what peddle bike should i buy?

You don't have to ride in a forward position with a CX bike. This is something that can be adjusted with a knowledgeable bike fitter who understands your limitations, or even just by adjusting the handlebar height yourself. A proper bike fit takes into account leg length, flexibility, core strength, etc. and takes a few hours. I had hand numbness when I first started riding 6 years ago at my heaviest weight and the bike adjustment resulted in a stem change-out, pads in my shoes, some spacers between the pedals and crank, and a major adjustment to the seat's fore/aft. All of these things and my riding position (I was fitted by a previous fitter with a "long and lean" bike fit philosophy--not good for someone with limited core strength) was majorly contributing to hand numbness.

Oh man, clipping in was a TOTAL game-changer for me. Of course, it only took about four major crashes and a minor knee injury before I got the hang of it... ;)

Holy smokes, that's awful! Glad you were able to recover!

Do you have an easier time unclipping from the speedplay? I'm using two-bolt SPDs now and thinking about upgrading in the next couple of months.

This is really helpful information, thanks a million for sharing.

I stick with 2-bolt since I have sneaker-style shoes and I'm OK to walk long distances in them if I need to. I'm not really worried about weight at this point, my road bike it mostly aluminum, so it sounds like I'm best off sticking with what I've got.

Thanks again!

thanks for the info, what is "clipping in"?

Hi dondomit

Congratulations on getting out and doing something you enjoy. I would suggest going to a bike shop, one that has many brands. They will measure your inseam and let you know what size bike for your height, weight and what you want to do. They will let you sit on several kinds to see how you like the seat and handle bars. Once you have a clear picture of what is right for you at this time, buy use. What you can use now will change once you lose weight. You don't want to spend much. One of the things you can do is get the biggest seat possible. I tried those regular seats at my high weight and my legs went numb from the pressure. When I got the bigger seat it helped with distributing my weight better.

Enjoy, have fun and we want to see a photo of your new bike. I recently went to meetup.com and joined a couple of bike cyclist groups. You will love it