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just first wanna say hello to everyone..i have lurked on these boards long enough and finally decided i need to register ask for some help.

i am currently 6'4" 370 lbs. im still a little unclear what is bigger than clydesdale status..but im sure im it

i rode a little run off the mill wal-wart moutain bike when i was 17-19 yrs. old. just to get to and from work..but i put that thing through hell and it held up well for the couple years i had it...changes gears, rims (more spokes) seat, shifters, tires, hubs, forks, and crank w/pedals. basicly i built the thing on a crap frame. i loved that bike and it was my real first experience with riding at all...i was also about 200 lbs then.

i havent had another bike since and i am now hitting 30 this year. we and the wife had our first baby last year thing time..and along with my own health..she is one of the biggest motivating factors in my life to get healthy and live longer.

i went to the doctor finally after maybe 5 years for a check up after my knee popped really loud as i was getting off the floor and found out i had a torn meniscus and partially shredded MCL. yes it hurt...ALOT. i had surgery to repair the damage and now i can finally walk without a limp.

i played college football in my 20's and have been fairly active for the most part..but i really do miss riding. really i guess, im tired of being so big and not doing anything about it. so my doctor suggested riding and i jumped on it..im bound and determined now to lose this extra weight and add some years to my life so maybe one day i can give my little girl away at her wedding.

i have noticed most people on this forum ride road bikes..i have always been comfortable on a moutain bike. plus i'd rather ride off road than on it. im amazed by some of your stories of success with riding and weight loss and it to you guys i look for some advice..

i found a FAQ section..but it seemed to have mostly road bikes...so i guess my question is this: given my size, is there a bike that i built for me....yeah yeah i know this whole section is about bikes built for me..but i want a mountain bike with no shocks, hardtail, and that i can beat the crap out of and ride home no matter what..and i also dont really wanna spend my child college fund on it..

can any of you guys help me out?

also to all of you riding and gaining years on your life..kudos to you..its because of you that guys like me get inspired

bautieri

Hello and welcome to the forums!

The clyde house bike is the Specialized Hardrock Sport. It does come stock with a suspension fork but that can easily be replaced by a solid fork for a few dollars. Other than that you may want to think of high pressure tires for it, though I would be willing to bet you could get many miles with the original knobbies.

One thing to think of: Eventually the dirt road ends. Once your fitness is up and going strong you will likely get tired of the same few dirt miles (if your lucky enough to live near some trails), don't rule out a hybrid bike that may behave better on the paved road once your skills grow. So if you dont mind us asking, what is your budget? Answer that and we'll toss a few ideas your way

bcc

Welcome aboard. I've not much experience of offroading myself at this weight (I'm 370 and 5' 11" myself), but there's a tonne of information in the Clyde FAQ if you've not already seen it.

andrelam

I think you will find that most folks on this forum will share that ANY ride is better than no ride. I found that at first it is a stuggle to get active. Once you start getting that mild high after a nice workout, you want to keep on doing it. It took a while to get there for me, but now if I have a day I can't ride my bike to work, I just don't feel right all day long.

As far as equipment, there is a great variety of what we ride. There are a few things that dictate what kind of bike you need:
1. Where do you plan to ride. Do you like to ride off road. Do you like to ride around the neighborhood and local paths. Do you want to ride longer distances and have a need for speed. All these will point you to a syle of bike.

2. Fit. This is the most critical part of a bike. What feels right for your body. There is no right or wrong. If you are not comfortable riding a high end road bike for instance you will not ride it, it won't matter than it cost $8K. On the other hand if you have a comfortable bike that costs around $300, but it feels nice then you will get out there and enjoy yourself. Fit matters far more than price.

3. Quality. There is definitely a lower limmit to the quality you want to ride. The $100 bikes are definitely made poorly. They will shift poorly, the parts tend to break easily. Those will not be a pleasure to own. There are some descent entry level quality Wallmart or Target bikes that cost closer to $200. Those will be similar in quality to $250 bikes at a bike store. The difference is that the loval bike store (LBS) will put it together right, will adjust everything for you, will readjust the bike after some riding, and will offer you SERVICE. For around $300 and up you can get some very descent bikes.

If you are comfortable on a mountain bike, then by all means ride one. Go for the hard tail (i.e no rear suspension) as that will add losts more weight, complexity, cost and loss of efficiency to the bike. If you were to ride off road a lot, then all the penalties for having rear suspension might be worth it for the extra control and comfort.

Don't fret about not riding much. We've had some forum members that could barely ride 1 mile when they first jointed here. Just take it one day at a time. One mile riding is better that not riding at all.

Happy riding,
André

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thanks for the replies guys..to answer a few questions..and ask a few..

1. my budget is around 800-1k.

2. im looking to ride some trails since i do live in the pacific northwest we have TONS of riding trails round here. also i wouldnt mind a ride on the road because i do live in a rural area..very near the country side.

3. i'd like to ride shorter distances at first until my heart rate/fitness level can handle it. eventually working my way up in distance. nothing too long until the knee is properly adjusted to the new repetative movements. nothing marathon distance by any means.

4. i went through three seats on the first bike i ever owned..i would bend them slightly sideways. i figured it had something to do with my weight back then..but im curious if it had to do with product quality and riding style.

5. could the Specialized Hardrock Sport handle someone of my size?

6. is there a recommended online retailer to purchase a bike from..or what would be the preferred method of purchase?...local shop? if i buy locally is there a chance of huge mark-ups?

7. im very mechanically able so is it a better option to build a bike from a pre made frame ..or is taking on too much of a task to build the frame myself?

TIA everyone!

edit: thanks for the FAQ section BCC.

bab2000

Welcome!

I have a son, played college f'ball, is 6'6" , 300# plus (my quess), playng weight was high of 320#, and found a Giant Yukon to be right for him. He wanted a MTB, and disc brakes. It also is an XXL size frame and is plenty sturdy. He is a professional fire fighter, and also works at local Y, serving as personal trainer. His weight is more condensed, but weight just the same.

Younger son is also looking for one of same models/frame size, is as tall, about as heavy, and indicates he feels comfortable on the Yukon, more so, than my hybrid.

Best bet is to make trips to LBS, and test ride and ask for their options. They know their bikes and what will provide you best service ffor your requirements. The secret is be honest with them for best feed back.

Their interest should be to provide you a bike you will ride, not just to sell a bike. If not find another shop.

wrk101

If you want a MTB, I would get any of the name brand, rigid, steel framed bikes. Many of us (if not most or all on this list) have multiple bikes. I have a road bike, a mountain bike, and a hybrid that I ride. Most of my riding is on the road bike, it is convenient, I can start rides right from the house and put in some good workouts. I have converted my MTB to a road bike, with narrow slick tires.

If I was going to do some serious off road riding, I would have to load up the bike and take it somewhere to ride. For me, that would result in less riding, fewer workouts, and a lot less miles. That would be a bike I could ride once a week or less, rather than a road bike that I ride four to five days a week.

I would just make sure you do not have impediments to riding often and regularly. I have a loop that I do from the house that is about ten miles, so I do the loop three times to get 30 miles, four time to get 40 miles and so on. Its a good mix of flat, rolling hills, and a couple of short steeper hills.

A road bike is the most efficient mile eater, and most of us live on and around pavement.

With your budget, you should be able to choose from many good bikes. In my case, I prefer buying used, but you give up access to solid bike shop advice. There is no free lunch...

You could always buy a new, top notch mountain bike and a used road bike and stay within your budget. I would probably flip those two priorities, as around here, you can find really good mountain bikes used on Craigs List for not much money. Similar quality road bikes seem to go for quite a bit more.

mt.andrew

I live in VAncouver WA as well and can recamend vancouver cyclery in hazel dell. walk in and talk to jesse, he is an old frend of mine and will set you up.

badgermac

I'm a big fella as well and on the advice of many here got a Hardrock Sport. No regrets. Just put some 1.95 more road-worthy tires on it and love it. It's built like a rock, it'll handle you. The main thing, as many will point out, is to keep an eye on your wheels, they take the brunt and will be the first potentially to be problematic no matter what bike you use. The stock wheelset on the HR seems sturdy enough and has handled me no problem.

ban guzzi

Glad you found us! I'm another biggy on my way down...

For a first bike, I'm still loving my Giant Yukon. Its all roaded and Fredded out now. Great bike to start with! Lose the stcok seat! I found cheap happiness with the WTB SpeedV saddle. Its hardish, cromoly rails and hasn't let me down yet! I understand the MTB thing since thats what I started with years ago and now I'm back and the road bikes look cool but fragile. They aren't but still...I ride year round and commute also. I NEEDED the MTB to start with! You will be happy with either the Yukon or Hardrock. Given your budget, get either and when you feel comfortable with it, lose the bouncy forks and, may I suggest, a Surly suspension corrected front fork? Oh yeah! Get a handbuilt 32/36 spoke rear! And some skinny high pressure tires! I'm running some Mavics with 1.25 Continentals for the summer. Man, I go alot faster now!

Glad your stepping up, particulaly with the new family. It is well worth it...

Formally 337, now 263 after 9 months.

Do it!

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big thanks for the kind words guys...it means ALOT.

thanks mt.andrew for the suggestion..im going to go see your friend at the shop and let him know you sent me his way.

so far i am just doing some product reviews on the yukon and the hardrock..but thats just all hearsay stuff, as you guys have pointed out..its really about me getting out and jumping on a bike and feeling whats right.

thanks again all of you! i'll let you know within the following week what i end up with..

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oh also..what are the common breaking of fracture points on clyde frames? i did some searching and came up empty handed..

cohophysh

Welcome aboard neighbor! Lots of good advice can be found here

Air

Welcome aboard!

Common breaking points - wheels, wheels, wheels, stock pedals, saddle rails, bottom brackets. Not many have cracked frames without a crash to my knowledge (OK, I did on an Al frame where the seat post enters the frame).

mt.andrew

my name is just andrew not mt.andrew