Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Mountain Bike Selection

Hi Guys and Gals,

Im am 330 lbs. Have access to 40 acres of land behind our neighborhood to hike ride bikes etc.

2 questions.

What would be a good quality mountain bike for a guy my size? Need it to be budget friendly. I don't know....maybe not over $700.00. I haven't checked prices so I am guessing on a price point.

I think I would like a full suspension bike, but I'll bet that gets into lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Thanks,

Paul

If I were you I would start out with a hardtail. You will get better compnents and a better deal in the end. The Specialized Hardrock seems to be popular around here. $700 would get you a pretty good hardtail.

What KENSETH03 said. Get a Hardtail. At 300+ I would think it would be less things to go wrong.

I have a GIANT Rainier and Love it. Of all the features and components that I think is the most important (to me) is the "Lock-Out" fork. I do ride off road, but probably 90% of my riding is paved or smooth gravel trails. Locking out gives you the ability to maximize the efficiency of the bike (my opinion).

I have my eye on a Fuji 29" as my next ride. About a grand for the low end.

Good Luck and Have Fun

Jay

Check out the Marin Alpine Trail 29er, I bought one last month and love it. You should be able to find one for about 750-850

Go hardtail, swap the suspension fork out for a rigid fork and you will be good to go. At your weight, suspension will do nothing but make your ride heavier.

Go hardtail, swap the suspension fork out for a rigid fork and you will be good to go. At your weight, suspension will do nothing but make your ride heavier.

40 acres of land to hike? I'm thinking offroad riding, keep the suspension fork. Paved road and cummuting would be a different story, but keep the susp for better control offroad.:thumb:

I'm thinking offroad riding, keep the suspension fork. Paved road and cummuting would be a different story, but keep the susp for better control offroad.:thumb:
Don't know if he'll find a suspension fork that will handle 330 lbs. Most would bottom out with him sitting on the bike.

Great advise guys,

Thanks,

Paul

What about Kona? I don't know the current prices but their bikes are uber strong!

40 acres of land to hike? I'm thinking offroad riding, keep the suspension fork. Paved road and cummuting would be a different story, but keep the susp for better control offroad.:thumb:

Agree. When I first started riding, I had a rigid mountain bike... and hated it. Rigid is fine if you're riding on well-groomed paths, but I'd say that suspension is almost a requirement if you're truly riding off-road. If you think you might ride on-road, then suspension forks/shocks with "lock out" are a definite requirement.

That said, I agree with CACycling: it may be difficult to find a suspension fork that will handle a larger rider. A bike with a coil spring fork might be the best best; in theory you can swap in heavier springs for heavier riders. Air forks allow this too, though at some point they just can't handle the air pressure required to support the heaviest riders. I'd suggest trying to find a local bike shop that will work with you on suspension setup. Make sure they can get the suspension to work for you before you buy the bike!