Bicyclers HELP me. Big girl (age 48) wanna buy a bike?

BigMomma742

Hi everybody. I'm weighing in around 258 and I am 48 years young. I've been thinking about getting a bicycle. There are so many to choose from. What kind of bike? Walmart? Sears? Schwinn...what? Trike ? How many speeds? At my weight is this going to be a bad idea? Should I just continue walking and lose more weight before I go buy a bike? I have a feeling I will be killing my gluteus maximus which is maxed out. Any seat suggestions? Handlebar suggestions? When I used to do the elliptical machine I would have a lot of pain in a certain down low female area of my body, and I am afraid that the bike thing might have the same result, and I have the same problem when I carry too much heavy stuff (I am very strong). Thanks for your time.

LadyPakal

I waited until I'd lost a lot before getting my bike (down to around 180 lbs) - I think they have limits on the weight they can safely take so you'd need to check that. Get padded trousers/shorts, they help with easing your inner hip bones into it.

DreaMuffin

i'm weighing in almost exactly the same amount you are, OP - i bought a bike anyway. it's just to get me to and from the gym and i knew i'd be "overweight" for it, so i just bought a cheapie from wal-mart. it's suiting me just fine. the weight limit on it is supposed to be 220. oh well! haha!

i bought an old fashioned cruiser and while i love the style, i wouldn't suggest one without gears. hills are a real B&%$#H! lol

i hope you get one! i was incredibly intimidated to buy one, and was thinking that i should wait, but soooo glad i did it anyway!

*edit* - i bought a cruiser because the seats are way more comfy than other bikes. if i was to make the purchase over again, i'd search for a cruiser with gears.

Papillon22

Hi!
when I bought my bike, I just went to the store, tried a couple and chose the one I liked best (and was on sale!). Before going, I tried researching, but I was even more confused and I certainly wasn't going to spend $200 on one. I haven't had any issues with it, and I'm almost the same weight as you.
My advice would be to go to the store, try some and you can always change the seat to a more padded one if you need to. Good luck!

trishbadgett

This is just my two cents worth...go to a yard sale and skip wally world for a cheapie and see how you like it...BUT my best advise is go to a bike shop ( I did NOT want to do this as I thought it was too much money to spend) they can help you select a good bike for you. I had a cheap wal mart bike and there is a BIG difference in those and they ones from a bike shop. I do not regret it at all.

We take our bikes on vacation in Florida and ride trails locally whenever we can and I love my bike. I have a Raleigh step thru which is better for my short legs.

Good luck with your purchase.

jagi410

Look for an Electra Townie 7d. This is a very comfortable bike that will have enough gears for all types of riding. These are about $470 and worth every penny.

BigMomma742

Thanks everybody who responded. I think I'm gonna go for it as soon as I figure out how I'm gonna haul it