Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Help Me Please........I Need A Bicycle and I Don't Know Where To Start

Hello,
I'm just getting into the mountain biking thing now, and my friend is an avid biker so it gives me motivation to start doing it for myself so I can lose weight. Currently I'm 6' 8" and about 350 pounds. I've figured out that I need at least a 26" mountain bike, but I don't know what is right for my weight as far as wheels and frame go. I'd like to keep the price under $300 and I am welcome to any suggestions that anyone can make as to which brand to buy that fits my weight and height, and to be used only for exercise purposes. I don't plan to race or anything, it's just for me to get out and lose this gut. All suggestions are appreciated. Thank you

Kevin

Giant Boulder

+1 on the Boulder.
It's steel. It's cheap. They make them big and durable.

before you pull the trigger on anything make sure to try a 29'er as well

before you pull the trigger on anything make sure to try a 29'er as well

A sub-$300 29er...(walks away shaking head) :lol:dork

Since when is it a bad thing to try different bikes out before buying?

Just thought it was worth mentioning since OP is kind of a large dude, he might feel more comfortable with bigger wheels, and soften up on the price requirement.

I was over 250lbs when I started cycling 6 months ago and have lost over 30lbs so far, so you definitely picking a good way to lose weight.

I got an entry level Schwinn Frontier MTB and looking at their web site, the latest model is around your price range. This is a very versatile bike and not a bad specification for the price, but most importantly has a high tensile frame.

http://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/Products/Mountain-Bikes/Hardtail/Frontier/Details/1229-S9FRO-Frontier

I would recommend that you contact the manufacturers and ask them for advice before purchasing, but I doubt if you will get a stronger better spec'd new bike for this sort of money.

http://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/Contact-Us

I hope you find a bike you like. Just remeber if you do to build it up gradually. I first started and struggled to cycle for 25 minutes, so find a nice flat park or somewhere and start off with just 15 to 25 minutes or whatever you are comfortable with. I guess you should be aiming to do shorter rides 4 or 5 times a week.

Build up very carefully, literally 5 or 10 minutes a week, but still stick to the 4 or 5 rides. A good thing to remember for losing weight is to try not to eat too many carbohydrates after your ride in my experience. Try and incorporate your normal meals and before or also during the rides when you start to do longer trips.

Another good tip when you are doing short rides is to just drink water. Dont be tempted to take along Isotonic drinks and berry juices as these are loaded with calories. Save these for when you do longer trips.

Once you get into the cycling, you may want to try a longer trip once or twice a week. Once you start getting longer rides in, this is when you will really begin to lose weight.

If you do start cycling often I advise you not to make the mistake I did of weighing myself every other day. I hardly lost any weight at all during the first month (although I did not diet, and certainly put no weight on) But your body will change, you will gain muscle and definitely start to tone up and lose inches.

Once you have been doing it for a month or two you will probably notice that you need to buy some new trousers with a smaller waste (I'm down from 42 to 36 now), at this point the scales may just tell you what you want to see - going down in the right direction all being well.

Well, good luck and stick at it, you will succeed :thumb:

Kevin, I love your avatar.

BTW I realise you are v tall, and I'm not sure if the biggest frame size for this bike is suitable. But all the frame geometries are shown in nice clear graphical form so should at least give you an idea what you are dealing with.

Measure your inside leg for an idea of the standover height, and remember you can increase saddle height if necessary, and easily move the saddle backwards or forwards for comfort, or fit a longer handlebar stem at a later stage if you require.

Last one on this thread tonight, promise. Here's a useful bike frame sizer:

http://www.bicyclenet.co.uk/how_to_determine_your_bike_size.htm

I would avoid full suspension bikes. When I was 330, they would bottom out, or suck up energy when climbing or accelerating. A hard tail mountain seems well suited to the use you described. With slick tires and a rack, it will also make a decent commuter or recreational touring bike, after you get hooked and want more miles.

You need a really tall frame, obviously. Even with the tallest available, you might want a stem extension to raise the handlebars($15 or $20 at L.B.S., if you have a threadless stem). Make sure you have full leg extension within the seatpost limit.

You could get a decent used bike on craigslist for $300, and then start stashing cash for the inevitable wheel upgrade. good luck and have fun.

I would avoid full suspension bikes. When I was 330, they would bottom out, or suck up energy when climbing or accelerating. A hard tail mountain seems well suited to the use you described. With slick tires and a rack, it will also make a decent commuter or recreational touring bike, after you get hooked and want more miles.

You need a really tall frame, obviously. Even with the tallest available, you might want a stem extension to raise the handlebars($15 or $20 at L.B.S., if you have a threadless stem). Make sure you have full leg extension within the seatpost limit.

You could get a decent used bike on craigslist for $300, and then start stashing cash for the inevitable wheel upgrade. good luck and have fun.

+1, especially the warning about the suspension seatpost.

Mazema and Barndoor, we need your input in this thread!

if you aren't sure if you really want to do mountain biking, go to Canadian tire, buy a cheap $250 bike, and give it a run. this will get you around the trails well enough until you try some others and find what you want. just don't buy the Hooligan, whatever you do. even for a Canadian Tire level bike, they're way too heavy.

Kevin, take note of this post, if you may be interested in a road bike.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=7517710&postcount=28

It's in the ebay finds thread here in Clydes. They may actually be too big for you, though.


Hello,
I'm just getting into the mountain biking thing now, and my friend is an avid biker so it gives me motivation to start doing it for myself so I can lose weight. Currently I'm 6' 8" and about 350 pounds. I've figured out that I need at least a 26" mountain bike, but I don't know what is right for my weight as far as wheels and frame go. I'd like to keep the price under $300 and I am welcome to any suggestions that anyone can make as to which brand to buy that fits my weight and height, and to be used only for exercise purposes. I don't plan to race or anything, it's just for me to get out and lose this gut. All suggestions are appreciated. Thank you

Kevin

Kevin, I just picked up an old Trek 800 Antelope MTB. It's probably too short for you, but I recommend anything you can find in your size with a steel frame. I'm 6'2" 324#, and It does just fine for me. One thing you'll probably want to upgrade right away is the saddle (seat). They just dont make factory saddles for us fat guys on cheap MTBs.

To stay under $300, you either have to buy some XMart junk, or buy used. I would recommend the used route, and the easiest place to find bikes is Craigs List. ebay can be OK, but shipping usually makes the final cost higher than C/L/

+1 Steel rigid frame mountain bike (no suspension), Specialized, Trek, Giant and a few others make good ones.

+1, especially the warning about the suspension seatpost.

Mazama and Barndoor, we need your input in this thread!

I'd like to assists, but I have little knowledge in mountain biking. The closest I got was my Trek 7500 Hybrid.

At 6'8" I think he would fit on a 24-25" frame. With a $300.00 limit there are not many (new) choices out there. If money were not an object I would recommend a Custom Zinn (http://www.zinncycles.com/mountain.php). He makes some nice mountain bikes for tall fellers.

+1 on getting rid of any possible suspension, but that is going to make for a rough mountain bike experience.

My recommendation is to check at your LBSs for used MTBs. They have no trade in value here as every LBS has a couple and they are a dime a dozen. You can probably get a better built used bike for the money that a new one. It may not be nice and shiney, but neither will a new one after a few hard days on the trails.

Check the local MTB clubs. Someone always has a bike for sale.

My other advice would be to go with a road bike to shed the pounds and build endurance. From my experience it provides a longer and steadier workout, but that's just my opinion.

26" rims will allow a stronger wheel to be built--some mountain bikers of all weights are finding that this is a drawback to 29" rims, and is a motivation behind the advocates of the in-between 650b size for off road use. You want 26" wheels with 36 spokes in each.

+1 on getting rid of any possible suspension, but that is going to make for a rough mountain bike experience.

Let me lend my limited experience of mtb biking from my younger years(about 7 years ago :))

First off, if you are planning on doing full mountain bikeing and not just trails I recommend that you get a bike with zero, thats right zero, suspension. Suspension on a bike in the $300 range will probably make your ride worse and more difficult to control. I once went biking in the Sierra's with a friend that had a bike with full suspension. We were on horse trails that had slabs of stone imbedded every 20 feet or so to prevent erosion and he was literally all over the place. Almost went over the bars and fell more than once. He wasn't hurt but after about 45 min. he was ready to turn back. I traded rides with him (my nice rigid specialized that was sadly stolen 6 years ago) and he was knocking that trail like he had ridden it a dozen times. I had more riding experience and although I didn't really enjoy the bouncing, I was able to cope.

I personally like rigid frames cuz I feel that the bike is more responsive, others might give you a complete 180 opinion.

Also the suspension will make your ride more difficult as it absorbs the energy you put it. (bouncing makes you pedal harder)

Now I am by no means an expert, I only rode in the mountains a couple summers, but that's my 2 cents worth.


Last, if you plan on working on your bike yourself the rigid frames are easier to maintain. Less parts= less things that can go wrong.