Buying a Bike

dollydrops

Just looking for some advice.

My boyfriend is about 5 stone overweight and if doesn't start losing weight he is going to end up with some serious health problems.

Anyhow he has tried the gym and it drove him mad if found it very boring. So he has decided he is going to try cycling.
He used to cycle alot when he was a teenager but now he doesn't have a clue where to start.

He said he wants one that he can take the wheels off or fold so it fits in his car.

He is only willing to spend about €300 max.

Where is the best to buy?
What make?
What other bits and pieces does he need?

Any tips?
Thanks

kona

dollydrops wrote: »

Just looking for some advice.

My boyfriend is about 5 stone overweight and if doesn't start losing weight he is going to end up with some serious health problems.

Anyhow he has tried the gym and it drove him mad if found it very boring. So he has decided he is going to try cycling.
He used to cycle alot when he was a teenager but now he doesn't have a clue where to start.

He said he wants one that he can take the wheels off or fold so it fits in his car.

He is only willing to spend about €300 max.

Where is the best to buy?
What make?
What other bits and pieces does he need?

Any tips?
Thanks

cycling is crap for losing weight tbh, it will keep you fit but thats about it.....you have to be fit first, it aint very exciting either unless hes going to be dirt jumping or riding downhill, if e is you will want to spend alot more than e300.

id reccomend slugging out in the gym or running, set him a target of the marathon, there are a heap of build up races to it over the summer, if he joins a group for it it will be exciting as there will be a competitive edge.


if hes looking at e300, id check out some of the shops that have offers this time of year such as your local bike shop and halfords.

id avoid online unless you know how to assemble and saftey check a bike properly.

kenmc

First off, congrats to him for wanting to change his weight problem, and hope this works out better for him than the gym.
Secondly, most bikes these days come with quick-release wheels, so getting it into the car should not be an issue. I would avoid the folding ones as they are _generally_ designed for commuting where you'd cycle to the luas/dart, get the dart/luas into town and then cycle the km or 2 to the office.

I'd also disagree with Kona in that it's crap for losing weight. Pretty much any form of exercise, in conjunction with a control of food intake, will lead to weight loss. in simple terms if you use more energy than you consume, you will end up buring excess body mass to fill the gap. Cycling, especially if he's doing some reasonable distances (e.g. 2 hour spin on the weekend, and commuting to work for example), will give him a good cardio workout, as well as being low impact, which is important if he's carrying more weight than his frame (body, not bike!) is built for. BUT he has to be prepared to hurt a bit - nothing in life comes for free, weight loss included!

I'd also be wary of going to Halfords for a bike, and am surprised that it has been suggested after some recent threads. Get him to his local bike shop, hopefully they will be able to provide some useful suggestions. What sort of cycling is he looking to do? Road or mountainbiking? If it's road then AVOID mountain bikes, especially with suspension - they are heavy and slower than a road bike, and are less enjoyable to cycle, especially if they have off-road tyres. However, they will provide more of a workout as he will need to put more energy to get the same distance/speed as on a road bike. It might be best if you get him here to post up some more details and ask more questions to be honest.
Good luck

p.s. swimming is also a very good form of exercise, which he might consider to supplement cycling.

one more question - why is he only prepared to spend 300 euro or so? If he is serious about this, and he spends a bit more, maybe 500 or so, he will get a much better bike, which will be a) more reliable, b) more enjoyable and c) last longer. 300 euro seems a very low price to put on his health to be honest. Perhaps you could encourage him by offering to go halves on a more expensive bike? Just a thought.

Money Shot

dollydrops wrote: »

Just looking for some advice.

My boyfriend is about 5 stone overweight and if doesn't start losing weight he is going to end up with some serious health problems.

Anyhow he has tried the gym and it drove him mad if found it very boring. So he has decided he is going to try cycling.
He used to cycle alot when he was a teenager but now he doesn't have a clue where to start.

He said he wants one that he can take the wheels off or fold so it fits in his car.

He is only willing to spend about €300 max.

Where is the best to buy?
What make?
What other bits and pieces does he need?

Any tips?
Thanks

It's definitely a great place to start, and he is probably more likely to keep it up than the gym, especially if he can incorporate it into commutes etc. Cycling will be good though as it's low impact.

This might be something to consider as I'm sure he's not too bothered about performance just yet. I'm not sure how this will hold up to a large weight, but it should be ok to get him started. He can even carry this onto the train / bus etc. I'd recommend upgrading soon enough though if he gets into it and wants to cycle a lot. I know a guy who has one like this and he raves about it for getting to the train and from the train to work.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24399

He shouldn't really need anything else to get started- maybe a few spare tubes, a puncture repair kit and a pump.

I'm sure he's aware that the biggest impact on weight loss will be the positive changes he can make to his diet. That in conjunction with cycling should shed the pounds fairly quickly. Best of luck.

irishmotorist

Personally, I'd say that if he's that much overweight, any exercise will make a good difference at the start. Ny then he might have the bug and want to keep at it. I think the key is getting out for a prolonged period of time. 10 mins a day is no good as he'll still be warming up.

A bit of off road stuff is more exciting than on-road and there was a mountain biking course advertised here recently - http://www.madmtb.com/

An option might also be to cycle to work - depending on where he's cycling from/to. That way, his excercise is built into the day and he doesn't have to drag his ass off the couch after getting home.

For that price, I'd imagine you'd get a cheap entry level mountain bike. It won't be anything special at all, but should keep going ok once he takes care of it - cleaning, oiling etc.

Just checked the halfords site, here are some with English prices. One of these would get him on the road. The money you mention won't get a world beater, but then - he probably doesn't want one.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/categorydisplay_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_128817_langId_-1_topCategoryId__parentcategoryrn_90909_crumb_33980-90909_topcategory_90909

cmyk

Agreed with what Kona has said, tell him to check out the stickies in the fitness section, some very simple solid advice on diet and nutrition with regard to weight loss.

That said if he is fairly sedentary any form of exercise will kickstart the old metabolism. Fair play to him for wanting to do something, as long as he enjoys it and it motivates him. I have bought a couple of bikes from the cycle superstore in tallaght and found them reasonably priced, large showrooms and friendly too.

TinyExplosions

kona wrote: »

cycling is crap for losing weight tbh, it will keep you fit but thats about it.....you have to be fit first, it aint very exciting either unless hes going to be dirt jumping or riding downhill, if e is you will want to spend alot more than e300.

It's lost me a fair amount

tunney

kona wrote: »

id reccomend slugging out in the gym or running, set him a target of the marathon, there are a heap of build up races to it over the summer, if he joins a group for it it will be exciting as there will be a competitive edge.

.

Thats pretty bad advice.

Starting running and aiming for a marathon when as out of shape as the OPs other half is almost guaranteed to result in frustration and injury.

kenmc

I agree with Tunney, that the marathon is a recipe for disaster to be honest, unless it's a long term goal i.e. next year, and only if running is something which he enjoys doing - I know it wouldn't be a goal for me, whereas the W200 and ROK is. And the gym is not something which he enjoys either, which I can understand as it can be quite intimidating if you're surrounded by buff/toned people and you're overweight and struggling.

Supercell

Cycling is HIIT most of the time without even trying.

Its PERFECT for weight loss.

When I was cycling to work in my last gaff I must have eaten three times what I do now and literally couldn't put weight on. Then again I really hammered it all the way, always went as fast as I could half an hour each way.

Best of luck to the b/f, I'm losing weight currently by cycling and finding it a bajillion times less boring than the gym.

kona

tunney wrote: »

Thats pretty bad advice.

Starting running and aiming for a marathon when as out of shape as the OPs other half is almost guaranteed to result in frustration and injury.

its pretty good advice, you need a target to aim for, the marathon is in 5-6 months, in this time he should be well able to run it, im not talking sub 2.30 marathon, im talking maybe 4-5 hours.

The problem with cycling is gears, he will be tempted to make it easy.

running burns alot more energy than cycling, its somthing like twice what cycling burns, also it will work your upper body too.

running will increase your VO2 max aswell.

running is much better for weight loss than cycling.

if you get a proper training program...from you gym, you will not be frustrated, you just start at say a 2mile jog at a easy pace 3 times a week for 2 weeks then slowly up it, when you get to 10 miles you can inject some pace into it.

i do ALOT of cycling and running, running is much harder and is a better work out.

im sure the gym advizes him to balance his work outs between upper and lower body.
same with running and cycling they use different muscles.

Supercell

Running is very hard on joints and feet if you are five stone overweight, cycling far less so.

blorg

Cycling is excellent for weight loss, it's something that is relatively easy to do for extended periods (hours) at an aerobic level (70-80% HR.)

There are few other exercises that are as good IMHO. Running is far more difficult and has a higher "minimum effort" to be moving at all. Cycling for a couple of hours is a lot easier than running for a couple of hours.

Road cycling would be better than MTB as you can keep up a steady pace; MTB would be more technical, about skill, and stop/start. I don't think you would keep up the same burn average overall.

At the same time though he needs to look at his diet, it will be easier to lose it that way than through exercise alone. (There are a _lot_ of calories in some typically eaten foods, that you might be out on the bike for a long time to burn off.)

kona

Supercell wrote: »

Running is very hard on joints and feet if you are five stone overweight, cycling far less so.

true but if you get the right runners, proper runners are designed for different gait(not generic air schmax in lifestyle sports).
and you run on grass.
wrong runners and concrete will destroy your knees, hips and back.

if hes 5 stone overweight sitting on a saddle for maybe 20mile cycle(or about a hour) will annoyhim ALOT.

losing weight is hard and fair play to him, Im fit and i can tell you i wouldnt like to be unfit doing physical exercise.

im just saying ive seen plenty of people spend silly money on bikes, thinking the weight will fall off, IT WONT, then the bike is trown in the shed.

Stark

kona wrote: »

its pretty good advice, you need a target to aim for, the marathon is in 5-6 months, in this time he should be well able to run it, im not talking sub 2.30 marathon, im talking maybe 4-5 hours.

I strongly disagree. Even taken slowly, a marathon in 5 months is an unrealistic goal for someone with no running history and it's only going to make him depressed to not achieve the goal.

Targetting a few 10ks later in the year would be a good goal though.

Cycling would be a good start for someone who's overweight as it's easy on the joints and any exercise will be beneficial if he's not exercising already. Now is a perfect time to start as well with the nice sunny evenings.

mikemac

With sunshine last this, it’s almost a sin to be stuck in a gym!
Get outside and do your thing, be that running, cycling or even walking (I’ve haven’t forgotten weights)

Aiming for a marathon but the OP’s bf is 5 stone overweight?
Hey, it’s possible but it’s risky injury wise.
If you aimed for a half-marathon in Longford in late summer and the Dublin Marathon In October then it’s certainly possible as Kona says.
Edit: You don't have to run the marthon, you can jog and walk it too. I wouldn't expect to run non-stop in 5 months.

Start doing some walking.
After a while you can then maybe walk 3 minutes and jog for 2 minutes. Then do 4min and 1 min, then 5 minutes jog and on and on. You can see where this is going.

And you cycle in the meantime too any day, maybe even to commute to work

tunney

kona wrote: »

its pretty good advice, you need a target to aim for, the marathon is in 5-6 months, in this time he should be well able to run it, im not talking sub 2.30 marathon, im talking maybe 4-5 hours.

Nope its shocking advice. from zero to 26.2 miles in 5-6 months may be doable but its not recommended. Knee injuries at the best of times would be likely (i.e. ITBS etc) given the weight issue you're looking at alot more issues. its a bad bad bad idea.

kona wrote: »

running burns alot more energy than cycling, its somthing like twice what cycling burns, also it will work your upper body too.[quota]

Keep forgetting about all those ripped Kenyas with biceps the size of my thighs.

kona wrote: »

running is much better for weight loss than cycling.

Ahhh the unsupported claim, the backbone of any argument.

kona wrote: »

i do ALOT of cycling and running, running is much harder and is a better work out.

I too do alot of both running and cycling. I disagree with the statement that running is much harder. I puked my ring mid session on the bike last night doing intervals - any form of exercise is only as hard as you will push yourself.

Try going for a run tonight with four stone in a backpack. Seem how your joints are in the morning. You think you'll be inclined to keep at it?

biggus

Sticking to the Question;
Buy a Hybrid Bike.. ie a mountain bike style frame,Straight handlebars, with road not knobbly tyres.
These go further than mountain bikes for less energy but don't have the inconvenience and discomfort of a racer.

Buy one with front suspension only to keep bike weights and costs down.
Rear suspension adds weight unless you spend a fortune. Some good makes Trek/Giant have small suspension in saddle post ..go for this its sufficient for comfort ,Im overweight too.
Buy the lightest bike you can afford for your budget(lighter is dearer)
450 will buy a really good bike from the likes of holligsworth templeogue.. they'll let you ride before you buy also.This has the added benefit of finding a saddle to suit a particular rear end! Don't forget to haggle over price and a free helmet

kona

tunney wrote: »

Nope its shocking advice. from zero to 26.2 miles in 5-6 months may be doable but its not recommended. Knee injuries at the best of times would be likely (i.e. ITBS etc) given the weight issue you're looking at alot more issues. its a bad bad bad idea.

kona wrote: »

running burns alot more energy than cycling, its somthing like twice what cycling burns, also it will work your upper body too.[quota]

Keep forgetting about all those ripped Kenyas with biceps the size of my thighs.


Ahhh the unsupported claim, the backbone of any argument.



I too do alot of both running and cycling. I disagree with the statement that running is much harder. I puked my ring mid session on the bike last night doing intervals - any form of exercise is only as hard as you will push yourself.

Try going for a run tonight with four stone in a backpack. Seem how your joints are in the morning. You think you'll be inclined to keep at it?

that kenyan arguement is so ignorant its not even funny, pound for pound they are waaaaaaaaaayyyy stronger than you, you try moving your arms up and down for 2 hours.


yes of course if i add 4 stone to a back pack and run my joints will be ****ed,
but if i start with small amounts and build up my joints will be able to recover better and adapt.

same thing as 5 stone, you dont eat a burger and put on 5 stone, its a slow process.

running will burn more calories in a shorter space of time than cycling.
translated this means youd probably have to cycle 3 times longer than youd run.

yes cycling isnt load bearing so you dont have the shocks running through you like running so this is better.

as you said yourself excersise is only as hard as you push it and believe me athletics intervals are harder than cycling intervals.
but bike have gears and its all to easy to just spin when the goin gets tough or you hit a hill.

running you cant do this.

no offence to the OP husband but he doest seem to have the will power for grinding out mile after mile.(giving up on the gym)

for him id say running as it will have a better effect and he wont be spending as long exercising as on a bike, say hes doing 7 min miles(almost walking) thats 20mins for a 3mile run, hed have to be doing roughly a hour on the bike for the same effect.

id get him to run the dunes on dollymount for a few weeks, thats a serious run even when not doin intervals on them.

Stark

kona wrote:

for him id say running as it will have a better effect and he wont be spending as long exercising as on a bike, say hes doing 7 min miles(almost walking) thats 20mins for a 3mile run, hed have to be doing roughly a hour on the bike for the same effect.

The fact that you think someone who's 5 stone overweight and hasn't exercised in years will be starting out doing 7 min miles shows just how far from reality you are.

blorg

Cycling is indeed easier than running; I'd see the flip side though in the sense that he is more likely to stick with it, it is easy enough to stick with! TBH it is _easier_ to build cycling up to the point where you are burning a decent amount of calories than it is with running, which is a massive effort and you will not be able to do as much of.

No-one is going to deny that you will burn more calories running for a given amount of time but you will be doing less of it (generally speaking, of course it is possible to burn that level on the bike too.)

It's also much easier on the joints, especially if you are overweight. I'd suggest swimming as well but TBH don't think this is half as effective as cycling for simple weight loss. Good for toning the upper body when the weight is off a bit though.

Regarding the effort, you don't have to think about that too much - just think distance rather than time on the bike; start small and try to build this up steadily. A 10km cycle will burn approximately the same amount of calories however much effort you put into it, it will just be done quicker or longer (roughly- this should hold true unless you are riding at a high level, where air resistance comes into play.)

Biggus's suggestion of a hybrid is right on; I'd suggest that even front suspension is unnecessary and to avoid it if you can. A suspension seatpost is not a bad idea.

bobtjustice

If he's that far overweight, his diet is going to be the biggest factor.! He could be burning 200k a week on a bike and doing heavy weights 3-4 times a week, however if he's not eating right it won't show... he might drop a stone or so. He will get fit and healthy but the weight wont move.
Everything in moderation. My advice is tell him not to go on crash diets if he has a craving then don't deprive himself because it will just drive him mental.
Cut back on the takeaways, fatty crap.! Mainly its logic and common sense.

Believe me if he gets the diet right, weight will fall off, keep going with the excerise particularly the bike and definitely don't ignore weights, 6 months!! you won't know him.!!!!

Also the key for you is give him as much motivation as possible.!

By the way before he does any drastic, dietary and excerise programmes, speak to a doctor.! Just to be safe.!

Pj!

dollydrops wrote: »

Just looking for some advice.

My boyfriend is about 5 stone overweight and if doesn't start losing weight he is going to end up with some serious health problems.

Anyhow he has tried the gym and it drove him mad if found it very boring. So he has decided he is going to try cycling.
He used to cycle alot when he was a teenager but now he doesn't have a clue where to start.

He said he wants one that he can take the wheels off or fold so it fits in his car.

He is only willing to spend about €300 max.

Where is the best to buy?
What make?
What other bits and pieces does he need?

Any tips?
Thanks

Fair play to ya for helping him out dollydrops. I think ya should really encourage him, how about taking up cycling yourself (if you aren't already)?
Forget all the running nonsense in here (imo). You don't tell a 5 stone overweight person what to do exercise wise. If he's decided he'd like to try cycling, brilliant!
The main thing is no drastic changes imo. Diet can always be tackled. But bit by bit. Cut out one thing now, one thing in a couple of weeks. Just continue getting more sensible with it.
At the end of the day you know him better than we do so you'll know whats best for him. But definitely get the bike sorted if hes interested!!

spurscormac

Stark wrote: »

The fact that you think someone who's 5 stone overweight and hasn't exercised in years will be starting out doing 7 min miles shows just how far from reality you are.

Have to agree with this post.

I'm doing the County Galway 5k series every Tues night, wouldn't consider myself very unfit, but doing it to get fitter.
I haven't broken 24 mins yet this year, so to expect someone 5 stone overweight to break 21 is ridiculous.

My advice would be to mix and match, yes the running will burn more per minute and it will certainly help, but only if he has an interest in it. If he has no interest in it, he won't enjoy it.

What part of the country are you in?
If there's something like the 5k series in your area, then it can be a great incentive to keep up the running, and weight does drop quickly.
I know there's a Mayo 5/8/10k summer series starting up this weekend too if you're based there.
A lot of these series cater for everyone, a few serious athletes up top & the rest of us plodding along enjoying the outdoors & trying to improve our fitness.

Back to the cycling side, I just do a bit of off-road trails of late, tried commuting, but I have strange hours and a necessity to bring my laptop to and from work, so it doesn't work for me just yet, but I will be trying to do it where I can.

If he wants to commute or just go on a cycle in the evening's, then a hybrid might be the way to go - I'll bow to other people's better knowledge here on the forum though.
I did see this on adverts - may be worth investigating - again the experts here can advise better on the value of this bike at this price, and you'd have to take sizing into consideration, but may be worth a look.

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=49045&cat=52

kona

Stark wrote: »

The fact that you think someone who's 5 stone overweight and hasn't exercised in years will be starting out doing 7 min miles shows just how far from reality you are.

im removed from reality???:rolleyes:
yes over the last 4 years ive done 4 marthons and ran compeditivly and trained by some of irelands best coaches.
so your asying i walk normally faster than he runs??,

from EXPERIENCE of what i see when people come to me about bikes re:WEIGHT LOSS this is what i regularly come across,

the ops husband sounds like he wants to loose weight fast without spending much time in the process,

as mentioned a proper diet and running will do this.

of course cycling will but it will take longer.

so taking into account his attitude and what he wants and the fact he could save e200 or so id say running.


6 months to run a maraton is loads,

he can build up to a 5 mile in a month, then maybe a 10k, then a 15k, then the big one.
nobody said anything about speed, he could even walk it.

at least then he has a aim, which is better than the boredom of non compeditive cycling mile after mile, same as spinning in a gym....just with motorists abusing you replacing the spandex clad lady on the machine in front.

removed from reality, ffs, yes i live in a box surrounded by butterflies and happy faries:rolleyes::D

tunney

Stark wrote: »

The fact that you think someone who's 5 stone overweight and hasn't exercised in years will be starting out doing 7 min miles shows just how far from reality you are.

Damn you beat me to it.
probably, and no disrrespect, closer to 11 minute miles at best.

tunney

kona wrote: »

im removed from reality???:rolleyes:
yes over the last 4 years ive done 4 marthons and ran compeditivly and trained by some of irelands best coaches.
so your asying i walk normally faster than he runs??,

He'd be moving a *little* quicker I'd guess, not much but a little.

kona wrote:

he can build up to a 5 mile in a month, then maybe a 10k, then a 15k, then the big one.
nobody said anything about speed, he could even walk it.

So we have now moved from running to walking?

There is very very little chance he'd "build up to 5 mile in a month". If you've always been a runner then you may find it difficult to understand why running is so hard for non-runner sedentary overweight people. If however you had helped people start running, from scratch, or if you yourself had started running you'd have a better appreciation of the crap you're spouting.

spurscormac

kona wrote: »

im removed from reality???:rolleyes:
yes over the last 4 years ive done 4 marthons and ran compeditivly and trained by some of irelands best coaches.
so your asying i walk normally faster than he runs??,

from EXPERIENCE of what i see when people come to me about bikes re:WEIGHT LOSS this is what i regularly come across,

the ops husband sounds like he wants to loose weight fast without spending much time in the process,

as mentioned a proper diet and running will do this.

of course cycling will but it will take longer.

so taking into account his attitude and what he wants and the fact he could save e200 or so id say running.


6 months to run a maraton is loads,

he can build up to a 5 mile in a month, then maybe a 10k, then a 15k, then the big one.
nobody said anything about speed, he could even walk it.

at least then he has a aim, which is better than the boredom of non compeditive cycling mile after mile, same as spinning in a gym....just with motorists abusing you replacing the spandex clad lady on the machine in front.

removed from reality, ffs, yes i live in a box surrounded by butterflies and happy faries:rolleyes::D

Kona - I think you'll find he was referring to your comment that someone starting out, 5st overwieght could do 7min miles over a 3 mile course.
And probably more specifically the remark that 7min miles are walking pace.

As far as dropping weight fast, I agree with you that running is a quick way to do it, my someone I know has just lost a stone in 3 weeks of doing the 5ks and improved their time by 3.5 mins.
Granted, the more you lose the slower it reduces, but at the start it can be very encouraging to see the punds drop off.
I lost weight and improved my time quickly doing the 5k runs last year too, but not doing as well this year due to work constraints not enabling me to get out and train as easily.

I reckon he could mix both to get the best from each, quicker weight loss from running, lower impact from the cycling.

kona

spurscormac wrote: »

Kona - I think you'll find he was referring to your comment that someone starting out, 5st overwieght could do 7min miles over a 3 mile course.
And probably more specifically the remark that 7min miles are walking pace.

As far as dropping weight fast, I agree with you that running is a quick way to do it, my someone I know has just lost a stone in 3 weeks of doing the 5ks and improved their time by 3.5 mins.
Granted, the more you lose the slower it reduces, but at the start it can be very encouraging to see the punds drop off.
I lost weight and improved my time quickly doing the 5k runs last year too, but not doing as well this year due to work constraints not enabling me to get out and train as easily.

I reckon he could mix both to get the best from each, quicker weight loss from running, lower impact from the cycling.

i ment 7 min miles at jog/running pace, sorry if this wasnt clear.
people are different and maybe the OP husbands body just isnt receptive to losing weight, some people lose weight really quick others dont.
Is it the op's opinion that her husband is overweight or a medical opinion?

the best person for all this is a qualified fitness instructor or a doctor, im not qualified and i doubt most people here are, but im just saying what works best for me, and what seems to work best for the majojority of people in your husbands boat.

what i can do is reccomend a bike,
e300 will get you somthing decent, go to a bike shop and sit on lots of mountain bikes, hybrids and racers and pick which one is most comfy for your husband,people are different and a different geometry helps and buy the best(not always the most expensive) bike that suits.

run_Forrest_run

kona wrote: »

6 months to run a maraton is loads,

not necessarily...just because you may have lots of experience in marathon running don't assume others will adjust the same way...that's just taking the elitist arrogant approach.
6 months is plenty of time for training for someone who can manage a 10 mile distance with ease to be honest...not when you are starting out unfit and overweight.

kona wrote: »

at least then he has a aim, which is better than the boredom of non compeditive cycling mile after mile, same as spinning in a gym....just with motorists abusing you replacing the spandex clad lady on the machine in front.

i agree with you on the spinning front!


I used to do a lot of cycling and I found it great for keeping the weight down, as for using cycling for getting the weight off, I don't know about that as I was lucky to have no real weight to start with.

I am however thinking of taking up some cycling (as a hobby) again to keep the legs conditioned while sparing the knees and hips from the punishment of long distance road running (and I wear very good shoes).

kenmc

Look, the long and short of it is that the OPs boyf wants to try cycling as a means of losing weight and getting fit. Not running. Not walking. Cycling. She never mentioned a marathon as a long term goal. Never asked for the fastest way to lose weight either (although I would argue that going from nothing to something gentle like cycling is a much better idea than going straight to a high impact like running. Perhaps he'd like to take running up when he's gotten used to some sort of exercise, maybe not). So let's stick to the cycling for the moment. The major mental advantage I find with cycling over running is the speed at which scenery changes - I find running boring as, unless I have a rugby ball in hand, at which point I could run all day. Given that he hates the Gym, it's possible that he also gets bored of the scenery. But again we're on a tangent.

Right, so his options for cycling then, as per the original question:
- A hybrid would be a good solution rather than a racer, it's important that it fits well, so go along to a decent bike shop (there's been some threads recently which you can search for, but some which have gotten good reports in Dublin at least are Cycle Superstore and Joe Dalys.) and get fitted for a bike - get him to explain his goals, his aims and his concerns.
- AVOID any bike with rear suspension in his price range, it will only add weight, decrease speed and add complexity to what should be a simple machine. I'd also avoid front suspension in this price range too, again adding weight and another thing to go wrong.
- If he can increase his budget slightly then he will get a better bike - even jumping from 300 - 500 euro will be a big increase.
- As some have suggested a suspension saddle post could be an option to make it a bit more comfortable.
- As he is unused to exercising, he will sweat LOADS so it's important that he has good clothing - cycling shorts and a cycling top will make it a lot more comfortable, as they are quick drying and wick sweat away from the body. Avoid cotton - e.g. a tshirt, as once they get wet they stay wet and feel icky.
- He will probably also want to buy a helmet, maybe not, opinion is divided.
- Cycling gloves will make it easier on his hands.
- Initially he will be fine in a pair of runners, there's no need to spend big money on cycling shoes and clipless pedals, but it's something he might consider if he starts to do longer distances.
- Make sure he drinks loads of water - not just on the bike but also off - if he's using more calories than he consumes, he's going to feel hungry - by drinking water he will be able to fool his stomach into thinking he's fuller than he really is - there's no point in overeating since he will not lose weight. Get him to cut back on snacks, takeaways, booze. Don't have to cut it out completely, just cut back. Avoid all those processed dinners. Increase fruit consumption. This is probably an area which you are going to have to do exactly the same by the way, else you'll come across as hypocritical if you're telling him to eat fruit and you're on the bikkies - but maybe you're already doing this.
- Initially start small. Perhaps you have a bike as well, and the two of you can cycle to the Phoenix park (I'm assuming you're in dublin) on a sunday or something, have a stroll around or a cycle, he can rest for a bit and catch his breath. Later you can increase the distances, perhaps say cycling to Dun Laoighre and have a coffee on the pier, or howth, or out to enniskerry and back. It will be much easier if ye look on it as a way of getting somewhere to do something, rather than aimlessly cycling in a circle. It will be much easier for him if you *both* do it if possible.
-If he feels in any way ill/pain/numb etc GET TO A DOCTOR. He WILL hurt a bit at first around his bum from sitting on the saddle - should be over inside a week. His shoulders might hurt as they are taking a lot of weight and distributing them to the handlebars. Other than that he should only feel a tiredness in his legs, not a pain as such.
- Keep us informed of his progress.