Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Former Athena seeks help for her Clyde

Hi All! I'm getting back to cycling after losing 175lbs with a gastric bypass. My hero, aside from my surgeon, is my DH who stuck by me through thick to thin. He wants to join me but we know finding a suitable bike for him is going to be far more challenging than finding one for me.

He's about 6'0, 350 lbs and a notorious tightwad who would totally freak out if he spent 500 bucks on a bike only to find he's gotta shell out more and more and more to replace parts or make triple digit upgrades. I know him well, and if that happens I know the bike will sit in the garage gathering dust while he debates with himself whether he wants to spend money on it. So right out of the shop whatever we get has got to work.

I've already gained valuable insight here, searching through old threads but I have some questions and concerns. TIA for your help and my apologies in advance if I'm long winded.

The only place we've test ridden is Richardson Bike Mart and while I hold them in high regard, I'm a little skeptical on what we're hearing about the durability of a bike for my Clyde. I read all these stories here about spokes popping and flats and such and when I bring up those potential problems the two salespeople we've encountered, well, I just don't think they're gettin it. Maybe we're not asking the right questions. It can't really be as easy as sliding a double walled rim under him is it? I get the feeling they're rolling the dice with MY money. Ya know, get em on the hook and send em to the service department later and let THEM deal with it. I dunno, maybe that's really how this works! LOL

Perhaps what we need more than anything is an "adjustment in our expectations". What are we in for?

The bike that agreed with him yesterday was a Trek Navigator 3.0 and he looked so darn cute on it. :love: The size of the seat was perfect for his ample bottom, the posture was good and the lock out feature on the suspension fork was the right move. At $569 that better be a good bike. Our budget for him is around 500$


What other brands or models could you suggest we look into?
He wants to be sitting more upright and wants comfort or 700c tires because of the effort needed with knobby tires, but we would be willing to hear viewpoints on mountain bike durability if that's a potential solution for us.
What kinds of questions do we need to be asking concerning durability, warranty and service?

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your weight loss.:thumb: I am the same height and weight as your husband. I am determined to lose weight, through diet and exercise and since I used to love to ride I want to use bicycling as a component of my exercise program.

Here is what I bought for a bike. It is an 08' Specialized Hardrock Sport. I paid $350.00 for it. Currently it is at an LBS having the front fork replace with a Surly 1x1 rigid fork. The Surly is not very expensive and it is very strong. The original fork was not designed for someone my size. The wheels are very strong and the frame is too.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h33/Airedale1/hardrock1.jpg

and since I am going to be riding it primarily on paved road and smooth trails I am also having the knobbys replaced with these 26x2.0 Michelin XC Hard Terrain tires.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h33/Airedale1/michelins.jpg

Congrats on the move to better health and it's awesome you two are in it together. I agree that a MTB would be a better choice and also agree with swapping out for a rigid fork. I put a set of Forte Metro K tires on my wife's comfort bike for a while (before convincing her to get a road bike) and she could not beleive the difference between them and the multi-use tires that came on the bike. The Fortes are 26 x 1.25 and max at 90 psi. The combination of smaller, lighter tire and higher pressure makes them roll really well on the road. You should be able to get a very capable and rugged bike within your budget this way.

Then just start slow and build distance over time. Consistency is much more important than miles when you first start out. Just try to ride as often as possible and keep upping your distance bit by bit as time goes by.

I will probably be in RBM at Coit and Campbell tomorrow at some point. I know fellow member Jtgyk is looking at a bike for his wife there as well. I will look around at what they have and hopefully Jtgyk will chime in on what he saw on 09 clearance.

Did you go in the back corner by the service area and look at the used selection? There is a double sided rack loaded with hybrids, or at least there was on Saturday.

We did look at the used rack but didn't really see anything. Salesguy pointed out open slots all over the store and said they were expecting a number of bikes to arrive over the next few days. I'm no expert on bike shops but they seemed pretty picked over to me.

I think I"ll make a couple stops after work Friday and Saturday. With any luck I hope to have a bike by the middle of next week. DH shortly after.

Keep the advice coming. We discussed the feedback we've gotten so far on the way home and are more hopeful and excited! :)

Well, there are any number of options on bikes that will work, the trick is finding "The One".

I wish I could remeber the gentleman's name that is a slaes guy there. He's been there a very long time. He is actually close to 70 yrs old but you would think he' in his 50's. He wears glasses. If you can find him, he is a straight shooter.

Rigid fork...anything under 1k suspension fork wise will be more annoying than comfortable for someone his size esp on the road.

Try to get a shop with a warranty and free tuneups...I have free labor for life at my shop, which certainly makes the prospect of that much money much more palatable. On bikes in your price range mtb wheels will hold up better than road wheels simply because of the weight and the fact that $500 buys a bottom of the barrel road bike, but a pretty decent hardtail mtb.

Try:

Bicycle Exchange
1305 S Broadway St
Carrollton TX 75006-7219
ph: 972-245-5510

I went to them to try to find a part for my bike. They were very helpfull, they also have a large variety of bikes.

I, think the LBS is a little taken back when they see a clyde or athena because all the pretty people are what they may be use to. Just get something with a 36 spoke rear wheel and watch what you spend. You can upgrade later. Get that man in the wind. Congrats on your weight loss. ECB1

I think a hardtail MTB like Airedale II has or like heckler mentioned might be the way to go. I bought a used 99 Jamis Exile ($350) from a LBS that has been great as a commuter. I put on some slicks (Specialized Fatboys), changed the grips to some Ergons, and changed the saddle. This was my first "real" bike and I love it. It holds up to my 5'9 and 240 pound frame and has served me faithfully for many years and many miles commuting.

I don't suggest craigslist for newbies but rather go the used route at a LBS. You are almost guaranteed they work perfectly and they would take the time to make sure the bike fit. If you have been on this forum long enough you will run into the 26inch versus 700c wheel debate. Just remember there are a lot of tires with light tread to slicks that are available in 26 inch sizes.

I'm not sure what kind of riding you or your husband have in mind, but it might make a difference in the types of bikes suggested. And with used, you are relegated to what is on hand. Keep us posted and good luck.

We made another visit to a LBS today and learned even more. Found a super helpful salesguy who DH found easy to talk to and educated us on steel frames and forks, tire pressures and such. We also have a lead on a fellow Clyde friend who is willing to part with his mtb! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high since I don't have specifics on it yet, but his ex wife said he got it at RBM and it "wasn't cheap". He bought it maybe 4-5 years ago, hardly put any miles on it and it's been sitting in his garage. Tune up, new tires, fork and saddle and we could be on the trail before ya know it! (And I've been watching Craigs List and agree it's a bit daunting, but at least this is a guy we know...)

As for me, today I test rode a GT Transeo 3.0...and a couple Schwinn Voyageurs. They were nice but I think I like the Treks and Specialized better. I liked the feel of the Globe Carmel, however I really wanted the 24 speeds of the FX 7.2. So the salesdood ordered the Globe Vienna 2.0 which has 24 speeds. It should be here in the next few days. So I'm gonna check that out and then re-ride a couple Treks. Weighing the pros and cons and prices of the FX 7.2 and 7.3. (Is the 7.3 worth 40 bucks more?)

We'll be sticking to mostly paved paths.

Off hand I can't answer the question of the Trek FX 7.2 versus FX 7.3 but you might want to try the search function. I remember reading something about them, but I don't remember what. I think it was in the Hybrid forum, but i'm not quite sure. Either that or go to the Trek website and see what they say about the two bikes.

I hope your husband has luck with your friends bike. Unless you have someone who is familiar with bikes and can go with you and ask questions I do not suggest Craigslist. Also good job with riding as many bikes as possible :thumb:. Some people get more caught up in the brand of the bike, when how it feels riding it is the most important thing. It is also good to build up a relationship with your LBS.

Good luck

Make sure whatever you get fits. If it is too big or too small, it isn' worth it.

Specialized Hardrock, FTW!

Nice looking bikes that are clyde proven. Specialized seems to have strong wheels too. The Allez I had had a straight spoke front wheel, and even at 225lbs, once tensioned proper, they never went out of true on me. For 350lbs, I would think he would want some good strong 36 spoke 3x wheels.

Hardrock's can be found on Craigslist from time to time, for little cash. Glad to hear your getting healthy!

Make sure whatever you get fits. If it is too big or too small, it isn' worth it. And here's why the xxx-Marts of the world are useless to me as they only stock frames for "average" sizes. Meanwhile the LBS salesdoods have all been terrific in this regard. It's a little frustrating to see the low selection of frames at the LBS for someone like me who's 5'3", but at least they can order something suitable for me to try. Sometimes that won't even work. There was a Mongoose at a super price with great components I was excited about yesterday but even the smallest one was too big for me. Ah well, such is life's journey!

I had hoped to make it RBM yesterday but my up and around time is very limited and it ran out on me after a couple of errands. It sounds like you have a plan though.

BTW, we love new bike pics here. The bike doesn't even have to be "new".