Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
Reload this Page >

Newbie rider w/limited options

Notices
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) Looking to lose that spare tire? Ideal weight 200+? Frustrated being a large cyclist in a sport geared for the ultra-light? Learn about the bikes and parts that can take the abuse of a heavier cyclist, how to keep your body going while losing the weight, and get support from others who've been successful.

Newbie rider w/limited options

Old 06-04-08, 01:31 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BigPolishJimmy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Southwest Michigan
Posts: 1,561

Bikes: Fuji Monterey, Schwinn Traveler, Fuji Special Road Racer, Gitane Interclub, Sun EZ-1, Schwinn Frontier, Puch Cavalier, Vista Cavalier, Armstrong, Raleigh Sports, Schwinn Stingray

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Newbie rider w/limited options

Hi everyone,

I'm getting older, must move more. Youngest son wants to ride more... pretty easy to figure out what to do. The problem is very limited $$. Freecycle has been generous and now I have a old trek 10-speed w/531 frame to fix up for the road that seems like it will be big enough for me, but what to do about trails & dirt roads? I've got a few "normal" size dept-store bikes but they're all really too small. I'm looking for a short-term solution as I am in lust/love with a Bianche but it's not going to happen any time soon. Is there such a thing as an "S"-shaped seat post to make my junker (dept-store mtn bike) fit my waif-like 6'4" 295-lb physique for the short-term? How about adding BMX style handlebars to gain height on the short stem? I think we can do some serious riding down to the lake to go swimming this summer.

Any feedback is appreciated

Thanks,

Jim

*edit* oops, found the correct thread about seatposts in the stickys, missed it the first time through.

Last edited by BigPolishJimmy; 06-04-08 at 02:20 PM.
BigPolishJimmy is offline  
Old 06-04-08, 06:23 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
st0ut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: new england
Posts: 748

Bikes: Wife Trek 7100, GT lola, specialzed Hotrock, Trek Grommet, dead Trek 5200(KIA rear derailer failed and brok frame), and Trek 720 (Died of neglect when the 5200 became a stable mate)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
check craigslist for your area...
your should be able to find a decent bike that just needs some TLC for a budget.
st0ut is offline  
Old 06-04-08, 06:31 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Oxnard, CA
Posts: 4,571

Bikes: 2009 Fuji Roubaix RC; 2011 Fuji Cross 2.0; '92 Diamond Back Ascent EX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 16 Times in 12 Posts
Find an inexpensive used MTB. I've picked up a couple in the last year for $50 or less. Your money will be better spent getting a bike that fits and working on it rather than trying to get a junk bike to fit you.
CACycling is offline  
Old 06-04-08, 06:38 PM
  #4  
Out fishing with Annie on his lap, a cigar in one hand and a ginger ale in the other, watching the sunset.
 
Tom Stormcrowe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 16,057

Bikes: Techna Wheelchair and a Sun EZ 3 Recumbent Trike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 22 Times in 17 Posts
Agreed with the above....

With the price of parts, it's going to be cheaper to get a bike that fits your son than to try to adapt one that's too small. A Thompson Setback Seatpost, for example, will cost about $90.00, IF you can get one in the diameter you need for the tube.
__________________
. “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”- Fredrick Nietzsche

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant
Tom Stormcrowe is offline  
Old 06-04-08, 07:16 PM
  #5  
Thrifty Bill
 
wrk101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,570

Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more

Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 957 Times in 624 Posts
+1 Craigs List. You can find good/decent mountain bikes on Craigs List all of the time. They are much more common (at least around here) than good road bikes.

I would not consider your options limited at all. Its just a matter of how much you are ready to do to find a deal. I bought a real nice Giant Rincon mountain bike at a garage sale for $10. Needed nothing except air in the tires and a good washing.

Last edited by wrk101; 06-04-08 at 07:18 PM. Reason: addl comments
wrk101 is offline  
Old 06-04-08, 10:35 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BigPolishJimmy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Southwest Michigan
Posts: 1,561

Bikes: Fuji Monterey, Schwinn Traveler, Fuji Special Road Racer, Gitane Interclub, Sun EZ-1, Schwinn Frontier, Puch Cavalier, Vista Cavalier, Armstrong, Raleigh Sports, Schwinn Stingray

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I'll be sure to keep my eyes peeled at garage sales and craigslist, along with the local thrift stores and barter groups, I've seen a lot of bikes, but not in my size. Freecycle www.freecycle.org has been very good to me as I got a trek in my size for free. Of course I'll be putting a lot of work and time along with tires & tubes but it's going to be a joy to ride. My son has taken ownership of my old Murray mountain bike and it fits him fine, if a little big atm. But as I search I still have this Huffy mountain bike that I also got from freecycle. It had a broken pedal, so tonight I swapped out the crank with another junk huffy womans mountain bike that had the same crank size. I cleaned & regreased the bearings and everything is nice and compatible. I've got a bmx seat post that will go way up, but not back. I've also got bmx handle bars and I'm tempted to try, I've got to take a look at the seat & handlebar geometry to see if it'd buy me space or just make me uncomfortably taller. I know huffy is junk, in the woman's bike the cones & bearings were really bad & out-of-round deformed not sure the term for it but it almost looked like it was made of something soft like lead. There is no way at my weight that I'll push this thing jumping or even going fast for that matter. I mapquested the ride to the lake, 4-miles there, 4-miles back, partial dirt road, that's my goal for this bike, the trek on the other hand I will put money into and ride solo to build distance and endurance. My goal is to ride home from work at least once (25 miles) by the end of summer.

Last edited by BigPolishJimmy; 06-04-08 at 10:39 PM.
BigPolishJimmy is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.