Fat lad starting to commute...

Rhino.

Hiya guys,

Soon to be getting my new bike (2014 Giant Defy 4) and all I have at the moment in terms of kit is my cycle helmet. Now I must say I am gutted to state I am a big chap, I've gotten myself back up to around 18.5 stone (having previously lost loads of weight), and this ofcourse will be a factor in terms of kit sizing etc. I have been looking into the options of clothing and I have decided that I would like some bib shorts and a couple of tops.

Despite the very low prices (£6 infact) for some Muddyfox bib shorts, I am keen to steer clear of these because I assume the quality will be nothiing short of terrible? I am on a budget and would not like to spend much (say a maximum of around £30) on the shorts at the moment.

Top wise I am not sure how it works, again I am on a budget and there are some very cheap options from Muddyfox but again would I be making the same mistake I would be if I was purchasing the shorts...buy cheap buy twice etc?

Can anyone point me in the right direction for some options?

Thanks folks.

drummer_boy

Don't worry, once you start cycling the weight will drop off. I started off at 18.5st as well, and am now 17st dead. And hoping to lose more. Just don't eat more, eat clever!!

As for clothes i feel your pain, as cycling clothing seems to be designed to fit miniature Italian people! I started off with Muddy Fox gear as well, and quickly discovered the padding in the shorts and tights was pretty poor. Although I still get a lot of wear out of the jerseys.

I would recommend DHB shorts for price, and fit, as well as comfort: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-aeron-cycling-bib-short-1/ these will fit your needs.

I would recommend better shorts, as you really do get what you pay for in terms of comfort. But as a starter these should do you.

Enjoy your riding.

PerformingMonkey

The Muddy Fox stuff at Sports Direct is OK actually. My dad uses it on regular basis and he's had no issues.

He likes the looser cut and the fact that he doesn't look like a walking, talking sponsorship board.

simonl83

Hi,

I was also 18 1/2 stone when I bought my hybrid in 2011, I have commuted about half of my journeys to work since as well as cycling at weekends on canal towpaths etc. and dropped below 16 stone earlier this year. Although my BMI is still in the obese category I have set myself a target of 14 1/2 stone by next spring. I bought my first road bike this spring (Giant Defy1) and I now do at least 30 miles every Sunday afternoon either on my own or club rides (64 miles planned for next Sunday).

I bought a pair of Muddy Fox Bib Shorts in XXL a couple of years back and I found the fit was terrible, baggy around the legs and tight at the top around the bib. I then bought some Tenn shorts from Amazon which were better but last year I bought a pair of Lusso Coolmax Pro Bib shorts which are a perfect fit and the most comfortable shorts I have ever owned. So much so I have just bought 2 pairs in XL as the XXL are now too big. You can pick them up for about £30 a pair and are worth every penny.

I would personally say steer clear of cycling jerseys as they are not very flattering. I have always worn Adidas Climalite running t-shirts as the don't cling to your belly as much as Cycling jerseys but are still breathable and wick away sweat.

Fairplay to you for getting out there, I'm so glad I did it, there's no better way to do it than cycling in my opinion. You will also find that taking up something you enjoy will also encourage you to change your diet to enhance your performance.

Keep us posted.

fatsmoker

Depending on how far your commute is, you might not need padded lycra shorts in terms of saving your ar5e, if you think they'll make you look like a dick. Although I doubt anyone would tell you this at 18.5 stone. Agree with last poster about climacool sports tops - I often wear an adidas football short which is fine with a pair of football shorts if I'm only doing a short commute. Longer than 10 miles one way does, for me at least, mean lycra shorts and proper top (the zip allows fresh air in).

drummer_boy

Thinking on this a little, the other shorts option is padded liners. I bought a couple of pairs of these to wear under none padded shorts, and they work a treat. You avoid the Lycra Man look, and keep the comfort!!

I have (and would recommend) these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-pivot-padded-liner-short/

Greggyr

Hi Rhino, welcome aboard..
All good points made already. I currently commute in a muddyfox hi viz orange shirt, and for £8 it's perfectly adequate, although I'd prefer a longer zip in these hotter months, and the 3 rear pockets aren't great. It's also incredibly hi viz which is a priority for me. I have jerseys that cost more than 10x that amount, and they aren't 10x better than it. I'm also at the larger end of the spectrum, and just being comfortable is the key, so I always wear thin shorts over padded cycling shorts. The padded shorts are worth spending more on, as the pads do improve with cost. However, again I have cheaper shorts that I find more comfortable than expensive ones, it depends on their sizing & cut etc.
Decathlon also sell a lot of good quality, low-cost gear as well. I'm sure it'll be best for you to buy value clothing to start with, as you'll need to replace it with smaller sizes in the very near future !!! Best of luck to you..

lancew

I went and bought a load of tops and a pair of shorts from Muddyfox and found them to be terrible. The quality just isn't there, they don't fit well and their shorts are hardly stretchy which means they fit terribly and become uncomfortable.

I would suggest getting something of higher quality and ransacking all the sales you can for a few months to build up some quality gear.

http://fatladattheback.com/shop/

I've heard good things about these guys who specialize in + size cycle gear that isn't going to make you look like a badly made sausage. I was looking to get some for my Dad, and I think in November he's going to get some for his birthday

Its a little more than your wanted spend but in terms of quality cycle gear its not very expensive and having made my way up the quality in terms of gear I'd say that two good kits and a fast cycle on your washing machine will do you far better than having 5 cheap uncomfortable kits.

esa2

Ive been getting Hanes dricool tshirts from Amazon for roughly 4quid plus a quid delivery. Various colours available and a good size for larger guys. Im very happy with them

simonl83

I would say that bib shorts are a must if you are losing weight. The more weight you lose, the more your kecks fall down, bibs will stop you showing you @r5e when you're riding.

simonl83

Lancew wrote:

http://fatladattheback.com/shop/

I've heard good things about these guys who specialize in + size cycle gear that isn't going to make you look like a badly made sausage. I was looking to get some for my Dad, and I think in November he's going to get some for his birthday

Its a little more than your wanted spend but in terms of quality cycle gear its not very expensive and having made my way up the quality in terms of gear I'd say that two good kits and a fast cycle on your washing machine will do you far better than having 5 cheap uncomfortable kits.

Great website this, I wish I'd known about this earlier. Great slogan too if you are on a group ride.

apreading

These bibshorts are super value for money: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-trace-bib-short/

And these jerseys are great value, simple and work well. More flattering cut than some of the cycling stuff out there too.

Funkier are a good brand for the bigger lad, and Decathlon do some great stuff.

I started at 18 stone 3 years ago and within a year was down to 14 stone. Now around 13.5. Dont buy expensive kit now if you are losing lots of weight as it will all need to be chucked if all goes to plan.

Initialised

I started out around 18 stone, I'm around 13, 5 now, four and a half years on. I have been down to 12 1/2 a word of advice, buy cheap to start with, it might not fit you next year!

I think you've just missed one of Aldi's cycling gear events, remarkably good for the price.

Rhino.

Thanks guys, paid £17 for two of these to get me started:

daddy0

I started with Muddy Fox padded tights. Padding is crap, but the thicker tights are useful in winter. Don't bother with Decathlon bibshorts - mine are see-through. DHB stuff is pretty good, start with their bibsohrts. You might find that you don't lose too much size from your legs - as you burn off the fat you do build up muscle to replace it, so spending a bit more on bibshorts might be worth it.

Muddy Fox tops I find very heavy and don't wick sweat away very well. Decathlon tops are great for the money.

BTW I lost 1 stone a month when I started riding 200km+ a week. I never changed my diet, if anything I eat more than when I was a bit of a porker.

WesternWay

Daddy0 wrote:

. Decathlon tops are great for the money.

.

THIS.

For what it is worth, I found that cycling in and of itself wasn't fantastic for weight loss; it DID make me feel much better and it really changes your legs to something to be proud of, but sorting my eating out was (I am afraid) what has made a difference; I entered into a stupid bet with a work colleague and have lost the best part of 4 stone in the last five months or so. The thing about cycling is that once you get eating under control the weight drops off because you can easily have a fairly big calorie defecit (N.B. I am not a doctor :-)

Good Luck

George

Tiberius007

Keep a look out for the ALDI cycle clothing too - Bargains IMO. I found it to be very good quality when I started out and still use it now. They normally have the specials a few times a year, and occassionally they put them out on sale etc throughout the year.
I picked up some items recently for as little as £5, for full length cycle pants, and much better padding than the Muddy Fox. I find the winter clothing is very good too.
Good luck with your cycling - enjoy.

Rykard

i found they only went to xl, which didn't fit me. Wiggle (DHB) have some reasonable clothing in larger sizes at a reasonable price

cloggsy

I keep an eye on the PlanetX website (http://tinyurl.com/p4buubr) too... Some bargains to be had during 'clearance' sales etc.