Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - New person questions (somewhat long)

I've read a lot of the posts in this forum and it has been very helpful. I thought I'd ask some direct questions though. Feel free to answere only some if you wish, as I'll probably come up with a lot as I write this. Thanks in advace!

My wife and I are looking for something exercise related we can do outside together. Biking seems to be a good choice, though I'm not certain its the right one. We both have very limited experience, and none recent with bikes (though I did ride the C&O Canal from Cumberland MD to D.C. when I was a kid.)

I am 6'3 and 230 lbs while my wife is 5'10" and 330 lbs at the moment.

I don't want to spend a small fortune on bikes if it is not something we end up enjoying and doing regularly. My first though was to just buy a pair of $60 Walmart moutain bikes to see if it was something we could get into. The more I read though, that might not be the greatest idea. The problem is, spending $500 or $600 on two bikes is a decent amount of money for us at this time. We can afford it, but it would be a lot harder to swallow than $120 for a pair.

As for the type of riding we'd be doing, it would mostly be rails to trails type riding. There's also an old rail line that runs near our house along a river nearby. That would be the most convenient, but I'm not sure how suitable it would be. There will probably be some street riding around town, though I anticipate this to be light.

My first question is, do you think it would be better to spend more upfront to get a name brand bike from a bike shop than to buy the walmart special? Remember, I'm not sure biking is something we'll be able to get into enough to justify spending the $$$ without seeing if it's something we enjoy. If it turns out we don't like it, how much can on reasonably expect to get by selling used bikes?

Second question is, what type of bike would be most suitable for the types of riding we'll be doing? It seems the choice is between Comfort bikes and Hybrid bikes. From my understanding, the only real difference is in tire width and gearing, aside from maybe a slight posture difference?

I've looked at a couple of bikes including the Giant Sedona ST for about $235 and the Cypress DX for about $380. I don't really see the point of having front suspension, so of those two, the Sedona seems best. And it is ALOT cheaper.

I guess my biggest question though is whether bikes of that price (aprx. $235) are worth it in terms of quality and durability. Are they really that much better than a walmart bike to justify a 150% price increase?

It seems like all the frames in the price I'm looking at are about the same. Is the only difference in suspension and gears? As for that, if you buy better shifting components, are you simply buying a smoother shifting bike? Or are more expensive components more durable? If basic components will last, that seems like it is all I would need.

Last question is about weight. It seems that just about any bike would be OK for our respective weights, at least with good wheels. Is that correct? Would stock wheels be sufficent or is that another thing we'll have to factor?

Sorry for the length. Again, any responses and/or advice is greatly appreciated!

I've read a lot of the posts in this forum and it has been very helpful. I thought I'd ask some direct questions though. Feel free to answere only some if you wish, as I'll probably come up with a lot as I write this. Thanks in advace!

My wife and I are looking for something exercise related we can do outside together. Biking seems to be a good choice, though I'm not certain its the right one. We both have very limited experience, and none recent with bikes (though I did ride the C&O Canal from Cumberland MD to D.C. when I was a kid.)

I am 6'3 and 230 lbs while my wife is 5'10" and 330 lbs at the moment.

I don't want to spend a small fortune on bikes if it is not something we end up enjoying and doing regularly. My first though was to just buy a pair of $60 Walmart moutain bikes to see if it was something we could get into. The more I read though, that might not be the greatest idea. The problem is, spending $500 or $600 on two bikes is a decent amount of money for us at this time. We can afford it, but it would be a lot harder to swallow than $120 for a pair.

As for the type of riding we'd be doing, it would mostly be rails to trails type riding. There's also an old rail line that runs near our house along a river nearby. That would be the most convenient, but I'm not sure how suitable it would be. There will probably be some street riding around town, though I anticipate this to be light.

My first question is, do you think it would be better to spend more upfront to get a name brand bike from a bike shop than to buy the walmart special? Definitely stay out of Wal-Mart or other department stores for a bike. Remember, I'm not sure biking is something we'll be able to get into enough to justify spending the $$$ without seeing if it's something we enjoy. If it turns out we don't like it, how much can on reasonably expect to get by selling used bikes? Half or so would be my guess

Second question is, what type of bike would be most suitable for the types of riding we'll be doing? It seems the choice is between Comfort bikes and Hybrid bikes. You'll be fine on pretty much any bike on rails to trails. But wider tires help keep you from digging in to the gravel that is the road surface on most sections From my understanding, the only real difference is in tire width and gearing, aside from maybe a slight posture difference?

I've looked at a couple of bikes including the Giant Sedona ST for about $235 and the Cypress DX for about $380. I don't really see the point of having front suspension, so of those two, the Sedona seems best. And it is ALOT cheaper.

I guess my biggest question though is whether bikes of that price (aprx. $235) are worth it in terms of quality and durability. Are they really that much better than a walmart bike to justify a 150% price increase? No question, a resounding yes.

It seems like all the frames in the price I'm looking at are about the same. Is the only difference in suspension and gears? As for that, if you buy better shifting components, are you simply buying a smoother shifting bike? Or are more expensive components more durable? Yes but mostly more enjoyable to use If basic components will last, that seems like it is all I would need. Modern decent bikes will last a long long time given reasonable care

Last question is about weight. It seems that just about any bike would be OK for our respective weights, at least with good wheels. Is that correct? Would stock wheels be sufficent or is that another thing we'll have to factor? The bikes you are looking at are likely fine as is.

Sorry for the length. Again, any responses and/or advice is greatly appreciated!

My advice: Buy a decent bike that you find to be comfortable and get out there and ride. And no way do you need a suspension fork to ride on street or rails to trails.

Chief, I would not purchase a cheap wal-mart bike to try out th cycling thing. The bike may be so bad that it makes the experience negative for both of you. You should have a rental shop close if you have a rails-to-trails line near. I would probably rent a couple of times. Plan a picnic and take a ride. You may have fellow clydes near you that could lend you a ride for a day.

You may also try a recumbant trike like mrs. Stormcrowe rides for your wife in the beginning.

The last thing you might want to do is have your wife contact some of the Athena's on the board to get their feelings on cycling from the female side of the house. It has been 42 years and I still don't know how the girls think.

Even thought I know that my wife and I are not interested in tandem bikes, you may like to try that as well.

Good luck to you both.

WHATS UP CHIEF5286,

WELCOME ABOARD.

cycling is always good walking is good , its all good.

anyway your in the right place. as far as an Initial bike purchase well I would stay away from Xmart bikes ! its a case of you'll only be happy with it for a very short time and the components being real low end will always need fiddling with.
No need to buy top shelf either,

if your not in a rush id check yard sales flea markets and such and /or cruise around and check Bike shops that offer used bikes! often the used bikes are priced very very nicley. we have one Bike shop Up north from me that has a slew of used bikes most are good brand names usually traded in on the latest greatest model and there is nothing wrong with them and cheap.

a used middle of the road / better comfort bike or mountain bike can be had for less than $100.00 often the bike shop will make sure there in working order or at least will do a tune for a small fee.

with the type of riding your going to do and your sizes Id start off with a mountain Bikes with 26" wheels with wide street tires (no Knobbies) , 26 " wheels are very strong and a nice easy comfortable ride, nice upright position and flat bars, also The Mountain bike frames are tanks.

a hybrid would be fine too but id opt for the 26" wheels and stronger frame to start with.

I would stay away from Road /cross frames at this stage.

good luck feel free to post any questions

have a great weekend and good hunting if you go on a used bike hunt.

"John"

Yeah...I think renting a bike for a half-hour or so would be a good idea. But...

#1...Go to a good bike shop...not some diversified chain department store. A local shop will properly fit you to make the experience as comfortable as possible. Wal-mart does not do this (and the durability of their equipment is certainly suspect!).

#2...Remember, if you go too far/long, at first, you'll both be a little sore. That's to be expected. Soreness is not necessarily caused by the bike/riding. It's your muscles. They have a sudden burden placed upon them. As you do this more and more, it get's easier (unless you go faster/harder ;) ).

We on the boards here defintiely love cycling. We'd recommend it to anyone.

Thanks for the replies. Now, all I have to do is convince the wife you all are right. :rolleyes:

Would the Giant Sedona ST be a good choice?

I am not recomending this route, but this thread in the commuting forum (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=237231) here on bf may be of interest.

Thanks for the replies. Now, all I have to do is convince the wife you all are right. :rolleyes:

Would the Giant Sedona ST be a good choice?

Sedona ST looks just fine. You might want to compare it to a hybrid in that price range like the Cypress ST. I'd tend to think that the hybrid might serve you and your wife better. Ride them both and see what you think.

I currently have a xmart bike that I bought to ride around with the kids when they were learning to ride bikes a few years ago. It might be fine for a ride around the block but it is not so pleasant an experience for going on a 10 mile or longer ride or riding daily, IMHO.

I don't feel particularly comfortable on it and I don't feel particularly safe on it. And after about 4 rides of 10 miles or so in the last week, it is starting to creak and squeak rather annoyingly, the front brake is not working right, and the crank seems a little bent. This is after 40 miles on paved bike paths.

I like to push myself hard when I ride but I am not going off road, jumping any stumps or hopping any rocks. I had maybe that many miles on it prior to this and I tuned and tightened it prior to starting to ride again. No matter what, we are looking at 100 or less miles total on it. I am at 260 lbs.

I am going out bike shopping this weekend. My first stop is the Specialized dealer. I used to own a good bike about 20 years ago that I put probably a hundred miles a week on for a year or more. Never had any problems with it. Just minor adjustments and tuning. At that time, I was probably in the 230 range although I dropped down quite a bit over that year. In my experience, the difference in comfort and safety is drastic.

My suggestion is to try a used major brand bike if you don't want to jump in brand new rahter than getting a new Xmart bike. If you get that xmart bike you may decide you do not like riding when it might really be you just don't like riding a bad bike.

I am from the UK and have 2 cheapo MTB from the supermarket im guessing they will be like the cheapo bikes from wal-mart both these bike are sat in the shed they lasted about a month each total waste of money IMO :(

i recently orderd a trek hybrid went for a new 2006 bike as it was alot cheaper (£60/$120 then got a free upgrade to trek fx 7.2 saving £100/$200) if you shop around you should be able to find some brand name bargins.

£ to $ is a rough guestimate.

A used mountain bike would be a good choice, ther might be some good deals around on hardtails. I wouldn't rule out a bike because it has a suspension fork, even though you don't need it. You might be able to find a good used hardtail that is actually lighter and stronger than a hybrid. You can always put slicks on it, if you want.
I think cycling is a good way to excersize and you can do it together or solo. I saw an old friend on the road last Monday and he is now 76 years old and still doing 60+ mile rides with hills. One of the best things in life.

Everyone I know who attempted to start on a Wal-Mart or other department store bike quickly got discouraged. One guy I felt downright bad for, as he attempted to ride this Mongoose beast that was bucking and swaying like one of those mechanical bulls. He was probably in the mid-low 200's. Other guy had a.. Next? He tried coming out a couple times, but quickly got frustrated with it.

On the other hand, most who I know who started out with even low-end bike shop rides have stuck with it. A riding buddy started out on a low-end Raleigh MTB, fell in love with it, and now has a stable of beautiful Bianchis and a Surly. Another started on a Trek 820, and now has a higher end Trek hybrid and a nice Giant MTB.

Me, I started on a old Raleigh MTB that was too small for me. While it was too small, it also lacked any suspension, had a nice ride thanks to the steel frame/fork, and was efficent enough due to a Shimano drivetrain. For about two months i rode it, and probably put on close to 700-800 miles, then picked up a Hardrock Sport and put 700 miles on that one.. and love it!

Moral of the story is that you should buy as much bike as your budget affords, and pick the bike that "speaks" to you. WHen you ride that one, you'll know what I mean.