Originally Posted by TX Hoss

You mention that there are no bikes in this price point that will fit someone our size, 6’ 250lbs. I think the reason we are looking at these bikes it TO get back into shape. In my youth I did stupid things like jump over cars, 6 friends, off the house, etc. I know I can’t do that anymore, but I want a bike that I can get aggressive with occasionally. I am looking at bikes in this price range because I want higher quality, something that will last longer than a Wal-Mart POS, no offense to them. On the other hand, I want to get back in to riding without spend $1K+ for a bike.

OK, off the soapbox and on to the questions. I am 35, 6’ and 250lbs., and need a bike I can use for recreational riding. I will primarily ride on paved surfaces, paved trails, dirt trails and infrequently ride on some tough trails. I’ve read this entire thread before posting so hopefully my questions are totally ignorant. The two things I’ve determined from reading the posts are:

1. Feel is probably as important as anything else.
2. The bikes in this price point are going to be very similar.

Based on some of the comments, I am interested in the following four models:

Gary Fisher Tassajara
Specialized Hardrock Pro Disk
Giant Iguana
Ironhorse Warrior Expert

Given my size and riding level, the things driving my decision now are warranty, upgrade abilities and durability. From what I’ve seen, Specialized may be the best from the frame warranty/durability standpoint. I believe any of these bikes will be more than I need for my expected riding habits, but I am concerned with the warranty/durability issues because of my size. I’ll give up a few features for a more bulletproof bike. Anything I should avoid when making my purchase? Any flaws in my logic/choices? Anything that should drive me to one of these bikes over another? I’m going to be testing these models over the next few weeks. Thanks in advance for any replies.