Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - More hippo than clydesdale. Need advice(First Post)

First I'd like to thank everyone for their advice.

I know it's not top of the line but money is pretty tight for me right now. I was able to get the bike a computer and helmet for $425ish. Pump and repair kit will come next but I have loaner ones for now. I figure it can be my 'learn how to fix stuff' bike if things break. The only thing I'm concerned about is the pedals. I'd like to get some metal ones asap.

I'm also happy I went with the standard seat instead of the comfy one. My bum will just have to deal with being sore for a while.

I rode 4.6 miles today but I had to dismount twice up some steep hills. I plan on doing 6-7 miles tomorrow but it will be all flat. Tomorrow will be better exercise because I won't be coasting like today.:)

Don't mind the rifle. I took the pic for my home forum and it's the only pic I have at the moment.:roflmao2:

So here she is....

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc290/LcPokerPro/IMG00005.jpg


Hello all.

I was referred here from my 'home' forum after asking some bike questions. I've been poking around and this looks like a great site.

I just turned 23 and I'm in the middle of a big move. I'm moving to the 'big' city (Albuquerque) and I'd like to be able to bike to work and school.

I have been exercising for the last few months and I think I've already lost 15-20 pounds. This sounds great but it's really a drop in the bucket. I'm a little over 6' but the last Weight Watchers meeting I went to I weighed in at 389 lbs.:( There is some good news though. I am actually very mobile for a guy my size. I walk 18 holes of golf at LEAST once a week and I was able to walk 6 miles the other morning because of to much :beer:(couldn't drive and wasn't going to sleep on hard wood floors).

I've been looking at getting a cruiser/hybrid type bike. It is some what hilly around here so I think gears will be a good idea. I'm also really skittish about riding on the roads. Any tips on overcoming this fear?

What kind of budget do I need to set aside for this? Any other gear I need to include in that cost?

The last bike I had was a Mongoose something or other from Wal-Mart when I was in seventh grade. I'm a huge noob so don't be afraid of sounding condescending.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

STO:
This thread might help. I started it about 7 weeks ago I'm in the same boat. 425 pounds and looking to start.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=536420

I'll recap for you here - Specialized Hardrock seemed to get a lot of votes. Make sure that the rear wheel has at least 36 spokes, or is a double-walled rim.

I'm picking up my bike in 10 hours. A TREK Navigator 3.0. $499.99. After visiting a LBS 3 times, talking to the guys extensively and test riding the TREK 3.0, this is where I ended up.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Nothing to be condescending about. Hey, you have a great start here. Just remember, "a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step."

I will not know specific bikes for you to look at to much (Specialized will have some good hybrid bikes). I would definitely recommend gears though. So much better to get around on. I will leave the specifics to others on this forum.

As for biking around town, I would suggest starting in some residential neighborhood or take your bike down to the Rio Grande and ride along the banks. Check out this link. This has a map of the bike paths/lanes/blvds and so on. http://www.cabq.gov/bike/. I took a quick look at the map and it seems as though you have a lot of good paths away from cars to ride on. After you get more comfortable, start expanding the places you ride. Just be sure to always stay aware of your surroundings. Never listen to music while riding on roads. Your eyes and ears are your best and first lines of defense to protecting yourself on the road.

Keep up the good work!

Your story sounds awfully familiar. I think I just pointed you here from that other "home" forum. :)

I'm also really skittish about riding on the roads. Any tips on overcoming this fear?

What kind of budget do I need to set aside for this? Any other gear I need to include in that cost?

The last bike I had was a Mongoose something or other from Wal-Mart when I was in seventh grade. I'm a huge noob so don't be afraid of sounding condescending.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

A mirror is a great tool for road riding. When you can see the cars are going around, tension is reduced. Also, try mapping routes creatively, through the side streets (if it's further, bonus miles!). Try this site (http://www.bikely.com), where you can see maps and satellite photos. You can often find a cheater route through a church parking lot, or a trail that you did not know was there.

Mountain bikes are a good option(sturdy), but nothing wrong with a road bike, if you want to go faster(edit: You said it's hilly; mtn. bike gears will make climbing easier). Avoid rear suspension, and think twice about front, unless you want to ride a lot off road. Mongoose was taken over by Pacific--I broke my frame and they would not honor the warranty. They are not the good bikes they were years ago. If you buy new, go to a bike shop, not Wal-Mart. Better yet, a used bike, from Craigslist or a garage sale, is probably a much better value. Good choices would include: Trek, Giant, Specialized, Gary Fisher, any bike that you can't buy at Wal-Mart.

Minimum, you can find a decent, working used mtn. bike(maybe not "pretty"), for $50-$100, and pick up a helmet at a yard sale for $5. For about $250-300, with patience, you can get a really good bike, barely used, that would cost $8-900 new. You can double that with accessories, though you don't need every option: helmet, gloves, mirror, shorts(if you want to go distances), a couple water bottles and/or a camelback, lights(if you ride after dark), some type of "luggage", like a frame pack, a rack and trunk bag, etc., a few simple tools, a couple spare tubes. Also, upgrading to flat resistant tires is well worth $80 or so, to me.

Clydes should also have $2-300 in their pocket to upgrade the wheels. Even stock wheeels on a good bike can melt down on you. I would ride them for as long as they work well, but be ready to get some Mavics with 36 spokes, if they start giving you trouble.

If you enjoy riding and make it a regular part of your life, it can do great things for you. Consider commuting to work, as a commitment to ride, and an easy way to get miles in less time. But find a way to ride almost every day, and work to get better, and it will pay off. I started with 3 mile rides around the neighborhood. Now, I can ride 24 hours straight, and I lost 115 pounds. There are many people in here with similar stories, and you can be one of them. Good luck!

First, welcome to the forum!

Second, a lot of guys here will say buy used or buy from a bike shop and avoid X-mart bikes. We speak from experience -- too many of us have bought cheap gear and then been in a position to shell out more $$ too soon to upgrade.

The numbers that chewy gave are reasonable. That being said, if you absolutely don't have $800+ around, then ride whatever you can get your hands on. Just ride.

Welcome to the forums STO!

There are generally two trains of thought when it comes to a new rider buying his/her first bike. The first is to buy something used off craigslist/ebay/garage sale/thrift store (some killer deals here if you got the patients)/or building something up at your local co-op if one is available. Take this bike and ride it for one entire season. After one season you will have a good idea if you enjoy cycling and want to use it as a primary form of exercise, and you'll also get to asses the type of riding you most enjoy. Do you find yourself on trails, riding roads, or meandering down the MUPs and rail trails. Once you decide that you like cycling and you know what type you like best then go and drop a wad of cash on a new one that suits your riding style. I personally advocate this method because if you decide cycling is not for you then you aren’t out a grand. If you do buy a used bike make sure you take it in to a bike shop to have it tuned up and gone over for safety. It will cost you a few bucks but it is great for establishing a relationship with a shop.

The second train of thought is to buy as much bike upfront as you possibly can. That's good advice too, don't buy the cheapest model thinking you will upgrade it as time goes on. You'll end up with a very expensive cheap bike. Ask me about my 700 dollar Mojave 2.0 (MSRP: $270). This method has a very strong motivation factor to it. That being you will convince yourself to ride the bike more often if you start thinking about all the cash you dropped on it. Also, new bikes tend to have the sex appeal that used bike tend not to have. Unless we're talking vintage bikes.

Don't be entirely afraid of Mongoose, just be afraid of the ones they sell in department stores. If you head over to Mongoose's website you will find that they make some top quality stuff. The only issue is that I have never found a Mongoose dealer with the exception of an odd bike or two in the Performance Bike catalogs I used to get. If you come across a used Mongoose look it up on bikepedia.com to verify it's year. A fully ridged steel bike from sometime before 2000 would be perfectly serviceable.

Nothing but time will make riding in traffic any easier. You just have to get out and do it. Be predictable, wear a safety vest, signal your intentions, and if you don't impede traffic that much you won't have any issues. Try to ride in the right hand tire track and only take the lane when you absolutely must. Also, use your discretion. If an intersection looks to intimidating then get off your bike and walk it across the cross walk and down the street until you get to a point where you feel safe enough to get back in traffic. 99% of car drivers don’t want to hit you, but try to be considerate of them too. Yes you are a legal vehicle but understand that 4000lbs of steel vs. a guy on a bike is a loosing battle. Sometimes it’s best to pull over and let traffic by.

Good luck on your new found form of exercise. I was 350 or so when I started riding again last fall. I did not ride through the winter and got back on in March. Today I weigh in at 311 and ride between 9 and 20 miles a day on the local mup. When I first started looking at bikes I went with a Raleigh mountain bike. That bike was stolen so I went with a road bike. I am much more pleased with the road bike. There are several options out there Specialized, Long Haul Trucker and several others that can haul a good amount of weight at good speed. I know a lot of folks recommend buying used first and upgrading a few things then buying new. I don’t care to spend money twice so I went with a new last year model. I saved a few dollars and should not have to spend a lot of time in the garage working on it instead of riding. also if you buy a used bike that does not fit you with a wore out over sized seat and frame to large or small you may get discouraged with discomfort and aggravation and never get to experience the satisfaction of loosing weight, getting healthy and riding a bike.

Minimum, you can find a decent, working used mtn. bike(maybe not "pretty"), for $50-$100, and pick up a helmet at a yard sale for $5. For about $250-300, with patience, you can get a really good bike, barely used, that would cost $8-900 new.
Good luck!

Wecome...
I would advise against a yard sale helmet.

Wecome...
I would advise against a yard sale helmet.

Agreed, do NOT skimp on your noggin. I'm speaking as someone that has had his head hit the road crashing at around 30 MPH, and without a good, proper protecting helmet, likely wouldn't be posting this.

A helmet is only good for one crash, and no more. You don't know if the yard sale helmet is a crash survivor, or how old it is, which is another factor. The Styrofoam loses it's ability to attenuate impact over the period of a few years.

Here's Nashbars "Helmets on Sale" page. Look here. ;)

http://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?mpe_id=10054&catalogId=10052&categoryId=201422&evtype=CpgnClick&intv_id=13500&identifier=090615_Build_AllHelmetsOnSale&langId=-1&storeId=10053&ddkey=http:ClickInfo

Nothing to be condescending about. Hey, you have a great start here. Just remember, "a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step."


If I was going to start a journey of 1000 miles I would start with pumping up the tires that is a looong way to walk... ;)

Ruckin

Agreed, do NOT skimp on your noggin. I'm speaking as someone that has had his head hit the road crashing at around 30 MPH, and without a good, proper protecting helmet, likely wouldn't be posting this.

+1

Haven't had a crash yet (thank Dog and knock on wood), but wouldn't wanna trust my head to a cheap helmet.

If your melon is as big as mine, you might need to look into a bigger helmet, too. I found that the regular size helmets were just not big enough to fit properly or be comfortable. If you're like me and your fitted cap size is north of 7-3/4, then you might wanna check out the Bell Triton (http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Triton-Extra-Large-Helmet/dp/B0017U6ZKQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1245429407&sr=8-2)which is what I settled on. For a list of other helmets for largue craniums, look here (http://www.bhsi.org/bighead.htm).

+1 on wheel issues, too. Most common issue we seem to have to face. The stock wheels on my big box store bike weren't worth a darn, and I'm on a new set now. Higher spoke counts and double rims are good if you can get em.

I've been commuting for a few months now and love it. I don't pay too much attention to the scale, but started around 300 or so. I know my clothes are starting to fit looser and that's always a good sign. Perhaps more importantly, I feel stronger and healthier most every day that I ride. My unsolicitied advice: set a goal for improvement. For me, it's trying to keep a good cadence and make it further and further up a couple of the overpasses before downshifting each day, or shaving a minute or two off my commute. Not every day is a victory, but over time, I see and feel the results. Hands down, cycling is the best form of exercise and transportation ever devised by man, IMHO.

Welcome :welcome and good luck getting started!!!

Wecome...
I would advise against a yard sale helmet.

Yes, if you have a $5 head, then a $5 helmet is fine:D. I find that cheap helmets tend not to fit as well, and tend to have less ventilation then better models. You can get helmets at Wally World for $10, or you can spend more on a helmet then the price of an average bike.

It's a balancing act, since helmets need to be replaced if crashed, I think the reasonable point is in the $40 - $60 range, expensive enough that they tend to be well vented and have good fit, while not being expensive enough that you want to cry because your $500 helmet is now worthy only of the dust bin.

Man, I drove the thread into a ditch with the helmet comment! What was I thinking? If I was 23, would I spend $50 on a bike, and $60 on a helmet? Probably not, but that does not mean that you should not get a good helmet. Of course, you should. I wear one now, but I'm older and wiser; older, anyway.

Thank you very much for all the great replies.

I'll be swinging by the bike store this weekend to see what they have locally.

I've figured out LBS is local bike store. What does MUP stand for?

I will be sure to check in with my progress. The first post with the link was a huge help.

Thanks

MUP= Multi User Path :D

I'm also really skittish about riding on the roads. Any tips on overcoming this fear?



A part is just do it. Well perhaps not. Thinking back to when I started I put in a lot of effort finding less traveled (by cars) routes. Perhaps I got overly lucky. There is a park 'near' where I lived, The sepulveda flood control basin with 5 or 6 miles of bike paths. But it was 6 miles to get there. I started driving to the park. After a while that seemed foolish so I found a route that except for crossing them avoided major roads. Abotu 6 miles, and 1/2 -1 mile of it I was really going to lengths to stay off the 'major' road. Then I started taking the 1/2-1 mile on hte major road and found it was not that bad.

Oh that 'major' road was a 2 lane road, one lane each way (well most of of it, a little wsa 4 lanes). Seems like nothing now.

So bottom line advice. Find a route of back streets you are comfortable with. Then add short segments of road that you are just a little uncomfortable with. Keep it up. You may soon find you are comfortable on that section. Then lengthen it and try to find somethign just a little more crowded and uncomfortable. You may find in 6 months to a year you are comfortable on streets that would have scared yuo half to death when yuo started.

Oh and a couple of little tricks. Early morning on the weekends many streets are quite that have a lot of traffic other times. Ride then, you can get comfortable with the street, then ride it a bit later. No need ot deal with a new street when it is full of cars. It does make things easier to know hte street itself before yuo have ot deal with it and cars. Second trick. If you can find a nice social club it can help a lot. You can plearn stuff, including decent routes, but it also is less intimidating to ride a busy street if you are in a group. (as long as the group is sane, social group, not racing club).

Welcome to the fray ! I started at 371 lbs on a Torker boardwak 7 speed $390.00 at my LBS. I lost my firs 100 lbs on that bike and IMHO its a tank all be it a crusier I have sice moved to a diffrent bike a brand NOT popular here from my LBS a swhwinn World GS . Iam also 6ft tall and now about 220 lbs .

I highly recomend the Torker Boardwalk 7 speed the rims a take a beating and so will the bike .Good luck and stay with the forum here its a big help IMHO .

If your interested in a hybrid/comfort look at the Specialized Globe Carmel 3. I looked at Hardrocks and found with my dimensions it wasn't comfortable. The Carmel 3 is the better choice with better shifters and more gears. Being a big guy gears are important. If you're wanting to ride alot get some tool like everybody says. I popped spokes on two different occasions because of low air pressure in the rear tire. I have a little tool bag for basic stuff and a pump mounted on my bike. Another good site to figure out a ride is http://www.mapmyride.com. You can figure out about how far the ride you're going to do is. I am what you would call an uber-clyde. At 450Lbs it was very tough for me to start. I get around extremely well for someone my size. My first rides were 1 to 2 miles. With the exception of work, weather and other things in May I have accumulated a total of 94.81 miles since April first. I'm now riding 5+ miles at a shot and hope to be at 15+ by the end of the summer but more like 10+. I get excited now everyday as it gets close to time to leave work because I know I'm gonna get to go ride.
To go back to what bautieri said, yes a guy on a bike is at a disadvantage against a 4000lb automobile. Back when I did aircargo work at the airport in Atlanta I learned a very important lesson. Always give the right of way to vehicles that are bigger than you are. (ex. airplanes, trucks and cars.)

I've been looking at getting a cruiser/hybrid type bike. It is some what hilly around here so I think gears will be a good idea. I'm also really skittish about riding on the roads. Any tips on overcoming this fear?

What kind of budget do I need to set aside for this? Any other gear I need to include in that cost?


Roads, there are 5 rules:

First is be visible, that means you don't ride dressed all in black at night with no lights. What some riders do is get one of those orange construction vests, yes they look tacky, but safe and tacky beats dead fashionista, any day.

Second rule, be predictable, that means you ride on the road, in the legally required place, you signal your intentions. You stop for stop signs and red lights. On busy streets remember that you can box corners. Instead of going across 3 lanes of car traffic, to turn left you go straight through the intersection, then get off, turn your bike to face the way you want to go, get back on, when the light turns you go straight again. Be familiar with the rules of the road, and obey them.

Third Rule, remember that some car drivers don't know what to do with bicycles, and sometimes you need to help them along. That means use the signal for slowing and stopping, many car drivers forget that bicycles have an unobstructed view. Which is enhanced by having a mirror, cheap mirrors that work are available.

Forth rule, ALWAYS have an escape plan, the easiest way to get this, is to stay about 1m/1yd away from the curb, that space allows you room to get out of the way of a motorist that is concentrating on something else instead of the road.

Fifth rule, think like a cyclist, not a motorist. A motorist will usually take the arterials and highways to go anywhere. A cyclist tries to avoid those as much as possible. Keep a map or use route design sites like Bike Route Toaster (http://bikeroutetoaster.com) and Map My Ride (http://www.mapmyride.com/) to plan routes.

Other stuff you need, a spare tube or patch kit and a pump or CO2 inflator and a set of tire levers, know how to change a flat, remember that flats usually occur when the weather is bad and your running late.

Other stuff you need, a spare tube or patch kit and a pump or CO2 inflator and a set of tire levers, know how to change a flat, remember that flats usually occur when the weather is bad and your running late.

this is very important a couple of months back i was riding on the mup at mile 6 of a 9 mile round trip i had a flat on the rear with no gear at all. it was a nice 3 mile walk to the truck i had a full size pump there but nothing on the bike and no spare tube.

1 month ago i thought i was ready for anything had my spare tube, tool kit, new specialized armadillo, co2 inflator beautiful day riding in the tour de cure in springfield tn at mile 29 of 34 the tube blew out. evidently i had inflated at a cool 55 degrees that morning and around 11:30 the 125psi i started with had increased to the failure point. while installing my spare tube the tire slipped off the rim in one spot so i had to let some of the air out to seat the tire. bad thing was i only had the one co2 cartridge so i couldnt air back up. had to call the sag in to rescue me:o.

also just thurday as i was pulling in the the park where the mup starts i picked up a cyclist he had a flat on the rear. he had picked up 3 nice pieces of glass and was about 4 miles from his car through the mup but it was 15 miles by road. i took him to his car and pointed him to the closest lbs. he was from out of town and not in the best part of town. with all that said if you are not prepared........just be prepared.

i now carry 2 tubes and 3 co2 cartridges and will soon buy a small pump for just in case.

this is very important a couple of months back i was riding on the mup at mile 6 of a 9 mile round trip i had a flat on the rear with no gear at all. it was a nice 3 mile walk to the truck i had a full size pump there but nothing on the bike and no spare tube.

1 month ago i thought i was ready for anything had my spare tube, tool kit, new specialized armadillo, co2 inflator beautiful day riding in the tour de cure in springfield tn at mile 29 of 34 the tube blew out. evidently i had inflated at a cool 55 degrees that morning and around 11:30 the 125psi i started with had increased to the failure point. while installing my spare tube the tire slipped off the rim in one spot so i had to let some of the air out to seat the tire. bad thing was i only had the one co2 cartridge so i couldnt air back up. had to call the sag in to rescue me:o.

also just thurday as i was pulling in the the park where the mup starts i picked up a cyclist he had a flat on the rear. he had picked up 3 nice pieces of glass and was about 4 miles from his car through the mup but it was 15 miles by road. i took him to his car and pointed him to the closest lbs. he was from out of town and not in the best part of town. with all that said if you are not prepared........just be prepared.

i now carry 2 tubes and 3 co2 cartridges and will soon buy a small pump for just in case.

My preferance is a pump, you can run out of CO2, you can't really run out of air, and if you do, you have bigger problems, like uh, um breathing:eek: I carry a pile of stuff.

At least one tube, 2 is more likely, 3 if my wife is along. Tire levers, chain tool, spoke wrench, a short hunk of florists wire, needle nose pliers, allen key set, a couple of screw drivers, and there is an adjustable wrench on my wifes bike (bolt on rear wheel), mini-pump. A few links of chain from the last time I changed it are also along for the ride. All this fits in a pocket of the panniers (I always have at least one). The reason for all this, I like to keep the stuff I need for field repairs handy. The florists wire can be wrapped around a broken cable to keep the end in place, can also be used to secure a broken part to the bike.

I'm still here BF.

I'm in the middle of a huge move so I'll update my progress when I can.

Today was my B-day so I'm pretty busto. It may be a few weeks until I can get a bike.

The front runner is looking like a Specialized Carmel with a reinforced back wheel if I need it. Does this sound like a good bike?

What are you going to have done to the rear wheel? Are you going to use the original and have different spokes put in or jump to a totally different wheel?

I can tell you man I know you can do it and you will do it if you stick with riding! I weighed in at 452lbs when I started. I am now down to 340lbs. I ride a Trek 2100 (road Bike), Kona Hoss Dee-Lux (what i rode when i weighed 452lbs) and jsut yesterday my GF got me a Trek Remedy 7. I did have to upgrade the Rims on my Kona to hold me at 452. It is the best feeling in the world!!!

I understand where you're coming from. I started lifting weights at about 400. I started riding at 365. I'm now down to 300. My first bike was from Dick's Sportingoods that I had bought 2 years before. A previous failed attempt to lose weight. It was a Diamondback Wildewood Deluxe. You can look it up on BikePedia, but basically its a mountain bike with front suspension, hardtail, and a suspension seatpost. If you road ride you can always switch the nobbies for smoother tires.

The real issue is wheels, wheels, wheels. If you have a good local LBS, then buy from them and have them tighten the hell out of your spokes. Ride the bike for a week or two and have them do it again. I'm a do-it-yourself kind of guy so I got the tools and keep my wheels tight and true myself.

If you go for a more road bike, don't let anyone tell you that you have to buy Dyad deep V's. They are good, but there are plenty of other rims that will work. Its how well they are built that makes the difference. Last year at about 330, I bought a cyclocross bike (road-ish with bigger tires). I killed the low spoke count rims in 120 miles and mail ordered a set of Mavic Open Pro's. I increased the spoke tension and retrued them once after a week or so, then didn't have to touch them. I got a thousand miles out of the rear one before I broke a spoke. I bought another one to replace it. The front one is still going.

Good luck!

I went by the LBS again today. Bike shopping is fun:)

I rode a Raleigh 'comfort bike' and wow was it comfy. I felt like I could have sat on that seat all day. I spent about 10 min cruising around a giant parking lot. One problem with it was that it was hard to stand up on. I'm not sure why but when I'd try to stand to get some powerful pushes I just couldn't do it.

Next I rode a FHS Hybrid-x. Cool bike with a rack and fenders and a more 'sporty' feel. I rode that around for about the same amount of time but the seat HURT. I'm sure being brand new to cycling and almost 400 lbs doesn't help but I did not enjoy that seat.

I had the guy switch out the comfort bike seat with the FHS seat and it made a WORLD of difference. I was able to go pretty damn fast and I had no pain at all.

Regardless of what I get I think this is going to be my lbs. The man said he would switch out the seats free of charge and do puncture resistance for free.

What do you guys think of this bike? The rear tire had 36 pokes and had a double walled rim. I think it is sturdy enough but I need your guys advice. It is made in China but what isn't now a days.:( I'm going to keep looking tomorrow but unless I hear some horror stories about this bike it's looking like the front runner.

ETA:

I did some googling for FHS Hybrid-X nd I'm not finding any thing so I think I have the brand wrong. I know it's three letters though.

ETA 2:

LOL. I had it all wrong. The bike is a KHS Urban-X.

That looks like a pretty nice bike for the price. The shifters and derailers are low end, but that is expected at that price point. Just make sure you don't shift under load and it should do just fine. Having fenders and rack from the factory is a big plus.

That looks like a pretty nice bike for the price. The shifters and derailers are low end, but that is expected at that price point. Just make sure you don't shift under load and it should do just fine. Having fenders and rack from the factory is a big plus.

I'm a huge noob so can you please explain what shifting under load is. I think I get what you're saying but I want to be sure.

How concerned should I be about this 'low end' stuff? How much will they be to replace is I completely destroy them?

Wecome...
I would advise against a yard sale helmet.

check and se if you have a local bike collective. mine gave me a brand new helmet for free! plus they can be a lot of help teaching you how to maintain your new (or used) bike.

Shifting under load means...well...just what it sounds like, shifting while there is full tention on the drive train. Mainly this is an issue with hills, either upshifting or downshifting while you are mashing (muscling your way up the hill instead of spinning) the gears. You will hear some god aweful grinding noises most notably from the front derailure. To remedy this you will have to get used to a little trick that just about all cyclists pick up in no time wether they realize they are doing it or not. The trick is to back off the power when they are ready to down shift just a smidge. Notice I didn't say that tye stop pedaling altogether. It sounds harder than it actually is but soon you will get used to it in no time.

Oh, I didn't look up your bike but if it has those nifty trigger index shifters make sure you hold the thumb piece in until the front chainring has enough time to grab the chain. Enjoy the ride and post a few pictures for us when you finally take er home!

Just a word of caution on that "comfy" seat. It feels comfy at first and is nice for 5-10 miles but after that they can be pure torture. The reason being is that all that comfiness is pressing against soft tissue - flesh and muscle - and over time this is a bad thing.

The thin little seats put most of the pressure on your "sit bones" (don't remember the latin name) and as little as possible on the soft parts. Yes, this hurts more at first, but you WILL get used to it. Get the comfy seat for now since your rides will be short, but sooner than later start experimenting with "real" bike saddles to both build up your sit bone tolerance and find a comfortable saddle for you.

I have a box full of saddles in the garage that I tried in my search for the right fit. I ended up settling on the Specialized Gel Avatar. It's the most confortable to me.

Good luck in the bike search and weight loss and welcome to the forum.

MM

I'm a huge noob so can you please explain what shifting under load is. I think I get what you're saying but I want to be sure.

How concerned should I be about this 'low end' stuff? How much will they be to replace is I completely destroy them?

Basically don't shift while your standing up and hammering, especially the front rings. Don't worry about the components too much. They will work but may not be as smooth shifting as the expensive ones. I just replaced a Tiagra Derailer after about 15,000 miles, and I was told that level wasn't any good when I originally bought it.

Make sure you get a multitool, pump, and a couple spare tubes when you get the bike. If you are riding in town you will run through a lot of road debris.

STO,

This is a great thread.

I'm more of a sumo than a clyde...thus the name. 6'5" and 450lbs....been looking around at bikes this week. My family is getting into riding and I'm losing weight and want to ride with them.

Funny you mentioned golf....recently bought an awesome push cart (clicgear 2.0) that really is awesome...now to find a bike that will work as well.

I'm really liking the Trek 4300....the dealer is really helpful and will tune it up for me as often as I need.....

The other bike that I was zeroed in on was the Giant Rincon, although I'm just not really fond of that dealer.

Those Clicgear carts are really nice!

Did you ever decide on a bike to get?

Hi STO, I'm a newbie too, but I wanted to second what MikeM21 said about the seats.
I had the exact same thoughts as you when I got my bike a few weeks ago. I wanted a big soft cruiser style seat, but I kept hearing that I should give the smaller seat a 100 miles or so, and I would get used to it. I didn't have much faith.
Well, after the first 90 miles or so, I found that it wasn't that bad. Now that I have about 300 miles, it is comfortable.
My only other advice is to hurry and get the bike. It's so much fun!

First I'd like to thank everyone for their advice.

I know it's not top of the line but money is pretty tight for me right now. I was able to get the bike a computer and helmet for $425ish. Pump and repair kit will come next but I have loaner ones for now. I figure it can be my 'learn how to fix stuff' bike if things break. The only thing I'm concerned about is the pedals. I'd like to get some metal ones asap.

I'm also happy I went with the standard seat instead of the comfy one. My bum will just have to deal with being sore for a while.

I rode 4.6 miles today but I had to dismount twice up some steep hills. I plan on doing 6-7 miles tomorrow but it will be all flat. Tomorrow will be better exercise because I won't be coasting like today.:)

Don't mind the rifle. I took the pic for my home forum and it's the only pic I have at the moment.:roflmao2:

So here she is....

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc290/LcPokerPro/IMG00005.jpg


Hello all.

I was referred here from my 'home' forum after asking some bike questions. I've been poking around and this looks like a great site.

I just turned 23 and I'm in the middle of a big move. I'm moving to the 'big' city (Albuquerque) and I'd like to be able to bike to work and school.

I have been exercising for the last few months and I think I've already lost 15-20 pounds. This sounds great but it's really a drop in the bucket. I'm a little over 6' but the last Weight Watchers meeting I went to I weighed in at 389 lbs.:( There is some good news though. I am actually very mobile for a guy my size. I walk 18 holes of golf at LEAST once a week and I was able to walk 6 miles the other morning because of to much :beer:(couldn't drive and wasn't going to sleep on hard wood floors).

I've been looking at getting a cruiser/hybrid type bike. It is some what hilly around here so I think gears will be a good idea. I'm also really skittish about riding on the roads. Any tips on overcoming this fear?

What kind of budget do I need to set aside for this? Any other gear I need to include in that cost?

The last bike I had was a Mongoose something or other from Wal-Mart when I was in seventh grade. I'm a huge noob so don't be afraid of sounding condescending.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

Sneaky. You updated the first post with the photo while everyone was looking for it at the end of the thread. :)

Congratulations on the ride! Now get it dirty. And tell us about it! :)

Hey :Welcome:
Advice from The Bee:
Don't shoot nobody!
Have fun!
Go Get em....


Miss B

I posted this in another thread before I found this thread. (I need all the help / advice I can get) I hope this isn't bad medicine.

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OK, here's my deal. I'm 6'-0" / 435 lbs. I wear a 32" inseam, and carry most of it high. (belly, chest)

Saturday, LBS made me a GREAT DEAL on a NEW 2008 Connondale F7 Disc (they recommeded it over the Rockhopper BTW) which is a beautiful bike, but it KILLS ME to ride it. I had asked about taller handlebars like a BMX bike, but he told me the idea was to devide my weight between seat and handlebars. Well, I crush the front forks nearly all the way down, which throws my considerable weight too far forward for my arms to hold up for long. They put a pretty good sized Specialized springy seat on it for me, but after 7/10ths of a mile I was litterally bleeding between the legs along the seams of my tighty-whities. The LBS owner was out when I took it back Monday, but the manager never mentioned locking out the fork. Does the Cannondale even do that?

Tuesday, I rode a Caloi 7 speed cruiser (ala craigslist) and I LOVED IT! Even though my privates were still sore, I rode around an entire block fairly comfortably. Now this particular bike had been left outside at some point and had rusty hardware here and there, plus the guy wanted $150 bucks for it so I had to pass, but my question is, why would I not want a cruiser like this instead of a mountain bike?
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