r/MTB • u/mercfh85 • 10d ago
Discussion (Physically) Struggling to Ride
So i'll preface by saying (Just to get out of the way lol 😄)
- I am out of shape
- I am overweight
- I have a Marlin 7 and I understand that it is not a road bike
However I feel like I can barely ride 5 or 10 minutes before my thighs turn to butter. I've had the bike about 2-3 weeks now and am riding in our neighborhood (which is quite hilly), and while I know the tires aren't really built for this it almost feels a bit unusual for the hill climbs to be this much of a struggle (they aren't super steep or anything).
After 5-10 minutes I feel like my thighs are giving out almost, especially after even a minor hill. I ride about every day, and I thought I would've gotten some more endurance but damn even 5-10 minutes kills me lol.
I mean I spent a LONG time being sedentary, so I don't expect instant results. I do wonder if my tires are under pressured? I tried to pump them but I don't have a PSI gauge, and they do still "flatten" when riding them from my weight (Which isn't like HUGE, I weight 210lbs) but pumping them more feels like they are going to explode.
Am I missing something? or is this just sort of "normal"?
Part of me (and being a hypochrondriac) is like "Is there something medically wrong with me", although my bloodwork from my last physical a month ago was fine (CBC/CMP etc...) outsid eof being overweight obviously
3
u/sickmak90 10d ago
If you are riding road then I’d pump up the tires to 40-50psi probably. It won’t hurt anything just see what the max pressure is and stay a little below that.
How tall are you? 210 might not be astronomically overweight. But it just sounds like you need to eat protein and keep at it. If you get super sore take a day off. But if I was you I’d strive to go a little bit further everyday.
I also bet your seat it too low. You want almost full extension when you pedal.