What's new in the world of Bikes

Interbike, the largest bicycle trade show in the world, was held a couple weeks ago in Las Vegas. I went for the third time, and as always, came away brimming with ideas and contacts and very sore feet. It was great.

People have asked me if the cycling industry is waking up to the fact that big people want to bike, too. To look at the glass as part full, I’d say that there are more people aware than there were three years ago, but there is still a lot of room for growth.

I did run into one company that makes an interesting tricycle that holds 400 pounds, but it retails for $3500.00. Knowing what I know about making strong, custom-built bicycles, I must say that this is not an unreasonable amount, but I also know that spending that much for a tricycle is beyond the means or desire of most people. Other than that I didn’t see much that would work for you, my customers.

On the plus side, I did meet lots of people who love what we’re doing with Super Sized Cycles, and were eager to contribute in ways that they could. For example…

There’s a new website that’s being created, called www.RentABikeNow.com. Its purpose is to create a network of bike rental sites all over the North America, where travelers can easily “order up” the kind of bike they want, so they can bike while away. I spoke to Scott Carothers, their VP, and encouraged him to encourage the shops that sign up to purchase a couple of our Zize Bikes. How many of us, with size concerns, would even think of renting a bike? Let’s let RentABikeNow.com know we want options—send them an email requesting bikes for big people!

I also spoke quite a bit with Kit Vogel from www.Bikefit.com. Kit has an MS in Biomechanics/Human Movement & Performance and has completed her clinical doctorate in Physical Therapy—she really knows her stuff! We discussed special needs for big people and biking, and I’m happy to report that the key points Kit brought up are addressed in our Zize Bikes! If you live near Woodinville, WA, take advantage of the great resource you have in Bikefit!

A lot more happened, and I’ll share the interesting stuff in an ongoing manner in my blog and newsletters. Until then, keep cycling!

Enlightened article

Yesterday I was reading the NY Times on line (my favorite way to get the news) and saw this excellent article about bodies. The author actually questions whether the craze to be a skinny person is necessary and healthful. Not only does she question it, but apparently many people are doing the same. I put it on my site, because I think it's so promising. You can read it here.

What's great is that it is possible that the mainstream is beginning to understand what a lot of us know--you don't have to be thin to be healthy. Many heavy people are very healthy, and if the world around us was built to support our weight, we'd be even healthier.

Imagine a world where you don't have to go to a specialty store to find a bike or a pair of pants that fit. Imagine going into any establishment knowing that they have chairs that will be at least size-appropriate, if not comfortable. Imagine traveling knowing that you don't have to worry about getting bruises from squeezing into a too-small seat or asking the tiny steward for a seat belt extender. Imagine a world where what counts is that we're people, not that we're fat people.

In this world I'd bet a lot of the diseases that are associated with being fat would miraculously no longer be associated with it. In this world the social stigma and stresses of being the wrong size wouldn't exist. We'd all be satisfied with ourselves, so our bodies wouldn't have to cry out for attention in the form of diseases.

I'm not suggesting that those of us who are unhealthy and feel unhappy stay where we are. What I am suggesting is living the Zize life. Zize is size with Attitude, and as more of us do our part to keep the attitude positive, healthy, and active, more people will see that fat IS beautiful. Or at least healthy.

Bike MIrrors

I recently went for a ride with a group of friends, including one who has all sorts of doodads on her bike. As this woman is a serious cyclist, I know she doesn't put on anything more than essential. (This comes from being part of the "light is better" biker mentality.) I was interested in the gadgets she had, and watched how she used them.

Her side view mirror was used frequently. She used it to see if cars were coming up behind us, as they don't always make enough noise to alert you.

She also kept track of her co-riders --making sure we could keep up with her, as she set the pace.

Watching her use the mirror I realized that craning my neck sideways and glimpsing over my shoulder was not practicing safe riding, so I decided that it was time to stop procrastinating and find a good mirror.

So which Mirror?

I consulted my Bike Guru, Tim Mathewson. Tim has designed bikes for me and walks me through all of the technical aspects of this business. He knows his stuff.

Tim didn't hesitate. He immediately told me that the best mirror to get is the Mirrycle. He likes it because it adjusts all different ways, and folds up for transportation. I like it because I can clearly see what's coming up behind me, and I feel much safer now that I don't have to try to do any gymnastics to see if a car's coming.

I've added it to our inventory, so check it out here. Let's all keep riding, and ride safely!

Have fun,

Joan

Why do it?

Running this business is both a joy and a challenge.

I'm growing this business organically. (Which, in case you may not be aware of this business lingo, means all the money I make goes right back into the business, gradually pushing things bigger and bigger.) This is the challenge part.

The JOY part is what I thrive on, and fortunately, there's tons of it pouring in to me on a regular basis. During the last 12 hours, here's what happened.

My husband and I went to our favorite store, Costco, and after stocking up on bananas, avacados, and space heaters (this IS Costco!) we decided to grab a lite dinner. While there, we ran into a former colleague of mine with her husband, and we ate all our hotdogs together. At their prodding, I was telling them about Super Sized Cycles (okay, it didn't really take any prodding), and a man at the next table interrupted and said he recognized me from when I was on TV a while ago (here's the video.) We ended up talking for another half hour.

This morning there were two emails from people who wrote to tell me why they were excited about Super Sized Cycles.


One student from NY writes, "I suffer from congenital degenerative arthrosis or, also called osteoarthritis. I am almost 28 and am enrolled full time at school. I am heavy and it makes my problems worse. I have much upper body pain because the degeneration has targeted my shoulders now and I am dependent on my arms to keep me from falling out of my seat on the city buses. It will be sooooo nice to just ride to school in relative comfort and leave the buses out of my life forever." Makes me smile to know that I can help this person move beyond the limits that had been imposed.

I also received this note awesome this morning.

"Hi!
i just came across a comment you made on someones blog once upon a time,
and then went onto your website to check it out!
And I felt inspired to say I think what you are doing is fabulous!
I am a very big fan of cycling!
Weight wise I am slim but I really hate the attitudes that are sometimes
directed at overweight people.
I think it's great that you are helping people feel more comfortable
getting on a bike.
Some see cycling as something that only uber fit Lycra wearing folks do,
and everything that breaks that down, and makes cycling more accessible,
is to be applauded.
'Cos the bicycle is everyone's friend!!!"

These two notes, and my encounters last night, sum up the joy piece. How can I not love contributing to the world in such a way the people actually can see and feel instant results from what I help them get?

I am grateful. Thanks to all of you.

great ezine article

Check out this wonderful article about the fitness benefits of biking. I don't even know this writer, but I want to! She thinks just like I do--biking is the way to go. Riding your bike is the most wonderful fitness tool, and I'm glad to hear somebody else talk about it!

Speaking of talking about it, life has been VERY busy lately, and thus my written thoughts have been, ahem.... limited. Hope you're not waiting for me with baited breath.

The last of our 4 children have left home (with a bit of nudging on our part), and my husband and I decided it was time to downsize. We just spent two weeks and much money getting our house ready to go on the market, and we accomplished an amazing transformation in a minimum time. (Just don't count my new grey hairs and the fact that I haven't ridden my bike in 2 weeks.)

I'm sharing this because if anyone is looking for a beautiful 4 bedroom home in the new suburb of Burlington, VT, have we got the house for you! You can check it out here. We have NO idea where we're going. It has to be in the US and relatively near an airport hub, but those are the only requirements. PLEASE, send ideas! We tend to like a little less winter (than Vermont's 5-6 months of it), smaller cities, and a beautiful environment. Oh, and since I'm asking, it would help if there were lots of awesome bike trails around.

Today I'm getting out for a ride--it's gorgeous outside. Keep pedaling!

Break the Cycle of Depression with Cycling

This article was written by Susan Fernandes, who has over 20 years assisting people as a Registered Nurse. Susan was kind enough to allow me to share her article as one more way to show that biking is awesome!
___________________________________________________________________________

In the United States, approximately 18.8 million people are affected by depression. That’s approximately 9.5% of our adult population. Of those suffering from depression, about 80 % are not currently being treated.

What is the definition of depression?

· Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.

· True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interferes with everyday life for an extended period of time, usually more than 2 weeks.

Depression may run in families. This can be due to your genes (inherited), learned behavior (environmental), or both. If you are predisposed to depression due to your genetic makeup, you are more likely to experience depression when a stressful or unhappy life event occurs.

What can trigger depression?

· Alcohol or drug abuse

· Childhood events like abuse or neglect

· Chronic stress

· Death of a friend or relative

· Disappointment at home, work, or school (in teens, this may be breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, failing a class, or parents divorcing)

· Drugs such as sedatives and high blood pressure medications

· Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cancer, or hepatitis

· Nutritional deficiencies (such as a lack of folate and omega-3 fatty acids)

· Overly negative thoughts about one's self and life, self blame, and ineffective social problem solving skills

· Prolonged pain or having a major illness

· Sleeping problems

· Social isolation (common in the elderly)

· Post Partum (after giving birth)

So as you can see, depression can be triggered by many conditions/events. The purpose of this article is not to diagnose or to suggest any treatments for depression, that is for you to discuss with your physician, but I do want to explain how activity can be a natural mood elevator.

It is not uncommon that when we feel depressed (sad, blue, down in the dumps), mentally and physically we slow down. We don’t want to do anything. It is extremely hard to get motivated. And unfortunately, the less we do, the less we want to do, and then the more we fell depressed. It is a self perpetuating cycle. How do I know this? I’ve lived it. In fact it is something that I still fall prey to at times. So, how can we break this self-defeating, non productive cycle?

Doctors and scientists continue to debate about the different chemicals and hormones that affect our moods and sense of well-being. Some believe that it is a release of “endorphins” by the pituitary gland that lessens the feeling of depression, while others believe it is the serotonin and serotonin uptake receptors that do the trick. Either way, all agree that moderate exercise, 30 minutes/3 times a week, can decrease our feelings of sadness and depression. In fact, it is documented that regular exercise as described can be as effective as many prescribed anti-depressants and work more quickly. If you are currently on medication for depression, I do not recommend that you stop taking it. Instead, continue with your current prescribed plan of medical treatment, but add exercise. Stopping or changing any medication is only at your doctor’s recommendation, but let her/him know about your change in activity and how it makes you feel, and let them decide.

Keep in mind, at times motivation can be a big obstacle, and it is at those times you have to force yourself to just “do it!” My personal preference for exercising is riding a bike. I’m not the most disciplined person, so the flexibility of choosing when I ride suits my personality and schedule. Also as a “plus-size” woman with knee problems, riding a bike is low impact and easy on my joints. In fact, it is a recommended type of exercise for those with arthritis. I admit, I was concerned about a regular bike being able to support my weight, so I did an online search and found www.supersizedcycles.com. They have bicycles and tricycles, and motorized bikes, and they are able to custom make bikes to your specifications. Now I can get out, have fun exercising, and feel better mentally, emotionally, and physically. Oh, and by the way, I still take my medication, but I’m feeling so much better, and I’m even losing weight! As they say, “There is no time like the present, “so decide today, that you won’t be held captive by your own inactivity. Get out there and get moving - you will be glad that you did.

Keep on pedaling!

people waking up

I like to know what's going on in the world of big people biking, so i subscribe to a google service that tells me when articles come up that talk about this. I got such an email this morning. I linked to the blog it identified, and found--gasp!--a reasonable person with a reasonable grasp on the ways to deal with obesity.

As anyone who visits this site regularly understands, we are not about weight loss. It IS a possible side effect from riding bikes, but the main purpose of www.SuperSizedCycles.com is to just get everyone who wants to out on a bike. And since big people don't have choices, that's who we're aiming to help.

Take a look at the blog at http://justwilliams.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/cycling-and-obesity/#comment-127, and then let me know what you think.

Let's keep those wheels and minds spinning!

good eats

My youngest daughter is home from college, and all of a sudden she’s become Rachel Ray Jr. As a child only very, very moderately interested in cooking she suddenly is making these amazing meals once or twice a day. We are eating like kings!

This, of course, makes one wonder if this is going to have a less-than-desired effect on the waistline. What seems to be happening instead is that what she’s cooking is so good that it fills me up and I’m not so busy grazing between meals. I’ve always thought that if I could just NOT snack my body would look a whole lot different, but when you grab a tiny lunch, by 3:00 your stomach is begging for more. With these amazing, complete meals, I’m totally satisfied until 5 or 6 hours later. It’s great!

Right now it’s 1:50 PM, and Natasha’s busy in the kitchen. She’s making lunch. (Okay, one downfall on having a college kid cook your meals—you can toss any kind of a traditional schedule out the window). It smells spicy and grilly and YUMMY. I wish she’d hurry up… wow—my wishes are powerful! Just as I was writing that she brought me in a beautiful pita sandwich stuffed with grilled beef and peppers and onions. Delish !

Okay, ENOUGH about food! I’m hoping this storm that’s threatening will pass soon, so I can go out for a little ride. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I barely look up from my desk. I’m trying to make a concerted effort to get a ride in once a day. It will help when my husband gets home (he’s been away spending a couple of weeks with his mother)—he loves to be outside and will request bike rides regularly, so I can’t get so caught up with builders and financials and answering customers’ questions and fulfilling orders that I forget why I’m doing this—cause I love to bike!

All those reasons I just listed are also why I’ve been forgetting to blog. Another thing to put on my list of to- dos. I’m off to tackle a new project.

Wii Fit for us?

I have been hearing a lot about Wii Fit, and spent some time this morning checking it out. It seems like an awesome product, and I plan to purchase one as soon as I can find one (I understand they're in very short supply, but I don't know this for sure, as I haven't looked...yet.) Seems like a great rainy day choice .

The question, as it tends to, came up: "is this strong enough for me?" I found technical forums on the Nintendo site, and looked up "weight." Apparently, you can use the Wii Fit if you weigh about 340 or less. Better than 200 to 225 (a la bikes), but not up to snuff. I decided to write the folks at Nintendo a letter asking them to up the ante, so to speak. If you want to help make fun options available for ALL people, send them a note, too!

Have a great day!

Hitting Bottom--Literally

I have a rather embarassing experience to share. Actually, TWO rather embarassing experiences to share. I've decided to write about them because there is something I've learned from them. So, here we go--in a period of 8 days, I fell off my bike twice! Me--the bike goddess (excuse the total lack of modesty, but really, I don't know a lot of people who spend as much time thinking, talking about, riding, selling, breathing bikes as I do lately). First, let me tell you that I'm fine. I scraped my legs up a bit, but otherwise am fine.

I was thinking about WHY I fell, though. I mean, come on, I know how to ride. And I'm very cautious, follow all the rules, etc. Here's the cause--both times I was really tired. Too tired to be riding, but I was riding nonetheless. The second reason is that, because I was so tired, I was not as alert as I usually am, and both times I fell when I was stopping the bike. I was on my seat, which is quite high, as I'm 5'11", and instead of sliding off the seat and putting my feet on the ground, I keeled over. (graceful, I know....)

This going down the hard way got me thinking about my customers--the things I do for you all! I wasn't scared off from riding because of my falls, but I imagine that many new riders might be. So I was wondering what I could do to prevent this from happening to others.

Thinking about this, the beauty of the Time of Your Life design really hit home. That bike is designed so that the rider can touch the ground while seated on the saddle. So, if you're tired and not paying attention, and you come to a stop, your feet touch bottom when you put them down--and your butt doesn't need to. Or you're feeling a little wobbly--you can touch the ground. Stopping to chat with a neighbor--you can sit on your bike while you visit--you don't need to just straddle it. I have my choice of bikes (hey, it's one of the perks of making and selling them!), and neither time was I riding the Time of Your Life.

So a word to the wise--be sure to pay attention not only when riding, but also when stopping and starting. Start with your saddle down low as you begin biking, so that you feel safe while you're on the bike. The ideal position for riding comfort and power is with your leg almost fully extended, but it may take a while to get there. And (Joan!) if it's a new season of riding for you, you can always lower the seat a bit while you readjust to riding.

Happy trails to all!

fun new mini-video!

These are a blast to make! Go to animoto.com and try one. If you use the referral code "asuzjqgn" you get $5 towards making longer ones (and I get a freebie too!) Have fun!

bike ride with a camcorder

When I look at the web, I get a kick out of watching videos. To that end, I decided to make some of my own. I got a cool little camcorder called a flip, and bought the gadget that they make that you can strap onto your handle bars and secure the camcorder onto it. Time to get shots of today's bike ride--of both the view and of ME!

My husband and I set off for a ride after lunch, both of our dogs following us. It's a beautiful day, although still a bit cold. I decided it was a perfect day to try to videotape the ride.

I'd share what I got, but really, it's kind of silly. The longest clip is of me setting it up on my bike--there's an occasional glimpse of the picture-perfect day, with the beautiful green trees, blue sky and a few puffy white clouds. You see a glimpse of my husband, and a lot of my hand and my orange jacket. It ends with me trying to get my sweet, deaf dog out of the road as a car approaches her.

When we started riding I thought I had pushed the "record" button, but I guess I turned it off! No video for you all to enjoy, but I'll bet it will be a lot more fun for you to get out and see your own scenery, ride with your own spouse, friends, pet, or self, and finish by feeling a lot more achievement than you would just by watching me ride!

And don't worry, the dog's fine!

Press Conference on "Just Start Riding!"

Super Sized Cycles held a press conference yesterday afternoon. It was gorgeous outside, and we were right next to the bike path in downtown Burlington, VT. Here's the content:



Good afternoon and thank you for joining us. My name is Joan Denizot, and I’m the founder of Super Sized Cycles, the first and only store to offer bikes for big riders. This summer we are proud to sponsor the first annual “Just Start Riding!” bike challenge.

The “Just Start Riding!” bike challenge is the bike riding challenge for people who don’t do bike riding challenges. Taking advantage of May being National Bike Month, Super Sized Cycles wanted to create an event where those who don’t normally participant in organized fitness activities would feel welcome.

The objectives of the program are to increase fitness levels and self esteem, to “go green”, and to have fun! Riders set their own goals. While we suggest working up to cycling 10 miles per week, for some people that may be too much. For others it may be too little. Whatever the individual wants to set as his or her mileage goal is what it becomes.


We encourage people to set a weight loss goal, too. It doesn’t need to be huge—in fact, it shouldn’t be huge. This is about living life to the fullest, and who among us doesn’t find good food a part of that full life? Eating right is important, and so is allowing ourselves to sample all the pleasures of the season—a ride to a strawberry patch where we can feast on fresh berries, an afternoon picnic at the lakefront, maybe even an occasional ride to Ben and Jerry’s. It’s all good, and when you get there on your own power, you can allow yourself to indulge without too much guilt.

The goal of the “Just Start Riding!” campaign is to create a safe, encouraging environment for everyone to start exercising. We’d love to hook up people who are interested in meeting other riders, but it can also be done completely individually. The support comes from blogging, emails, and encouragement from Super Sized Cycles and other participants. There will even be prizes for those who meet their goals.

What difference, you may ask, will a few people riding short distances, make?

I speak of the Just Start Riding! Campaign as a summer program, but it is actually 6 months long. It starts now, in May, national bike month. It ends in October. We stretched it out as long as we thought Vermonters might actually ride! Six months—of fun, of connecting with people, of remembering the joy of exercising!

In six months many people who start biking can easily lose 10 pounds. That’s reasonable, about 1 ½ pounds per month. If we have only 500 riders, who each lose 10 pounds, that’s 2 ½ tons—just gone!

I daresay we can make a very moderate guess that our riders will total about 50 miles over the course of the program. Put those miles end-to-end, and we’ve cycled the circumference of the earth!

If those same riders are cycling instead of driving, that means that they’re conserving 1000 gallons of gasoline. This means eliminating 22,000 pounds of carbon dioxide! Not to mention saving money on gas.

Why the push to get people of all sizes biking? Did you realize that physical inactivity is the cause of one third of all deaths due to:
coronary heart disease,
colon cancer
and diabetes?


That’s a lot of premature deaths from just not moving. Obviously, physical inactivity has a strong link to being overweight and obese also.

I spent the weekend as an exhibitor at the Going Green Expo held at the University of Vermont here in Burlington. I had several bikes for people to test ride and was available to answer questions and encourage people to ride. My observation is that most big people attending the event didn’t even glance at my booth.

There could be many reasons for this, but one that I’m sure is a factor is that they are conditioned to “know” that they’re too fat to ride. While this is NOT TRUE, I know that I believed it for a long time. The fact is that the exercise options that many people take for granted are not easily available for big people. Cycling is a perfect example.

Bigger people just need bikes that are built better. They need
steel frames
comfortable saddles
wide tires with strong rims and spokes
metal pedals.

Some bicycles can be adapted to be made strong enough for a big person to ride. For those looking to purchase a new bike, Our Zize Bikes are built to hold up to 550 pounds.

I searched for a long time for a politically correct way to say fat. Every word I came up with was charged with negativity. My response was to invent a new word. I’d like to introduce you to Zize: Size with Attitude!


Zize is about people of size who just get on with their lives. If they’re happy being big, that’s great! If they want to lose weight, that’s great! It’s about the attitude of being positive and about that proverbial glass being half full. “Just Start Riding!” is an invitation to all people—of size, of zize, or otherwise, to decide to actively play.

Because the bikes built by Super Sized Cycles are so amazing and awe-inspiring, Zize Bikes seemed like the logical name to give them. They represent all that is positive, powerful, and attitudinal!



I’d like to end with some quotes from 2 emails I received just this morning. Not planned nor planted, here’s what they say:


“Greetings to you my name is jason and i am 6ft 3incehs and 500 lbs.my knee is in bad shape and doc says walking is out of the question and i need a bike…”


Bob says, “Hello! I cannot articulate how excited I am to have found a vendor that sells bikes for "oversized" people. I am in my mid 40's and have not rode a bike for at least 25 years because of my size. I am pleasantly surprised at your web site.”


Helping people find a way to reconnect with cycling is what Super Sized Cycles is all about.





How can you become involved?

1. Sign up at SuperSizedCycles.com/JustStartRiding, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.


2. Connect with your zize friends and invite them to ride with you.


3. Ask you favorite businesses to contact us to participate in providing incentives for riders.


4. And especially, strap on your helmet, hop on your bike, and Just Start Riding!

Going Green Expo this weekend

Wow! So much for thinking I'll blog every day. I can barely seem to get to it once/week. Thank you for your patience with me as I integrate this new way of communicating with you all.

This weekend is the Going Green Expo in Burlington, VT, half an hour from my home. Super Sized Cycles will be there, outside on the track, so people can try our bikes. Like most things, it's a lot more work than one bargains for, and I've been running around all week getting ready for it.

Today is set-up day, and I'll be meeting my husband (God bless him, he's such a supportive volunteer for my business) and my bike Guru, who is coming in spite of that fact that it's his birthday. (Happy Birthday, Tim--we'll have cake and coffee while we're working. You didn't think I'd pass up an opportunity for cake, did you??!) Hopefully it won't take us too long to set up, because the list of other things does not seem to be getting any shorter. Tomorrow my daughter will be joining the team. It's supposed to be a great weekend, weather-wise, so I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun.

There's lots going on at Super Sized Cycles. Check out our Just Start Riding! summer campaign for biking. I'll tell you more about that soon. And our Zize Bikes production is moving along, although never as fast as I'd like.

I'm off to finish packing supplies for the Expo. I'll be sure to get a ride in today--join me?

hopes

One of the things that really keeps me going is people's responses to Super Sized Cycles. Usually there is a slightly startled look, and then the big smile when they catch on. "Of course," they say, "That's an awesome idea!" The idea of big people riding bikes certainly shouldn't be original, but it takes a while to make it mainstream. Actually, I've been working on this company for over 2 years, and I still feel like it's a mini micro-business. We're getting there, though, and the feedback I get from my customers and potential customers keeps me going.

Yes, Super Sized Cycles is going through some growing pains and there is definite room for improvement. With our commitment to quality, excellent customer service and authenticity, we find that most of our customers are willing to accept the (proverbial) bumps in the road. I want to share a couple of thoughts from recent notes with customers:

• I ran across your add in the journal for the American Association of Diabetes Educators. As a diabetes educator, I am always on the look out for information to share with my patients to help find ways they can safely exercise. Your website is wonderful. I will pass this info on…Thank you for all you are doing!

• Hello Joan! I am so thrilled to find this site through OAC (Obesity Action Coalition). What an incredible link! I have wished for many years that I could ride a bike again and have tried to find somewhere in Canada.

God Bless You for having the drive and moxy to do something monumental like this for yourself and ultimately - others. What a great story!

In future blogs I’ll share more stories, and I invite you to tell your story, too. We’re all in this together, and the way out is through!

Recession? Buy a bike!

Today my inbox was filled with stuff about the recession we're heading into. Gas prices heading up every day. A few months ago we were talking about the inevitability of gas hitting $4.00/gallon this summer, now it looks like it'll be $5.00. And the big panic about a food shortage. I have to wonder how this happens--I mean, did farmers all of a sudden stop producing food? Walmart and Costco limiting purchases of rice???

Fascinating, you say, but, really, Joan, this is not why we're reading you. You're talking to us about weightier issues, like getting on to bikes. Right. Well, there is a connection. I don't know about you, but when I go to fill up my car and it costs me over $50 and I see the people in an SUV next to me paying $90, I start getting worried. We really can't keep on like this. We need to find alternative means of transportation. Which, as you now see, brings me back to bikes.

Fat people are have a double problem here, because
1) There are very few bikes that are strong enough for us
2) It's harder for us to ride a bike
We can sit around and moan about this, or we can decide to be proactive. Get a bike at www.SuperSizedCycles.com. Ride it! It's hard in the beginning, but it gets easier.

If you ride just 10 miles a week that you would have otherwise driven, over the course of a month you've ridden 40 miles, it will probably save you about $10 in gas alone. And this doesn't even mention that you're doing something great for your body and spirit.

Believe me, once you start riding, you won't want to stop. Well, if you're like me, you will still be lazy about getting on your bike, but once on it you won't want the ride to end. It's just too much fun!

If you're worried about the hills, get an electric assist bike (my dirty little secret that I wrote about on 4/23/08). They take the fear out of hills. Really, the big trick is to just find a bike that you can ride comfortably and safely. For many people that option didn't exist until a couple of years ago, but now there's Super Sized Cycles, so you can buy bike. You can start riding. You can take back control over your life!

Perfect Weather, Perfect rides

I am so happy to have my bikes out of storage and to be able to ride the roads and trails again. The weather for the past 2 weeks has been absolutely ideal--in the 70s during the day, and most nights not even dropping to freezing. (For those of you who don't live in the north country, that may not seem that thrilling, but for Vermont it is absolutely awesome!)

I live in a rural area where dirt roads are the norm. My street is one long dirt road filled with pot holes and hills.

There are bike paths near by, but I have to drive to them, so I try to arrange rides when I have to go into town on other business. I drive an 8 year old van that, in the spring, summer, and fall, always has one or two bikes in the back. I keep my helmet and gloves in the car, too, because I don't want to be caught without. I digress--back to riding near home.

To get at least a little exercise every day, which I try to do and which I am usually loathe to initiate, even when it's doing something I love, I have started riding my electric assist bike on my road.

I have to tell you, as much as I love my traditional bikes, electric assists are a godsend for a big person like me who lives in the hills of a place like Vermont. here's what's amazing--I can ride up hills on my bike! If it's a steep one I will huff and puff a bit, but I can do it. I'm just not in good enough shape to ride a traditional bike up hills--I usually collapse about half way up. Understand that I firmly believe that there is absolutely nothing wrong with walking your bike up a hill, it's just that I don't like to do it. I love the speed and weight-relief of a bike, and I'd much rather ride it than walk it, thank you very much.

My electric assist feels like a dirty little secret to me. At www.SuperSizedCyles.com I sell traditional bikes as well as electric assists, and I love them all. But really, for a person of size, the electric assist is just so much easier. It's a little bit of insurance in the big, bad world of hills!

Speaking of which, I"m off for a ride......

Why Weight to Bike?

The reason I’m writing this blog is to encourage people who are heavy, big, fat, plus size—whatever!--who want to ride a bike. Bike riding is a great way to get healthy, help the environment, lose weight and have a lot of fun. Let’s use this space as a springboard for a positive, uplifting environment where we can help each other move beyond being “too much” into being happy, healthy, and fit exactly as we are.

My story is about being fat and wanting to ride a bike. A few years ago I thought that the solution to that desire would be to simply buy a bike and start pedaling. HA! As if!

What I discovered is that big people are discriminated against in bicycling, like in most things. (We won’t get started on this discrimination thing yet—I’ll save it for another day!)

The focus on today’s bikes is indeed on weight, but not in a way that would help fat people. The goal of bike builders seems to be getting the bikes as light as possible. Like we’re all out to compete in the Tour de France? Actually, it was kind of funny, in a perverse way. When I was initially looking for a bike for me, I searched endlessly on bicycle sites for “weight limits” and other such terms. There were no answers. Weight brought up titanium frames and .07 ounce doodads, not how much the vehicle could safely hold. Geez…….

This lack of bikes made me realize that I am certainly not the only big person who wants to ride a bike. Biking is so fun, so freeing, and it’s non-weight bearing. Sooooooooo much easier than walking, and a heck of a lot faster, too. I kept on with my research, had my instinctive belief confirmed (yes, it is possible to make a bike strong enough for a really heavy person), found a frame builder, and the rest, as they say, is history. www.SuperSizedCycles.com was born!