Encouraging a newbie without scaring them off

davis

My father's expressed an interest in cycling, and after a very gentle 12 miles last week he still appears up for it. He used to cycle a fair bit in his 20's, and he's still got his old Peugeot road bike in the shed.

He could certainly do with a bit of aerobic exercise. He's 56, a little overweight, and has scary blood pressure (he's on medication, and it's still sometimes around 180/110, and yes, the doctor knows). He's worked physically hard all his life, and still is, having been a bricklayer or similar for around 35 years, but his aerobic threshold is now fairly low.

So, I want to make it as easy, comfortable, and enjoyable as possible without either pushing him, or making him feel like a newb, and also without spending too much money.
He's adamant that he can't cope with drops as his back is truly knackered*, so he's ridden my hybrid, which, in all honesty, is probably too big for him.

His major problem is comfort: particularly the saddle. He feels every bump of the road, so I'm thinking perhaps wider, softer tyres, and *maybe* a different (probably padded) saddle. I don't think he fancies padded shorts, either.
He also reckons he's leaning over too far, so perhaps a shorter stem (which I already have) with as much upwards angle as possible.

Ultimately, he's probably on the wrong bike, but I think it's probably worth our while finding out whether he's going to prefer speed+light (probably more road-orientated) or purely comfort, which might mean something like a Dutch bike or an MTB with slicks. Yuck. He'd be after low maintenance too, although I realise a cheap, light, low-maintenance, comfortable, and fast bike probably doesn't exist.


Right, so has anyone got any tips on how I approach this?
I /think/ comfort is probably the most important thing to go for, and worry about speed later, so maybe I should resurrect my MTB, which is probably a better size.
I don't mind swapping bits over -- I'm enjoying it, actually, but I don't think his patience for this is yet up to the "let's go to the LBS to look at shiny bits" stage yet.
I also really want to avoid the possibility of annoying him by tearing off up hills on my road bike while he's struggling to keep going. I don't mind waiting for him, but I think that'd probably make him feel worse.


Cheers,

*: He's a brickie, and that's *massive* amounts of weight-carrying and bending over, so I don't believe core exercises would help at all. His osteopath also reckons his back is basically overworked.

lost_in_thought

I've managed to get my mum back on a bike again, so feel your pain.

Comfort is by far the most important thing, and the only way to really achieve that is a good fit. Maybe you could ask around to see if anyone has a smaller bike you could borrow on his behalf? Or, indeed, resurrect an old MTB.

Try to find a happy medium with the tyre pressure, obviously too low and you'll be adding drag, and make sure the saddle fits, investing in a good saddle is a great plan, of course it can come with them if they move on to another bike.

As has just begun to happen with my mum, they'll get into it because it doesn't hurt, and start hankering after something that's more nippy, but let it happen organically, rather than pestering.

Everywhere you go with them, cycle in a really spinny gear, so you can appear to be putting some effort in without blasting past them or coasting, on hills as well. DON'T go haring off. It'll just make them feel bad.

always_tyred

Tow paths, river paths and paths on disused railway lines are designed for middle aged people getting back into cycling. In the 60's, they closed loads of railways for just this reason. In seriousness, they are flat and tend to be pleasant and leafy.

Get a couple of cheap locks and aim for a pub to have lunch or soemthing. For its own sake, exersise from previously doing nothing is not fun, so for a little while, design some attainable targets.

Try a suspension seatpost. Not usually to be recommended, but might be a good psychological crutch. Either that or one of those saddles with springs which look as though they ought to be comfrotable. That plus a bike which isn't way too large is a good idea.

deptfordmarmoset

I wouldn't worry too much about the hypertension. A reasonable amount of exercise, regular and slowly building it up, (with the doctor's blessing, of course) might even help him reduce his medication.

g00se

I suppose most on here wouldn't normally recommend this but....

You could go for a front suspension hybrid - but as light as possible with lockout. Also, put a suspension seat post on it. That way, later on, if he thinks he'd prefer something a bit more harsher, you can always swap it out for the regular post.

The Specialized Crosstrail Sport has lockout and is not too heavy.

supersonic

Comfort is definitely paramount here.

As for blood pressure, it is something I have suffered with for many years, starting at aged just 24. I have been on loads of different medications, the key is discussing with your doctor and finding a combo that works well for you. Certain beta blockers can cause a bit of pain in your legs on exercising for example.

AndyManc

supersonic wrote:

Comfort is definitely paramount here.

As for blood pressure, it is something I have suffered with for many years, starting at aged just 24. I have been on loads of different medications, the key is discussing with your doctor and finding a combo that works well for you. Certain beta blockers can cause a bit of pain in your legs on exercising for example.

40% of adults have high blood pressure, in fact the last time I went to the doc's he said my pressure was a bit high ...... , I was lying on the floor screaming 'shoot me ' 'shoot me' at the time, having done my lower back in, he said he would check it again at a later date, when I wasn't so stressed.

Blood pressure irregularities are the norm as far as I can see, crap diet and a stressed out world to blame.

.


.

supersonic

Mine averaged 180/120 and peaked much higher though - was hospitalised for a week when it spiked, then was in and out for 4 years.

But you are right - many have higher bp than average, and stress does make it worse of course. But some have underlying reasons or extreme like mine, and need to be controlled with medication.

Good news is am down to just one medication now that works well for me. Some were nasty.

lost_in_thought

My BP is very entertaining - I have it checked regularly as it's a bit erratic, I will often register rather high and then rather low a few weeks later.

Doesn't seem to cause me any problems though.

supersonic

Best thing is to take an average of them when you have been resting for several minutes. I never think the doctors surgery is the best place lol.

dugliss

I`m on medication for high BP too. Doesn`t affect me now after a few years with blurred vision etc but I do sometimes worry about the long term damage of taking the medication for decades although the stroke or heart attack I would otherwise get is obviously more worrying

davis

Well, A quick nip to the pub with him on the MTB with a ridiculously cushy saddle was certainly a massive improvement.

So, making it comfortable, and bugger the slowness, seems to be the way to start. I'll see how he goes on the MTB for a bit before playing with other options (awaiting news of chafing!). Maybe a Ribble frame with flat bars. And for me, some girders in a double triangle shape with treacle tyres to balance it out

I know I've been banging on about comfort and bike fit for a while, but sometimes it helps to have someone else say it back to me.

Thanks, all.