[tiggergirl9]

I'm in month two of my commitment to myself and am pondering my exercise options. I have a Curves membership and like the workout, but I also like to be outdoors and try new things. I have knee and foot pain mostly due to slamming my own weight down on the poor things, so I walk but not run.

So...I haven't ridden a bike since it had pink streamers and strawberry shortcake basket. <blushes> and I thought about trying it.

Where would I go to purchase an adult type bike able to withstand my weight and primarily to be ridden on asphalt/street surfaces? We live in a small enough area in my community there are several miles of safe streets upon which to bike. And what would such a bike be called? Um road, mountain, I'm out of my depth here.

Thank you ladies of 3FC for being the closest friends I've never met. Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves and helping so many others through your public sharing of your experiences

[gretel]

Do you have an REI close by? Quality vs. selection vs. price is pretty good there. If not, I recommend any local bicycle shop. You will pay a premium, but you will get a much better quality bicycle than any of the chain big box stores. I think you are looking for a road bike (thin tires, only ride on asphalt) but you may want to consider hybrids. I have a hybrid - it has a wider tire than the road bike, but is not as big as a mountain bike. Any good bicycle shop will let you try them before you buy them! And from what I recall, Trek bicycles have a maximum weight of upwards of 350 pounds. Let me know if you have any more questions. I've only been riding for the last year, so I'm still pretty new at it.

[Phantom Goddess]

Hi, I've been biking for fitness now for a couple of months, and I think it is a terrific way to burn some major calories. I use a huffy bike when I ride, and it's a hybrid / comfort bike that works really well for. I ride on roads and side walks, so I don't go on trails. I think you can find a decent bike at Target for $200 or under. I've seen some decent ones at my local Targets.

Enjoy!