bamm

First i'm a 400lb guy looking to cycling to loose weight. My closest friend has taken it up recently and is doing it every single day so this seems like a great oppurtunity for me to join in.

I've narrowed my search to:

Kona Hoss- though i would have to buy used because i dont think they are made anymore.

Specialized Hard Rock- LBS should certainly be able to fill this order.

With either bike i was going to have the lbs put on a solid fork and 36 spoke wheels. Do these sound like a good solution for me? I've considered the oversized seat but it sounds like i will get used to the normal seat.

Just one question how do i figure out size of bike. I'm 5' 10' and most of my height is in my torso not my legs.

engstrom

First off I think that taking up bicycling is great! If you are not already an expert bicycle mechanic (or maybe just an excellent mechanic in general) I would definitely buy the bike from your LBS. That way you can build up a good reputation with them and they'll be there to help when you need help. As you gain experience you can rely on them less and less but it's still nice to have that relationship with your LBS if you need them.

As for sizing, a good LBS should be able to help with that. The only way to know for sure is to get on the bike and have someone at the shop who knows what to look for (reach to pedals, reach to bars, angle of hips and back, etc.) make adjustments and/or change you to a different sized bike.

Wogster

There are three important factors when it comes to choosing a bicycle, they are: fit, fit and fit.

First issue with fit, can you mount the bicycle properly, and once your on there, is the bar in the right place, it needs to be within 1" of the proper position, so that by switching stems or changing the bar height you can get it to work. You want the shop to put the bars at maximum height using spacers, at 400lbs bending over to reach the bars is not going to be a positive experience. Solid fork, 36 spoke wheels, good idea, if you don't want to do much off road then swap the tires for some smooth ones, but stick with wide tires, with a high pressure rating. Now, cycling to lose weight, is not a singular activity, you need to also work on some other things, including diet and other forms of exercise, walking and swimming are both good.

Before you buy a bicycle, make sure you see your doctor and get a complete medical, if there are any issues, take care of those first. We don't want to hear that bamm is no longer with us, due to a circulatory pump failure. Even before you have the bike, you need to change a few other things as well. Food is not your friend, food is not your comfort, food is fuel, if you want a comfort and a friend, get a dog -- there is a bonus to the dog, you need to walk it. You don't want a diet, you want training in how to properly fuel the body, your doctor can help here, by referring you to a nutritionist, you need one for athletes, because that is what you want to become. This starts with a thing called Basel Metabolic Rate, that is how much fuel does it take to keep the body functioning, doing what many larger men like to do, couch surf. Once you find the BMR, you aim your diet there, so if your BMR is 2500 calories, aim for providing that amount of fuel. Then use exercise to create a deficit. There are 3500 calories (roughly) in one pound of fat, so if you exercise 500 calories a day, you can lose 1lb a week, 1000 calories is 2lbs a week, 1100 calories is 1kg per week, losing more then 1kg per week is not generally recommended. Not all weight lost is going to be fat, and sometimes you trade off fat for muscle, so better indicators then weight are things like how your clothes fit, and your percentage of body fat.

exile

I will reiterate what Wogsterca says: The most important thing is fit. The second most important thing is your desire to ride.

At 5'10 you are looking at bikes somewhere in the 17" -21" range. For reference I am 5'9 and ride a 19" 1999 Jamis exile (hardtail) MTB. However I am primarily a commuter, and don't ride trails.

Your LBS should have something built up in your size. Test ride as many as you can. If this is your first bike than engstom's advice about going through them is sound. You are not only purchasing a bike, but also service after the fact (accessories, repair, tune ups, good relationship, etc.).

Wogster

Let me add two more points, don't think of the bike you buy as your last bike, it's your first bike, as your fitness improves you find yourself in one of two places, road or dirt, for road a road bike is more appropriate, for dirt you want that suspension fork back......

For diet, it needs rejigging once in a while, as you lose weight and gain fitness, the number of calories needed for BMR are reduced.....

rick458

I have the Hard Rock Sport Disc, it is built tank strong, and is a comfortable ride, I am 6'2" 288 and ride a 19" frame.
the Disc brakes give you lots of stopping/slowing power and seem to be less fussy
I paid $619 + tax for mine last month (big sale at the bike barn) I only have about 45 miles on it so far
so take ALL my observations with the understanding IDNS...YET

JohnA42

You are correct about that; the last year they made the Hoss was 2009. If you manage to find one somewhere, don't discount the stock suspension. (Assuming it's one of the later models with the Marzocchi DJ2.)