Originally Posted by
Wilfred Laurier
I would say worry a lot about size and comfort. The fit of the bike is the most important thing. If you can find a rigid box store bike that fits well then that will be OK. However, the vast majority of box store bikes only come in one size and this makes them a bad choice for anyone not of average height. The only one I can think of that comes in multiple sizes is the GMC Denali. THe Denali is mentioned somewhere else in this thread as a bad bike, but I disagree - because it is a rigid frame, it is a far better choice than any suspension bike. And I think you can get it is a couple different sizes.
This is a plus for searching for a used bike - there are all sizes available, although XL and XS sizes might be more rare. Figure out what you need and look for bikes that are likely to fit. A cheap bike that fits is better than an expensive bike that does not.
For starters - how tall are you ? You say you have long legs, but does that mean a 36" inseam but you are only 5'6"?
That was me, I didn't say it was a bad bike, I actually like them, if he's as big as he said he was(400lbs), he might not like it when it comes to use the brakes. Now if he's interested, the Genesis Roadtech is a better choice- I just bought one of these, the reason I said avoid it, is the price- it's a little over a hundred bucks, and the Roadtech was $210.98 after tax when I bought mine.