Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Another Recommendation (also my intro) thread

First off let me say Hello to everyone. I havent ridden in 15-20 years but have decided to get back on the bike. I will be riding a combination of light offroad and paved trail. I come in at 6'0" / 250lbs and thanks to growing up on a farm and working out for 20 years I have a fairly broad chest/back. I borrowed a friends giant sedona (20" frame 26" wheels) and it was not comfortable at all. It felt as though the handlebars were right in my lap and that they needed to be a couple of inches wider. That lead me to look at a cruiser but I am looking for something a little more "aggressive" than that. So I am looking for recommendations for a frame that is sturdy enough to support my size as well as a handlebar setup that would work better for my chest. Is there such a bike or will I be better off with a custom setup?

I'm going to stop by my lbs (The Great Escape in Greenville SC) but would like to have some idea what I am looking for before going in there.

Thanks in advance for any info you guys can share.

Don't worry about the sturdiness of frames. At your weight I wouldn't be worried about any bike, up to and including a super light carbon-fibre racing bike, as long as it had a decently heavy-duty set of wheels on it. The frame is not going to be a limiting factor and there is certainly no need to worry about going custom.

It sounds to me as if the Sedona was just too small for you. If that Hybrid/MTB setup is the style of bike that appeals to you, talk to your LBS about what they can supply and get them to advise you on fit. Unless your proportions are very unusual indeed, there won't be a problem.

Handlebars come in a variety of widths. It may cost a little extra to get them to set up a bike with wider bars than come as stock, but it's easily done.

Don't worry about the sturdiness of frames. At your weight I wouldn't be worried about any bike, up to and including a super light carbon-fibre racing bike, as long as it had a decently heavy-duty set of wheels on it. The frame is not going to be a limiting factor and there is certainly no need to worry about going custom.

It sounds to me as if the Sedona was just too small for you. If that Hybrid/MTB setup is the style of bike that appeals to you, talk to your LBS about what they can supply and get them to advise you on fit. Unless your proportions are very unusual indeed, there won't be a problem.

Handlebars come in a variety of widths. It may cost a little extra to get them to set up a bike with wider bars than come as stock, but it's easily done.

Great... thanks for the quick reply.

Im not the incredible hulk by any means just a little wider than the average guy up top.

I am not set on a style per say, that is just what was available to borrow and make sure that I really wanted to get back into it before I spent the money on one for myself. My lbs carries treks so I will run by there and see what they have to offer. There is also an REI close by that I can check out.