Short (5ft I) fat woman wants to learn to ride a bike and lose the pounds. l also have not got a lot of money to spend and do not know where to begin. Someone told me l need a 14 or 15 inch frame. l was thinking of some kind of shopper bike. Anyone out there able to give me any advice please ? ( Apart from stay off the pies!)

l am a fat woman and l got a unisex mountain bike with a bouncy seat for when l go over th bumps

It is too cold for bikes now and dangerous, go to the gym, there are plenty bikes there and you can do lots of different exercises.

Good idea, frame size up to 16'' OK, l would get a hybrid bike, a cross between a road and a mountain bike. One other thing, work up the distance you cycle week by week, do not cycle too far on your first few times out as your muscles will need to adjust.

cycling is the best sport with such a variety of doors u can go through, l do time trials (TT) & road biking. l chose to do road biking because it was the most easiest, fastest & fun thing to do for me.

But under ur situation l would buy a mountain bike. The new technology now'a'days r soo good. You can get some for so cheap for good quality. With a bike like this (wish suspension if u wish) u can go anywere with ur partner, friends. In the woods, through the city, country side etc etc.

after u shed a few pounds, u can do more & more & get into it to buy better bikes.

You go as far as u want to on a bike, there r no limits!

It depends where u want to ride. For the road look at the hybrid bikes with 700c wheels. For the road & pathways look at a comfort/pathway style of bike with the wider 26 inch tires. A 14-15 inch frame will be about right for you. Visit the local bike shops & take a test ride, they will help u to select the right bike. Do not get a bike from Walmart or department store u wont find them very enjoyable to ride. You will find out that ur butt will get sore, that is normal, just stick with it for a couple of weeks. You want to pedal at a high cadence 70-90 rpm is with a lite pressure on the pedals. That will allow u body to use fat as fuel & wont wear out ur legs as fast.
You want a bike with gears so u can increase ur work out as u progress.

You wont loose weight unless u change ur diet.

There r so many options that u need some guidance. Your local bike shop is the place to get it. Tell them where & how u want to ride & how much u want to spend. They will match u up with the bike that best meets ur needs. Test ride the bike. Then go to other bike shops & test ride what they have to offer. Go to as many local shops as u can. One bike will just fit & feel better than all the others. Buy that bike because it is the one that u will enjoy & use the most. Do not get obsessed with brand names or technical details. The business has become so competitive that any two bikes at the same price point r very likely to be equivalent values. Make that work for you.

HTH

l am thinking a mountain bike would do the job for you my lovely

The CTC site has some good generic advice.

Frame sizes are more art than science, there being some variability in how they are quoted.

A shopper would be typified by small wheels, basket on the front, step-through frame and three-speed hub gears. That will be great for short trips to the shop, but not good for longer trips.

If you are in work and could cycle there, then there is the Cycle to Work scheme that helps with purchase of a new bike.

It depends on what you intend to do with the bike, and where you will be riding it.
For general road use, a hybrid with a mountain bike frame and road tyres would be a good idea.
Find a good cycle shop, and ask them - if it is a good shop, they will prefer to have a happy customer that comes back than just make some fast cash.
As for the pies - just cut down - a little of what you fancy does no harm!
Hope this helps.