Advice for overweight man wanting to cycle

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BulletTheory05

Über Member
Location
Liverpool, UK
Evening all

Hope everyone is okay during this crazy time

Basically I want to get fit, and I'd like to do it through cycling.

I'm 35 and weigh a touch under 23 stone and I'm 6'4". So I need a bike that will take my weight and won't buckle under the sheer pressure of my size. I'd predominantly be riding on tarmac/road

I was just wondering if anyone could recommend any? My budget would be about 400 pound max I think.

Any help is appreciated, and if I need to provide more information please.let me know. Stay safe all
 

sleuthey

Legendary Member
If it were me personally I would look at getting a 1990s steel non suspension mountain bike, put some 1.5” slick tyres on it and some decent brake pads. Then just ride it.

When I’d get down to sub 120kg id then look at something decent for £400 where I’d have more choice due to being lighter
 
I’d look on the second hand markets for a steel road bike as sleuthey recommended above, if you’re going to be riding on roads for sometime you’ll be thankful of the numerous hand positions drop bars offer and as you get fitter the speed that comes from a road vs mtb on tarmac.

a lot of people start out on hybrids but end up switch to road bikes, spending a lot of money in the process. 23st at 6’4” isn’t terrible take it easy at stick with it and before no time the lbs will drop off.

one thing I would say is as you start to up the efforts and come home hungry don’t use that as an excuse to over eat, it’s easily done.
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
As you start to cycle, there will be days when you don't want to due to a bit of soreness in the bum bones or the legs / joints... I'd recommend doing something different like an hour's medium pace walking on these days, you're then still burning fat but mixing it up. It'll minimise overstressing parts of your body that aren't so used to exercising.

Bike wise, I can't really add to the above in terms of what bike. All I'll add is start small, a few miles at a time and build up. If you head out for a 20 mile hilly circuit immediately you'll be feeling and regretting that bad boy for a week. Get your sit bones used to contact bit by bit.
 
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BulletTheory05

Über Member
Location
Liverpool, UK
It's hard finding a second hand bike at the moment with everything that's going on

How is this bike? No front suspension and has 36 spoke wheels?

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/ridge...Cc7HUIrDJM0dCPkfqhy_MhQL-KPhAAnxoC_LAQAvD_BwE
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Blimey, you've been on cycle chat for 12 years and still keen to ride a bike. You're surrounded by good cycling routes. I think there are a lot of cycling paths, even the East Lancs and Rainford bypass have cycle paths, so no excuse. It wasn't like that when this was my local area. But don't attempt Billing bump until next year.

So good luck and get going.
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
I was going to say that the Decathlon Elops would be a good bike, steel, simple, sturdy with rear and front racks. That would have lent itself to all sorts of uses but has a surprisingly low weight limit, about 100kg, put on some gear (the rack holds 27kg) and you'd need to be built like a jockey to be under it's limit!
 
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