Mountain Biking - Fatty Wants a Bike

Let me preface this by saying I'm nearly 6'5'' and I weigh somewhere around 150kgs (330lbs). I have, however, been dieting for the past 5 weeks and I'm losing a steady amount of weight. My current regime of walking/jogging has proven to be almost unbearably boring, so I've decided to get a bike.

I had a look around online and found a nice looking bike (2013 Specialized Hardrock 26 Disc) that was within my price-range). This was all well and good and I was very excited to get riding again, but I decided that because I haven't ridden a bike since I was 30kg (66lb) lighter it was best I made sure that I could still actually mount a bike and pedal with at least a level of stamina that could move me around in a somewhat timely manner.

I pulled my older brothers cheap PoS Target bike out of the shed and decided to give it a test spin. I rolled around for a couple of minutes and everything was fine and dandy. I gathered up the confidence to gain a bit of speed, so I stood up and started pushing, when - SNAP! The right pedal had come off and my testicular region connected with the saddle in quite a painful way. The threadings on the pedal and its hole in the crank-arm were contorted to a smooth surface, BUT, I will say that I think the pedals may have been loose to begin with, or at least improperly installed.

So basically what I'm trying to say here is I've lost all faith in the strength of bicycles and I'm very worried that if I purchase the Specialized bike I mentioned before and something similar happens the injuries incurred could be much worse. And I guess the question I'm asking is - can the 2013 Specialized Hardrock 26 Disc handle my great monstrosity of a body?

Thanks in advance :thumb:

Sorry, can't offer any experience/advice for the big guys.

Have you checked into the clydesdale/athena forum here?

I think you will find the quality of department store bikes as compared to LBS store bikes will be different especially in regards to their components. Specialized makes a quality bikes. Just spend the money on a decent set of flat pedals and you wont have any problems.

The pedal was loose to begin with. It would have stripped out like that even if you were 60kg.

With that said, department store bikes are garbage. Buy a cheap 29" hardtail (or full rigid) and get the shop to upgrade the wheels. Ride that for two or three years. Replace what breaks. When you're 30kg (or 60kg or whatever your goal is) lighter, buy something nice.

Stay away from department store bikes, get something at a decent LBS instead.
I have a 180kg (400lbs) friend who occasionally rides. He has an 8 year old mid-range ($600-ish) aluminium MTB with decent 32-spoke wheels, and that bike is holding up just fine.
We did invest another $150 in a decent bottom bracket (Shimano UN72), full-metal pedals with bearings and a quality saddle, mainly because he broke the original plastic pedals, wore out the BB's bearings and the saddle rails were bent.

If you are looking into a bike with air suspension, make sure the suspension can handle your weight or stay on rather smooth surfaces. Some of the more expensive forks may not handle 330lbs all that well because the optimal pressure would exceed the maximum that the manufacturer recommends.

Im 6'0" and 280lbs - Im riding this:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_comp_xi.htm

Awesome bike for the price - $799 - and the LBS could not come close to the components level until their bikes hit $1100+.

Here's my full review:

http://forums.mtbr.com/motobecane/motobecane-fantom-comp-quick-review-813039.html

:)

Sorry guys, I only just found out about the Clydesdale/Athena sub-forum. Thanks for your help, though. I ordered the bike today!

Good move JEC7! The problems you experienced, as others have suggested, must have been because the pedal was faulty. I'm on the same track as you - down 40 lbs so far, and it was the bicycle that delivered me from boring gym workouts to the fresh air and excitement of fitness. What you're after is a total overhaul of how you think about food, fitness, and health. Now that I have had some success (halfway to my goal!), I find that it's gone beyond just being a challenge, but instead to a whole new lifestyle. I feel better, look better, and have more confidence in myself. More satisfaction with my life. And I'm no longer shopping in the Big & Tall section of the department store!