If you were a fat middle- aged lady, what bike would you get?
September 3, 2021 5:37 PM Subscribe
I’m a 46-yr old woman who is about a size 18. I’ve been falling deeper and deeper into being sedentary over the past year and am wondering if now is the time to started biking again, which I used to love. But what bike?
I had a sort of generic Trek that was a fine bike in general, but after a short time my hands would go numb. I eventually just stopped riding even though I have a very short bike to work (around two miles over pretty flat terrain) and before I really made bike commuting a habit.
Ironically. I now have an almost permanently numb couple of fingers on my right hand because of nerve issues in my back and neck, and the surgery to fix that isn’t ideal to get right now. Is there a bike out there that might work for me? There are lots of good bike stores in town so I could probably test drive some if I had a direction.
A few months ago I decided that an e-bike would Fix All My Life Problems but I feel silly using one for such a short commute and also they are pretty pricy for what might be a whim.
I had a sort of generic Trek that was a fine bike in general, but after a short time my hands would go numb. I eventually just stopped riding even though I have a very short bike to work (around two miles over pretty flat terrain) and before I really made bike commuting a habit.
Ironically. I now have an almost permanently numb couple of fingers on my right hand because of nerve issues in my back and neck, and the surgery to fix that isn’t ideal to get right now. Is there a bike out there that might work for me? There are lots of good bike stores in town so I could probably test drive some if I had a direction.
A few months ago I decided that an e-bike would Fix All My Life Problems but I feel silly using one for such a short commute and also they are pretty pricy for what might be a whim.
What bike is a separate issue from your hand. I have nerve damage in my right wrist that is hugely aggravated by straight bars and almost completely fine on backswept bars. This is a fast and cheap swap that any bike shop can do for you. I'll leave the what bike to others, but once you find one you like, then you can customize it to accommodate your hand.
posted by HotToddy at 5:46 PM on September 3, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by HotToddy at 5:46 PM on September 3, 2021 [5 favorites]
And to clarify, I don't know what kind of bars will be best for you but you can try out all kinds at the bike shop and see what feels comfortable. And I agree that more upright might be better but better still are bars that release and swivel so you can change your position on a long ride. Also, last thing, if you can afford an ebike I doubt you will regret getting one. People rarely do.
posted by HotToddy at 5:48 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 5:48 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
I am in my forties, fattish and AFAB. I used to have a Coda Sport but an industrious person with a power saw stole it and although I've ordered one, the global supply chain is such that I have no idea when it will be in. If you end up doing a lot of biking and supplies ever improve, a Coda Sport is IMO one of the nicest mid-price bikes out there for everyday use.
Currently I have a secondhand mass market bike that is basically the Nishiki Pueblo which is surprisingly good. The parts are a bit low-quality and some of the plastic bits have broken off, but I'm putting a lot of miles on it and it's comfortable and easy to ride. Even the bike shop people said - in a way that they didn't mean to be rude - that it was surprisingly nice for the brand and price point. I feel good about it even though it's not at all fancy, and of course the odds of it being stolen are much lower.
posted by Frowner at 5:51 PM on September 3, 2021
Currently I have a secondhand mass market bike that is basically the Nishiki Pueblo which is surprisingly good. The parts are a bit low-quality and some of the plastic bits have broken off, but I'm putting a lot of miles on it and it's comfortable and easy to ride. Even the bike shop people said - in a way that they didn't mean to be rude - that it was surprisingly nice for the brand and price point. I feel good about it even though it's not at all fancy, and of course the odds of it being stolen are much lower.
posted by Frowner at 5:51 PM on September 3, 2021
I am fat and just got a Rad e bike. I LOVE it. I used to get numb hands, that is more a function of hanging on too tight. Use your abs more to stay upright and your palms (rather than fingers) to grip and that part will be resolved. Don't feel weird about an ebike! Its like walking rather than running, it's still good for you and you can really expand your range without dread.
posted by stormygrey at 5:57 PM on September 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by stormygrey at 5:57 PM on September 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
It sounds to me like you would benefit from a bike fit, as you need to match the geometry of the bike (frame, handlebars, seatpost) to your shape and the position you want to be on when you are riding the bike. If you are non-standard for a cyclist (eg long legs, neck or shoulder issues) then a bike off the rack might not work well for you, but if you have a frame geometry that's reasonable for you then nearly everything else is customisable.
posted by plonkee at 6:13 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by plonkee at 6:13 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
One con of ebikes is that they (are usually) heavier than their non-ebike counterparts. Whether this matters in your use case, I can't say, but it is something to consider if you would regularly need to take it up and down steps, or load it into cars/ onto bus racks by yourself.
Bikes are a lot of fun though! I hope you can find one that works for you!
posted by oceano at 6:47 PM on September 3, 2021
Bikes are a lot of fun though! I hope you can find one that works for you!
posted by oceano at 6:47 PM on September 3, 2021
I was also thinking a more upright position would be more comfortable. I found the electra Townie still requiring a little too much leaning forward but pretty close and then the electra loft keeps you even more upright.
The fenders on the loft are a terrible design however - the back one has already failed me twice under warranty...but I'll put up with that for the right frame!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:53 PM on September 3, 2021
The fenders on the loft are a terrible design however - the back one has already failed me twice under warranty...but I'll put up with that for the right frame!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:53 PM on September 3, 2021
Getting numb hands from your bike is not related to your size at all and very much your bike fit. (Your hands can also go numb if you wear gloves that don't fit you properly as I can attest this happened to me.).
What part of biking did you love? Was it on the road? Did you want to ride dirt trails? The best bike for you is the bike you will ride. If you are unsure, hybrid bikes are great to start with and can be inexpensive. Almost any bike can be modified to accommodate your needs including different types of handlebars.
Determine what type of riding you want to do and go to the bike shop that treats you well. If they don't, go to a different one. Test ride bikes. You can also rent bikes and take them on the rides you think you might like.
Tap back into what you liked and start there.
posted by turtlefu at 8:04 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
What part of biking did you love? Was it on the road? Did you want to ride dirt trails? The best bike for you is the bike you will ride. If you are unsure, hybrid bikes are great to start with and can be inexpensive. Almost any bike can be modified to accommodate your needs including different types of handlebars.
Determine what type of riding you want to do and go to the bike shop that treats you well. If they don't, go to a different one. Test ride bikes. You can also rent bikes and take them on the rides you think you might like.
Tap back into what you liked and start there.
posted by turtlefu at 8:04 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
An ebike is great for short trips. The ideal window starts at 0. I get range anxiety with longer trips (20-50 miles) and end up turning off the motor most of the time. On a short trip, you're free to use whatever level of assist you'd like. You sound like you're guaranteed to arrive non-sweaty.
Hand numbness is, I agree, mostly a fit/position issue. My wife gets numb hands because she death-grips the bars. So it might also be a confidence issue.
Source: I bought a Radpower ebike when I had a BMI of 50+. I credit the ebike for allowing me to cycle at all. I eventually outgrew its range and sold it in favor of sportier normal bikes. Now that I'm an expert...I re-bought a new Rad ebike just for fun.
posted by Snijglau at 8:07 PM on September 3, 2021
Hand numbness is, I agree, mostly a fit/position issue. My wife gets numb hands because she death-grips the bars. So it might also be a confidence issue.
Source: I bought a Radpower ebike when I had a BMI of 50+. I credit the ebike for allowing me to cycle at all. I eventually outgrew its range and sold it in favor of sportier normal bikes. Now that I'm an expert...I re-bought a new Rad ebike just for fun.
posted by Snijglau at 8:07 PM on September 3, 2021
Marley Blonsky, a cycling inclusivity advocate, has a good resource for larger folks looking at bikes and bicycling gear.
posted by asterisk at 8:42 PM on September 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by asterisk at 8:42 PM on September 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
I'd agree with the general advice that going for something more upright is a good start. It's worth mentioning though that the handlebar grips themselves can have a huge impact on numbness. I used to get numb fingers very quickly on my hybrid bike with its stock grips, but could ride 50-60 miles no problems when I had a touring bike made up with flatter style Ergon grips.
As much as the better fitting of the bike will have contributed some, the riding position was actually very similar, and the bulk of the relief came from the design of the grips themselves. They have a wide, flat surface that means there's no narrow surface area pressing into a nerve when you hold them, and they'd encourage me to ride along with my palms just resting on the bars rather than fully gripping them as I had done on my hybrid - it felt equally as safe and controlled to do so since so much of my palm was in contact with the grips. I had the model that came with big bar ends (the GP5 by the looks), which also helped, because I could shift my hands around or ride with them kinda splayed between the grips and the bar ends. For short commutes that might be overkill, though I do use the bar ends just as much when out on short pootles.
I experimented with the tilt early on, and found that tilting the flatter part upwards more than felt natural (at first!) did much more to alleviate the pressure. The more they're tilted downwards, the more the pressure goes through the exact same area as in other handlebars.
They aren't cheap, but they might give you an idea of what could be helpful - googling "flat handlebar grips" seems to come up with a few different makes, including much cheaper ones.
If you do end up splashing out on some Ergons, avoid the smaller (sometimes female marketed) version, since the point is that the more surface area the better. I had a false start with those, and found they were nowhere near as effective. And, if you go for a different make, it might be worth checking if they are sized more like the large Ergons or the small ones.
Otherwise, if you want an e-bike, get an e-bike! I got one (a Fiido) a few months ago and love it. Does it fit me as well as my custom tourer? No. Will it take me across a continent or two? Probably not. But does it make me grin every time I take it out, wind in my hair, feeling like I've somehow gamed life? Oh yes. They won't fix your numbness issue on their own though since the fit is very off-the-peg - some kind of handlebar tinkering might still be necessary for you, and I'm not sure if that would be complicated by all the electronics. That'd probably be something to ask at the bike shop when you start trying out different models.
posted by FifteenShocks at 6:53 AM on September 4, 2021
As much as the better fitting of the bike will have contributed some, the riding position was actually very similar, and the bulk of the relief came from the design of the grips themselves. They have a wide, flat surface that means there's no narrow surface area pressing into a nerve when you hold them, and they'd encourage me to ride along with my palms just resting on the bars rather than fully gripping them as I had done on my hybrid - it felt equally as safe and controlled to do so since so much of my palm was in contact with the grips. I had the model that came with big bar ends (the GP5 by the looks), which also helped, because I could shift my hands around or ride with them kinda splayed between the grips and the bar ends. For short commutes that might be overkill, though I do use the bar ends just as much when out on short pootles.
I experimented with the tilt early on, and found that tilting the flatter part upwards more than felt natural (at first!) did much more to alleviate the pressure. The more they're tilted downwards, the more the pressure goes through the exact same area as in other handlebars.
They aren't cheap, but they might give you an idea of what could be helpful - googling "flat handlebar grips" seems to come up with a few different makes, including much cheaper ones.
If you do end up splashing out on some Ergons, avoid the smaller (sometimes female marketed) version, since the point is that the more surface area the better. I had a false start with those, and found they were nowhere near as effective. And, if you go for a different make, it might be worth checking if they are sized more like the large Ergons or the small ones.
Otherwise, if you want an e-bike, get an e-bike! I got one (a Fiido) a few months ago and love it. Does it fit me as well as my custom tourer? No. Will it take me across a continent or two? Probably not. But does it make me grin every time I take it out, wind in my hair, feeling like I've somehow gamed life? Oh yes. They won't fix your numbness issue on their own though since the fit is very off-the-peg - some kind of handlebar tinkering might still be necessary for you, and I'm not sure if that would be complicated by all the electronics. That'd probably be something to ask at the bike shop when you start trying out different models.
posted by FifteenShocks at 6:53 AM on September 4, 2021
Can’t speak to the hand numbness issue, but if you’re on the fence but leaning toward an ebike, I say go for it. It’s so fun that I look for excuses to get on mine.
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 9:27 PM on September 4, 2021
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 9:27 PM on September 4, 2021
Get a recumbent. You won't have to put any weight on your hands, and they come with seats instead of saddles. Recumbent bicycles are also wayyyy more gentle on the back and neck because you're not all hunched over.
Bonus for if you like to bike slow: I spent a lot of years on recumbent bikes. And then I discovered recumbent trikes, which are even better. Their downside is they won't fit on a bus rack. But if that's not an issue for you, they're great! You can go as slow as you want without having the bike tip over.
posted by aniola at 10:44 PM on September 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
Bonus for if you like to bike slow: I spent a lot of years on recumbent bikes. And then I discovered recumbent trikes, which are even better. Their downside is they won't fit on a bus rack. But if that's not an issue for you, they're great! You can go as slow as you want without having the bike tip over.
posted by aniola at 10:44 PM on September 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
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Maybe give an Electra Townie a try. A cruiser-style bike might work as well.
(From one middle-aged fat lady to another. I restarted riding on a Townie -- have a different bike now, but the Townie got me riding again.)
posted by humbug at 5:45 PM on September 3, 2021 [8 favorites]