Twinkies

Hi Everyone,

I am new to the forums and potentially new to bike riding. I haven't been on a bike in about 25 years or so, mostly because I assumed I was too overweight to ride one without it getting a flat tire. Googling bike weight limits led me here, and I see it is indeed possible for someone that is far heavier than she should be to ride, so I have started looking for a starter bike, just to make sure I still enjoy riding one and to get a little exercise.

Budget wise, I don't want to spend more than say $500 if possible, as I want to make sure it is a good fit for me and I get use out of the bike before investing in anything more. I am looking at the beach cruiser or dutch style city bike. From reading the forums, I feel like I should be looking for something that is steel framed and apparently the tires will make all the difference. I do know that I should go to my bike shop for advice specifically, but I have a hard time with knowing when I am being just "sold to" or not, so I want to go armed with some idea of what I am looking for so that I don't get led astray.

As I started googling, I am admittedly in love with the XDS Nadine bike. When I look at the specs, it doesn't give a weight limit like other ones, so I am not sure if it is a really good fit. I think the frame is good, but I can't tell if the tires are. Any thoughts? (Total weight it needs to support is ~400 lbs.)


Frame: XDS Alloy Frame
Sizes: 17"
Colors: Watermelon Red
Fork: XDS Steel Fork
Wheels: Alloy 700C x 1.5 36H
Tires: Kenda Tire 700C x 32C
Chain: KMC Z51
Derailleurs: Shimano RD-TX35 7 Speed
Shiftlevers: Shimano SL-RS35 7 Speed
Pedals: VP608 Alloy
Saddle: VL-8024 Comfort Saddle
Handlebar: Alloy W:595mm H:66mm
Brakeset: Alloy Brake Lever / Alloy Caliper Brake
Stem: Alloy
Weight: 36lbs

Thanks in advance for your help.

TrojanHorse

OK, how on earth was Twinkies not already taken!

Before you start focusing in on one particular model bike, what are you looking to do with it? That's a "dutch" bike, which is well suited to bumming around (a flat) town on short errands. If you want to go on long rides in the country, that's not your bike. Oh, and where are you located?

Welcome to Bikeforums.

jade408

I had a dutch like bike as the gateway bike (Public C7i)! Mine wasn't quite as heavy as a real dutch bike, and had 7 gears. After about 18 months I was ready to trade it in, as mu local hills were a little too hard. It was pretty similar to what you have selected, but steel and internally geared. I also had wider tires.

My bike goal was to make anything in a 3 mile radius a bike ride. There were places I skipped, as the bike infrastructure sucks or the roads were too busy. But I did stuff like groceries, the library, the pharmacy, happy hour and the movies via my bike! I also wanted to stick with my regular outfits and accessories (aka my purse). Flats were easy. I topped out at around 12 miles in a day on that bike! And about 5-6 miles in one stretch. That was the limit for me on that bike, longer felt too hard!

Some things to budget for, especially if you will be riding for transportation: a lock, perhaps a helmet. And I personally love rack and baskets.

I just got new wheels. And this time around I went for a speedy, yet still upright bike. I am about 2 weeks in and it is great. I can do longer rides now! And I hit my new peak in a day: 14 miles! I did one burst of 7 miles straight. The next day I did 12 with no huge ill-effects (ok my legs were tired, but I got in a couple of miles the next day to get to the train).

The interesting thing is, the transportation riding has me thinking more about recreation! And although my bike is setup as a town bike, it is semi-suitable for longer recreational rides. It should be fine for even 30 miles with the current setup, I'll find that our later this summer.

Before picking a bike, knowing the kind of riding you'd like to do is critical!

obed7

Decide what type of riding you are actually going to do, then go to several bike stores and talk to them about your goals. Let them show you what they have available and test ride as many as you can.
It is possible that they would try to sell you something not appropriate just to get a sale, but unless they are just plain stupid, it is not likely. The reason being that, face the facts.... currently you are heavy and out of shape, but that will not be the case in the future if your enjoy riding... they know that and they know that if they help you meet your goals with the bike you get from them, you will be back for another bike or two or three in the future....if they make you happy, they have a long term customer.

quicktrigger

My S.O bought a "comfort" hybrid bike. Specifically the Bianchi Cortina Dama. This despite numerous people telling her that it was not the way to go longer term. Bike lasted about 4-5 months before she traded it in on a more "fitness" or "performance" hybrid, and then bought a mountain bike. This even though she was not riding nearly as much as I. Comfort bikes IMHO are ok to maybe about 5 miles, "comfort" hybrids to about 10 miles, then performance hybrids beyond that. Some say to 20 miles at most, other disagree. I'm personally in the later camp. This is based on personal experience with my S.O., an my own riding.

Point is, that what seems to make sense (i.e. very upright, big plush seats) are in reality poor choices if you want to do anything more than short rides. It's counter-intuitive, but true.

QT

Twinkies

Thank you for the feedback so far.

I live in SoCal, and I just want to be able to ride on weekends a little bit at the beginning. Short neighborhood rides to the park with kids, along the beach, to the grocery store. Mostly flat, in the suburbs kind of riding. My town is great about bike lanes and the like.

Beachgrad05

Welcome! If you live in So Cal...and near Costa Mesa....you might want to stop by The Unlikely Cyclist and chat with Lisa (owner). She sells Public bikes and is also an Athena. She knows her stuff. She will not put you on something that is not appropriate for you.

The Unlikely Cyclist is at 1673 Irvine Ave, Costa Mesa. Her store is unit L I think. There is a 7-11 at the one end of the strip shopping center. She is at the far end furthest from the street (Irvine). major cross street is 17th. She is open Tue thru Sat.

Twinkies

I am close to Costa Mesa so I will stop buy when I am ready to buy. Thanks.

dagray

I don't know your weight, but at 390 pounds I picked up an Orbea road bike with a carbon fiber everything except the wheel set.

If you want to ride a road bike buy one, get it fitted and get a handlebar stem that puts you in a more upright position.

If you want a mountain bike, get one and have it fitted to you and get a stem that puts you in a more upright position

You can ride any style bike out there, just get it fitted to you.

I recommend the more upright position at first as it will be more comfortable to start.

I also would recommend looking at the bike stores for used bikes that would fit you and pay to have them tuned up and upgrade some of the components.

Start a new adventure and get a bike YOU CAN DO THIS!!

Beachgrad05

Even if you don't buy a bike from her she can help you to determine what type of bike you DO need. Plus she has clothing and accessories. She carries plus sized stuff too.

ColaJacket

I'm guessing that there is some type of MUP/MUT (Multi-Use Path/Trail) that is paved/concrete that you would be riding on? Because riding on the sand would need much different tires.

GH

Twinkies

Definitely on a paved path, not on the sand.

jade408

You should try out the Public Mixte! It is upright but not quite as upright as the one you posted. This means it'll likely be easier if you run into hills. I have a Public c7i. Works well on the flats and slight hills. Steep ones weren't great. But I saw someone on their blog used one like mine to tour Europe! They are sportier than proper dutch bikes so you should check it out!

They are just as cute as the one you posted.

Judi

I regularly ride more than 20 miles on my comfort bike...I've lost enough weight now that I can ride any of the bikes my family owns (still don't like the suspension seat posts though), but I ride with my 9 year old who still has a bike with 20" wheels, so slower is better for me. I'm not at all sore or tired after our longer rides.

OP, how tall are you? I'm 5'4" with short legs and that made it difficult to find a bike that fit. There's no way I would have been able to pick one online, I had to go and try them out. I was riding when I was 400lbs but I broke my rear axle. One reason it's better to buy from a local bike shop than order on Amazon is that as a bigger rider, you will end up needing some little repairs on your bike and you'll get a much better price on those repairs if you bought the bike there. I know it's embarrassing to go in and look at bikes when you're bigger, but people at the bike shops were really nice to me, not just to make the sale, but just really friendly and supportive of what I was wanting to do.

quicktrigger

As I said IMHO. Just the same, I recognize this does not apply to everyone, but I strongly believe the general ideal is essentially correct. I also said nothing about the speed in which you may ride, though it is certainly harder to go faster on the "comfort" oriented bikes, that is if you want to go faster.

QT

katsrevenge

Hmmm.... I think this bike would be great for that. I really like the upright bikes myself, even for longer rides. The key is getting it to 'fit' your body right..and to get rid of the over stuffed saddles on them! I have a Pap Sommer. It looks a lot like the bike you are lusting after. I love it.

er.. link... Vintage Dutch Style City Bikes - Custom Bicycles | Papillionaire USA

I've ridden that bike for all day road trips on the mups and side streets. We never do more than guesstimate the mileage but think 4-5 hours at a time, at least. I changed the saddle to (first) this bell saddle and later on, when my butt was stronger (LOL), to a brooks leather sprung saddle. The b67s, in fact. (Well, now it has a lady b18 but really, any of these saddles are better than the one it came with!)

It's not a fast and 'zippy' bike, but it is comfortable and I can wear whatever I like on it. And it is very pretty and classic looking. If you have bike lanes and no desire to go faster than maybe 15-18 miles an hour, it is a great bike.

Edit. I'm 5'3". Mine is the 19 inch or 48 cm frame.

Wilfred Laurier

Welcome to BF!

LIke others have said above, you have loads of options. The most common advice for bigger riders starting out is to find a rigid mountain bike or hybrid. They are used for everything from short trail rides and trips to the grocery store to unsupported tours around the world. Basically, if you can get comfortable on one then you can do the type of riding you want to do. The only problem you might have is wheel reliability - most (all?) mid-range bikes come with machine built wheels with little attention paid to spoke tension, and broken spokes become an issue after a couple hundred miles. The correct solution is to have a more robust set of wheels built by a competent wheel builder. You can pay extra for this up front, or you can wait for problems to start occurring on the rear wheel in a few months time and upgrade then.

However, the most important thing is to find a bike that fits (is comfortable for you to ride) and generally suited for the type of riding you want to do. The suggestion above to visit a nearby shop is a very good one.

Good luck!

Twinkies

Thank you again for all the advice. Height has been mentioned a couple of times. I am 5'7".

Beachgrad05

If you are on Facebook...look up The Unlikely Cyclist

jade408

Another FYI: Public Bikes use 36 spokes standard! Had no idea about the spoke count being critical. But it is good to know! I uncovered that when I got my dynamo hub!

DTSCDS

I'm not a larger sized woman, but I am married to one. Here is my advice (for what it's worth).
MOST IMPORTANT: Do not let any sales person at any bike store look down on you!!! Every store I have dealt with has been very accommodating and helpful. There are stories out there about bad shops/employees that will look at your physical appearance and make snap judgments and be rude or make you feel uncomfortable. These stores are to be avoided at all costs. There are also stores that cater to a more skinny/stick-people/racer type clientele. They may or may not be very helpful. There are segments of the bike world that look down on ANYONE that does not worship at the altar of speed. These probably should be avoided since they are not going to be as helpful as a really good store. From what I have read from Beachgrad05, I would say you should definitely go to The Unlikely Cyclist. She has mentioned that shop several times over the years and it sounds like a really good place. This "Lisa" sounds like good people--you should give her a visit. I will gladly pay more to buy from a good shop rather than save a few dollars at a place that makes me uncomfortable. Your relationship with your bike store is much more important than you realize at this point in your cycling career. it really, really is worth the extra money.

Now for the bike you should buy. Don't overthink this too much. Most likely this isn't the last bike you will ever buy. As you lose weight, get in better shape and figure out what style of riding you like to do, you will be buying other bikes. (You WILL be losing weight and getting in better shape!!!) When it comes time for you NEXT bike, you will have more of an idea what you are looking for and can be more specific.
These are the priorities, in order of importance, for your first bike:
1. Make sure it fits so you are comfortable riding it.
2. Make sure it fits so you are comfortable riding it.
3. Make sure it fits so you are comfortable riding it.
4. Be sure you like how it looks. I think it's more important than how many gears or what specific components. You won't ride a bike you think is ugly. Trust me, you just won't.
5. Make sure it fits so you are comfortable riding it.

Be sure to budget for accessories. You must have a helmet. You probably want a water bottle. You might want some cycle specific clothing.

So, to sum it up: Go to that bike store Beachgrad05 suggested, find a bike that looks good, don't leave until it fits you right. Then go home, take it out for a ride, and wonder why it took you so long to get back on a bike.

Twinkies

Now that I am at a computer and can type more, I just wanted to once again say a proper thank you for all the responses. You have all been very generous with your comments and I appreciate them.

I did check out The Unlikely Cyclist's page, and will make a visit to the shop in the next few weeks here and get some in person advice.

I did start to check out some of the other bikes listed, including the Public, the Electra Townie, and the Papillionaire, so thanks for those suggestions. I get a little lost when comparing all the specs, so the in person visit will be helpful. As an example, I thought I was looking for steel instead of aluminum, but then the frame will be described as alloy and I don't know what to do with that, lol. I also can't seem to figure out the spoke thing....I know more is better, but what is the bare minimum I should look for? So I will come armed with questions.

Regarding accessories, I did figure in a lock and a helmet. The other thing I have been thinking about is I assume I need some kind of a rack to transport it on the car home from the shop and then to and from the beach or wherever I go to ride other than around my block.

Thanks again!

dr_lha

Based on your comment about the bike needing to support 400lbs, you'll want 36 spokes minimum IMHO. As for "Alloy", that just means Aluminum. It's a bit silly really because all metals used in bicycle frame building are alloys, be they steel, aluminum or titanium, but for whatever reason "alloy" had come to be short hand for aluminum alloys.

Judi

You can get a rack for the bike at Walmart for about $50...little trickier if you need a rack for the back of a minivan or some SUV's, but it's easy to find one for a car. Some of the more curvy bikes are a little hard to fit on a rack the right way, you might have to get a bar to attach to the frame of the bike to make it hang right on the rack.

I have a Townie...I have a bunch of metal in my leg so the idea of being able to put my feet flat on the ground was important to me. I haven't had any issues with the aluminum frame. The bike I had before the Townie had a steel frame and it was smoother going over cracks in the sidewalk and things like that, but it kept falling apart so I gave up on it. I haven't had a problem with the spokes on any wheels so far (probably just jinxed myself) but I always keep my tires inflated and don't ride over big bumps or off curbs or anything like that. I broke the rear axle on the Townie...mine is the 7 speed but I also have a 3 speed with the internal hub and I think that one would have held up better since it's not quick release. If you get a Townie, the stock saddles are not too comfortable, so plan on a different saddle.

One thing that was an issue for me when I was looking for a bike when I was near 400 lbs was that I couldn't breathe if I had to lean forward on a bike. I also had trouble with bikes that had a suspension fork because they made my hands go numb.

FlatSix911

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