roseparade

Hey all,

I'm new here, and new to the world of (semi-)serious cycling. I broke my second axl on a cheap cruiser yesterday (after already sinking a lot of extra $$ into repairs/replacements) and I've been inspired to make the jump to something better suited to my needs.

I'm 6'1", 300lbs., and ride (commuting) mainly on the shoddy streets of Toronto. From what I've discovered through researching, a suitable bike is going to set me back around $1000 CDN (approx. $850 US), and this is about the most I'd like to spend. But I'm also open to cheaper choices...just haven't come across any.

After trips to a couple LBS' today and suggestions from their knowledgeable employees, here's what I'm looking at:

2006 Kona Hoss Dee-lux ($1000 CDN)
2007 Kona Dr Dew ($1100 CDN)
2007 Specialized Globe City 6.1 ($1000 CDN)

The guy at the LBS that recommend those second, commuter bikes said that the Hoss would be fine, but possibly overkill/needlessly heavy for city riding. And after riding, I did enjoy the lightness of those two bikes. Alternately, the guy at the LBS that recommended the Hoss said it's basically the only bike out there that can handle my weight at that price. Considering it's on sale, it seems like a better deal than the other two.

Thoughts on these recommendations/prices? Is the Hoss needlessly heavy for my requirements? Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much in advance! And sorry if I've missed another similar thread...I tried to find one, but most content seems to be MTB-related.

Tom Stormcrowe

Hoss! Can't go wring with a Hoss!

swisstim

what the man said. I've got one and it's a superb bike. I've got much the same requirements as yourself, but bring about 100lb more to the saddle. My local LBS here in Switzerland are Kona stockists and we went through everything they had looking at the options - the Hoss really was the only choice. The other two are good bikes, but for sheer clydability, the Hoss wins out for me.

old and new

concerning the Hoss, don't know much about it. I weighed well OVER 300 lbs for a few years. I'd ride a Jamis from time to time, seemed fine. Honest, i don't think you'd brake ANY o' those you stated NOR would you brake the specialized. You stated price though. Jamis are less money ALL 3 models of thier comms...others as well. Hey if your LBS stock's those you mentioned ..why not..YOU asked for it though. I'll add : Bianchi makes a STEEL comm. bike..now THAT is SURE to be fine..seen it..haven't riden it. Just an extra idea. I realize that finding some brands in some areas are difficult. Cruisers are generally heavy..NOT heavy-duty as one might suppose though, you busted an inferior bike. When I was 340..I rode steel hybrids no-problem !

Garandman

Is it really necessary to spend $1,000? Wouldn't putting stronger wheels on your bike for $200 do the job? I bought Mavic A319 rims with DB 36 spoke hubs from Harris for $220.

Or are the repairs unrelated to wheels? $1,000 bikes are nice but bring their own problems, like theft.

muteseh

marin muirwoods

fat_bike_nut

I recommend the Kona Dr. Dew.

Of course, it is the priciest one on your list, isn't it?

I've seen a guy tour on a Kona Dr. Dew. See, here's his journal:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...c_id=1577&v=Yq

If the Dr. Dew can TOUR (camping equipment and all), I think it should be able to handle your weight AND the rough urban streets. Plus, it'll be way sportier than the other two models (more like a road bike than a mountain bike)

roseparade

well, the bike i've currently got is inferior all around -- had to sink a lot of cash into it, replacing the pedals, the seatpost, and spokes almost weekly. and this is the second axl i've totalled. when the first one went, they actually replaced my rear wheel entirely -- put on a mavic 519 rim. and it was just my third ride of the season the other day when i busted the axl again. to me, that says this bike isn't right.

everyone else -- thanks so much for all your suggestions! i guess it's down to the Hoss or the Dr. Dew. I'll have to decide whether that extra $100 is worth the drop in weight. and by all means, if anyone else has suggestions or recommendations, keep 'em coming!

roseparade

can you tell me more about your experience with this bike? what you're putting on it, kind of riding, what upgrades you've had to do?

roseparade

very interesting. my only concern being that it seems he toured with a trailer, which would've taken a lot of the weight off the bike. do you/anyone else have any personal experience with the dr. dew? thanks!

andymac

I do not see anything about the Kona Hoss that makes it more suited to a larger rider than any number of other equivalent bikes, I think it is just a marketing slant. The frame is non-remarkable, it has 32 spoke DM24 rims that are standard fare, low end Truvativ Blaze cranks, and a heavy OEM Marzocchi fork. There are other bikes in this same genre with better cranks and 36 spoke wheelsets. Personally I only ever commute on my hardtail when there is snow/ice as the knobby tires give me a little more float. On bare roads it is a lot more work than my other bikes.
I have an older Marin Muirwoods but it is similar to the new one. For the money (they are cheap, I have seen one on sale for 550 in Vancouver) you get a full chromoly frame and fork, reasonable components, relaxed angles in an understated package that doesn’t say “steal me please”.
I also have a Dew Deluxe, the frame and fork are the same as the Dr. Dew you looked at. The bike is pretty quick and comfortable but it is not perfect. The stock wheels are machine built and in my case the rear was not well done, I broke 3 spokes in the first 1000km. I have since had it rebuilt and haven’t had a single problem since. I have also had to replace my front rotor with a non-wavy one as the original rotor caused the brakes to pulse a little when I was slowing from high speed (70km/h or so). This pulse was very slight but the front fork on these bikes is pretty flexible so it translated into an unnerving shudder. Pretty easy to address. You indicated that you are breaking seat posts, the Dew models have a sloping top tube and a long head tube so they are designed to have a lot of seat tube showing. If you are hard on seat posts this may be a bad thing. I haven’t had any issues but I am 6’7” 235 (with my laptop and my huge load of food in my backpack I am probably 260 – 270) so you are carrying more weight than me and I don’t really put too much weight on the seat.

roseparade

Awesome stuff...thanks! Have you done any work on the Muirwoods? If I go with it, any recommended upgrades at time of purchase?

And I haven't been breaking posts, per se, just stripping the bolting mechanisms. But that was on the stock post...haven't had any issues since replacing it.

andymac

I have put 25,000+ km's on the Muirwoods. The frame, fork and stem are stock, everything else has worn out at least once and been replaced. It now has XT shift/brake levers, XT front derailleur, LX rear derailleur, 36 spoke Rhynolite wheels, old XTR crankset, SPD pedals, etc.
As for upgrades at time of purchase, some things may be necessary to get the proper fit and only you can figure that out. When I bought my Dew Deluxe I got SPD pedals put on, a new longer seat post and a longer stem. If I were buying a Muirwoods today and the store would give me credit for swapped out parts (my LBS has swapped things at little additional cost but I am a regular) I would be inclined to get a better rear derailleur (Deore LX perhaps), have them build it with teflon coated cables rather than the stock ones, put on some SPD compatible pedals (of course this is only relevant if you ride with SPD shoes) and throw on some fenders and a rack. If the shop is not inclined to do this just go with the stock bike and do the upgrades as things wear out. As you are in Toronto you can get Planet Bike Fenders and a rack really cheap at Mountain Equipment Co-op.