Ncelano

Hello, I'm new to the forums and was hoping people would have a good recommendation for a bike that would support me. I'm 6'1" wear a 30 length pants and weigh 357lbs. I want to ride paths, trails and roads, nothing intense. Don't know about a price limit. I don't want to break bank but want to be comfortable.
Thank you so much!

dr_lha

Take a look at Craigslist and see if you can find a nice late 80s/90s steel frame mountain bike. They're usually tough as nails, easy to ride, and will handle the terrain you want. A rigid front fork will take out the issue of you being too heavy for a likely worn out suspension fork. That'll get you on the road for $2-300 after you've bought the other stuff you need (helmet, any lights etc).

Without a $ limit budget, it's hard to tell how much you want to spend. What doesn't "break the bank" for my dentist is a $15000 custom road bike. For me it's a $2500 road bike, for you it might be much less, so give us an idea of your comfort level!

MRT2

Agree on budget. When it comes to bikes, there is entry level, a step up from entry level, enthusiast level, and up.

A decent budget for a new entry level bike for a person half your weight is $500 to $600, plus another couple of hundred for accessories, helmet, pump, etc...As a person who weighs twice what the average adult cyclist weighs, you might, at a minimum, have to budget additional money for wheels.

If you are really squeezed for funds, maybe consider used, as there are many fine used bikes for 50% or more off retail if you know what you are looking for.

Jarrett2

You need to just go ride as many bikes as possible and see what feels right for right now. I started riding at 380 a few years ago and the bike that felt right to me then, does not feel right to me now. It's sort of an evolutionary process. Stay away from the carbon fiber stuff for now and focus on metal bikes, preferably steel if possible. Steel works well for folks over 250 lbs. Aluminum is fine as well if you can't find steel.

Ncelano

I guess 500 and under would be ideal but if it can't be done for that it can't be done and I'd go higher. Since I'm just starting I don't want to go too crazy. Thanks for all your posts!

arex

Look at it this way...for a couple hundred you can get a 25-year-old top-of-the-line mountain bike that only needs a little love, or a new entry-level POS that won't last. The ergonomics of a mountain bike make them pretty comfortable to ride, as opposed to a road bike with drop bars.

If you do go this route, get rid of the knobby tires and put some fat smoothies on...with sufficient air pressure, they'll roll really well on pavement, whereas knobbies won't. There's a lot of smooth or road-tread fat tires to choose from, don't skimp. Schwalbe makes a number of these in different forms.

Like others have said, avoid the bikes with any suspension forks. The forks aren't meant for us husky bastards, not without heavier springs and/or elastomers (more money)...at worst they'll be bottomed-out all the time, and at best they'll "pump" as you pedal, wasting your energy on pumping that could be used in going forward. Besides, you really don't need a suspension on pavement or smooth trails.

Ncelano

Raleigh Talus 2.0 - Providence Bicycle I don't know if that is a good price but would that work?

I also saw a specialized Hardrock on CL but it said 24" and I wasn't sure if that'd be the right size. Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm really excited to get out there

Midtown

What tires (fat smoothies) would you recommend.

MRT2

The Raleigh Looks like an older model, but it might work. Pretty entry level. My preference would be for something a little better, but that is me.

arex

One of the Schwalbe Marathon series, the Schwalbe Big Apple, or the Continental Town & Country are all good examples.

Midtown

Thank you.

HauntedMyst

If anyone has a 700c bike, I just picked up some Vittoria Randonneurs size 48 (they say 46 on the website but they are 48's) on Nashbar for about $12 a piece. If your bike can fit them, they are awesome.

Trace Syd

Height doesn't mater you can buy any bike in your budget but don't buy the Avenger.I will suggest you TAKARA KABUTO it is a single speed bike, it offers excellent durability and servicing great quality for its price.I've done a lot of research on this in last year, Here's what I found:Best Single Speed Road Bikes Review ~ Road Bike Hub

dr_lha

The bike has 26" wheels right? Kenda Kwest are cheap and work well for pavement.

Midtown

26'' yes. Thank you.

cyccommute 

You should ask yourself several questions before you go looking at Craigslist. Usually, if you have to ask the question of "what bike should I buy?", you probably shouldn't be looking at Craigslist. Being able to separate the wheat from the chafe in used bikes requires some knowledge about bicycles.
-Do you know anything about bicycles?
-Do you have some familiarity with component groups?
-Do you know what size frame you should be looking for?
-Do you know where to look for frame damage?
-Do you know how to assess wear on the drivetrain?
-Do you know how to assess a wheel for strength?
-Do you know anything about the load limit of various frames and materials?
-Do you know how to determine what frame size you are looking for?

These are all important questions that you should at least have some idea about answers to or have a friend who knows the answers to before you head out and start looking for a used bike.

If the above question are all Greek to you, I would suggest to stay away from Craigslist and get thee to a bike shop. And not a Helmart "bike shop" but a bike shop with real mechanics and people who sell bikes all the time rather than work in the Garden Shop and fill in the Sports department.

Picking a shop can be daunting but keep at it. Go to lots of shops and pick one where the people are helpful and supportive. You might pay more for a bike from a shop but you aren't just paying for the bike. You are paying for support. A shop should be able to guide you to the proper frame, the proper bike and then back up the sale with mechanical support (at least for the first year).

Good bikes to look at are a Trek FX or Specialized Crossroads or Specialized Sirrus. Both are good bikes from good companies. No, they won't be steel bikes but the need for steel is way overblown even for someone your size.

Good luck.

BigMo59

I was almost exactly your size when I started riding. I bought a used bike and had wheel problems. After checking things out, I bought a new Trek. Shift 4 which is rated for 350#. Most on here wouldn't recommend this bike because of the suspension fork but it is very stiff and also locks out. It has a larger diameter seat post and heavy duty wheels (36. 13 gauge spokes). I rode it 1700 miles without a problem then bought a Surly disc trucker when I got down to 275. They don't make the Shift 4 anymore but I would sell mine for 350 (paid 700 new in December of 14' . I don't know where your located but I'm a little SW of Indianapolis.