Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - cheap bike for school and work

hi.

the last time I road a bike was in middle school. and Now i'm in my fourth year in college and I find I need to lose a little weight. check that, a lot of weight. I'm about 6' 350lb and am looking for a bike to ride to school and work an maybe other places around town. I live in indianapolis close to my school and work.

so my questions are these,
can I buy just an ol bike on craigslist for super cheap and ride it safely?
or would I have to shell out a couple of hundred on something I may not stick with?
and would any ol road bike hold my fat ass?
if a mountain bike is better to hold me, would it be better to get tires for the road? (I heard they make them but I could be wrong)

so yea... any help is apreciated.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bik/208303686.html

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bik/201888005.html

these are what I mean when I say super cheap. $45 and $50. this may be fine for "normal" people but Ihave a fear of just crushing a bike while riding down the road. that would suck and be abit embarassing

...and am looking for a bike to ride to school and work...any help is apreciated.

Hi LifeScience!

If you're looking for cheap, do the following:

1. Watch the school bulletin boards at end of semester - lots of students sell bikes cheaply.
2. Go to garage sales - folks sell bikes that have been hanging around their garages for $5-10.
3. Go to Police auctions - abandoned bikes go for under $50.

AVOID Craigslist and e-Bay. The competition for bikes there makes it unlikely that you'll find a bargain.

Stuff to watch for when buying used bike is:

1. Does it fit? If you can't stand over the top tube without bashing yourself, the bike's too big.
2. Is it serviceable? If all the parts are rusty, look elsewhere. If the rubber parts are rotted, look elsewhere.
3. Will it hold you? At your size, a mountain bike is more likely to be suitable than a road bike. A coaster-brake, one-speed cruiser may be best of all. If you have doubts, ask the owner.
4. Will it cost more to fix than to buy? Figure about $50-70 for a FULL "tune up" at the local bike shop. You may not need the whole tune up if the bike seems to work fine. With increasing complexity, though, (such as derailleurs, hand-brakes, etc.) comes increasing cost and maintenance.

Happy hunting and I predict that once you get a bike, you'll like it so much you'll "get the fever" like the rest of us. :)

Take a read on a few threads I posted here (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=228851) too - you'll get a feel for what's more important and what to look for.

Go down the new bike route. A Trek 820 mountain bike will be perfect for you. Dont bother with the road tyres. Just ride.

thanks guys! you left some helpfull tips and I think these will help when I try to go find a bike soon!

You might consider a Hybrid, My Trek 7200 has served me well. I have put on 2500 miles and only popped one spoke on the stock wheelset. Nothing else has failed. I weigh over 300 lbs.

I found a Trek Multitrack Sport 700 I looked it up and it seems to be a hybrid I found it on CL for $50. I know some of you said Craigslist is bad because competition but honestly not very many people in indianapolis use CL.

what do you guys think is it a good bike for an overweight man?

If you look at it and the condition seems to be good then I would say that you can definatly get your $50 out of it.