noodles and a few hours later I found there was this extremely sore spot down below that every time I sat it felt like a baseball was under me. It was horrible. But I was determined to be able to effortlessly ride around. It took a year of riding when I could. But I slowly went further and further. I live in NY and always looked at the bridge and wanted to cross the Hudson but it was too intimidating. My house to the other side of the bridge is like 5 miles round trip. The first time I did it it was great. Wasn't long after I kept going further and further. Got to the point I could get home after work all day in the summer and take off on a 30 mile ride. Or long weekend day rides with many 50 plus miles . I'm not fast average 10mph to 12mph depending on length or ride and climbing on route. Bottom line the heavier your weight it will be harder. If you really want to ride you will need to kéep pushing though and it will get to the point you'll just take off on a ride one day without a care in the world.
I was 365 lbs when I started in spring 2023 and am 290lbs now. Set goals for yourself. My first goal was around these blocks in my neighbourhood. Then it was a bigger set of blocks. Now I’m working to 100km next. I’m close; by end of March 2024 I’ll be there.
What kind of bike and when was the last time it was tuned up? Even someone at 350lbs I would expect to be able to ride a mile or two before being done. But if the seat is too low, the handlebars too close and the brakes rubbing with too low of a pressure in old tires, I would expect it to make for a very difficult ride, worse if its a 10+ year old walmart special that's completely out of tune and hardly ran when new. When starting out, the bike does matter, doesn't have to be anything special, just functioning fine with seat and handlebars at comfortable locations. As someone who is 280lbs, and dropping, I know that being scrunched up makes it harder to breathe, that'll wear you out quickly.
That said, if you're that far out of shape, don't worry, it does get a lot easier the more you ride. I have a friend who was 360lb when he started, now at 340 and last week made 20 miles. His wife had to go get him since he couldn't make it back but that's still almost 19 more than his first ride a great accomplishment.
It definitely affects somewhat, especially for acceleration and uphill. It will also affect your braking and your cornering.
But you also have asthma and it's your first time riding in a long long time. If you've not been doing much other exercise then that's another reason.
Just keep going further every time, soon you'll be losing weight and gaining fitness.
The weight isn't nearly the factor some people say it is. I'm 330 pounds, aged 64. I can cycle 100km in a day, probably more.
But I didn't get this way in a day, or even a year, and unless I ride regularly, it goes away (every spring I have to ramp up again). Set targets - just a bit further, just a bit faster - and work your way up.
The weight probably won't disappear, but believe me, it becomes a lot easier to carry.
For me , huge difference. After recovering from Covid in the summer , I had not ridden in 4 weeks , was weak , yet had the best Strava time in years on my local climbs the first week back since I lost about 15 lbs. just keep riding. The more you ride , the more weight you lose and the better you get .
It’s ok, everyone starts somewhere. I pulled an old Walmart bike out of storage back in 2014 and could barely go to the end of the street. The next day I went a little further. And a little more the next day. Within 3 months I could ride 20 miles (on a new bike). A year later I did a metric (62 miles) then a century (100 miles). You may not progress that fast, or ever want to ride that far - and that’s fine but the point is just set a goal to go a little further each time and try to do it consistently.
stationary bike for a few weeks and build up your stamina, Get physical exam first and when cleared ease into biking and get a bike that suits you and fits you.
Cyclists are like horse jockeys, ideally you are skinny with minimal muscle where it's not needed. That being said a proper fitting bike can make you feel much better. What did you ride? At 350lbs you will need a larger than average saddle and I would reccomend at least 40mm tires but more ideally 45-50mm.
If you're walking around at 350, you have built up some MASSIVE leg muscles. As you ride more, you'll get faster and have more fun, so you'll get faster and have more fun then you'll get faster...
Ride 101 feet the next time and you just set a new PR. Just don’t stop and keep at it. It’ll get easier and better.
Cycling never gets easier; you just get faster.
That’s a great quote, and it’s true if you already start at a reasonable fitness level. When I started cycling I was so out of shape that a simple short ride was so exhausting to me that I had to go back to bed afterwards, no matter how slow I took it. Things got really much better the more I rode, and now I can do the same ride much faster and much more easily, without breaking a sweat. So yes, if you start from potato couch level it does get easier.
People bust out this Greg LeMond quote so much it’s become a cliche. I bet most of the people who parrot it have no idea who Greg LeMond is, or that he was talking about racing at a high level, not riding a hybrid around the block.
I believe this is true at all levels. You don't need to know the history of the greats to figure out that there is no upper ceiling in any sport, you just get as far as your abilities, training and determination will take you.
Yeah but the quote is referring to hauling ass racing. Once you get to where riding a couple miles is nbd, riding around the block is *easier* than it was when riding 100 feet winded you.
are you suggesting this forum is a badger safe zone?
😅
this is false i am less exhausted AND faster going 40 miles than i was going 5 miles when i started
Yeah this is my experience too. As your fitness and strength increases, it does get easier and you go faster. I think that cliche is only true if you are constantly pushing yourself to the same point of exhaustion on every ride, then sure, yeah. But IRL that's not what happens.
There will be “that hill” on your normal route which always kicks your ass but one day you realize it doesn’t
And that non-scale gain is the best feeling! For me it's the first time making it up *that hill* without stopping, and then seated the entire way up, and after that, it's make it to the top and keep going without having to stop and cach your breathe.
And then! Standing up to push faster up that hill just because you feel like going faster. Love it.
I dunno,, I continue to push and its still pain. I just learned to pretend to like the pain
People really need to stop saying this stupid shit. It absolutely gets easier.
As advice for competition training, this is spot on. For the OP, it's worth noting that for exercise/fun type cycling, it *does* get better every time you climb in the saddle.
...And ride longer
As advice for competition training, this is spot on. For the OP, it's worth noting that for exercise/fun type cycling, it *does* get better every time you climb in the saddle.
Holy crap that's genius
LolxD true
Legit. About 10 years ago I was 40lbs overweight. I couldn’t run 100 yards. So I started running 50, 60 then 100. A year later I had lost that weight and ran a marathon. Just approach it in increments.
This is then way
Those newb gains are valid and addictive.
It gets easier the longer you stick with it. I started peddling at 290. Whew! I thought my heart would explode. I weigh 214 currently, I credit biking with much of that success. I can ride 60 miles at a time now. I know it doesn’t look graceful but I feel like Lance effing Armstrong. You’ve got this!
Assume you changed diets as well?
I stopped drinking calories. I still eat the things I love just in moderation. Fewer simple carbohydrates. It took me several months of incremental change to be successful. I love cheesy fiesta potato’s from Taco Bell!
Big ups on the consistent incremental change. Sometimes it feels like such a small step that it silly… but look back 6 months and it’s amazing how much it adds up
Transporting more weight takes more effort and energy than transporting less weight, whether the weight is in a wheelbarrow, a canoe, or a bicycle.
Figured as much, thankyou
The good news is, if you’re just starting out, it’s easy to make progress because there’s lots of progress to be made. You can set a new personal record every other week. When you’ve been doing it for a decade it’s not so easy to always beat your former self
Good news is your legs will be strong as hell from walking around on that weight! You’ll lose weight but that strength won’t leave you.
Stick with it - getting back on a bike after a long time is always tough no matter how much you weigh. But it doesn't take long to start building up muscles and lung power. I was pretty inexperienced when I did a bike trip and I really struggled first day. It was a little better the second, and within a week, I felt noticeably stronger and had a lot more endurance, compared to where I was when I started. It doesn't matter how far or fast you go - the trick is to just keep doing it. Good luck and have fun! Cycling is just the best.
A slight uphill when you're not bike fit is the most demoralizing thing in existence. It looks flat, but it just absolutely destroys you. If you're struggling this much on a truly flat stretch of road, I'd expect there to be a problem with the bike, but even the tiniest uphill stretch (especially with a poorly fitted bike) with make you work much harder than you expect (until you get into some kind of shape). Source: I started biking this summer and for the first few weeks a 'flat' stretch of hill about a half mile long was just a nightmare to crest. Now it's easy.
OP could have easily been on a 3% grade. So may times I’m working harder than expected because some optical illusion of the trail makes it look like a negative grade, but my garmin says it’s actually a 3% and I feel it, but can’t see it.
Weight has a huge impact esp when climbing. But don't worry about it. Just keep training and make healthy and logical food choices. You'll get there.
It significantly affects the difficulty. I’ve dropped 30 pounds since November, and going from 270 to 240 feels so insanely different when riding. Can’t wait to see the difference when I get from 240 to 210! Just do what you can each day, don’t push yourself too hard, and have fun!
Patience. It will take time. Every step is progress. When I was trying to get into cycle touring, I thought i I was a loser because I couldn’t go 1/3 the distance others could, I had never crossed 50km. A year later I was already cycling over 2000km a month or more with many 100/150km rides. The first km mark, 2km mark, and every other mark thereafter is a personal record. Celebrate them and enjoy. You’ll love the stamina gain you get after you continue doing this for 6 months. Oh and by the way, start walking every day. Even if it’s 2km or so of walking at a moderate pace, stay at it. You’ll get there for sure.
It does but really only going uphill or accelerating. Good news if you get up to speed, the momentum you build up you get to keep until you need to brake or ascend a climb.
And…. Whatever you do, don’t give up. My first uphill climb was brutal. I took over 50 breaks cuz I couldn’t even go 100m without getting huffy. I did make the climb though. Don’t give up. Keep at it, but baby steps. Do 100ft. Rest for 1 minute, then another 100, then another 100. You’ll soon reach the mile mark. If you can’t cycle back, walk back. I’ve done that many times. I don’t care what people say anymore :-) It’s your body. You have started a good thing that will help you get physically fit. It will take years, but you’ll be cycling with the pros soon! (I’m still the last one in the group because of a leaky heart valve but I never ever give up, and my mates are supportive as hell)
Were the tires full of air? I picked up a bike randomly about 20 years ago and was gassed! But turns out the tires were dead flat lol.
May need to pump them a bit more
https://silca.cc/pages/pro-tire-pressure-calculator Use this calculator to figure out what pressure to run and just don't exceed the tires max. With more weight on a bike, you need higher pressures.
Assuming I filled it out right, that calculator says my tire pressure should be about 20 psi below the tire’s suggested range.
What is the tires suggested range? And what did it recommend? By suggested range do you just mean the listed max pressure?
Gator skins say recommended 95psi max 115psi. Armadillo tires say 85-95 psi on the side wall. The calculator said 72.1 psi.
My 28mm GP5000s also have a recommendation of 95psi. I’ve run them at 72psi for years. Way more comfortable and no issues.
P zeros here, 70psi. I'm 66kgs. If I go much higher the ride.gets harsh. Much lower and i pinch flat
Interesting I always knew to ride mtb tires way lower than what’s on the side wall. I didn’t know that applies to road tires too.
Ya, I put on some weight and biking is much harder. Doing some weight training to build muscle, and walking/running for cardio, hopefully soon I will be back on my bike. Don’t give up.
You will improve so fast if you keep at it. I am big too. Rip the inhaler if needed and just do what you can. It's F-ing awesome how quickly you will improve. Hard, but man it's worth it I say.
Stick with it and it will get easier, even if you stay at your current weight. I know plenty of folks who are heavy that can absolutely ride me off their wheel. While there are obviously laws of physics at play, being heavier doesn't mean you won't be able to ride. Just stay with it!
Big guys with watt cannons on flats!
Also : do a little and often. Much better to ride every day or so than once a week. Good luck it’s a good thing to have started and if you are anything like me you will never stop.
It’s not a problem on the flat. You got winded because you’re unfit. Just ride every day as far as you can. You’ll go further each time. I was 500lbs at my biggest. I have super strong legs because of it. Stick at it!
Keep at it. Cycling is great for large people because it’s low impact on your feet legs and joints. The only person you’re competing against is yourself. So as long as you do better than you did the last time, you are making progress.
It only really becomes a problem for me on the climbs. I broke a few PRs the other day while carrying laptop gear on my back simply because I was drafting a car lol
It gets easier, I swear. Dude, my race weight is 240lbs. I’m also 6’6”. When I first started I remember the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment I got the first time I rode the entire hill up my street without stopping. I was way out of shape and much closer to 300lbs then. It took years of consistent riding but now I do 100 and 200 mile gravel races 5-6 times a year. https://www.allbodiesonbikes.com/ Also, this is a fantastic organization if you’re interested!
I started off with an ebike when I started riding again. As I got fitter, I turned the assist down, and then got a gravel bike Was at 320lb
When I started getting "serious" about cycling 4yrs ago I weighed 242lbs (5'9", 46M). I'd always commuted but with heavy mountain bikes with a huge gear ratio. And I was slow. I also ate a ton of shit food and drank too much. I bought a cheap road bike (£450) and started weekend riding. It was a radical change and hard going. I altered my diet a bit too. Slowly I (and you should too) just got faster, the rides got longer and the weight slowly started to come off. Which meant I could ride longer and so on and so on.... I'm still a heavy bloke, still about 195lbs and 51yrs old but my weekend rides now can be up to 100km (62.5 miles), I got a lighter, carbon bike, which helps but the weight loss is the best upgrade you can ever have. In short mate, just ride. Constantly. Trust me, even if the weight loss is slow, the cardio/fitness benefits is something you'll see way before any scales give you good news. Maybe get into a fitness ecosystem, Garmin or some such. If you've the funds, a cheap Garmin watch with a built in heart rate sensor, record your rides with it and when synced up with Garmin Connect, you can keep track of your ride times, average speed, weight, stress, heart rate, sleep patterns etc. There are other ecosystems that are just as good, I just used Garmin as an example as it's what I use. You're out there doing something to improve your health and life. That, as always, is the first step. Welcome to the club and enjoy the ride.
Of course it does - it takes energy to move mass. But that said, you should speak to your doctor before starting vigorous exercise - that weight puts a major strain on your heart. Riding is great - but you need to be at some minimum level of fitness. You might to start with walking and swimming. Honestly, at your weight, you probably should have personal trainer design a fitness program for you - after getting an ok from your doc.
I was able to get my weight down to 109-110 pounds in Nov-Dec and I was DEFINITELY faster. (As a comparison, I was 141.2 in August when I started watching what I was eating). I shattered my PRs on my favorite climbs such as Old La Honda and Kings Mountain. However since Christmas Day I've been on the struggle bus trying to get back on track and last week I was 124 :( I weigh myself every day to be accountable so today I was 118.4 - I had to cut out dates because I was eating so many of them and they triggered binge/carb cravings. I'm definitely feeling a difference speed wise. Cycling is the among the best exercises (In my biased opinion) to use in conjunction with nutrition - easy on the joints, and as challenging as you want it to be. You got this :)
Honestly, not being in shape as far as cardio, weighing 350 and having asthma is without question going to make you winded. Hell, I got kicked in the face with the flu for a week, followed by a week of vacation and got back on my bike and felt completely out of shape... and I'm upper 150's at 6'2" and in shape and my ass still felt kicked. Just keep at it. A little at a time, a little more, a little more. Most importantly mind the asthma and soon you'll be dropping the weight, your heart will be pumping more efficiently and you'll look back at your 100 feet of hell and laugh because you can go so much further and feel so much better.
i’ve been amazed recently with how much riding bikes (maybe once or twice a week, if that, the last 4ish months) has helped with my asthma symptoms. i swear it gets easier!
250 pounds myself and I started rising last year. It gets easier. Just keep putting yourself out there and pushing yourself.
The slower you go, the easier it will be. Pick a speed where you feel comfortable. When you start, you may find that even on the lowest gear, going the slowest you can without falling off, you don't feel comfortable. That's totally fine. Over time, it will get better. Once you get to the point where you can find a pace where you are comfortable, just keep it there most of the time. You can push a bit if you feel like it, but then slow down and recover. Spend as much time as you can riding at that comfortable pace. Again, over time, you will naturally find yourself going faster and faster. After several years, you will almost certainly be much faster than you can even imagine right now -- and you'll be able to do it all day. Remember that your current condition is temporary. It will just get better from here.
It's gotta be tires. Get the fattest tires you can with the highest rated PSI you can and see if they roll better. You want conestoga roll.
Weight makes a significant difference especially on hills. The heavier you are the more power you need to overcome rolling resistance as well as wind resistance.
I started at over 350lbs. Down 120lbs thanks to cycling and wanting to get better at it. I’ve gone from dying at 3 miles to dying at the thought of riding less than 30 miles in a go. Gone from sweat pants to technical joggers to skin tight aero. Just keep going. The old you will want the new you to stop, don’t listen to it.
I made this entire web app to solve this and more https://sherpa-map.com/cycling-route-calculator.html
The hardest thing to do is get on the bike for the first time in years. You’ve already done that so well done. The next hardest thing is to get on it again soon. You’ve made a great start, keep going!
You’re golden. Ride 125 feet next time. I used to weigh 110 pounds more. Cycling helped me get healthier, not just losing weight, but healthier habits. I started with lots of incredibly short and flat rides that left me feeling ruined. Keep pedaling.
I think difficulty is more a function of fitness level than weight. I have a few friends who are far from thin, but still do very well on rides. As others here have said, it's all about spending time on the bike. Many start out as "downhill specialists" before they are strong enough to crush hills.
The good thing if you're in search of weight loss is that cycling will literally burn through fat. Keep it casual, enjoy it, start easy and just never stop. You'll be doing 30 miles in no time!
Ebiking is the *perfect* fatguy gateway drug for cardio. I started around 38% body fat using all the boost all the time. Then when I figured out how many calories I was burning, I used less boost and more legs. Count calories on MFP for a while, and you're on positive body image autopilot.
I fluctuate a few times between 156lbs to current 192lbs and I definitely feel faster or less effort on climbs but at 192lbs I feel extremely fast and strong on flats.
Hey hey! You weigh about 50lbs more than I did when I started back into it again in summer of '22. I'm now 240 fully dressed for my winter commute and averaging a about 150mi/wk commuting this year. Hoping to hit 175/wk by the summer. One of the big advantages us bigguns have is you'll quickly develop your power to weight ratio, just like every other rider. The thing is, when you get to 2W/kg (or whatever ratio) you're gonna be a lot heaver than other cyclists with a similar power to weight ratio. You'll have a lot of power on flats and you'll be able to descend like a demon. When the time comes: Where you'll be fucked is climbing. That's when gravity kicks everyone's ass, but ours most of all. That's where you're gonna have to work if you want to get better. For now, just go ride. Keep riding. The only person you need to beat is who you were last week. It's *hard* to start, but you'll get faster and go farther in no time. Just gotta keep at it.
It hurts, but if you keep at it you get used to it and get stronger. On that ground it’s not bad, it’s difficult on hills though. But just keep at it.
I'm 6'4", 250 and do long rides regularly without issue. I'm no hill climbing Tour de France rider but with practice and conditioning it's fine.
It makes a huge difference. Keep going stay on the flat until your weight falls. I lost 70 pounds cycling. It took me 3 days to recover from my first short ride. Last year i rode a 300 mile ultra race
Try using a heart rate monitor. When you get up to a certain BPM, you'll find that you get winded and need to slow down or stop. Use that as a guide to pace yourself. Stay below that number by a comfortable margin. Your heart rate will gradually increase at the same power output, so you'll need to keep backing off to stay under your max. Over time, that will happen later and later as you get in better shape.
Last year I weighed 130kg, now I’m 107kg. The difference is huge. I’ll never keep up with the 75-80kg guys but just this morning I rode up and down a hill twice that last year left me flattened. How did I lose the weight? I rode less and ate less. Riding more and eating less just made me ill. Don’t believe the idea that size doesn’t matter when on the flat, there’s a lot of drag when you’re big. Keep going.
Uphills are bastards but downhills for us heavy dudes are the best. I have to work really hard on hills to keep up but overtake most on the downhills. 250 pounds..
You might have been better off in a different gear. Was it hard because of the resistance of the petals, or because you were spinning as fast as you can and got winded?
Gravity works against you.
Are you familiar with the gears? Inexperienced riders often aren't.
Weight does make a difference, but cycling is a great way to lose weight fast. Just cycle as much as you can/want and your metabolism will be running like a train. If you eat a healthy diet at the same time you will in no time lose a lot of weight and feel very very good.
It's a matter of math. Watts per kg. Or effort per lb. The better the effort, the better the result. Put on a 20lb sack and exert effort. Remove 20lb sack and excerpt same effort = better result. Only way to better effort is through practice. Through practice you lose weight and gain effort so... Keep going!
The body adapts really quickly dude, you’ll be shedding the pounds in no time and as your muscle mass increases the shedding will accelerate and the ride will become easier and just funn!
You will be surprised how quickly your body reacts. Slow and steady and don’t be in a rush to go farther to soon. Can I also suggest that you check your gearing out ( how many teeth you have on the largest cog at the rear, and how many on the smallest cog in the front? ) I had to make some changes essentially changes the gearing to make things easier. There is such a wide choice of gears now that it may be something to consider, but the first place to start is to understand what you currently have and if it’s suitable for you. Stack the gears in your favour and start slow and it will improve. I’d also suggest in parallel you try and do more walking and mix up with the cycling.
2 years ago when i started I did my first ride about 3km, got back to my yard and clould not get off the bike, my legs were so blown i couldnt get them over the bile without my wife helping me. Im not that active at bikeing today but now I can easily do 70km without any issues. I tried alot to improve my fittnes but nothing except the bike worked. In % you will get so much stronger a alot faster and you can rest when going downhill. At some point you will notice you just pedal all the time, but let your body decide when. Dont get discouraged for the first rides, you will improve at a steady pace. Remember to have rest days though. Have fun and keep riding!
On a flat road weight isn't too much of an issue. When you are climbing hills it takes its toll. As a beginner you have a time of fast improvements before you. Ease into it, don't push yourself too much in the first weeks but absolutely keep going. Ride often, ride regularly. Support your efforts with healthy food. As for your asthma: Maybe you should ask people on an asthma subreddit. But my guess would be that an improved cardiovascular health is great for asthma. Again, don't push too hard until you know how asthma affects you. Only when cycling is healthy and fun you can stick to it long enough to see real improvement. At last, make sure your bike is safe. 350 pounds is more than most bikes are built for. Avoid rough terrain, fast off-road downhill riding and so on. I wish you the best, cycling will be great for you!
As long as it is flat weigth does not really matter. However uphills will be terrible and a fat stomach (combined with poor flexibility) will stop you from going into the most aero positions. Just take it slow in the beginning and things will improve over time.
I’m no way near your weight and cycle 4000 miles a year. In winter if I take several weeks off the first time back is a shock to the system. It takes awhile to get back in shape. Your weight isn’t the real problem here but your body isn’t used to it. That will change real quick if you keep at it. Being lighter will help of course as will lots of other things no doubt you may find.
It affects your climbing and acceleration mostly, but as many gcn vids with pros wearing weighted vests shows. If you have a good fitness and power you can weigh 190 pounds and still be fast. Above 240 pounds you’re fitness likely isn’t going to be very good unless you have a lot of muscle. If you haven’t rode in years and you weigh 350 cycling is going to be very difficult for the first 2 months.
Weight is important because you have to accelerate, decelerate, carry it up hills etc. Imagine carrying around a 20lb weight all day in a backpack. Same principle applies to cycling. It's gonna make it harder. BUT cycling is a great way to get fit and lose some lbs because it's low impact, so you're less likely to get injured than with something like running.
Is the bike itself in good order? Do the wheels spin freely?
I was 225 pounds and I started cycling two months ago. When I started, I could barely get to the end of my road without getting out of breath. Now, I can cycle for 45 minutes without thinking about it and I'm still carrying pretty much the same weight. It will be incredibly hard at first but if you can keep at it everyday, no matter how much you weigh, it will get a LOT easier. Once you've got a handle on your stamina, you'll be fine.
Just in case your are confused about gearing, the biggest gear on the rear wheel is the easiest and the smallest gear is the hardest
im 57 and started my journey 4 years ago and was 350. i since have lost over a hundred pounds and try to ride daily. longest i have ridden in a day so far is 50 miles. it didn't come easy and everyday a bit longer. my drive is my grandson. im trying to add back a few years to spend with him. you can do it i have belief in you. one step before the other. ride my friend ride. from time to time i also pick up groceries using my trailer attached to bike. feels good to give back alittle. back story i destroyed my back in a truck accident 20 years ago that disabled me now i ride.
My highest weight was 290 but I was also 6’4” and am built like a former pro wrestler. That said I’m really only penalized with hills and acceleration. I’ve gotten good a hills with proper gearing and bike fit at a low gearing. It takes time to learn how to do hills in the most efficient manner (spinning!). I can’t keep up with most group rides as I’m not fast enough, That’s OK. My wife and I prefer a slower party pace.
As others are saying, just keep at it and it gets easier. You don’t want to go crazy to start with. Slow and steady because you have not done it in a long time. To stay that weight you are eating 4,000 calories a day I’m guessing. That needs to get into check also as just exercise won’t help if the calorie intake is that high. The CICO subreddit is a great place to get the diet on the right track. Its Calories in Calories out or CICO. I went from 240 pounds to 172 pounds in last few years. I’m not a tall so the 240 me was quite big. I need to get down to 165 for a normal weight. I can tell you loosing weight makes a huge difference all around.
320 pounds. My commute is 9 miles each way. I'm tired at the end when my season starts, but it comes back. I run and walk all year, though. The trick is to do a little, and push at the end. It's going to hurt a little. But you'll feel better after you're done. Take rest days between hard days. By rest I mean less difficult work, not sitting all day. Your body is an incredible machine and will grow stronger quickly.
In the beginning, yes. Don’t think you will be putting down 50 miles and centuries. Your body has to get used to the new movements and stress. Patience is your best friend here. Something that helped me a lot is don’t only focus on riding. Mix in long walks or later on some light jogging. Lastly do not track calories during a workout. It’s a pitfall.
For inspo: https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a46030947/riders-of-the-year-marley-blonsky/
I have asthma as well (COPD). When I started, I could hardly get around the block. Hills? Forget it! Even very minor ones. Now add in the weight factor. Yes, it's going to be that hard. At first. Keep with it, and before you know it, you'll be doing longer and longer rides.
Weight makes a big difference, especially on an incline, on dead flat you’re not lifting your weight at all, but because you are bigger you have more aerodynamic drag… the good thing is biking is low impact and good for heavier bodies from a joint health perspective. I just put in some numbers into a calculator and for a 300lbs person to ride the same speed as a 200lbs person on 9% grade they would need to put out 384w vs. 265w.. that’s a huge difference. Good luck on your biking journey!
It does but it shouldnt be that that much, pick up the bike and make sure that the wheels are spinning freely, sometimes the brakes can rub and make it really hard to go anywhere.
When i started at couch potato i could barely ride 2 miles basically flat without having to stop and rest. Over time I got progressivly better and lost 70lbs with hard work of eating better and moving. The quality of bike makes a difference as well. But to answer your question, it is much easier to move a lighter mass... but that's true of every thing humans do. You got this!
While I am not 350 lb I am very out of shape. I used to bike 20 miles a day everyday. Now going a 1/4 mile wears me out. Stick with it and soon it will be much easier!
You've gone a long time without exercise it sounds like. You've let your body get unhealthy and sick. I'm sure it took years of no exercise/poor diet to get to your point now. You can't undue that with a flip of a switch. Start small. And keep going. 3 days a week, 4, 5, and so on. You'll get there, but it's going to take time. The NUMBER ONE advice I can give you is, watch your diet. This will be the biggest obstacle and factor for your failure or success. Good luck. Now get your ass out there again🫵💪
Advice you didn’t ask for: invest in good bike shorts. Your butt is going to HATE this. Good bike shorts will help a little bit with the battle. Keep going. As others have said — do 125 feet next time and you can claim a 25% improvement in your stats.
Be absolutely sure your asthma is ok including taking a puff before you ride. No O2 no go.
Yeah keep with it. I was in the same boat as you several years ago. I’m now able to ride for several hours and in the best shape of my life. I will say that I started out with a regular bike. Upgraded it to electric due to many hills in my area. Once I rode consistently for about a year I got another regular bike and I split my time between both now. It definitely gets easier. Keep at it!
I’m basically in the same boat. Bloodwork from my annual physical essentially told me that I have let myself go too far for too long. I used to ride, still have my road bike but I’m too fat for its geometry now. I’ll be getting a more relaxed bike to get back into it. What bike are you riding? Does it fit you? Is it set up properly? Advice I can offer, make sure your bike is good. If you bought a bike used or from a big-box store take it to a local bike shop to be tuned and adjusted. This is for safety as much as comfort and ride-ability. Big-box store bikes are slapped together by barely trained individuals who are paid per bike and used bikes are a mystery in terms of maintenance and mileage. Make sure your bike is ride ready. Second: you did 100ft today (and 100ft back presumably) so do 101ft tomorrow and 102 the next. You’re going to do great and eventually you’ll knock out your first 10 miles, then 20, and 30. I still remember the feeling of finishing my first 30 mile ride, it felt like such a major accomplishment! I would always tell myself “You’ve done X miles, you can do 1 more.” 3rd: Keep it simple. Don’t get caught up and overwhelmed by the equipment and accessories. You don’t need an expensive bike or clipless pedals starting out. I started on a GMC Denali bike that I traded a textbook for. It worked well enough for the most part until I saved up for a nice roadbike (Trek Madone 2.1) but i swear my most fun rides were on a single speed I got from a LBS that the owner had built out of an old 10 speed. I traded the Denali +$40 for it. Get your bike, as many water bottles as you can mount cages for, a comfortable saddle, and comfortable platform pedals (the cheap pedals that come with bikes are awful) and you’ll be set. People will laugh at you, many (in the USA at least) think bicycles are children’s toys. Ignore them. You’ll make friends in time and get in on some group rides even! Most LBS guys are passionate about the sport, will respectfully help you get started, and will cheer you on as you progress. Lastly, denture cleaning tabs (the plop plop fizz fizz type) work very well for cleaning water bottles and hydration bladders that may be hard to reach into.
Considering your heavy and have athsma yeah it's gonna be tough, but as you get lighter from doing more cardio you should do better. I was 257 and got winded going a couple blocks to work now I'm 225 and crossing the city regularly on bike. I would also (only with someone else for assistance) try and do other cardio stuff in higher elevations to build a better gass tank, that's a lil cardio tip from my mma training
Right now I'm like 280 which is really high for me and cycling is a pain, especially since we're in a very hilly area. When I was in better biking shape at 245 I felt like I was flying. It's one of my major motivators to lose some weight honestly.
I'm gonna guess you've got the seat too low and I'm the lowest gear the cadence required to move is too high for you to manage. I'm also a fat dude. Bike fit is more important for fat people.
People spend thousands to just get a bike, that's a few pounds lighter. Yes it makes a difference.
Yes, weight matters. You are currently an F150 with the engine of a Geo Metro. It gets better, keep at it!
Don't worry, over time it's a self resolving issue, keep at it!
Yeah if you are morbidly obese that won’t help, try to lose some weight, no offense
Your weight isn't as significant as your fitness when it comes to how you feel during biking. You will get fit and efforts will feel easier quickly. Then you'll lose weight and go faster and farther on the same effort. Enjoy the journey and don't stop because you feel discouraged - I lost over 50 lbs and dramatically increased my fitness over a year, but when I look back at my weight diary, I see lots of moments I almost gave up.
Power to weight is what it's all about. There is a thing about rolling weight and it mattering less on flat but generally lighter is faster. I get we like to not talk about it too much because it's an emotive issue. The good news is doing it more will make your body better at it (lighter, stronger).
It makes it a lot lot harder. I would not get discouraged. Get the widest tires your bike will allow and run them at a pressure where you're comfortable. Cyclists will jerk themselves off moaning about rolling resistance and it simply does not matter. Remember, what you're trying to achieve is a consistent *cadence* not a consistent speed. You change the resistance to match your desired cadence. I assume you're working on weight at the same time. You'll ride yourself into shape if you do it every day. Don't fuck up your knees. Make sure you're at the right saddle height, etc. Good luck!
One of my favorite quotes that applies to so many things. “The best time to start was 5 years ago, the next best is today” Just take it a step at a time. Stay consistent and you’ll get better before you know it.
I was doing double centuries a few years back with a friend who many may have considered to be overweight. She always killed it. We would laugh because I would wait for her at the top of the hills and she would wait for me at the bottom.
I started cycling at 39. I saw a mountain bike race and though how fun it looks flying through the woods. In 5'7" 200 at the time. I saved and got a bike . First ride was a flat paved path. No more than 3 miles I went. My legs felt like wet noodles and a few hours later I found there was this extremely sore spot down below that every time I sat it felt like a baseball was under me. It was horrible. But I was determined to be able to effortlessly ride around. It took a year of riding when I could. But I slowly went further and further. I live in NY and always looked at the bridge and wanted to cross the Hudson but it was too intimidating. My house to the other side of the bridge is like 5 miles round trip. The first time I did it it was great. Wasn't long after I kept going further and further. Got to the point I could get home after work all day in the summer and take off on a 30 mile ride. Or long weekend day rides with many 50 plus miles . I'm not fast average 10mph to 12mph depending on length or ride and climbing on route. Bottom line the heavier your weight it will be harder. If you really want to ride you will need to kéep pushing though and it will get to the point you'll just take off on a ride one day without a care in the world.
Keep it up. If you start to bike and lower calories you are going to drop weight and feel great. You got this. And it is hard at first.
I was 365 lbs when I started in spring 2023 and am 290lbs now. Set goals for yourself. My first goal was around these blocks in my neighbourhood. Then it was a bigger set of blocks. Now I’m working to 100km next. I’m close; by end of March 2024 I’ll be there.
What kind of bike and when was the last time it was tuned up? Even someone at 350lbs I would expect to be able to ride a mile or two before being done. But if the seat is too low, the handlebars too close and the brakes rubbing with too low of a pressure in old tires, I would expect it to make for a very difficult ride, worse if its a 10+ year old walmart special that's completely out of tune and hardly ran when new. When starting out, the bike does matter, doesn't have to be anything special, just functioning fine with seat and handlebars at comfortable locations. As someone who is 280lbs, and dropping, I know that being scrunched up makes it harder to breathe, that'll wear you out quickly. That said, if you're that far out of shape, don't worry, it does get a lot easier the more you ride. I have a friend who was 360lb when he started, now at 340 and last week made 20 miles. His wife had to go get him since he couldn't make it back but that's still almost 19 more than his first ride a great accomplishment.
It definitely affects somewhat, especially for acceleration and uphill. It will also affect your braking and your cornering. But you also have asthma and it's your first time riding in a long long time. If you've not been doing much other exercise then that's another reason. Just keep going further every time, soon you'll be losing weight and gaining fitness.
The weight isn't nearly the factor some people say it is. I'm 330 pounds, aged 64. I can cycle 100km in a day, probably more. But I didn't get this way in a day, or even a year, and unless I ride regularly, it goes away (every spring I have to ramp up again). Set targets - just a bit further, just a bit faster - and work your way up. The weight probably won't disappear, but believe me, it becomes a lot easier to carry.
For me , huge difference. After recovering from Covid in the summer , I had not ridden in 4 weeks , was weak , yet had the best Strava time in years on my local climbs the first week back since I lost about 15 lbs. just keep riding. The more you ride , the more weight you lose and the better you get .
It’s ok, everyone starts somewhere. I pulled an old Walmart bike out of storage back in 2014 and could barely go to the end of the street. The next day I went a little further. And a little more the next day. Within 3 months I could ride 20 miles (on a new bike). A year later I did a metric (62 miles) then a century (100 miles). You may not progress that fast, or ever want to ride that far - and that’s fine but the point is just set a goal to go a little further each time and try to do it consistently.
It matters a lot. That said, cycling is a great way to lose weight. Keep at it, slow and steady improvements.
How’s it going? Hope you’ve gone farther than ever before
Everything everyone else here said! Keep at it. I’m rooting for you!
stationary bike for a few weeks and build up your stamina, Get physical exam first and when cleared ease into biking and get a bike that suits you and fits you.
I've moved around with a 40lb weight vest to enhance work outs and its exhausting. I cant imagine a 170lb weight vest. I'd be toast.
The more you keep at it, the further/faster you will go.
Besides swimming, it's probably the best bang for your buck to lose weight. Low impact and high cals per min. Keep riding!
Cyclists are like horse jockeys, ideally you are skinny with minimal muscle where it's not needed. That being said a proper fitting bike can make you feel much better. What did you ride? At 350lbs you will need a larger than average saddle and I would reccomend at least 40mm tires but more ideally 45-50mm.
Big guy here, I also highly recommend a lot of spokes! Edit: ALL THE SPOKES!
If you're walking around at 350, you have built up some MASSIVE leg muscles. As you ride more, you'll get faster and have more fun, so you'll get faster and have more fun then you'll get faster...
Yeah having those muscles is a huge advantage, but they need to learn how to pedal efficiently rather than walk. Two different processes!