thinking of buying a bike to ride to school its a 6.5 mile ride to school so looking at 13 miles a day 4 days a week and using to go to and from work which is 2 miles away from home so add another 4 miles 4 days a week ends up being like 56 miles a week on a bike. what do you think?

Do it! I bike to and from work everyday and I feel awesome! At first your legs will hate you very much (very very much) but once you get used to it, you will start looking for excuses to bike even more. The first week I got home covered in sweat and thought "no more moving now." But now, after two months, I will bike to work, 25 minutes, bike downtown, 25 minutes, bike back to work and then back home later and will still have energy to bike later that evening just for fun. In 6 weeks I have lost 4 inches around my lower thighs.

And, you will save so much money. I think I have only filled my car up once in the last month. I live in a cold climate so I am not confident riding my bike in the snow and ice of winter. I don't know what I'll do when I have to pack it in until Spring.

Oh and, since you said you are buying a bike I would like to put my two cents in about that. If you can get one with an aluminum frame - do so. It's so much lighter. My last bike, steel frame, was stolen and I replaced it with this new one, aluminum, and I can't believe the difference. Especially going up hills! Also if you can get a bike with gears you will love it on hills. It's nice to be able to shift up and down as required.

I was thinking about starting biking. I would love to be able to ride with my girls. But I am worried about looking bad on the bike and the tire going flat because of the weight. I know I should not think like that. Can anyone recommend a good bike for a heavier person?

I would suggest going to your local bicycle shop and getting help from there. There's nothing more that will ruin a good bike ride than riding a flexing walrus behemoth of a bicycle from Wally World or other big box store.

In a local bike shop, you will be sized correctly, get a proper helmet (and learn to wear it properly) and also get rid of the torture device they call a seat that comes on every new bicycle and replace it with something to support your tailbones. There might even be a nicer used bicycle that ends up being cheaper than the big box store bike.

Zoo, bicycles and tires can handle more weight than you realize. I rode a skinny tire bike at 350 lbs (decked out shamelessly in full spandex). The only weight limitation is rider comfort, especially when it comes to seats. BTW, I've found the more padding on my behind, the less I need in a seat. It's a personal thing that you have to figure out for yourself.

Happy riding!!

Hugs,
Ratkity

I agree with ratkitten but if you are just starting out and don't want to invest tonnes until you are sure you will like it then I totally get that. I completely support the gel seat idea. Anything to make the ride less painful in the lady-bits gets my vote. Here is my bike. It ended up being a little bit more than I wanted to spend but in two more months the money I have saved in gas will have paid for it.

http://www.electrabike.com/Bikes/tow...-ladies-180210

It's definitely a good idea, but make sure you're prepared. You're going to sweat- probably at lot at first. You might want to bring a change of clothes. Since you don't have a bike now, I'm assuming you're not a long-time biker, so you have to be prepared for the pains you'll get in your backside. The first time I rode a bike in years, I had to buy an extra-large, cushioned seat, and I still got massive bruises on my bum that lasted for a long time. And that was riding on the streets over very few bumps. I was also very achy all over my body, because even if you exercise or use the bikes at the gym, it's still quite a workout.

Maybe try riding leisurely at first and then moving up to commute? Then you won't get to school on your first day and have to sit through class all sweaty and with pains up your backside (and those school chairs are hard!).

Also, a bike from Walmart is not good for a commute. First off, they usually have just about any employee assemble them, so they're rarely put together right. If your alignment is off or something else, then biking is going to be uncomfortable and difficult. I personally have bought bikes from places like that before, but my boyfriend is an actual bike rider and he insists that they're crap and he basically has to rebuild them for me after we get them home.

Understandable- I'm frequently in that position. Like I said, I usually buy walmart bikes, and while my bf says their terrible, to an inexperienced cyclist like me, there's not that much of a difference. He says they're harder to get moving and less pleasurable, but I wonder if he might just be spoiled by his own bike.

Sounds like a great idea. You could maybe rent a bike for a week or so that's the same style as the bike you're looking at to be sure it works for you. Might save you a lot in the long run.

I would check into craigslist and other sites also look to see if you can rent or borrow for a short time. I also would start off with a ride on a day that you dont have to be a specific place at a specific time ...
I love my bike and being outside vs on the bike in our gym is much more pleasureable!
Best of Luck!
~T~

Rebecca85 .... Havent heard from you, did you get a bike? Hows it goin?