Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Total Newbie, Looking for Advice on a Bike

Hey, Just a guy trying to lose wieght by getting into biking! I need opinions on which bike to get! Any advice will help! I currently weigh about 245 lbs and want to lose a bunch. Enough that I can ride in a sprint triathlon in about a year! Money is a bit of an issue, my wife just had a baby! Looking for something in the $600 range (Less would be better!) I was looking at a Motobecane, but as I know nothing, I want to get some help. Again... Any opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Start with a used bike. Ride it and take care of the problems you have one at a time.
After 1,000 miles start looking for a bike that fits your body.
I started this year and now 9,000 miles as of today.

If money is tight, buy used. Good bikes go for $150 +/- around here on Craigs List all the time. And if you are really thrifty (or cheap), hit the thrift stores. It will take a while, but you should find something in the $5 to $20 range. I have bought over a dozen bikes this year at thrift stores in that range, the last two were $5 each. Important, none of the thrift store bikes were in ready to ride condition, all needed some maintenance, from tires and tubes, to replacing cables, to basic adjustments. (Nothing too technical, unless you pick up a real beater). And it takes time and perseverance to find thrift store deals. So Craigs List is a lot easier. And there are lots of very active C/L areas in NC.

Do a search on starter bike recommendations. There are probably at least 1000 threads on this topic.

You need to decide the type of riding you plan on doing, hills, distance, and so on. That will determine the kind of bike you get. Ditto your proper bike sizing, which is another common discussion area with lots of information/opinions out there (another good search area). If you are going to buy used (thats how to save $$), then you do have to kind of dial in on the type, size and brands of bikes you are interested in. Thats part of the value you get from buying from a local bike shop.

10 Wheels makes a great point. Save your money now, and if you get really serious, you will be buying a better bike later. It is very doubtful that whatever bike you pick now would be what you will want later. So instead of taking a major loss on dumping a higher cost bike a year from now, get a used one.


Most people around this forum avoid the Walmart, Target, etc., brands. They tend to be cheaply constructed, and as costly or more costly than a good used bike.

As 10 Wheels suggests, you'll get more for your money buying used. If you're near a major metropolitan area, Craig's List can be a good place to look for used bikes at decent prices. If it's been a while since you've ridden a bike, you may find yourself more comfortable on a mountain bike or a hybrid (as opposed to a road bike with skinny tires). 245lbs isn't really that much; any well-made bike should work for you.

I'll second (3rd?, 4th?) the Craigs List and thrift store approach. Any good bike that fits will be fine (good = lbs bike as opposed to Wal-Mart bike) when you're just starting out. Get the muscles and butt broken in on something cheap, so when you know what you want out of riding you haven't already blown a bunch of money on somthing that's just not quite right.

If you have to have something new, REI Outlet online is having a clearance on some decent bikes.