pg13

Hi. New clydesdale here looking to purchase a new bike with a $400-700 range. Admittedly I dont have much cycling knowledge though plan to buy a book or 3 on the subject soon. Itll be mostly road/paths but will want to go offroad so would rather have a mtb with tires more suited for the road than a hybrid(though i dont know where id be offroading in arizona for awhile) and ill be riding it to lose weight(hopefully) by riding to places like south mountain, phoenix zoo, and world wildlife zoo. Roughly 310 pounds so looking for more durability and reliability than light weight. Currently eyeing trek marlin, trek 820, trek 4300, specialized hardrock sport disc 29, specialized hardrock disc 29, giant talon 2. Also considering diamondback trace pro dual sport, and diamondback overdrive comp 29. Though the last two are over my budget. Dont really know which to get as I kinda like them all lol. If theres any others you all would like to suggest Im open to it. Sadly theres not many bike shops that have a different variety of different brands but i dont mind riding the bus 2 hours for a bike shop with great service and prices. Currently riding a cheap full suspension bike(like walmart price bike though from sams club) and wanting a hardtail for now. Thanks for any advice and information can provide!
edit: oh if you want to check the shops im probably going to be using are landis, slippery pig(interesting name lol), bikebarnaz.com, tempe bicycle, and umm cant remember any others off hand. Was considering used but considering my major lack of knowledge(and skills) of parts and being able to maintain them or fix them means im going new. going to keep my old bike even after getting new for simple training on maintenance and try things out on it so if i mess up its not the nice shiny new bike that i mess up lol

edit: while ive just read the stickie about for exercise a road. 1. never ridden so i dont know if getting used to would help or hinder. 2. ive been very inactive so ill be starting with small rides of just a few miles as i am very out of shape sadly. 3. i dont think i could afford a road bike with wheels that would hold my weight but i could be wrong?
ps: sorry for rambling so long

Allen55

I know you said you didn't want a hybrid, but I love my Trek 7000 and you can ride it on the road AND the trail. If you wanna do a lot of MTB, you may have to put different tires on it, but that shouldn't be a problem. If you get a straight MTB, you won't like it for the road.

pg13

ive mostly road a mtb on the road still am now. of course i was younger and lighter then but still also the components on a mtb are usually tougher and more durable compared to hybrids. and ill be using this mostly for losing weight and getting out and about usually over rough to no roads so need a bike able to handle the weight and be capable. and while trek does have some nice hybrid models i dont like the low end components on the ones in my price range. from what ive found checking around is im trying to get components of sram x4/alivio or better quality if i can.

ClydesMoose

Aren't they the same components? Alivio is alivio on a hybrid or an mtb.

I'm a Felt fan I like the way they look.
https://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/2012...ine-Trail.aspx
https://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/2012...ries/Q520.aspx

pg13

yes but the hybrids that have the same components are usually like +200-300 more than the same mtb. the trek 7500 has about the same parts as the bikes ive listed but it starts at 912 compared to like 580-620 for the most and the diamondbacks have much greater parts and run at like 770. though on that road bike angle the trek 7.3 fx looks nice and has decent parts too

edit: yeah ive checked out the felts too. theyre nice. i just felt was listing too many bikes lol. and i know i can save money using like bikesdirect or amazon or other net ordering but not sure if i want to do that with my current abilities

ClydesMoose

I have a DB Sorrento currently, and I love it. Got it on sale for $249 from Sports Authority 2 years ago. Its got SRAM x3 shifters and RD, Shimano tourney FD, and shimano rear freewheel.

It was a heck of a bike for the price, heavy and durable feeling. Swapped out the knobbies for road tires and its good to go on and off road, as long as its not *too* off roady.

pg13

thats what i plan on doing with whatever bike i eventually doing already have a nice sunlite cloud 9 seat coming from amazon hmm is it just me or does the trek 7.3 fx hybrid look like a mtb just without the typical suspension fork that are on pretty much all mtbs now? trying to figure out why this frame is a hybrid and not a mountain. maybe the material its made from?
edit: hmm checked out the trek 4300 disc and compared it to the trek 7.3 disc same material used to make the frame. and parts seem to be pretty close only real difference(as far as i know) is the mtb has the suspension fork and the hybrid is fully rigid. oh and the frame looks to be a bit thinner? too

kc0yef 

exactly
+1

pg13

im happy you guys still love the trek 7000 but while i really do like trek(trek 820 then it got stolen ) im afraid the parts it has wouldnt hold up to the abuse id put it under.

kc0yef 

I am 265 and I have had my Trek since 1997

I am not sure why you think the geometry for a mountain bike won't hold up especially the 7000 I have ridden slick rock in Moab and American Lake in Colorado never broke a spoke or dented a wheel heck I never even had a flat I did however wear out the RockShox Magnesium 21's they are frozen solid... It is the only Aluminum geometry I rind and with tires it is a perfect touring bike...

pg13

the 7000 is a hybrid. and umm your 7000 doesnt sound stock lol. trek 7000 has like crappy parts. and i just checked bikepedia and i dont know why but the current trek 7000 is a hybrid with like 10 dollar parts and nothing like the 97 o.O i think allen55 trek 7000 and your trek 7000 are vastly different bikes despite having the same name.

jethro56 

pg13: I'm trying to figure out what problems this new bike will solve over your Sam's Club bike. Do you not like full suspension? Tires? Quality? Service? How much have you ridden so far? I started with a Trek 7300 After 200 miles I knew the front suspension wasn't necessary for the riding I do. After 1000 miles knew the upright seating position wasn't what I wanted for riding into the wind. After 1500 miles I knew I wanted 105 level components on a road bike. I started test riding Road bikes at 2000 miles and bought a Trek Madone 4.5 after 2500 miles which cost twice as much as the maximum I thought I'd ever spend on a bicycle. I've only ridden the 7300 a few times since I bought the Madone but I wouldn't have the Madone If I hadn't ridden the 7300 as much as I did. My point is as you ride your taste will evolve. I don't have trails to ride on in the great Corn and Soybean desert so I didn't ever develope a taste for MTB bikes. Welcome to the forum. We'd love to hear about the rides you're doing now.

Wolfwerx

To OP: You seem to have your mind already set. Get what you like.

If you want to consider another opinion, though: If you are dead-set on getting something right now, then look for something in your price range with a good frame, and learn to upgrade the components (or pay your LBS to do it) as needed ("cheaper" parts aren't going to explode the moment you touch them, you seem to have a case of too much internet reading and not enough actual experience).
Or, ideally, save your money for a while longer and get something that has exactly what you want already on it. In the meantime, put some good road-worthy tires on your current bike and work towards losing weight, if that is your goal.

late

Go test ride some bikes. It should give you a better idea of what we're talking about.

Piece of advice, there is no 'do it all' bike.
The closest you can come is a cyclocross bike.

https://www.bikeman.com/BK7156.html?u...ign=GoogleBase


So get a bike for the road, and then *when* you are in better shape,
get a Mtn bike.

sprince

these things are built like a tank, and you'll save enough for a lot of upgrades
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/deadeye.htm

pg13

@ jethro56 problem is with my weight and i do like full suspension because it does ride smooth. unfortunately everything else you mentioned is bad on it including the fs. the shape of the bike changes by at least 5 or more inches when im on it and oddly for a big bike its small fitting. so thats 1 big reason needing a new bike is for one that fits better. on this bike id say ive ridden less than 40 miles but to be fair its mainly the seat and grips why more than the overall bike. stock seat very thin and virtually no padding and real thin and oddly very hard rubber grips.

@wolfwerx thats the problem kinda. i have to many bikes i like that im looking at which is why my list of potentials keeps growing and i know cheap parts wont but for being my main bike and my weight(+300#s) id feel alot more secure with quality parts as i will be riding in remote place or far from home. and i plan on using my old bike to learn how to change components and repairs. just not willing right now because i dont want to take the chance i mess it up and end up not being able to ride and lose motivation.

@late ive looked. and was thinking of a touring bike or a cyclocross. i dont know if my back currently would be able to take that riding position though. or can you ride a road in a more upright position like a mtb? never ridden one before so i have no idea. so far checking the cyclocrosses are +1k

@sprince a single speed? would that be better or worse for just getting back into riding and weight? currently 3 miles on my back and legs is causing them to hurt and thats with a 21 speed.

bwilliams

i have a Trek ds 8.3,i am or was 300lbs when i started a month ago,i am now at 295 and have almost 100 miles on my bike,no roads but i have ridden it on some paved trails but now i am finding myself riding more on gravel forestry rds.so far nothing has broke or feels like its going to break under my weight,i have upgraded my tires to 29's and i added the thud buster for comfort,my ass still gets sore after a few hrs but other than that i am comfortable.

the only real reason i upgraded the tires is i felt i was going to damage the rims riding on the gravel rds,the stock ones were 700-38..


Not trying to confuse the OP anymore just throwing another option out there.

Wolfwerx

Don't be put off by a "hard" saddle. I think most people here will agree that when you start racking up some miles, you will prefer a good firm saddle vs. a huge squishy monster. Your rear will need to get used to it, obviously.

Also, I wasn't suggesting that you change components on your current ride, other than tires. You would probably find slick tires more pleasing to ride on the road than the knobbies that I would assume are on your current bike. Changing tires is the most important skill to learn, so "no time like the present". This will be cheap... if you look around, you should be able to get a couple of average tires for under $30. Good ones for under $50. Smooth-rolling tires will make things way more comfortable for you on the road, and comfort= more inclined to ride.



Definitely look at "touring" bikes, if you are worried about your back/position on a road bike. You want something where the handlebars are even with (or higher than) the saddle. I'm a big guy, too, and I had this same concern, initially.

jethro56 

Pg13: I had been doing treadmill and eliptical training for 14 months and still had the issues you describe. I don't know what tires you have but they make a big difference. My point is that few people can just jump on a bike and be comfortable. For most of us extra padding on the seat causes more problems than it solves. Do you have bicycling gloves? If 3 miles makes you not want to ride tomorrow ride 2 miles. I know if you keep this up you'll want another bike, but it takes time/miles to get used to this.

mymojo

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
--HERBERT SPENCER

Stop arguing with the advice that you asked for and LISTEN.

That being said, why not get two separate bikes for the two distinct styles of riding you want to do?

Wolfwerx

+1. IMO, I think it is better to ride 2 or 3 miles at a time and be happy than to overdo it with 10 miles and be miserable for the next few days. Eventually those 2 or 3 miles start to magically grow. Also, 2 mile rides done several times a week is better than a 5 or 10 mile ride done once a week.

Seattle Forrest

Why? Which ones? I'd like to suggest that you sleep on getting books about cycling, and just read the forum and ride your bike. It's actually pretty easy.

If you want to do a combination of road and trail riding, you should check out some cyclocross bikes.

sprince

It's just something to think about. The 2" tires make for a very comfortable ride, on or off-road. MTB's have shorter frames, and are harder to fit precisely - not saying you can't get a good fit with with MTB's but the shorter wheel base is going to be much less forgiving. No bike with an upright riding position and fat tires is going to be as fast as a road bike, and the speed difference between a hybrid and a 29'er on paths and pavement is pretty negligible. If you have back and leg pain after 3 miles it's a pretty fair guess that the current bike doesn't fit, or you are pushing to large a gear, maybe both. A steel framed 29'er is about as close as you can get to indestructible, and will handle an amazing amount of off-road abuse. But what ever you do, definitely spend some time at bike shops trying different types and sizes before you buy.

pg13

@ mymojo well i was going to say other things but ill just say this: i am listening but i do have my mind set on getting a certain level of parts. im not going high end because thats outside my price range nor am i willing to go very low/low end parts either. im going midrange for very practical reasons. and i cannot afford that so i decided to go mtn with road style tires. also this will be the bike i ride regularly for at least a year even if i do decide i want something else because i dont really have the money to replace or will have the money to upgrade really so i want to get as much bang for my buck as possible.

@ wolfwerx and jethro56 well the current seat isnt a hard seat its foam(i think) padded but it probably would be better if it was a hard or more padded as the padding is odd and parts are hardish and others softer so it doesnt feel good nor hold up good(stock seat is easily 7 years or older). current seat i ordered isnt wide like a cruiser but like maybe a inch wider than current seat and the cushioning is more from the springs. and yes im getting some decent padded gloves too. i plan on getting road tires for this bike and the one i will eventually get too. and i want to ride more than 3 miles without my rear hurting as much as it does(the leg pain is fine because outta shape its expected). its just the fit mostly with this one. oh and its not that i dont want to ride the miles its i dont want my rear hurting that much for it so im just going to replace what i can for now so i can keep riding even if its just a few miles at a time and i really think the seat will help with that and the rest ill just have to push through.

@seattle forrest err i should have said about bike books for maintenance and repairs. like mel allwood complete do it yourself bike book, haynes the bicycle book, or rob van der plas bicycle repair. something along those lines.

@sprince interesting. now ill have more bikes to consider the leg pain is more i think being terribly out of shape and the back not being in the position for a long time. though i know the bike doesnt fit too.

Seattle Forrest

Clydes can have more trouble with wheels than other riders, particularly those of us who ride hard. Weight really magnifies your riding style. So, knowing how to true your wheels can be valuable, although it demands some tools, and some experience. I've had my wheels trued (minor) three times in 14 months, but I've always brought them in to the bike shop to have that done. Otherwise, though, maintenance and repairs are extremely minimal. Please don't think this is a necessary part of riding a bike.