Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - First Day Bike Shopping

This is my first post. I'm 35 years old, 5"7', and 250 pounds. I recently decided to take up biking to lose some weight and get fit. I rode a lot when I was a kid, but I'm not very knowledgable about bikes. I've been doing some reading on this forum and would like your impressions of my bike shopping so far. Sorry for the length of this post.

There are only two bike shops in my town. The first one I visited has "Cycling and Fitness" in the name and at least half the store is devoted to exercise machines. There were probably less than twenty bikes. I looked at the bikes for a while before the man who worked there asked if he could help me. I told him I was looking for a bike and that I would mostly be riding on the road with maybe a little gravel. He indicated a row of bikes and any one of them should work for me. They looked to me like comfort bikes, mostly Schwinn, I think. I asked him which ones he thought would fit me. From reading on the internet I half expected him to measure me. But he just grabbed one of the bikes and said "This one looks about right." The bike was a Giant Cypress. He offered to let me test ride it. Since it war near his closing time I told him I would come back on Thursday(my next day off).

The second store was about a quarter the size of the first one but had more bikes. There were two guys in their early twenties manning the store. I told one of them why I was there and he pointed me to a Sun Drifter.He said it was a beach cruiser that was popular. They had one single speed and one with three gears. He also showed me a Fuji Crosstown if I wanted more gears(there are some hills around my house). I decided to test ride the Crosstown but could barely get my leg over the top bar. The salesman said it was a very tall frame that was too tall even for him(he was taller than me). I decided not to ride it since I thought it would be a bit dangerous. He said he needed to build another Crosstown with a smaller frame. They had another more expensive Crosstown put together but it was the same size frame. So I finally decided to test drive the Drifter. I was pretty wobbly at first since it was a long time since I had ridden a bike. My riding got a bit better but I noticed the seat was pressing behind my scrotum in the prostate area. I expected to have my muscles and my butt get sore from riding but I didn't expect to have that area still sore hours later from a ten minute ride. I asked the salesman if the Drifter came in a smaller frame but he said that was the only frame it came in. When the salesman sat on the seat his feet could touch the ground while I coud barely touch the ground with my crotch pressed against the top bar.I 've never felt short before but I started to then. I told them I would come back on Thursday and he said he might have the smaller framed Crosstown built so I could test ride it.
Thanks for reading so far. What I would like is your opinions on the bikes I was recommended. I had thought about getting a hybrid but the stores seemed to want to steer me to cruisers and comfort bikes, I think because of my weight. I also had been willing to spend $500 but no one asked my price range and they seemed to initially assume I wanted the cheapest bike in the place. The guy at the second store told me their prices started at $200 and seemed to expect me to turn around and leave.

I also wanted your opinions of the stores. I had expected from posts on this board that fit would have been a bigger deal. Was I expecting too much? The one bike I rode was painful. I thought riding the bike that was too tall for me might be dangerous, but I also didn't see the point since I knew it would be uncomfortable without having to ride it. Should I be able to test ride and tell which problems are from the bike being too big and which are from the bike itself?

I'll be going back to the stores Thursday. Any advice you can give me on what to do or questions to ask would be appreciated. I also would like to know if you think it would be worth it to drive a couple hours out of town to look at another store or if the ones I've visited are typical.
Thanks for your time.

I'm currently bike shopping and found that the larger (almost chain) stores in my area weren't quite as much help as the smaller local bike shop. The larger store tried to push me into a more comfortable 29" MTB when I'll be doing 90% road riding and 10% very light bikepath/trail (I was inquiring about a cyclocross bike).

It's good that the shops will try to fit your needs — but sometimes they take it overboard and push you away from what you know you want/need.

I odn't know anything about the bikes in question.. so good luck! :)

Hey Zeno,
My take on LBS and the clyde. I am a clydes clyde at 372 and I found that the lbs' in my area could not imagine an old, big guy like me could ride a bike seriously and treated me as such. Thinking of a clyde on a beefy mountain bikes or cruiser, much less a skinny road bike, is hard for them to imagine. It was so bad for me that I about gave up. Thank God for the net and fellow clydes like Stormcrowe and Scott from Large Fella on a Bike renown.

LBS' also tend to try to sell what they have in stock, or at least from their associated brands. Don't get me wrong, there are great LBS' out there, and even the ones that can't see a big guy on a bike can be good as well. So find folks, not so local lbs' online to help you through net and lean on their experience. If I recall properly, Storm started on a Walmart special bike.

Anyway, don't get discouraged.

Wow, sorry about the bad experience. Maybe you should check back another day when the manager is present. If not, is there a neighboring town that has a shop?

Few people enjoy the stock seat, it is usually the first component to be replaced. It can be moved forward, backwards and up and down to obtain desirable comfort.

Welcome aboard!

OK, well, here's my input:

At 250 pounds, you aren't going to have issues with 99.9% of the bike frames out there other than the ultralightweight racing frames. You'll need better wheels at the $500.00 price point, as that will get you an entry level roadie. I'd suggest a 36 spoke wheelset, by the way.

At 5'7", you'll likely need around a 52 CM frame, +/-, depending on your inseam and torso length.

My take is to talk to the manager as well or look at other shops in your area. Another alternative is to look at Craig's List in your area or on Ebay. You are most assuredly not limited to riding beach cruisers and clunky mountain bikes, believe me!

This is my first post. I'm 35 years old, 5"7', and 250 pounds. I recently decided to take up biking to lose some weight and get fit. I rode a lot when I was a kid, but I'm not very knowledgable about bikes. I've been doing some reading on this forum and would like your impressions of my bike shopping so far. Sorry for the length of this post.

There are only two bike shops in my town. The first one I visited has "Cycling and Fitness" in the name and at least half the store is devoted to exercise machines. There were probably less than twenty bikes. I looked at the bikes for a while before the man who worked there asked if he could help me. I told him I was looking for a bike and that I would mostly be riding on the road with maybe a little gravel. He indicated a row of bikes and any one of them should work for me. They looked to me like comfort bikes, mostly Schwinn, I think. I asked him which ones he thought would fit me. From reading on the internet I half expected him to measure me. But he just grabbed one of the bikes and said "This one looks about right." The bike was a Giant Cypress. He offered to let me test ride it. Since it war near his closing time I told him I would come back on Thursday(my next day off).

The second store was about a quarter the size of the first one but had more bikes. There were two guys in their early twenties manning the store. I told one of them why I was there and he pointed me to a Sun Drifter.He said it was a beach cruiser that was popular. They had one single speed and one with three gears. He also showed me a Fuji Crosstown if I wanted more gears(there are some hills around my house). I decided to test ride the Crosstown but could barely get my leg over the top bar. The salesman said it was a very tall frame that was too tall even for him(he was taller than me). I decided not to ride it since I thought it would be a bit dangerous. He said he needed to build another Crosstown with a smaller frame. They had another more expensive Crosstown put together but it was the same size frame. So I finally decided to test drive the Drifter. I was pretty wobbly at first since it was a long time since I had ridden a bike. My riding got a bit better but I noticed the seat was pressing behind my scrotum in the prostate area. I expected to have my muscles and my butt get sore from riding but I didn't expect to have that area still sore hours later from a ten minute ride. I asked the salesman if the Drifter came in a smaller frame but he said that was the only frame it came in. When the salesman sat on the seat his feet could touch the ground while I coud barely touch the ground with my crotch pressed against the top bar.I 've never felt short before but I started to then. I told them I would come back on Thursday and he said he might have the smaller framed Crosstown built so I could test ride it.
Thanks for reading so far. What I would like is your opinions on the bikes I was recommended. I had thought about getting a hybrid but the stores seemed to want to steer me to cruisers and comfort bikes, I think because of my weight. I also had been willing to spend $500 but no one asked my price range and they seemed to initially assume I wanted the cheapest bike in the place. The guy at the second store told me their prices started at $200 and seemed to expect me to turn around and leave.

I also wanted your opinions of the stores. I had expected from posts on this board that fit would have been a bigger deal. Was I expecting too much? The one bike I rode was painful. I thought riding the bike that was too tall for me might be dangerous, but I also didn't see the point since I knew it would be uncomfortable without having to ride it. Should I be able to test ride and tell which problems are from the bike being too big and which are from the bike itself?

I'll be going back to the stores Thursday. Any advice you can give me on what to do or questions to ask would be appreciated. I also would like to know if you think it would be worth it to drive a couple hours out of town to look at another store or if the ones I've visited are typical.
Thanks for your time.

The most important part of selecting a bicycle isn't the make or type or model, it's the dealer. If your not happy with the dealer, go somewhere else. I think your initial test might not have been fair, if you show up at the end of the day, when the sales people are tired and grumpy and just want to go home, you may get a very different picture then if you show up just after lunch on a week day, when people tend to be fairly fresh and stores are not very busy. Now, some sales people do a lot of measurements, others do not, simply because they have sold so many bikes that they can size you up, just looking at you.

A too large frame often means your more stretched out then you should be, and the saddle even at the lowest setting would be too high, both of which can cause pain on their own. Another reason for pain, is that your butt is used to padded chairs and upholstered seats, so it takes a little time to get used to using it's own padding:D . Padded and squishy saddles are often not as good, as a hard saddle. The third reason is that bicycle manufacturers need to supply a saddle, but they don't have to supply a good saddle, so often they supply the cheapest saddle they can find in a large enough quantity to supply the plant. Some supplied saddles are not bad, while others seem like sharp pointy stick jammed into the top of the seatpost would be more comfortable. I hear that Trek supplied saddles range from awful to dreadful, while the supplied saddle on my Norco is quite good, I don't know about spending all day on it, but the bike itself wouldn't be good for a super long ride, it has other issues. One thing that may be helpful is padded bike shorts, they have the padding where it's most useful, rather then where it isn't needed.

some input from someone who recently dropped some cash (albeit not $500) on a new/used bike... I bought a used Specialized Hardrock on craigslist.... got it for $100... It had an upgraded saddle (schwinn gel) and it was bought at sun and ski sport, so I got a free "tune up", they checked the tires and they were in good shape... I put new brake pads on it and transfered my vertical handlebar extensions off of my cheapo mountain bike, also put on a couple of bottle holders, some lights and some emergency repair gear... all in all I am just over $200 into the bike, less than what a new hardrock would have cost me... in other words, look for a good used bike (www.craigslist.com), you'll save some money on it, and you can have some money to do the "necessary" upgrades.

my 2 cents... but hey... I've ridden less than 100 miles so who knows what I know...

I second everyones opinion here and offer to look at other LBS's in neighboring towns. I am 300 pounds and have always been treated well at the LBS's I have visited. In my opinion, comfort is first, but having a decent LBS is very close.

I appreciate the responses. If there aren't limits to what I can ride because of my weight, I'll see if I can look at and ride a greater variety of bikes to see what I like. I also found a bike store on the internet that is about one and a half hours drive. Their website says they offer free fitting, free lifetime adjustments, and up to thirty days after you get your bike you can exchange for another one. So I may try them if I don't get anything in town.

I appreciate the responses. If there aren't limits to what I can ride because of my weight, I'll see if I can look at and ride a greater variety of bikes to see what I like. I also found a bike store on the internet that is about one and a half hours drive. Their website says they offer free fitting, free lifetime adjustments, and up to thirty days after you get your bike you can exchange for another one. So I may try them if I don't get anything in town.

Sounds like a good idea. You shouldn't have very many problems at 250 lbs.

When I sold bikes, I asked my customers a lot of questions before I even showed them a bike. Most salespeople don't do this so go ahead and assert yourself. Tell him/her what you're interested in and what you're not interested in. Get there early so you can ride as many bikes as you want and then discuss them with your salesperson.

I appreciate the responses. If there aren't limits to what I can ride because of my weight, I'll see if I can look at and ride a greater variety of bikes to see what I like. I also found a bike store on the internet that is about one and a half hours drive. Their website says they offer free fitting, free lifetime adjustments, and up to thirty days after you get your bike you can exchange for another one. So I may try them if I don't get anything in town.

Oh wow, that sounds like a great shop! A fitting, if it's a "real" fitting is worth the drive, and even if it isn't a "real" fitting it will likely be better than what the other shops have done so far. Along those lines, the 30 day return policy is downright grand, it's almost like having an extended test ride :).

I say go for that shop, it sounds like it's well worth it.

I just brought a new Bike the last month to start riding, I'm 6'3" 300 pounds and first went looking at the Big Box stores and didn't really find any help, they just wanted to sell me what's on the floor with out regards to my size and needs. I found a custom shop in another town and when I walked into the store the lady asked, "How can I help you" and I told her, "I'm looking for a bike for someone my size" she told me that just about any bike would work if fitted right and asked what my price range is. So, we went through the process of trying out different bikes making sure the height was right each time and she explained the different features each time. I test drove 5 different bikes, until I found the one I liked the best, which was a Trek Hybrid.

I would look around and find a shop that has good customer service, making sure that they want to take the time to make sure your buying a Bike that works for you.

Here's some things you need to ask yourself:
1.) Where do you want to ride?
- Roads = Hybrid or Road Bike
- Light Off-road = Hybrid or Mountain Bike
- Trails and Off-Road = Mountain Bike
2.) If only road riding, how long will you be riding on the road?
- If more than 1 hour go with a road bike
Not trying to be a proponent of road bikes. But... I originally purchased a mountain bike and ended up with a road bike in the end. If you do some research on here a lot of people do the conversion to the other side. It's not that mountain bikes or hybrids are bad. But a hybrid is more recreational. And a mountain bike well is for "mountains"/trails/off-road. Hence the knobby tires. When you get into Hybrids you essentially have a mountain bike minus suspension and adding in smoother tires with a larger frame to make it more comfortable for long rides. The only thing that is discouraging is that with a hybrid you might find that you become discouraged with how far/fast you can go. A road bike gives you fall less resistance. And don't think that because you're a large guy road biking won't work. The nice thing about a road bike is that it is a lot easier to have destination trips. To each his own. If you are looking at a hybrid though and need to figure frame size check out Sheldon Brown's site and also google search for frame size new bike. There is a lot of information on the web. Plus when you go to a bike shop tell them what you are looking for. They aren't trying to force you into buying the wrong thing. Just making suggestions. But in the end they'll sell you what you want and help you out along the way.

While this is a very personal decision, I will offer the following:

1. The problem with "comfort" bikes is that they tend to be heavy. The shocks and springs and such for a bike that is primarily for the road and some gravel bike trails is a waste. I would definately stay away from cruisers with little or no gearing. They are the stuff garage sales are made of. They look cool which is good since they generally don't go to far.

2. Hybrids are good. Some of my friends have complained that after a while they don't like the upright sitting position. When you start to become more fit and want to take longer rides, the upright position turns you into a wind sail. It's ok if the wind is at you back.

3. Entry level road bikes are over your budget. They tend to start around $700.

As a starter bike you may consider somthing like the Trek 7000. A basic hybrid. I bought 2 for my kids and have ridden them around. They can definately handle your weight. I think they are great bikes for the money (about $300 with mirror, kickstand and water bottle). The tires are wide enough for unpaved roads. Save the $200 for when you want to upgrade or buy pizza and beer.

Mate, one of the first things you need to do is to fine tune your bulldust meter (in Oz, we usually use a cruder term but in the interests of keeping the forum software happy ...). The only way to do this is to travel far and to visit many bike shops. In doing so, you start to realise what is good advice and what is intended to move what that shop has on its floor. There is a secondary, but more important benefit to visiting lots and lots and lots of shops - you will find yourself going straight to a particular type of bike when you enter a shop. When you reach this stage, you know you are getting close to the bike for you. After that, it's just a matter of listening to your bulldust meter (bulldust: aussie colloquial term for lying :D). Looking through a lot of shops is a pain, but it can also be a lot of fun. It also makes it very easy to be sure about the bike you are buying. So, don't put any money on the counter until you are absolutely convinced you are right ... and don't buy any bike you aren't in love with. Seriously, the more 'rational' your decision, the more likely it is to become a fixture in your shed. 'tis better to love and suffer than to be convinced and ignore.

Richard
bike nut, cylopath and all round strange critter :D

Europa might be one of those insane Aussies, but he's got it right......


Bike shopping is FUN! I love it! Just enjoy the experience, ride lots of bikes and find the "ONE" that sings your name.

If you can, try to get thenm to let you do as long a test ride as you can.:D
Mate, one of the first things you need to do is to fine tune your bulldust meter (in Oz, we usually use a cruder term but in the interests of keeping the forum software happy ...). The only way to do this is to travel far and to visit many bike shops. In doing so, you start to realise what is good advice and what is intended to move what that shop has on its floor. There is a secondary, but more important benefit to visiting lots and lots and lots of shops - you will find yourself going straight to a particular type of bike when you enter a shop. When you reach this stage, you know you are getting close to the bike for you. After that, it's just a matter of listening to your bulldust meter (bulldust: aussie colloquial term for lying :D). Looking through a lot of shops is a pain, but it can also be a lot of fun. It also makes it very easy to be sure about the bike you are buying. So, don't put any money on the counter until you are absolutely convinced you are right ... and don't buy any bike you aren't in love with. Seriously, the more 'rational' your decision, the more likely it is to become a fixture in your shed. 'tis better to love and suffer than to be convinced and ignore.

Richard
bike nut, cylopath and all round strange critter :D

Well I went to the out of town bikeshop today and ended up buying a Gary Fisher Artemis. The store owner was very helpful and adjusted the bikes to fit me. I test rode a KHS Town and Comfort and a Trek hybrid. They were okay but I liked the Artemis better. I hope to eventually use it to commute to work and run to the local stores. I had them put a different saddle and some lights on the bike. I may put skinnier tires and fenders on later.

The only drawback I can see is the bike might not be as fast as something like a Trek, though at this point I'm not that worried about speed and think it will do well over potholes and gravel. I figured even if someday I decided to get a road bike the Fisher will still make a good commuter.

I have 30 days in which I can exchange it for something else. That's partly why I went ahead and bought it, since I thought I'd learned more taking it home and riding it than to think it over for a week and maybe do another test ride at the store. I also knew I'd rather do business with this store than the other ones I visited.

Any thoughts on the bike? I don't know much about the individual components so I'd appreciate it if anyone sees any problems with the bike.

Congratulations on the new bike! The Gary Fisher is a nice bike, so..........when will we see some bike P*rN? (Pics please!):D
Well I went to the out of town bikeshop today and ended up buying a Gary Fisher Artemis. The store owner was very helpful and adjusted the bikes to fit me. I test rode a KHS Town and Comfort and a Trek hybrid. They were okay but I liked the Artemis better. I hope to eventually use it to commute to work and run to the local stores. I had them put a different saddle and some lights on the bike. I may put skinnier tires and fenders on later.

The only drawback I can see is the bike might not be as fast as something like a Trek, though at this point I'm not that worried about speed and think it will do well over potholes and gravel. I figured even if someday I decided to get a road bike the Fisher will still make a good commuter.

I have 30 days in which I can exchange it for something else. That's partly why I went ahead and bought it, since I thought I'd learned more taking it home and riding it than to think it over for a week and maybe do another test ride at the store. I also knew I'd rather do business with this store than the other ones I visited.

Any thoughts on the bike? I don't know much about the individual components so I'd appreciate it if anyone sees any problems with the bike.

Sorry I don't have a camera. It still looks pretty much like this one (I haven't wrecked it yet).

http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/large_image.asp?series=urban&bike=Artemis

Grats on a nice bike. Now remember a bike is like a horse, you must take it out daily for a bit of exercise.

Looks like a nice rig sold to you buy a good shop. I say enjoy it, and the components look great.

Enjoy it like everyone else said :).

Nice Bike, congrats!

Nicely done young man. Have fun on her.

Richard