An honest question, hopefully honest answers

Really like your blog, good work.

What was the question again?

You'd get a 'how you doing?' and a smile from me, same as everyone else gets.

Only time I pay attention to a rider's weight? On the road, when I see overweight middle-aged blokes out on sunny weekends riding high-end carbon TT bikes I can't afford wearing all the gear that I also can't afford. And that's just my own jealousy, no fault on their part. Their money, they can spend it on whatever they like.

Trail centres can be funny places. Mrs tyred (a capable rider) often finds the atmosphere overloaded with testosterone as a result of men standing around in the carpark being all burly. I say don't spend so much time in the carpark then!

My wife started running 2 years ago. First time out she ran once round the park and had to walk home.

2 years on she's just run her first marathon, has an off road half marathon this weekend and is 3 stone lighter.

If she hadn't motivated herself to run round the park once she'd still be where she was then.

We all started with a small step – it's where you go from there that matters.

If she hadn't motivated herself to run round the park once she'd still be where she was then.

a whole park ??
I tried running yesterday. After 100m I'd had enough 🙂

Only time I pay attention to a rider's weight? On the road, when I see overweight middle-aged blokes out on sunny weekends riding high-end carbon TT bikes I can't afford wearing all the gear that I also can't afford. And that's just my own jealousy, no fault on their part. Their money, they can spend it on whatever they like.

Good for them. They've probably worked their asses off and have a lifetime of stress etc attached to their bodies.

I doubt a magic Rabbit gave them the money.

Trail centres can be funny places. Mrs tyred (a capable rider) often finds the atmosphere overloaded with testosterone as a result of men standing around in the carpark being all burly. I say don't spend so much time in the carpark then!

Or maybe they are stoked from having just had a hard ride or about to start their usual two laps of the trail centre?

If she hadn't motivated herself to run round the park once she'd still be where she was then.

But if you run round the park once, you get back to where you started anyway.

loulouk – good effort and well done you for asking a difficult question and looking for difficult responses. Especially on here. I really like your blog and the pictures are excellent! Just ignore the fools out there who think it's funny to mock you – it's not funny and as has been said here your commitment is clear which we all respect. Just keep going – it's one pedal after the other . . . 🙂

fat, thin,young,old,male female, everyone seems to be faster than me, i wouldn't say anything apart from exhange a greeting, i'm of the opinion that anyone riding a bike must be slightly enlightened in some way, cycling=good in my book what ever size the rider is

Given some of the recent threads on here recently it is a pleasant to see some of the more positive side of people coming out in this one. 🙂 The thing is, going back to the OP, I would imagine most people think lots of things. One part will probably be an observation on the size or otherwise of the person (along with associated thoughts of "Wayhay, what a porker", followed by "glad I'm not that size" followed by "Motivation to make sure I don't get that size" and then "wonder how much grief the frame / brakes / bottom bracket is getting"). One part will be the typical humour side of things and general fattist thoughts. One part will a look at the bike and what it is you are riding (surprised at the lack of general Marin comments on this thread – how things have changed!)And one part will be admiration for committing to getting out and doing something that you clearly enjoy and wishing you all the best in doing it.

Out loud, and to your face, you will get a genuine and friendly, "Hi" or "morning / afternoon". If it gets a friendly response back and we are at a pause then probably quite happily have a chat about where you are riding, how it's going, how's the bike etc.

The thing with our society is that almost whoever and whatever you are there will be someone who will have a negative comment to make about you. So what. Make sure you are happy and comfortable with who you are and it becomes quite easy to ignore them. Having friends also helps. 🙂

Anyway, in a non patronising way, good for you and well done for sticking with it. Clearly you have the motivation to continue doing it because it serves a purpose in your goal of losing some weight, but that you also enjoy it. Sooooo much easier to work on fitness and weight loss activities when you actually enjoy them.

wwaswas – I've got a few aims, 1 of them is running a 10km with my other half. I figured my knees might not thank me if I have a go now. But biking burns fat like nothing else, it seems, so it shouldn't be long before a knee replacement wont be needed :O)

Well done loulouk! Let any negative comments motivate you..

Happy riding!

J

loulouk, it might not be of interest but I can't recommend the benefits of spinning classes for both your mtb fitness and weight loss aims enough.

The gym I go to runs loads of classes and attracts all shapes and sizes, you can push yourself as hard as you want and for me, stuck in Oxfordshire with a demanding career, it's the most convenient way to get my legs turning during the weekdays…… and it's crazily addictive.

Just read the blog. Genius.

Singletrack should get you to write for them. We need more female perspective from the ordinary rider.

Ican't understand why anyone would be very fat for any length of time but that's my hangup.
Would definately think GO GIRL – well done you.
Am also near GT if ever you want/need a pootling buddy 🙂