Fat man with nothing but questions.

Hi all, my name is Omar.

As the title suggests I'm a rotund man and am just getting into the sport. I detest exercise but have a healthy sense of self preservation so I decided to find some activities that would be great for fitness but not feel like a treadmill...enter mountain biking (and soccer). I just got a beginner bike for my birthday and am looking forward to building my fitness and joining you all on the trails. I thought mountain biking was just a bike and a trail but lurking the past week or so has opened my eyes to the wide world of mtb...enter my questions.

Anyhow I just wanted to say hello and thank you for the input already offered in the threads I've read.

Bike: 2004 Gary Fisher Wahoo

 

Welcome to the madness and good luck with your new found sport.I hope it takes you to a new place in your life.It did for me :welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome:from chino....

 

Welcome to STR! Try to come to this event--for folks like you!

http://www.socaltrailriders.org/for...nors-ball-bike-extravaganza-12-15-2012-a.html

It'll hurt. It may bust your ego. It may make you pass gas. You might have to stop and wheeze on the way up. You may even have to turn around(but don't)
One thing I can almost guarantee, you won't be last. And if you are, don't worry, we'll wait at the top!

 

Find a place you wanna ride, post up to see if anyone one is willing to take you, have fun, make friends for life.
:bang:

 

Just as the rest of your life is lived for YOU (as opposed to us here on the 'net), ride for YOU.
Find the joy in every riding experience, including the uncomfortable ones and maybe even the painful ones.
Try to ride like you're 12 years old again...not the crazy stunts, but with the same wide-eyed, curious, exploratory mindset.
Or use mtb'ing as your personal Zen place, providing the time to meditate and let your mind unwind while you burn lots of calories.
While you're at it, realize that since you're not 12, you have the will and mental discipline to push yourself farther than ever you could before.
And then, once you're really into it, find a way to spend your kids' college fund on a real mountain bike that lets you ride to your own limits instead of its limits.


OK, that last one is the only one I'm close to living up to. I'm working on the rest. But you get my point.

 

Welcome to the biking community! Lots of great answers to your questions on this site...ask away!
Just keep peddling ...

 

I have to agree with dirtmistress. On that ride you will be encouraged no matter how far you go. You will meet great people to ride with again and its a fun environment Other than that, riding a bike ( for fun and fitness) gives you that time alone where your mind just goes into a zone. All worries are gone. Its not only good for physical health, but more importantly mental health.

 

Welcome. That will be a fun ride with a good group of encouraging people. A friend of mine new to Mtn. Biking did this ride last year. It was his second time on a Mtn. Bike and his first on his new bike. He made it to the top and was able to finish the ride. We ended up stopping to rest quite a bit, but he made it and was stoked that he did. Good luck to you.

 

Howdy.

mountain biking is fun. some people get way serious about it. if you are just starting out, don't think of it as exercise, just try to have fun. don't be afraid to walk up hills and other sections, you will get better over time. no matter what, just have fun. get up the hill as far as you can go, because the downhill will put a smile on your face. if you are having fun it won't seem like exercise . . . and before you know it you will be in better shape and weigh less, just from having fun!

 

^^^
This.

And blow up dolls and santa hats and gorgeous christmas sweaters

 

Not to be a bummer but crash happens. We wear our scars with pride because we know how hard we worked to get to the point where we crashed. It is kinda weird to other people, they do not understand. But that is life on the mtn bike, your weapon against the hills. We are not at war with the hills, we almost worship them, but the trails are at war with us and can strike at any time, even on the simplest, flat stuff, crash happens.
Happy trails, welcome to our world

 

Welcome! Cycling is super fun and addicting, keep at it and enjoy shedding the lbs! I dropped 70# riding and haven't looked back. STR is full of awesome, willing to help people that truely love the sport! See you on the trails!

 

So I have been told!

 

welcome. give each ride a purpose. examples:

have fun
learn balance fore/aft
learn leaning in turns a bit more than just turning wheel
climb a hill stopping 4 times. then 3. then 2.
listen to a complete CD (45 minutes) before stopping
relax
make perfect circles with feet


purpose can be serious/fun/silly/mundane

I lost 50 lbs in 4 months keeping it fun.

Over a year later I still have so much fun I have to drink a six pack at night and eat like six burritos a day in order to keep up with the calories I burn.

If I quit riding I'd gain like 5 lbs a day.

So ride and have fun, and if you stick with it you'll get to indulge in all the comforts your lizard brain has kept you off the bike with all these years.

I eat Halloween candy now. HALLOWEEN CANDY! What the hell it's tasty. And I don't care. Cause I'll burn off 36 Snickers tomorrow. So will you.

Enjoy and remember to talk to your lizard and let it know you're there for it. Losing weight doesn't mean killing the lizard. Ride hard and feed the lizard.

Let the lizard sit on your shoulder during the rides like a dog with it's head out the window on a freeway.

 

Welcome. Take it slow. Get onto some gentle trails. No hero stuff - walk down steep hills and up stuff that makes you redline in pain. Just because others make it look easy, do not let your pride or ego convince you to do the same until you get some time on the dirt. Warning, you may become addicted and spend more time and money than you expected - at least we all hope so!

 

As Herzalot said above.

Stay safe. Know your limits.

 

Thanks a lot everyone. I am hoping to sneak that ride in since I already have family plans that day and want to sneak off to Vegas the next day. It might work out. If not that one it'll be another.

I'm definitely going to keep the riding fun and pace myself on the technical stuff. I'm an outdoors lover and know the elements will teach you the hard way to respect them if you need that lesson. I'm just gonna keep peddling like someone mentioned and see where the bike carries me. So far all I've ridden is a mostly paved (not much for trails in the LBC) 13 miles the morning after thanksgiving and it made me feel great. And it taught me to push myself a little harder, the muscles can take it. I'm thinking of sticking to beginner trails until I feel really comfortable with those runs and then progress to the more technical routes.

Thanks again for all of the encouragement. It's great to find a good community of folks to turn to for motivation, inspiration and know how.

 

From one fat man to another I salute you

 

Check out Meetup for mtn bike rides. This first group is new and specializes in easier rides. The second group does all types of rides. Both groups are free.

http://www.meetup.com/Live-to-Ride-OC/
http://www.meetup.com/allmountaintrailriders/

 

Keep this in mind - none of the singletrack trails in Aliso and Wood Canyon Wilderness Park are beginner friendly. Don't let others convince you they are. Wood canyon fireroad is a nice ride for a beginner complete with overhanging trees. Even that route has a couple of steep hills. Highly recommended as an introductory out-and-back from the Alicia parkway parking lot. A good 7-8 miles.

Have fun and keep the rubber side down.