Bike Recommendations

beagletracks
beagletracks Posts: 6,034 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I’m a woman in my late 40s and nearly 50 pounds overweight. I used to mountain bike a ton in my 20s and some in my 30s, then tried my old bike last year and it just wasn’t any fun. Frankly, it really hurt my swimsuit area. It was a super nice bike I’d been given years ago as a gift — I gave it to someone who now rides it daily.

Looking for recommendations for all-around bike for commuting. Would like to be able to take it on trails but not planning anything extreme. Cruiser mountain bike? Is there such a thing?

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Do you have bike shops nearby? Comfort is an excellent reason to test ride!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,621 Member
    Is there any possibility that the bike you have would work if you swap out the seat for a different seat style, or adjust the bike in other ways?

    Part of my reason for asking about bike adjustment is my personal experience going in the opposite direction: With weight loss, I had to adjust my bike to (loosely speaking) taller-person settings because my extra body fat was holding me higher above the seat, so when I lost some padding, it was as if my legs got longer, and I had more range of motion besides. Now, that didn't affect seat comfort per se for me, but I think there's at least potential for various impacts of bodyweight changes on not just seat height, but flexibility, friction points, etc. So, just a thought.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    As I get older it's getting harder to be comfortable on a bike for long periods. Getting higher bars helps your neck, but it puts more pressure on your seat. The answer is to compromise, and this is best done on a "hybrid" bike. There are a lot to choose from, but it could look something like this:

    https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/fitness-bikes/fx/fx-1-disc-stagger/p/35002/?colorCode=grey

    My solution for the BBI (butt-bike interface) is to buy really good bike shorts (e.g., Pearl Izumi) and use a padded gel seat. The seat on the above is good, but most shops would do a trade for a softer wider one. No seat is perfectly comfortable, but your soft spots will get tougher over time!
  • beagletracks
    beagletracks Posts: 6,034 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Do you have bike shops nearby? Comfort is an excellent reason to test ride!

    Good point! There are lots of bike shops around here (I’m in the Sierra). I’ll take my time and test ride. Thanks!
  • beagletracks
    beagletracks Posts: 6,034 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Is there any possibility that the bike you have would work if you swap out the seat for a different seat style, or adjust the bike in other ways?

    Part of my reason for asking about bike adjustment is my personal experience going in the opposite direction: With weight loss, I had to adjust my bike to (loosely speaking) taller-person settings because my extra body fat was holding me higher above the seat, so when I lost some padding, it was as if my legs got longer, and I had more range of motion besides. Now, that didn't affect seat comfort per se for me, but I think there's at least potential for various impacts of bodyweight changes on not just seat height, but flexibility, friction points, etc. So, just a thought.

    Thanks for these insights! Great points.
  • beagletracks
    beagletracks Posts: 6,034 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    As I get older it's getting harder to be comfortable on a bike for long periods. Getting higher bars helps your neck, but it puts more pressure on your seat. The answer is to compromise, and this is best done on a "hybrid" bike. There are a lot to choose from, but it could look something like this:

    https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/fitness-bikes/fx/fx-1-disc-stagger/p/35002/?colorCode=grey

    My solution for the BBI (butt-bike interface) is to buy really good bike shorts (e.g., Pearl Izumi) and use a padded gel seat. The seat on the above is good, but most shops would do a trade for a softer wider one. No seat is perfectly comfortable, but your soft spots will get tougher over time!

    Awesome! Thank you!
  • Sinisterbarbie1
    Sinisterbarbie1 Posts: 711 Member
    I don’t know how you will feel about this suggestion, bc it has pros and cons, but have you thought about a recumbent bike or a trike? The seating position puts less pressure not only on your rear but also on your wrists which can also suffer during long bike rides. And as for losing weight v gaining weight, I have never found bike seats to be comfortable at any weight. There are just bony bits (yoga teachers call them sits bones I think) that of course I could never see, but I swear were permanently bruised when riding. I never learned to ride properly as a kid so am not comfortable riding with traffic so I have mostly done spin classes as a result and the good part of this is that it motivates me to crank the tension up and get up and stay up out of my seat for lots of uphill climbs. I’ve considered recumbents/trikes for myself to ride outdoors because of the additional stability they would provide. I think they might make me feel more secure, but then I start worrying about the lower profile making me less visible.
  • pridesabtch
    pridesabtch Posts: 2,479 Member
    A local bike shop is really the best place to look. I'm a roadie, but a friend of mine just bought a Trek Verve hybrid and likes it for rail trails and bike paths. It wouldn't be right for mountain biking, but gravel trails would be ok as would city streets.

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  • beagletracks
    beagletracks Posts: 6,034 Member
    Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone!
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    beagletracks wrote: »
    Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone!

    Soooo, what kind of bike did you end up getting??
  • aaajn
    aaajn Posts: 4 Member
    edited December 2022
    Not sure if the buy a new bike fever has passed yet but I figured I would add a few cents. I have been riding for decades, took a long time off but slowly coming back. Gravel bikes are all the rage. I ended up buying a touring bike but I use it for commuting. It is a Salsa Marrakesh https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/road/Marrakesh

    I have owned like 25 bikes over the years, this is the most comforatable bike I have ever owned. Or ridden. Bike decisions are fun. All the best.
  • MichelleMcKeeRN
    MichelleMcKeeRN Posts: 450 Member
    I have a nice full suspension Liv mountain bike but I 50/50 swap the seat out for a cheap extra thick gel cruiser seat. It saves me from being sore.
    I can take my mountain bike on the street but I can’t take a hybrid bike on the mountain. This probably would depend what kind of trails you are riding though. Maybe they have some better hybrid options I don’t know about.
    Good luck!
  • _mr_b
    _mr_b Posts: 302 Member
    Sounds like a hybrid bike is what you need - as has been stated.

    As for the saddle, it's all about fit and comfort, your head says 'look at that big comfy saddle' but your body says 'ouch'. That's because the saddle can be too big and when you are cycling it rubs in places you'd really rather it didn't. I ride road and MTB and people often think a narrow saddle is uncomfortable but it suits my body just fine. Your local bike shop will be able to help you out here, it's probably one of the questions they get asked the most.

    But definitely get some good cycling shorts, they'll make a huge difference. I prefer bib-shorts as then there's no waist to make it feel like you're being cut in half.
  • meritage12
    meritage12 Posts: 1 Member
    Good padded cycling shorts for women, we need different padding, and a womens specifuc gel bike seat, again we need pressure relief in different places. Oh and go commando under bike shorts, panties have a seam that rubs

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