Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Buying a bike and need advice.

Hey everyone, this is my first post here of hopefully many. I was given a tip that this would be a great place to get some answers that I need. I am a new to the bike world so I have about 0 knowledge of what would be best for me. I am in the market for a bike but because of my size I dont know what to look for. I am on the border of what I should get, Road or Mountain but I do know that I am trying not to spend an arm and a leg. Right now I am leaning a little bit towards a Mountain Bike. I see myself going in the dirt a lot. I am a little over 6'3'' and weigh 230, if you have a recommendation I would appreciate it. I just want something that won't make me look like a clown riding a tricycle at the circus.

Thanks in advance!

Go to your local bike shop(s) and test ride all the bikes that suit your fancy. Let us know which you liked, and you'll get some opinions, tips, etc.

Your size is not really extreme for bikes and you should be fine with just about anything. Do check out multiple local bike shops aka lbs and see what they have to offer.

You'll be good on anything, pretty much, except doing something crazy like dirtjumping a carbon MTB :). I know someone who was your size, and had no problems at all with a crazy light Bianchi last year.

Try out everything, that's my suggestion. Go with the one that speaks to you, not the one that speaks to your budget.

My LBS sold me a bike far to big for me. I couldn't figure out why I wasn't enjoying the the ride. I didn't read up on "how to buy a bike" and was sold a new bike from the previous year that he had to get rid of. 1"-2" for road or city bike. 2"-3", some say 4"-5" for mountain bike. This is the clearance you should have between your crotch and the top tube when standing flat footed over the top tube. I'm 5'-10" 285 and have been happy with my Marin San Rafael (hybrid/city), this was the second bike I had to buy. This bike fits. Do your homework and you'll make a good choice. Here are some links I wish I'd have read before investing twice.

Bike 1 (http://nbda.com/page.cfm?PageID=63)

Bike 2 (http://www.bikewebsite.com/buyingabike.htm)

Bike 3 (http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/equipment/buybike.htm)

I am on the border of what I should get, Road or Mountain but I do know that I am trying not to spend an arm and a leg. Right now I am leaning a little bit towards a Mountain Bike. I see myself going in the dirt a lot. I am a little over 6'3'' and weigh 230.

I am pretty much the same size. I bought a Hardrock Sport in an XL Frame and it fits fine. (I then heavily customised it, but thats a different story). I also have a 59cm Alu frame road bike and a 58cm TT bike.

Any good bike Salesperson should be asking you leading questions to try and figure out what is the exact bike for your needs. With the limited information that you have given here, I would steer you towards either a "Fast City Bike" like the Gary Fisher Mendota or if you needed/wanted road bars a Cyclocross bike like the Bianchi Axis.

Of course not knowing your exact price range, I just set my sights at a comfortable point. There are bikes both lower and higher that would work for you.

City Bikes can be just a fast Mountain Bike. Same frames, but with city Slick Tires on them. Some like the Mendota have the makings of a very fast City Bike with the 700C tires and wheels along with the new Disc Brakes for great stopping power.

Many people are seeing that the Cyclocross bike is a better bike for them due to the slightly beefier frame than a Road Bike, but aggressive enough to ride either on the road or in the Dirt. The frames are made with a little more clearance for larger tires and mud, and most of the parts selections are made for durability and strength so this makes for a good start for us larger frame folks.

As others have stated, RIDE! Ride what you think you want and then ride some of the recommendations here and see what you think you like the best. Most folks when they buy keep their bikes for a good long time. Make the right purchase for your needs and ask all the questions that you need to ask to try and make the right choice. I hope the shop you go to will spend the time with you and answer your questions.

Good Luck!

Chris

Oh, on the subject of fit, that's an entirely personal thing. I find that I like to be stretched out when riding, so I buy frames that are probably too big for me. My Hardrock Sport is a "L" (19 inch) and it's borderline too small, but I'll take the "package" clearance for offroad. My Trek 7.3FX is a 22.5in, and it fits me like a glove. LOVE the fit on that bike, even though it was suggested I go smaller.

I have been looking at Gary Fisher 29er MTB's and it seems the 21in/XL suit my tastes quite well. TOTALLY lacking in "package" clearance, but man do I like how they fit once I'm on the ride. Same thing with the Redline Monocog 29ers.

Now, I know someone who is 5 10 and rides a 56 that he thinks is too big. He rode a 54cm Trek Madone last weekend, and felt it fit him perfectly. Note that his measurements are the same as Lance A, and good ole Lance rides a 58cm frame. If you watch videos or see pictures of Lance riding, you can tell he's quite stretched out.

So my suggestion is to avoid being "fit" and try different sizes until YOU are comfortable with the fit.

Hey everyone, this is my first post here of hopefully many. I was given a tip that this would be a great place to get some answers that I need. I am a new to the bike world so I have about 0 knowledge of what would be best for me. I am in the market for a bike but because of my size I dont know what to look for. I am on the border of what I should get, Road or Mountain but I do know that I am trying not to spend an arm and a leg. Right now I am leaning a little bit towards a Mountain Bike. I see myself going in the dirt a lot. I am a little over 6'3'' and weigh 230, if you have a recommendation I would appreciate it. I just want something that won't make me look like a clown riding a tricycle at the circus.

Thanks in advance!

At only 230lbs you can ride just about anything other than maybe a few of the ultra top end bikes. Find what's comfy and go from there.