Bicycle recommendation for very overweight people (over 300 pounds)

A "29er" on the left with a regular mountain bike on the right w/ 26" wheels

Winter is lingering badly where I live. It might be the worst spring ever! Naturally, with skiing done for the year, I'm tending to my unhealthy obsession with bikes by upgrading and maintaining my two bicycles.

Two years ago, I started bicycling at about 350 pounds. I spent a few months walking for about 20-30 minutes first. I lost thirty or forty pounds, gained some muscle and was ready to try my long-loved activity of cycling.

Most obese people who take up cycling to improve their health have little interest of going off-road (like dirt trails with lots of hills and sharp turns.) However, it only took me one year of fitness to get interested in that particular kind of bicycling as an addition to my repertoire of fitness activities, so never say never!

I've always found cycling to be great for weight-loss and health improvement. It's easy on your joints and it's fun, so you keep going back for more. But what if you weigh so much you're afraid a bike won't hold you?

I think most mountain bikes--which are designed to take a beating bouncing off tree limbs, rocks and dips in trails with a normal-weighted rider--will hold someone well over 300 pounds (if not 400 pounds or more) if you're riding on a smooth, flat paved road or bike path (get a cushy seat too!)

There are heavy duty bikes for people as heavy as five hundred pounds but they're very expensive, about $2000.00. When I started out, I thought I needed one of these. I was wrong.

But I didn't like mountain bikes much. Their wheels have a smaller diameter than bikes made for the road and as such, they're not very efficient. You have to put more work into them to ride on pavement than you should. Road bikes typically have wheels that are 700 mm, or around 29 inches, but the rims are thin, often very thin, the higher the level you go.

My solution, if you have lots of money, say $5-600.00, is to buy a relatively new style of bike called a "29er." The name comes from the size of wheel. It's 3 inches larger in diameter than a regular 26 inch mountain bike but still has wide rims that can take a beating. I think I even saw a 29er at Wal-Mart but I'm not sure a Wal-Mart bike would hold up to someone weighing over 350 pounds. The wheels are more flimsy.

Local bike shops always have much better quality bikes. You get what you pay for. Anyone of any weight should consider wheels that have "double-wall" rims. They're sturdier, and any decent bike has them. But you won't find them at your local big box store.

Mountain bike tire for riding on pavement

Secondly, you need to put "slick" or "pavement" tires on your 29er. These hold more pressure (they're harder and therefore more efficient) and they don't have unnecessary knobbies on them that are used for traction in dirt. They roll smoother, more easily and they make less noise. The end result is a faster, more enjoyable ride that will keep you coming back for more. And that's really important for obese people.

If you can't find a 29er, or already have a mountain bike lined up, put slick road tires on it. It'll cost you $40 to do that, but it'll be worth it for your health. If you can't afford a bike-shop quality bike, you can buy used or buy a cheap bike and have your local bike shop put on decent quality (sturdy) wheels for about $100.

Buffalo Pound Park: Then and Now

Entering Buffalo Pound from the north (Wikipedia)

I went out and had me some fun with the family at one of the closer provincial parks to the city where I live. It's in a river valley that cuts into the endless flat prairie. In other words, there's hills, something I'm not used to.

The last time we were there was about two years ago. I know because I took lots of pictures. That's about all I could do then. I was very concerned at the time with how little I could do and how I was letting down, if not embarrassing my family because of the unfortunate condition I had allowed myself to descend into.

It was all I could to walk to the beach from the parking lot and sit for awhile. I didn't enjoy myself, not only because I couldn't do anything, but because I was tense and generally sore and tired. But thus was my life at the time, the life I thought I would always have until one day the lights would go out.

I thought about the contrast between this visit and my last visit to the park. This time I was cycling up and down hills with my eight year old son. We had a great time looking at wildlife walk right in front of us as we glided down hills on our bikes, enjoyed the silence of the quiet park in the shoulder season and I had that missing energy and pep to live my life (almost) as I want to.

I didn't take any pictures this time. I was too busy living.

My Life-long Love Affair With The Bicycle

The closest relationships are built on trust.

My new-to-me bike passed the hug test last night. I've been fixing it up after buying a few weeks ago but something came over me when I was putting it away. It was a feeling of fondness that you don't have for an object normally. It got me to wondering.

Near the beginning of my fitness quest when I dusted off my other (road) bike after ten years of being hauled around the country and stored in garages, it was like getting re-acquainted with an old friend, a close friend.

Looking at and touching that bike as I inspected it brought back a flood of memories. We had been through a lot together and covered a lot of miles, some far from the security of home. I realized that I trusted that bike. I know it sounds odd, but there's something about the bonding of rider and bicycle that creates an emotional relationship between man and machine.

It's something about knowing what it can do, when it can do it and how it relates to what you can and cannot do. Knowing it won't break down and, most importantly, knowing the positive emotions you've experienced in it's presence. I've always enjoyed bike riding, it's instilled in my DNA.

It's one more punishing sadness about my 10+ year decent into the abyss of obesity.

Some Memorable Outings Seem Epic

I still remember the time I heroically ventured out for a walk on the coldest night of the year. The -46 C wind chill was blocked out by carefully chosen winter clothes. It was epic, that walk. Cinematic, even. The sounds, the smells, the adrenaline and the excitement produced a vivid, wonderful memory that won't die anytime soon.

This summer has provided for some epic adventures too. Minor achievements for the non-obese outdoorsy types, but significant and memorable ventures for me, the former "bed potato." (I aspired to be a couch potato a year and a half ago, that's how bad things were.)

Last night a number of things happened to create a perfect storm for me and the kids to attempt something unusual. First of all, my four-year-old fell asleep during supper and had a huge nap which was destined to keep her up late. Secondly, it was a strangely hot night for the end of summer in Saskatchewan. I took the kids out after dark (the sun sets 75 minutes earlier than it did at the beginning of summer) for a bike ride in the night.

The kids and I rode through the hot city streets, among the hurrying cars, lit up like an airliner with bright flashing LED bike lights that assured our safety, at least in my mind. The experience was unusual, even surreal.

It created a memory for me, it certainly must have made an impression on my young girl who pedaled her tag-a-long bike trailer, attached to my bike, through the traffic with me. She chatted relentlessly as we rode, even bonding with me before getting philosophical about how often I get angry at her and how I should take a different approach by comforting her instead. She's four!

It all could have been a dream, for either of us, but it wasn't.

The night before found our whole family on a highway in the Qu'Appelle Valley near Katepwa, one of the most beautiful places in our prairie province. We road the Trans Canada Trail between Katepwa and Sandy Beach. It was beautiful and challenging. Hills are new to me and boy, you'd better be ready for them. Even going down takes full concentration and some braking skill. It was a bit like a roller coaster except there were no guarantees you wouldn't go off the rails.

The sun set, glowing orange over the valley. We were all but alone on our ride on a rare hot night for the end of August. We cycled back on the vacant highway (narrow but with only 70 KM speed limits) in a setting that seemed nothing short of magical.

Doing new things heightens the senses and I like that. Can't get enough of it. I want to do it more. Having a fitter body can get me to that goal. The sedentary, obese me from recent history had NO such experiences. Life was a straight line. A finite line.

I'm hoping to rid myself of more body fat so I can do more and more things and have more epic evenings like I had this week.

Shaking Things Up by Doing the Opposite

When you're trying to correct life-long habits that have led to serious health problems, you have to look inward from time to time and rethink what's going on with you.

There's a popular episode of Seinfeld when George decides to do the opposite. He figures everything he's done so far in life has led to him being a total failure. So he decides to do the opposite of whatever his instincts tell him to do. It works out well for him, for the episode, anyway. 

What I've been doing most of my life with regards to my weight and health hasn't worked out well for me. So why not challenge myself? Why not try new things? Why not re-examine old beliefs? Why not shake things up a little?

In my fitness endeavor today I did the opposite of what my previous instincts would have had me do. For one thing, I did the opposite of sitting on the couch. On this rainy, cool day I went mountain biking on dirt trails outside the city. My previous instincts have always been to stay indoors when it rains and to keep bicycles away from water and mud. However, today I decided to do the opposite.

And boy was it invigorating and just plain different!

I discovered that lowering the air pressure in my tires allowed me to ride off-road with far less vibration and strain on my arms. It reduces your efficiency but allows for a much more comfortable ride when off road.

My bike got so clogged up with mud, I could barely push it, let alone ride it up hill. I might have been a bit freaked out by this in the past. Today, I threw caution to the wind and just went with it. A visit to the car wash later took care of most of the mud.

There was no one out there in the valley, there was no oppressive heat to burden me and the adrenaline involved in the challenge roused my spirit. Wheels slipped around and even spun in place at times. These are things I haven't experienced before in cycling. I was living dangerously.

When you start to get old like I am, time speeds up. A challenge I've given myself apart from my fitness journey, is to slow time down. Doing new things and challenging myself is one way I think I can slow down my rapid decent into old age. If everything's the same every day, time just keeps going by quicker and quicker.

It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. It's hard to break old patterns. It's hard to challenge old beliefs. But doing so, I think, is necessary as part of what it will likely take to permanently change the obese person's destructive course.

It's one of a thousand little things I'm working on to overcome my weight-related health issues. And it's always fun.

Sluggishness and the search for childhood experiences

Net image, not my own.

Repeat readers of my blog on fighting obesity with fitness will know how important cycling is to me. It stems from a life-long love for the activity that was born in my childhood.

It's also important because it's low-impact and empowering for an obese-sized man like me.
I can whisk myself around the city like a man in flight and not have sore joints afterward.

Last week I hit a wall. Too much cycling, not enough recovery time. When this happens, I don't enjoy my ride as much because I feel weak and strain too much to have fun. I often feel bad about not being able to get out there.

I took some time off and walked or jogged instead but those days turned into nearly a week as I decided to focus on refurbishing an old mountain bike and do a little upgrading on my hybrid road bike. I took the mountain bike that a friend donated to me apart down to the last ball bearing, cleaned all it's inner bits, replaced some more parts and even painted the frame while it was disassembled.

My new tires are big on my mountain bike and they slow me down. The mountain bike is a lot less efficient than the bike with smooth, hard tires made for pavement. If you're using a bike to improve your health and fitness, I suggest getting the right tires: tires that are smooth and hold at least 65 pounds of pressure. A mountain bike is good for heavy people because it's stronger, but being able to glide along with ease may keep you out there longer and more often. I'm using my mountain bike just for off-road adventures on light trails. After that, get a good seat that is comfortable. I went with a huge springy seat.

When it came time to test my refurbished bikes out, I was discouraged. My body was sluggish and I began to wonder if I had cycling in me as much as I thought. But then, last night, after an afternoon visit to the gym where I jogged on a treadmill, I took my road bike out for a test in the humid but cooling night air. I surprised myself.

I had myself believing that I couldn't go for a significant bike ride on a day I had already jogged. I had myself believing that I was too tired from a poor sleep the night before. I had myself thinking it was too late for a ride. This is the problem of the obese person: too many negative voices saying "You can't..."

I had one of the fastest, most aggressive rides of my life. Sometimes you feel like you have a tail wind the whole way, even when you don't. My legs just took off. I went so fast, I didn't even feel safe at times. Fortunately, the local football team was playing and the streets were deserted.

I made an effort to recreate the moments that made me fall in love with cycling when I was young, those nights of pure freedom when hot air off the pavement blew over me as I soared through the city. I ventured to my old neighbourhood and I rode through the streets that I'd take off on when I was a kid on a similar hot summer nights.

Some of those streets are notorious now and most people don't feel safe there but it didn't matter, I was going too fast.

Just Like That, Something New Realized

Sometimes I forget he's only eight.

Tonight I did something I've never done before.

I've said that a lot in the last year, haven't I? You know how many times I've said that in the fifteen years before that? Probably not at all.

Since I re-took up cycling almost a year ago,--Jesus, it's hard to type that, remembering that person who first got back on his bike on July 1st and the limitations he had and/or felt he had...

Let me start again.

When I got back on my bike a year ago I was reacquainting myself with fond memories of my younger years riding a road bike on streets, paved pathways and the occasional highway. I've never owned a mountain bike, didn't like them. I grew up watching my brother fine tune his racing bike for the lightest and fastest it could be...on the road. Mountain bikes were inefficient and pointless to me. I never understood them.

Until now, anyway.

During the last year of cycling with my eight year old, he's often asked me to go off road with him. I never did because I was afraid of breaking my wheels. I even avoid unsmooth streets because the wheels on my road bike are too thin and delicate for a 300 pound man. I bent a wheel once last year and had to get it fixed. Fortunately, perhaps due to a lower weight than last year, I've not had that problem again. But I stay off the gravel paths that my boy wants me to go on.

The only mountain bikes I've tried have been my wife's. They've never felt good. I dismissed mountain bikes altogether after several failed rides.

But recently I started getting curious about mountain bikes. I've often felt that I should ride one until I'm lighter because the wheels are wider and stronger on mountain bikes and they have bigger tires to absorb shock.

Then I started thinking it'd be fun to cycle through provincial parks on a mountain bike. And then I started researching trails. The Trans Canada Trail will one day go from coast to coast to coast in Canada. I started to think it'd be fun to ride on parts of it.

Call it a dream. Call it a notion to try something new. Nevertheless, I'm still a very large man who has a long way to go in reclaiming his body. I'm also getting long in the tooth, so the idea of trying new physical things still makes me hesitant.

About a week ago, my friend Brian offered me his old mountain bike which he stored outside due to lack of room. It was old and well-worn but it was a decent bike when it was new so it had potential. I quickly overhauled it and even painted some of it. For not too much money, a little bit of elbow grease, and a few trips to the bike shop, I got myself a spanky "new" ride.

Tonight, as the sun set, my son and I went for a spin to test her out. After a few gravel trails through neighbourhood parks, and some zipping up and down sidewalks onto the streets, we brazenly headed out onto a trail created by an SUV or two that circled around the edge of our neighbourhood, through a farmer's field and onto railroad property.

It was exhilarating, mostly because it was scary. The terrain got worse and worse but I felt that stopping would be a bad thing, especially because it was getting hard to see in the fading light. We dodged large rocks, minor cliffs and pools of water with mud, not to mention tall grass and weeds with thorns poking into our ankles.

It had me on edge, and my son too. But we made it and it was fun. And different. Different is good.

My son told me he was proud of himself and proud of me too.

The sedentary rarely do anything that raises the hair on their back. Sometimes living--really living-- means taking chances or trying new things that aren't easy or there's no sure outcome to them.

I hit a rut tonight, stopped suddenly and banged my belly into the handlebars (while the bars twisted downward out of place.) Was I phased? No. I'll be back again tomorrow.

Me, of one year ago, the fat guy who was two weeks from his first bike ride in fifteen years, wouldn't have had tonight's events cross his mind in his wildest imagination. What we accomplished tonight was completely unimaginable to me a year ago.

I'm almost afraid to think what else might be out there for me.

It's Summer and I'm on Fire!

The weather is warm and I've more than hit my stride, I've broken into a sprint. It's the cycling that's done it. That and visible progress breeding more progress.

I have significantly less fat on my body than this time last year and small reductions in pounds of fat is becoming more noticeable, unlike before when it was only a drop in the bucket. I've dropped two Xs from my shirt size and it feels good to be progressing toward a more reasonable body size. It makes me want to do more. It makes me get angry at myself for letting my health get as bad as it did. It makes me angry that I was so disabled last year. My anger is translating into fitness gusto.

It'll take this summer and next to get me to a good physical size but I'm ready for the challenge. I plan on riding my bike like a madman all summer. I love it. I love everything about bikes and cycling. I could spend all my money on the sport, just because it is, and has always been so important for my soul.

To go from bedridden and useless to someone who soars down asphalt effortlessly is enough to make me wanting more. Lots, lots more.

Bring it on. I've been waiting a long time for this!

Biking for the First Time: This Year vs. Last

I did some bike riding this weekend and you'll forgive me if I start by saying, "Wow!"

It was such an intense, soul-scraping moment last spring. That's when I ever so tentatively tried to get on my bike and ride down the street. It was under the cover of night on bent wheels. An activity that I loved all my life was shaming me to my core as I attempted to get back on the saddle, as it were.

I strained just to get thirty yards up the street. I returned home thinking cycling was over for me. Or, if it wasn't, I figured it would be years of hard work before I could get there.

This year I had a big plan to start getting in shape for cycling by using a stationary bike at the gym for at least six weeks. Well, spring snuck up on me and I didn't get much of a chance to prepare.

This weekend I headed out on my bike again, wondering how I'd do the first time out. I was apprehensive but it went very well! My family was left behind in my dust.

Staying strong all winter got me ready for summer cycling.

Staying strong also gives me confidence in my body and the ability to do much more than a person my weight should be able to.

It started one year ago just by putting one foot in front of the other.

I'm looking forward to a fun summer.

Mystery Cyclist in the Yellow Jacket, You Inspire

Not an actual picture of the person, that would be rude.

There is a man, roughly my age, who cycles every weekday morning on a road that loops around my isolated subdivision. I would guess that he makes several laps and spends 30 to 60 minutes each day riding.

It seems to me he was obese recently and he always appears to be getting smaller. This morning it was -15 C. with a cold breeze. I used to see him on frosty mornings in the Fall and greatly admired him even then. But seeing him today, and knowing that he's keeping it up, even on mornings with fresh snow and cold temperatures, is inspiring.

Many people quit walking in the winter (I was going to be one of those people until I came to my senses) but cycling is this guy's thing and he's hell bent on continuing it. Good for him.

Mystery man in the yellow jacket, keep going, keep inspiring!

James's Fat Guy Guide for Novice Cyclists

One hope for this blog is to encourage people in my position to experience getting fit. So many people concentrate on calories and pounds and forget what's really important for the obese body: getting fit. A fit body need not worry what the scale says because fitness cures so much of the ill-effects of obesity.

The one big thing I learned in the last few months is that the obese body can become fit. You don't have to wait for the pounds to be gone. It would take years to lose all my excess weight but I started getting fit just a few weeks in.

I've been cycling all my life, avidly. My older brother was a competitive racer who gave me a good foundation of knowledge about bikes and bike mechanics. Cycling is one of my favourite things in the world and one of the things I most missed with my sedentary lifestyle. I've come across a lot of people who are intimidated by cycling and are hesitant to ever get on a bike. I thought I would talk about a few basic things in this blog post that pertain to an overweight first time cyclist.

So, can an overweight or obese person ride a bicycle? Absolutely! Don't be intimidated by those tiny, seemingly hard seats. And don't think you're going fall over. If you can walk without falling over you can ride a bike without falling over. Here are some great reasons why you should try it:

• It's a great compliment to any other exercise routine because it uses different muscles, or uses the major muscles in your lower body differently. It is essentially cross training for me to ride a bicycle as well as walk/jog. Walking helps me bike, biking helps me walk. It gives my walking muscles a chance to recuperate and get stronger while I do something different.
• It's empowering. We fatties are used to moving slowly and ungracefully. Riding a bike gives us a chance to move fluidly and fast!
• It's easy on the joints. Large people often have issues with their joints. Cycling is easy on the joints. It's a gently fluid motion without pounding or jolts to the body. 
• Having a variety of physical activity helps you enjoy exercising more and give you a better chance and keeping it up. 
• You can use a bike to commute and it'll save you money. Depending on where you live, it might even save you time due to traffic jams that a bike can fly past.

I love going biking with my kids, as you well know. My parents didn't do anything like that with me. My dad was ten years older than I was when I had my first kid yet he never did any active thing with me or my older brothers. My wife asked me if my parents went biking with me and I had to laugh because the notion was so absurd. It makes me happy to think I can do the things I could only dream my parents would do with me. 

Some thoughts about bikes

A hybrid bike (part mountain bike, part road bike)

I ride a hybrid which is a cross between a mountain bike and what older people think of as a 'ten speed' (road bike.) It has skinny wheels that don't always hold my weight but those thinner wheels are much more efficient on pavement than thicker mountain bike wheels. At my excessive weight, my thin hybrid wheels risk getting damaged so I stay on smooth surfaces like new streets and bike paths.

Mountain bikes solve the problem of weak wheels for the very heavy person. The wheels and tires are thick and withstand a lot of weight because they're built for riding down mountain trails and hitting rocks, bumps and tree roots. However, if you're heavy, I recommend sticking to reasonably gentle surfaces to ensure you don't bend a wheel. Not that's it's the end of the world if you do. They can usually be fixed or "trued."

They do make special bikes for obese people but they cost a small fortune ($2,000) and I don't think they're necessary. 

Mountain bike wheel with a tire meant for rough trails.

Tires: A thick, soft ribbed tire is less efficient on pavement. Any tire, including mountain bike tires can be changed to more smooth or slick tires that can be inflated to a higher pressure. If you're sticking to streets, these tires might make you happier because you'll zoom along with less effort. Tires usually cost between 15 and 50 dollars each. Paying the bike shop five bucks to put them on saves a lot of hassle. More expensive tires are more resistant to flats.

This tire is smooth for efficient riding on pavement but the edges
help with traction should you decide to go on an off-road trail.

Bike quality: Department store bikes and bike shop bikes aren't the same. Department store models are more likely to break down and need repairs, however bike shop bikes start at more than four hundred dollars. I recommend buying a quality used bike and taking it to a bike shop to have them give it a once over. 

Tips

Bring lots of water because we large people tend to sweat more. Most bikes are able to hold two water bottles. 

Bring a lock in case you get a flat or something and have to leave your bike somewhere.

Upgrade your seat ("saddle") to a better one than what comes with your bike. There are comfort seats available that make things easier for the casual cyclist. Try them out at the bike shop or return them to the store until you find one that makes you feel like you're sitting on the couch.

Comfort bikes are very popular these days. This is an extreme example of comfort.

Any bike you buy can be customized at a bike shop. They make comfort bikes now that let you sit upright and have comfy seats. This means changing the handlebars and saddle but the rest of the bike stays the same. You can always change things back at a later day if you become all Lance Armstrongy. 

Bike computers are fun. I have one with a heart rate monitor. They tell you what time it is, how far and fast you've gone and other stats that might motivate you.

I like biking in the evenings when it's cooler. They have many inexpensive, very bright LED bike lights now that help you be seen at dusk or at night.

Cycling shoes may help you with comfort. I have very high arches which you can limbo under, so I've had problems on long bike rides. Cycling shoes are hard and inflexible at the bottom and have solved any foot comfort issues I had.

Gloves: Cycling gloves are meant for long rides to prevent blistering. But the casual cyclist benefits from them too, especially us heavy people who have to hold up a lot of weight. It's worth the fifteen bucks plus you'll look cool.

Your bum: Buy a pair of cycling short liners (cycling pants to be worn as underwear) or a loose fitting pair of mountain biking shorts. They have extra padding where it counts and I find it really helps you have a luxurious ride. Most pants come in sizes up to only 2XL but you can sometimes find larger ones online.

A mirror for your handlebars, attached to your helmet or eyeglasses is helpful because turning your neck to see behind you can be challenging, especially if you're bigger.

Caution: Bikes with suspension systems often don't work for heavy people (they collapse under the weight). These systems are meant to keep the wheels on the dirt when you're bouncing down a mountain side. If you're considering a bike with suspension, make sure it can handle your weight. It may require some adjusting and bikes often don't come with manuals.

Give it a try and remember my early posts about how hard it was for me at first and how little hope I had of cycling any time soon. Borrow a friend's or family member's bike and try it a few times. Or just go out and buy one because you've discovered your inner athlete and every athlete needs a bike!

Out of Body: My Last Major Bike Ride of the First Summer of the New Me

There are remarkable moments in life that, as they are happening, you know you're living a moment you will never forget. I realized that tonight nearing the end of a 65 minute challenging bike ride. By then I was alone, soaked in sweat with my heart racing and my blood full of exercise-released endorphins. It was pitch black outside and it started to rain. I hadn't felt that alive in many, many years. When you're in those moments, rare as they may be, you welcome the rain. You look at the sky and yell, "Bring it on! I feel incredible!"

With dinner in the oven, I loaded the bikes onto the minivan, picked up my wife from work and we came home to eat supper. The sun sets at 6:25 so we had to be fast to take advantage of what might be the last warm day of Fall.

But it was windy and I headed into it with my daughter towing behind. My heart rate frequently surged past 85% and it was all I could do just to keep going. But we made it to the childrens' play park and I dropped off the wife and kids, detached the ride-on trailer for the first time since I got it a week ago, and rode off back into the night alone to get the minivan.

With the subsiding winds behind me, the trailer no longer dragging on my bike, the streets and pathways empty due to nightfall and my legs thrusting me effortlessly through the blackness, I felt like Superman.

Exhilarated, I thought of myself just three months ago, tentatively opening the shed to look at my once-trusty bicycle, its rear wheel bent. It had sat unused, unloved for the last twelve years. I wondered for the first time if it and I could ever could be one again. After the first try taking it up the street, my legs in pain, my bottom sore, I didn't have a lot of hope, yet I somehow remained determined. Maybe next year, I thought. Maybe if I work hard for a year, I could ride it again.

It's not a cliché, it's not a meaningless expression when I say I couldn't have imagined ever experiencing a moment like that again in my life, only a few months ago. Honestly, I would have given the same weight to someone telling me I'd be an astronaut on the space shuttle.

But with one little step at a time, I built and built and built until I got to this point. If I can go from being a near-invalid to feeling like the world's greatest athlete for a few wonderful minutes in the rain, so can you. Everyone can. You just have to become a believer. To become a believer, you've got to turn off your brain and get out there, do your best, whatever that may be, build on small steps for a little while, and one day when you least expect it, it'll hit you. You'll change and you'll never imagine yourself stopping.

I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew Tonight

No, this post isn't about food.

I try to exercise every day. I even look forward to it throughout the day. On days I don't exercise (maybe two or three days per  month) I feel bad and guilty. Disturbingly, I also feel like I'm gaining weight on those days.

Life long success for people like me depends on being able to deal with imperfection when it comes to eating and exercise. I need to relax about the days I'm too sick or busy to exercise or when I make poor decisions with my eating (I had two birthday parties yesterday so there was lots of cake and fatty food available to me and no time to exercise.)

The last two nights prior to my day off, I went for bike rides with my daughter riding the bike trailer. Two consecutive days of cycling made my arms very sore. It's funny that my arms are my problem. My exercise counsellor had me lifting free weights in order to help me with cycling but it seems to be not just strength but joints in my arms that are the issue.

I have to support a lot of weight while leaning forward on my bike. An upright position would be more preferable but I'd have to make changes to my bike's handle bars in order to accomplish that. And no "real cyclist" would go for that because sitting upright isn't really efficient, especially aerodynamically. But I put myself in this position by gaining all that weight, I suppose I could spend a year or two sitting upright on my bike.

Tonight, after a day off, I returned to cycling with my family in the dark after dinner. I put in 30 vigorous minutes of cycling--or I should say Team Double D did. That's my new cycling team consisting of my three year old daughter and me (Daddy and Daughter) on essentially the same bike. (She tells relatives on the phone that she has a new bike and it only has one wheel, causing the person on the other end to be quite confused.)

After my bike ride tonight, I felt really warmed up and raring to go. I put on my running shoes and went for a short walk and jog. For some reason, I got a stitch in my side even though my heart rate was below 80%. I had to stop a couple minutes short of my 6 minute goal. I expected my legs to be quite fresh for jogging after three days on a bike and one day off but it didn't work out that way.

My legs were fatigued from cycling just prior to my jog and even though you use some different muscles in different ways in cycling than jogging, it still affected my ability to jog. I now have even greater respect for people who can compete in triathlons.

But don't dismay, dear reader. If I wanted to cycle then jog as part of my routine, all I'd have to do is train for it (practice) and I'm sure my body would quickly respond. Because if you've got one thing out of this blog it should be that the human body is an amazing thing.

Mention and You Shall Receive!

"We were dreaming this up and suddenly it's another new reality," my wife just said, as I was about to begin writing this blog post. Remarkably, we had the idea only a few days ago, really wanted to get one, and suddenly we have it and are using it. 

With many thanks to my friend Brian and his family who read my previous blog post about Tag-a-Long ride-on bike trailers. He had one he used for two years for his young son but it became a bit too wobbly so he gave it to us. His son is big enough to ride on his own now, and I happen to be handy, so it all worked out. Turns out all it needed was a large thin washer to fill in a tiny gap in the hitch to make it work well.

Don't be fooled by my daughter's apparent grim expression in the photo, she had a blast and would NOT let me stop. I had a personal trainer back there yelling, "Come on, Daddy, pedal! You can do it!" The little tramp wouldn't let me coast. And in spite of the trailer being a tad big for her 2-months-shy-of-four-year-old body, she could have gone all night and had no problem holding on.

Here are the questions I had before using a Tag-a-Long that I can now answer:

• Do you lose your balance? Not at all. Maybe it's because I'm so heavy and she so small, but it wasn't an issue. Once she wobbled back and forth on purpose and it was a bit annoying but there were no balance issues at all. 
• Is it harder to ride pulling it? A little, not much different than our sit-in bike trailer with the only difference being sometimes my daughter made up for the drag by pedalling. It was like there's a bit of a drag on your bike that varies. It varies because the child's pedalling varies. 
• Can you turn sharply? Yes, she even liked turns because it was thrilling.
• Is it hard to get started? Not really. The adult straddles their bike then the child sits on the trailer bike. Then you go. It's not that different than not having it and there were no issues.
• Does the child's pedalling help? I'd say yes. At brief moments she made up for her extra drag it seemed.

You have to do some extra breaking than normal when you're stopping but that's no big deal. It's tempting to want to go fast but if you crash, your child crashes. We went about 15 KM/hr.

I highly recommend these types of products. They're recommended for children between 4 and 9. But for practical purposes, most people only use them until their kids can ride a two-wheeler. By the time she's six or seven, I can't see her needing to use this. 

This unit costs $100 at Canadian Tire. Sport Chek has a slightly better one for $130. Other stores carry more expensive models but this one is just fine with the extra washer (so far.)

She was very proud of herself.

Tonight is the eve of my son's eighth birthday. He's an avid little cyclist now and I'm immensely proud of him. I think he's a bit jealous that his daddy-son bike trips now can include his baby sister. It's our thing, after all. But my wife and I felt bad doing family bike rides with my daughter sitting pretty in the other sit-in bike trailer. My daughter wants to ride badly with us but can't keep up, obviously. This is a great solution.

I'm very happy and so is my little girl, who has informed me we'll be hitting the streets first thing tomorrow.

Next Year's Cycling Machine?

I have a three year old girl and a seven year old boy (he turns 8 on Friday.) The boy is already an avid cyclist, as you may have read. And the girl's getting that way too but she can't keep up. We feel bad pulling her in the bike trailer on family bike rides because she can't get any exercise or do more than enjoy the view.

My wife and I are jonzing to buy the above product for a little over one hundred dollars. It's a ride on bike trailer for kids aged 4-9 to ride with you. Here are some of its features:

• True quick release system for fast detachment from adult bike
• Adjustable handlebars, up/down and rotation adjustments
• Child can pedal forward, backward or coast

I found this photo on the Internet

I saw one on the bike path last night, and let me tell you, there was no one we passed all summer who were cycling faster than that family. And the kid must have been only four like my daughter will be next season. I wanted to yell out, "Hey do you like that?" but they were gone in an instant (headed in the opposite direction.)

I can see us using it for at least three years then selling it. If my daughter doesn't have the same abilities as my son does now at age 7, maybe we'll use it longer. Either way it would allow the four of us to do all the biking we wanted.

Self Portrait of Me Cycling

Notes: 1) I'm looking away to make it seem more natural. 2) My helmet does fit my giant head, contrary to how it appears. 3) I wear a sweat band because I really, really have to. 4) My glasses are tilted down to keep the bugs out.

Today I Celebrate Two Months of Cycling

On July 1st I set out for my first bike ride since 1998. I was nervous, winded and had to take at least two sit down breaks to rest. I couldn't keep up to my seven year old son as we pedalled through a paved bike path in the city's suburbs. My bike was uncomfortable and the next day my elbows were so sore and weak I thought my forearms were going to fall off.

Today, just two months later, I was out buying a pair of cycling shorts (innershorts to be specific) and pair of cycling socks so I could squeeze into an old pair of cycling shoes. You might say, I'm a bit of a cycling fanatic. These days I'm not getting winded riding with my son. Hell, I can't even get my heart rate up above 70% (in any sort of training zone) riding with him these days.

I write a lot about how far I've come fitness-wise. The moral of the story here is: Don't underestimate yourself or your body, no matter what shape you're in. Even though I once went from sedentary and obese to thin and fit some fifteen years ago, I still fell into the trap all these years later of doubting my body. I doubted my ability to become fit at 44. I created a bunch of my own misconceptions of what a 44 year old man who is 200 pounds overweight can do.

Only recently have I started to relax on my bike and have fun, not fearing it's going to collapse beneath me, in spite of the fact that a couple of days ago I broke a lawn chair and hurt my leg and elbow.

Last night I did my first jog back on the street after jogging at my clinic's gym all summer. When I started out I had this weird, unsettling feeling. I was moving like I was jogging but I didn't feel the normal sensations that I expected to feel. I felt like I was floating down the street without any effort.

I decided that it must have been six days off (of jogging) combined with my new runners and a summer of building muscles in my legs and the muscle that is my heart. A couple minutes in, I started feeling some of the normal feelings but it was quite jolting at first to see how far I've come.

Two months ago, I wouldn't have believed any of this. And I'm sure I still have plenty of learning to do.

UPDATE: The pants work great and made for a very comfortable ride.

The 12-Year-Old Me Went Biking with My Son

Not actually us but it's strangely close.

I'm still reflecting on the bike ride I had with my son last night on one of the last warm evenings of summer. I asked him recently if he had any other goals or things he wanted to do before the summer ended. He thought about it and said, "I want to ride our bikes to Grandma's." He informed me it was only half the distance of our big 18 KM bike path bike ride a week or so ago. I checked it out on Google Maps and the kid was right (9 KM one way.) He knows his geography, that boy.

This was his first time in traffic. Mine too, in my latest cycling rebirth. It says a lot about how far I've come in two month. I was completely comfortable riding in public. And two months ago I was chasing my son, sucking wind. Nowadays the little bugger has to keep up with me (which is hard for the poor little guy.)

The bike ride was flawless and relaxed. No pushing hard to beat the sun or oncoming storms. It was leisurely, stress-free and fun. It reminded me of when I was about eleven or twelve years old, a time when I broke free from the constraints of my neighbourhood and started exploring the city, often on warm summer evenings. It was during that time that I really fell in love with cycling.

Last night those old childhood cycling feelings of freedom and joy were rekindled. My inner child who adored cycling got to go for a bike ride with my beloved boy, Aiden, who also adores cycling, even before he knew his daddy was capable of it.

Goal Completed and I Feel Like a Million Bucks!

My son and I cycled the length of the longest bike path in my city at dusk tonight (about 18 KM total). This has been a goal of mine for many weeks. Before that, it was a dream.

We had to push hard to beat the fading twilight. I got a great workout because my heart rate stayed up in the 80% range for most of the trip, which took about an hour and ten minutes.

I try to cycle on cool evenings because I get exhausted easily by the heat, due to my excessive weight, I assume. I learned that I need to take more than one bottle of water with me on these trips because my large body needs more hydration than a regular sized person.

I can't tell you how amazing I feel right now. And it's not just because I completed an important goal, erasing the ghost of a past humiliation (not being able to go with my seven-year-old son last Fall when he first completed this marathon bike ride alone), but because of how perfectly healthy and invigorated I feel.

The storm that chased us the other night must have got me in good shape for tonight because tonight I did NOT feel like a morbidly-obese man (which I still am).

I didn't feel like an obese man.

I didn't feel like a fat man.

I didn't even feel like a middle-aged man (which I am.)

I felt like I did fifteen years ago when I was 29, lost all my excess weight and was in the best shape of my life. I felt like I could go on forever on this beautiful August night (provided I had more water!)

The fact that I did this, the fact that I feel so remarkably good physically at this moment seems like a dream.

If I keep going, if I never stop, I'll never wake up from this dream. And that's what I have to do.

Bike Ride Leads to Electrifying Bonding Experience With My Son

My son, his trusty bike, and approaching weather.

I've been looking for motivation to do more cycling. I've upgraded my bike to (possibly) support my weight, I'm training at my clinic's gym to have the strength to do it, but for some reason, I'm still a little hesitant to "get on the horse," as it were.

Part of the reason may be that it can be difficult at first if I'm not warmed up. Doing a few minutes of slow jogging after 15-20 minutes of walking doesn't seem more than a progression of what I'm already doing.

Biking can involve a getting the heart rate up fast and, frankly, I have to dig the thing out of the shed, fill my water bottle and don extra shorts, gloves and a helmet. And part of me wants to preserve my bike until I'm lighter.

Starved for entertainment, I decided tonight was the night I was going to tackle the Devonian Pathway in my city. It's a multi-use pathway that spans about 8 KM or so, covering much of the city. Last fall my son, who was still six years old, rode the entire pathway by himself. It was part of a parenting philosophy I've embraced to give my children freedom so they can learn not to be fearful and to solve problems on their own. In short, it's an anti-helicopter parenting philosophy. There's a movement, check it out.

I let my son do it because he's quite smart for his age, knows more than most GPSs when it comes to geography and he really wanted to do it. Normally I would have gone with him on my bike but I was unable to due to my poor physical condition. It would have suited him fine if I was able to go, it's not that he was asking to go alone, but he was eager to attempt it, even without me or his mother riding with him.

I followed in a car but due to the nature of the terrain, I wasn't able to keep constant watch on him. I had a few nervous moments waiting for him to appear at the next check point but he always did, with a big smile on his face, pedalling like crazy (he only lost his training wheels two months earlier.)

I couldn't do what he was doing and I regretted it. At the time I didn't even dare to dream that I ever could attempt something like that again in my lifetime. Tonight, I set out to put that skeleton in my closet behind me. I decided we'd do the path tonight. I figured it'd take an hour or so round trip.

However, storm clouds threatened. There was a line of rain pouring out of the sky to the west of the city. The trail starts at the West end of the city and it seemed like it might hit us. My boy, now seven, pushed me to continue. "We can always turn around Daddy."

We got about half way when the lightning got a little too intense and a little too close. I changed my mind about the storm missing us. My son convinced me to turn around and make the fifteen minute trip back to the van, even though we'd be going into the storm.

I was wearing my heart rate monitor strap that happens to work with my old bike computer from fifteen years ago. I can see my heart rate on the little computer screen, below my speed, distance, etc. As we pushed hard to beat the rain clouds and lightning, I could see my heart rate rising to the 85% level, the maximum my doctor recommended I go.

I began weighing the risk of heart attack vs the risk of being hit by lightning. Maybe it didn't matter because a friend later joked, "lightning is nature's defibrillator." I kept my heart rate at 85% even though I wanted to pedal harder to possibly save my life. (OK, it wasn't that bad!)

As the skies grew even darker, the wind blew harder and the rain began to pelt us, I told my son that in all the years I've cycled (avidly until my early twenties when obesity came, and again later when I got fit for a period) that I had never cycled in a thunderstorm. The first time was with him.

I was really impressed with my son. He watches the weather channel a lot and we worry that he might be scared of severe weather but he was cool as a cucumber. The kid who runs in the house to change as soon as he gets water on himself outside on a hot day didn't even want to change into dry clothes when we got home.

I suspect he will remember this evening fondly for the rest of his life. I will too. There's nothing like cheating death to bring a family together.

It's also a good way to get a wicked workout.