dkyser

I have a nice 2007 Trek 8000, but at weighing in at 380 lbs I am not in Mountain Bike Shape and its not very efficient for my area.

I live in rural pa and will be riding in flat to small rolling hills to start with. The way gas prices are heading, trips to the YMCA (15 miles away) will be expensive and I start having less and less time.

I need a bike I can ride on blacktop roads, bike trails and maybe a dirt road now and then.

I really like Specialized, and do have a dealer pretty close to me. Other Dealers in my area are Trek and Cannondale.

I think a road or hybrid bike would fit my needs but have no experience with them and nothing really close to check out.

Hoping to get some good suggestions from you guys, then will do the research and make the trip to dealers and check them out.

Spudd

If you want a road bike, a touring bike might be a good way to go. They're built to handle a lot of weight. I don't think Specialized makes one, but Trek makes the Trek 520 which is generally considered a good bike.

Another option could be a cyclocross bike (e.g. Specialized Tricross). They're built a little tougher than your average racing bike. The only problem I can see with this idea is the Tricross only has 32-spoke wheels, which might be an issue at your weight, not sure.

There are lots of nice hybrids out there too. Avoid anything with suspension. I don't know what really to point you towards here, I'd suggest you just ride a few and see what you like.

dehoff

I'd visit the shops and tell them you're interested in touring or cyclocross (possibly hybrid) models, as mentioned by Spudd. I'd make sure it has rack and fender mounts on it, with clearance for wider tires. For under $2k you could be looking at quite a few options, even possibly a built up frame like a Surly Long Haul Trucker with handbuilt wheels (the vast majority of bike shops have access to Surly bikes).

Nightshade

Best bike brand to handle heavy weight people?

One word.........WORKSMAN.

Every bike they make is rated at 500 lbs + for hard work.

https://www.worksman.com/

exile

Have you thought about making your 8000 more commuter friendly?

First thing I would do is replace the knobby tires with slicks. If you will be going off road keep the knobbies and change them when you need them.

Second thing I would do is lockout your suspension fork. Suspension is usually not needed for riding on roads.

The third thing would be to add some barends to get more hand positions.

If you are comfortable on the saddle then don't change it. If you are not then that would be the next thing to look into.

You could also attach a seatpost rack if you will be carrying items or get a rear rack (disc specific) and attach it using p-clips and by other means.

If you want fenders there are a couple to choose from as well.

Basically you can do a lot to your existing bike to make it more commuter friendly and probably would cost about a 1/10th of your $2000 budget.

AngelGendy

I have these tires on my mountain bike....

I'll sell you the tires for $2,000




https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...us-26x195-tire

pdlamb

I was going to suggest trying a touring bike as well. There's a possible issue with the bars -- you may find your stomach interferes with your legs while pedaling when you reach down to grab the bars. Try the 520 (if your Trek dealer can get one), and see if they can get the bars up and/or back far enough you can ride it, using spacers, shorter or taller stems. If you can reach the brifters, you'll have a minimum of three hand positions (top, corner, and on the brifters) with the drop bars. That's probably good enough.

bassjones

Plus one on the cyclocross idea. For a road bike, any of the aluminum frame bikes in the $1400-$1500 range are strong enough for you and you'd have $500-$600 to spend on a 36 spoke wheelset (that's the route I went). I got a CAAD9 (leftover 2010) and am having a wheelset built up with either Velocity Dyads or Chukkers.