Overweight 43 yr old lol

petski2

Hi all,my names Pete and as said im 43 and overweight.
Basically from 14 to 40 I abused my body and now im afraid my shape shows this.
I stopped smoking 3 yrs ago and now the weight gain has become binding.
Im 5' 7" and 14st 12.
Anyhow iv always loved cycling and I love the outdoors so im gonna start riding seriously.
Im looking at local rides at the mo around canals etc so not all road but not full blown mountain biking either.
Im from Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
Anyhow thats me introduced and just like to say this is a great forum and i look forward to trawling through all the info.
Hi to everyone.
Oh btw after 10 mins of riding my a r s e and between my legs at the top are in agony even though i have a gel seat,does this go away or is there a method of riding to minimize the pressure on the old botty??

Whytepeak

Welcome Pete,

keep on riding it will do you the world of good...

allow time for your behind to get used to the saddle, if its still bad, it may be the case that the saddle is the wrong shape for you, i.e too narrow/ wide/ long ect. if this is the case you may need a new one.

Dobelerone

Not being funny,but i'm presuming you have got some padded shorts?If not,a wise investment my friend,look on Wiggle.co.uk and you can get yourself some decent one's on there, DHB are a really good bargain short,i wear them myself,if you have the cash then look at Endura or Gore.

petski2

Thanks guys,no I dont have any padded shorts but I will get some.To be honest I didnt even know they existed :roll:
Told ya im new to this lol.
Thanks again

FSR Si

Hi Pete, just as a bit of inspiration for you i gave up smoking 4 years ago and ballooned from 11 stone upto 14.5 stone also i'm 5'8".I decided to do something about it last August by getting back on the bike. I now weigh in at 11 stone 4lbs so it can be done and relatively easy. Just remember to eat healthy and have fun when on the bike and the weight will fall off.

petski2

Wow FSR u sound like my twin lol.
I was 11st and am now 14..12
Started diet last week and starting cycling proper today.
Gonna start with like 2 or 3 mile rides for a week or 2 and build up from there,does that sound about right?
Also do you cycle every day guys or do you have to build in rest days?
Thanks again.
Pete

FSR Si

At first i cycled every other day for about an hour at a time and the days in between i did some upper body weights with some dumbbells to build some strength. What i tend to do now is go for a good 15 - 20 mile blast every morning (Weather permitting) then in the afternoon go for a gentle 4 or 5 miler with the bro in law who has just started riding again.

My bro in law started 2 weeks ago doing 3 miles of gentle flat trails and he's now building up to about 5 miles with some small hills, He's a big lad who also has asthma and on his first 2 day's he really struggled but now after 2 weeks he's coming on great and can already see the benefits in his breathing.

Good luck Pete and remember just enjoy the riding and vary your route so it doesn't get mundane and the weight will come off.

weeksy59

FSR Si wrote:

Good luck Pete and remember just enjoy the riding and vary your route so it doesn't get mundane and the weight will come off.

A very important point

Best of luck big fella.

Mark\' 62

Hello Pete and welcome to the forum, im a newbie aswell and i know what your going through, my nether regions where killing me at first but persevere mate and it does go away, i done the same as you round the canal tow paths at first and last week i went round delemere forest and done 10 miles and 10.5 the next day(that won't seem far to most people ha ) and it is getting easier even though my legs and chest felt if they where going to explode!!, another month or so and i'll try going with the lads up to llandegla and some trails in betsy coed, but i must admit i'm enjoing going out on the bike and thats what it's all about

Furkuk

Hi Pete...Good luck with the weight loss and getting fit.
I only started in January and have gone from 16st 8 to 14st and feel so much fitter! I have 10 times more energy than I have had for years.
All I would suggest is just keep going, your bottom will getting better with time

petski2

Thanks all again for the support
At the moment I have a bog standard rigid so called mountain bike (£69) lol.
While I dont want a road bike ie. a racer type I would like something in between.
What im getting at is I am neither going to be riding up and down mountains lol nor am I going to be doing long distances on main roads etc.So is there an ideal bike anyone could recommend?
Thanks

Furkuk

I suppose it depends on money, as does everything else
For cycling along canals and flat off road surfaces then any mountain type cycle will do. You don't need suspension etc. Just get out and enjoy it.
As you get better you may decide to upgrade as I did, I ended up buying a GT from Halfords and it suits my type of riding.

Rich Hcp

I started with a rigid MTB and weighed 14 stone (I'm 5'8")

I now weiigh 12 stone.

I'm out two or three times a week for about an hour and do a longer run at weekends.

I thought I needed a hybrid

I ended up with a proper roadie and then bought a hardtail on the cycle to work scheme

So I have the best of both, love my cycling and still losing weight

cee

petski2

welcome!

I am 31, 5'10 and 13 stone.....my perfect fighting weight thanks to the bikes fighting off the effects of riding a desk for 45-60 hours a week!

you might get on better with a slimmer saddle (sounds counter intuitive, but it is true)...if you keep getting problems, try using chamoix (sp?) creme.

Can certainly help, but feels a little like sliding around in your pants for the first couple of times!

Rich Hcp

Yeah, get a new saddle!

Ive just fitted http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f%5FProductID=3859&f%5FSupersetQRY=C257&f%5FSortOrderID=1&f%5Fbct=c003154c003138c003276 to my Orange G3 hardtail and that is a good price

I fully recomend the BG range of saddles

You'd still be better with padded shorts, but your backside will suffer less with one of these saddles

petski2

Cheers again guys and gals
Been out last 2 days for 20 mins then an hour :oops:
I did indeed have one of those really wide seats filled with gel (it should have had a sign saying "Warning Wide Load" on my back lol.
Swapped it for the original slim one that came with the bike and it did seem much better.
I also raised the seat about 4 inch which seems to transfer some of the weight onto my arms and hands instead of my bumbum :shock:
I will keep posting my results (bet ya cant wait)
Bye all

meat

well i have to say mate i'am in the same boat as you... my bottom is in hell every time i get of the bike ..lol i was 17 stone 8 when i got me bike 5 weeks ago and i ;am down to 15 stone 5 now. sounds like i need a new seat :-)

petski2

OOOOO im all giddy and excited,im off to get my bike computer and pump holder and puncture repair kit and helmet and gloves...phew :shock:

petski2

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
OUCH!!!!
Just been on my 1st serious trek (Stanley to Carr Gate) 11.63 miles which includes the ride to the start from where I live.
Nice mix of bridle ways and quiet roads.
Finished about 5pm and now my legs are just starting to feel it lol.
It all felt sooo good out in the open and I couldnt believe the amount of things and places Iv never seen before,(iv only lived here 43 yrs lol).
Kept getting those moments where I came out onto a road and thought ??? how on earth did I get here :shock:
Anyhow loved every minute of it and cant wait for my next jaunt on Weds.
Cheers all.

The Rookie

I've tried two saddles so far (42, 5'9.5" and just under 13st), a diamondback which was lovely and comfortable (like an armchair LOL) but left my rear so sweaty it was aweful, I'm now using a shwinn, its harder, but the ventilation is worth it, has two thin gel pads for the 'sitting bones'.....cycled to work for the first time today (its a horrid journey, 3 short downhills a 3 climbs, one short and very steep, the other 2 loonnnggggg and dragging), I reckon in a couple of weeks I'll notice the benefit, that 3.5 miles is harder than the circa 10 miles I've been doing with my eldest!

Simon

petski2

Hehe beginner the sitting bones do take a hammering lol.
To be honest I seem to have got over that now,maybe my sitting bones have hardened lol.
Went out today,got about a mile from home down fields and the back wheel came off ffs lol.
Had the wheel off yesterday in garage cos theres a horrible grating noise when i stop pedaling,anyhow i didnt fix the noise in the end and obviously didnt fix the bl**dy wheel back on tight enough lol.
Had to carry the bike a mile home uphill all the way :roll:
Good excercise tho

fly_killer

'ello

Why is the narrower saddle better ? ... is it because it gives you more movement for your thighs ?

I'm quite a large guy with thick thighs and I have a bit of a problem with my thighs rubbing on the horn of my saddle.

Later