Recreational & Family - Advice on Comfort Bike Choice

I had a weight loss surgery 10 months ago and down 150lbs to 320 now. i want to get into biking as walking is getting very boring. I was surprised at my lbs to find out that my weight would not prevent me from starting now. I was figuring that I would be months away from finding a bike that could support me. ANyway I have narrowed it down to 3 bikes at 2 different shops. Shop 1 has a gary fisher capitola and a specialized expedition, shop 2 - a raleigh sc30. All are $300. All 3 are comfortable bikes with the specialized maybe the most comfortable. But here is the rub..

Shop 1 (gary fisher and specialized) - seems like the obvious choice as they also throw in 3 years tune-ups, but they are the big time store and I just didn't get the personal approach kind of feeling from them. And although i was more comfortable on the specialized the shop said the gary fisher bike was the best in the price range.

Shop 2 (raleigh) - This bike shop is a family owned, 50 years in biz and wow did I ever get a great feeling from them. All things equal this is where I would buy from hands down. The raleigh fit well and was comfortable (perhaps just under where I would rate the specialized and even with the gary fisher). However they offer only the 30 day adjustment included. I asked them about the free tune-ups the other shop offered and they said they just don't do it as its not really a value to the buyer. they said most people wouldnt use that service. We had my wife's trek tuned-up with this shop and the labor ran $25, i didnt think this was bad as she also had a new seat, tires and kickstand installed.

So, is there any difference in these 3 bikes, and would I be losing much in value to forego the 3 years free tune-ups to buy from the shop where I felt i would be better served.

Oh, also I will be riding mostly paved trails and some packed dirt trails at campgrounds, rarely over 10 miles at a time. If anyone has any other suggestions for bikes, please offer.

Go with the bike shop you feel good about.

Those three years of "tune-ups" are not going to be much in the way of tune ups. And parts will be extra and likely exorbitantly priced. There is NO WAY the store can give away REAL tune-ups and stay in business.

You will need a new chain every 1500 miles or so, you will need to be absolutely sure that your wheels are trued correctly and that the spokes have been "tension released."

I pay my LBS about $50.00 for a real tune up because that is what I want - a real tune up. They true my wheels, go through everything, lube stuff and get it in new shape.

You might want to get a 36 spoke wheel for extra strength.

At that price range the bikes will likely be comparable in quality. It won't be long before you are looking to spend $2,000 on a road bike. But let that wait until you have the joys of biking on the bike you contemplate.

Good luck, and congrats on the weight loss. Bicycling is great exercise, but it is also very addictive! Be prepared to be sucked in to the "bike" craze!

If it were me I would 1. Ask the LBS you loke if he could get the Specialized. If, no. Iwould 2. Get the Specialized and have your Raleigh do your tune-up and buy your accessories there. Explain you really wanted to buy from him, but the Specialized fit your needs better. He should understand. As much as they want to sell you a bike most LBS really want you to be happy with your bike.

For heavy rider, a wheel tuneup is worth a lot. Factory wheels on mid-low end bikes (even on high-end ones) are often poor. A good shop can check the spoke tension, and "pre stress" the wheel. One of my local shops does that on every bike he sells.
Ask the shops if they will tune your wheels before delivery.