# Getting back to cycling, 22 pound bike, 210 pound rider (TOUGH!)



## Frank-L (May 7, 2009)

Hello

Getting back into cycling after a 13-year hiatus (stopped at 26, I'm now 39) and I am roughly 35 pounds heavier (5'9" & 210 pounds). I am finding this difficult. Is it the bike? (22 pounds steel frame Shimano 105) Is it me? (definitely!) Is it the gearing?

Question:

I have the following gears 53/39 (13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23). Having difficulty keeping a steady cadence. Just need to know if my gearing is normal or is it more geared towards racing? Any easier gearing just to get through the first 1000km ? 

Thanks

Frank


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

Well, you're geared way too high for ME. I'm an old guy, but I switched to a triple crankset and 26 or 28t big cog a long time ago. I secretly believe most people are riding bikes that are geared too high--just look around on a group ride and see how many cyclists never get out of the small ring.
I doubt it's the bike. I know 22 pounds isn't particularly light these days, but the difference between that and what's considered light now is, what, four pounds? That's not a very big percentage of the bike-rider package.
When I started cycling again a few years ago after a long layoff, I was carrying about 30 extra pounds. As the weight came off, I got faster and faster. It may be, uh, you.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Look ahead, Frank!*

In 6 months, you'll be pushing that 22 pound bike with the racing gears over the hills with aplomb. Losing a few pounds of body weight will work wonders on the hills. As Cory says, the 22 pound bike is not a significant handicap.

I got into cycling at your age, 25 years ago, and am still riding one bike that weighs 22 pounds and has 53-42 up front and 13-22 in back. No problems. I just have to be patient up the steeper hills. Suffering is good for ya. No pain, no gain. Just take care of the knees. You're young enough to reap the benefits of that race gearing. Learn to spin, ride lots, stay on top of the gears, and have no fear!


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

I'm 39 too, and just got back into it after five years off. I've gone from a buck 94 to 180, and have 12 more to go to get to where I need to be. I wish I could say it was the bike, but it ain't. I will say (in contrast to some other folks) that there is no shame in a compact or a cassette with an easier range of gears. Constantly feeling like you have to hammer is no fun whatsoever, at least for me. But I'm not thinking of racing--I like long solo rides and would like to do a century sometime this summer. I just do it 'cause it gets me high (seriously).

Good luck.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Terrain question*

Gearing depends on how much the road slants. How hilly are your rides? If it's pretty flat where you ride, or only gentle hills, your gearing is fine. You shouldn't have any trouble keeping an adequate cadence. In a 39x19, at 90 rpm you're only going 14 mph. In the 39x23 it's under 12 mph. that shouldn't be hard to manage.

Just keep it in the little ring until you gain some fitness and lose some weight.

If you ride steep hills, a gearing change might be helpful.


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## monocognizant (Sep 12, 2008)

The weight of the bike is not an issue. Yes, your gearing is a little tall if your doing much climbing but, dropping your body weight is the biggest (and cheapest) change you can make. If your carying 35 extra pounds of body weight, it's like riding a bike that weighs 57 lbs.


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

im a mountain biker that started road biking about 2 months ago, 34 years old 5 foot 8, 130 pounds and no power when i started, i live in very hilly country, my bike shop urged me to go with a triple crank but i insisted on a compact, i wanted the bike for training and it would defeat the purpose if i had that little ring to jump into when the going gets tough

first week in i was rarely in the big ring, on every hill i was rarely out of first gear and it was hard going, 2 months later the small ring and left shifter arent getting much use because im powering up every hill out of the saddle, you will get stronger, i didnt think i would but i am, make sure you give yourself some rest between rides, a few days after a long one, this helped me a lot, my bike is also over 20 pounds with heavy wheels but its not stopping me so just concentrate on yourself


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

OP should get the lowest gears possible. At the very least, he should get the lowest gearing possible (chain rings and cassette) that his current derailleurs can handle. If he can afford it, he should either change the bike or change the drive train for a triple. I doubt he'll ever "grow" out of it- at his age and his condition, I'd predict many years of happy cycling with a triple set up. Even if not, bicycles are not spouses: you can easily change for a new one or one better suited to you in a couple of years for very few hundred dollars net.

But the 22 pound bike is not the issue, it's the gearing probably and you should do anything you can to make riding more enjoyable.

This "no pain" and "low gears makes you weaker" stuff is just unmitigated BS. Every recreational rider should get the gearing that he or she can comfortably ride in the condition they're in and the terrain they ride in. What possible purpose is there for an overweight adult except to ride as much and as comfortably as possible?


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## felix5150 (Mar 15, 2009)

Most important thing is to save your knees! If your rides are relatively flat with few hills, you should be OK with your current set-up. If you have some good climbs.. Camilo's post is right on.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

I'm an old guy, and gearing seems a little tall.
If it's not bothering your knees and the terrain is fairly flat, hang in there.
Bike weight is not a problem, and with riding and watching diet, the pounds will come off which is the cheapest way to reduce overall weight,
Have fun!


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## kykr13 (Apr 12, 2008)

If it's hilly where you ride and you spend a lot of time in the lowest gears you have now (39/23), then maybe think about buying a cassette that maybe goes up to about 26 or 27. That could make a big difference and won't cost a lot of cash. Then if you want to switch back to the cassette you have now, buy a tool that costs less than ten bucks and swap it back in.


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## Reynolds531 (Nov 8, 2002)

Frank-L said:


> Hello
> 
> Getting back into cycling after a 13-year hiatus (stopped at 26, I'm now 39) and I am roughly 35 pounds heavier (5'9" & 210 pounds). I am finding this difficult. Is it the bike? (22 pounds steel frame Shimano 105) Is it me? (definitely!) Is it the gearing?
> 
> ...


If you have to ask, your gears are too high. Those are definitely not touring gears. Since you're not in great shape yet, any sustained headwind or incline is going to be too hard in a 39-23. You should have a low gear that is sufficient when you are dead tired and have to climb your worst hill. I have a 26 tooth granny up front and a 28 tooth cog in the back on the bike I ride the most, and I use it.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

darkest_fugue said:


> t i insisted on a compact, i wanted the bike for training and it would defeat the purpose if i had that little ring to jump into when the going gets tough


Use of the small ring is optional. But I live where there are 7000-foot-plus passes in every direction, and I'm convinced one reason I've never had knee problems in almost 40 years as an adult cyclist is that I'm macho enough to shift down when i need to. There's no downside to a triple beyond a couple of ounces of weight.


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