brentd

Been lurking here a couple weeks, as I'm looking to get my wife a bike for Christmas and decided I need one as well. Hers I've got covered, but for me I have plenty of questions. We would only be riding on paved roads/trails and firmly packed gravel or dirt trails.


I'm a linebacker build sort of guy, 5' 10" and around 385. I've been researching, and for my size I've read most of the thoughts on what I need here -- though many are conflicting views. I've read a steel frame is what I need, then I've read aluminum is just fine. I've read that disc brakes are better for big dudes to get some stopping power, but I see PLENTY of folks like me here mention using standard caliper type brakes that grab the tire. I've read to look for 12 gauge spokes, and that there should be anywhere from 32-36 of them on a stock bike, but 12 gauge seems hard to find. I've also read double-walled rims are a good idea, but it seems most of what I find are either 36 spokes with regular rims or 32 spokes with double-walled.


So, with all that being said, I'm still a bit overwhelmed. My budget is in the range of $600 give or take for just the bike. My local stores carry Trek, Felt, Giant and Specialized. Another carries Cannondale, but I've yet to visit them, and thus haven't researched those much. I know buying used is mentioned a lot here, but I honestly want to stick to new for the sake of the free servicing that comes with them from my local stores.


I'm intrigued by the Specialized Roll Sport, Sirrus Disc and Crosstrail Disc so far, but apprehensive about all being 32 spokes. All have double-walled rims, though.


The Giant Sedona DX and the Roam line I've looked into.


Trek 820 (steel frame, 36 spokes, single wall rims), Marlin 4, Marlin 5 (32 spokes, but double-walled, disc brakes) are ones I've looked into.


Could really use some ideas to help guide me. I fear I may be focusing too much on specific specs when some experienced advice would probably suit me better.

10 Wheels

36 spoke wheels is what you want.

The rest is All about the correct size of bike.

MRT2

I weigh around 280 and I use 36 spoke rear wheel, 32 spoke front wheel. The back wheel is hand made and has 36 double butted spokes made by Wheelsmith. At your size, I would say 36 spokes front and back minimum, and maybe consider building a back wheel with 40 spokes, 36 spokes in front. I don't know about 12 gauge spokes, so maybe someone else can help you there. I use 32 mm tires pumped up to 95 psi in the back, 85 psi in the front. Double walled rims at your size. Most decent bikes come stock with double walled rims anyway.

My bike uses cantilever brakes with Kool Stop Salmon pads. Seems to work pretty well. Hydraulic disc brakes are getting more common, but at the $600 price point, I would focus more on a good back wheel than on disc brakes.

As for bikes, $600 is an OK, budget, $900 or $1,000 would be better especially since you might need to budget some extra money for a heavy duty back wheel since the bike companies spec' stock wheels to suit the average 160 to 180 lb rider and you are twice that weight.

late

Don't worry about frame material. I've had steel, Ti and Alu. They can all be good, or bad, for that matter. At this price range, I'd look at Alu. I recently got a hybrid, and it was an Alu Cypress. Decent frame, crap gears.

Don't get shocks. Just don't.

I like the idea of discs, but at entry level prices, I'd stick with regular brakes.

Regardless of which bike you get, the saddle will likely be a pain. Give it 2 or 3 weeks for your butt to get used to riding again. If it still bothers you, look into getting a saddle. I would suggest a B67.

A rule of thumb is 10%. Add about 10% a week to your mileage. A cheap bike computer can help there.

Another rule of thumb is that the bike shop is as important as the bike. Find a good shop, stick with it, even if you buy the bike elsewhere.

At 385, you will likely wind up with 36 spoke wheels. Depends on how you ride. One option is to ask the shop about swapping out the wheels as part of the purchase of the bike. This will add to the cost, but just might save some grief later. If I was 385 and muscular, I'd definitely do that.

Getting the bike so you are comfortable, and it is reliable, and that you don't kill yourself by pushing too hard or too long, do that and you will keep riding until your legs fall off.

MRT2

Good point about saddles. I ride a Brooks B17. At this point, anything else is a pain. I broke a spoke on my primary bike last week and found myself riding my old Trek mountain bike. After about an hour, the stock saddle on the Trek felt like a brick.

And speaking of spokes, even with a broken spoke (my first broken spoke in two years), with 36 spokes, the bike was still rideable and I was able to ride home even after breaking a spoke. With 32 spokes, you might have to walk home or call for a ride if you break a spoke, which you probably will.

late

I should have mentioned that the B67 is good for the typical hybrid riding position, which is close to bolt upright.
The B17 is for the traditional riding position, with the bars close to the level of the saddle. The torso is bent at roughly 30 degrees.

brentd

I'm finding a mixture of double-walled and regular rims at my price point. Doesn't seem to be a clear reason why one or the other is included, though Specialized seems to have more offerings with double-walled than the other brands I mentioned. I'm not against cantilever brakes at all, just want to be sure I'm going to be safe. We won't be riding on any majorly hilly terrain, and, at least for the time being, I don't foresee us going at more than a leisurely pace anyway. So cantilever is probably plenty fine. I've noticed that going with disc brakes tends to also come with an upgrade on the brake and shift mechanisms on the handlebars, so the cost difference seems to be worthwhile for the most part.

I'm much more fine with aluminum frames than when I first started looking, so I'll likely end up there. Also looking mostly at hybrids, though the mountain bikes seem to be built a bit beefier. Just don't know that I'd like one on the road due to the tire treads. As for shocks, I understand the reasoning not to factor those into my search with my current weight. But as long as they have lockouts I'm not terribly concerned if the bike I get does have them. Is your aversion to disc brakes on an entry bike because most are mechanical and not hydraulic? Or just the quality of what would come on an entry level bike. Mind you, I'm an entry level rider, so entry level brakes would probably be okay with me. But even so, there are hydraulic brakes on a couple models I've looked at in my range. I already planned on getting a different saddle, just from looking at the stock ones in the stores. The LBS relationship is exactly why I'd rather buy new at this point. We have 3 local shops, and two of them come highly recommended. Those two have been open for 39 and 42 years, so I know they are places I can trust that will be around when I need them. The other store I haven't been to yet (they sell Cannondale), and it's not that they aren't recommended, the other two are always just mentioned first. The Trek/Felt shop has specifically told me they will swap out any parts on the bike I choose and give me credit for them towards whatever I want to change them to. So I like that idea. I asked about this at the Giant/Specialized shop, and the guy I was talking to--he was newer--wasn't sure, but said there would definitely be an upgrade charge of some sort (which I would expect).

That's good to know. The problem I'm having is finding a bike with 36 spokes that also has double-walled rims. I hate to be parting out the thing for a bunch of upgraded parts before I even take it home, so I'd ideally like to start with something that works for me now until I get the budget and knowledge built up to realize what I *need* to upgrade first.

I feel like I'd prefer to be in a hybrid position over traditional. Seems like traditional would put more weight on the hands (though perhaps more evenly distribute across the wheels?), and I have some pretty good carpal tunnel issues. I'm already pretty certain I'll need some different grips on the bars and/or some specialized gloves to help counteract the effects of the carpal tunnel.

---

Thanks everyone for the responses so far. I could tell by lurking that this is a great community that loves to help out. So does anyone have any suggestions for bikes from Giant, Specialized, or Trek's current lineups? Those are my readily accessible brands locally from trusted shops. My issue so far is being overwhelmed by the number of choices. Finding 36 spokes with double-walled rims is also proving kind of difficult. None of the brand websites are terribly easy to navigate since all their bikes are broken into weird subsets, and they don't make it overly easy to search for the specific things I want in the bike. My budget is not set in stone at +/- $600, but if it goes higher I need it to be for a bike I won't have to upgrade half the parts before I can ride it. Essentially I'm trying to keep the total budget (mine and wife's bikes in total, helmets, trailer hitch rack) $1500 or less before tax. Wife doesn't have the same sort of caveats as I in what she'll need, so I've already got her covered in the sub-$400 range.

IAMAMRA

Trust me, upgrade the back wheel now or you will be doing it later. A 12ga dbl wall 36 spoke rear wheel set me back about $150 a few years ago but has never needed anything done to it.

brentd

So which rear wheel set did you go with? Did you leave your front wheel stock?

IAMAMRA

I don't have the bike handy to check(loaned to a friend), it I left the front wheel stock with a double wall rim. The rear wheel is what is most likely to be damaged because it takes the most abuse.

MRT2

You can buy a wheel or even better, have a wheel builder build one for you. Hopefully your local bike shop can build one in house or point you in the direction of a good wheel builder.

The thing is, most stock wheels, even on bikes that retail for $1,000 are the weak point on bikes. They are built for the average weight rider, so figure between 160 and 180 lbs. Those of us who tip the scales just a bit above that need to do our due diligence. I know there are some that say just ride it till you have a problem, but the thing is, you could have a wheel problem 20 miles from home.

I am still running the stock front wheel on my current bike, but the back wheel failed after the rim started cracking at three adjacent spoke holes, and one spoke hole on the opposite side of the rim. I replaced it with a hand built touring wheel. Rim was Alex, spokes are Wheelsmith, and the hub is the Velo Orange Grand Cru touring hub. The hub was a bit of a splurge. I am sure you would do fine with a Shimano hub.

MRT2

OK, pick the bike you want and then, if it lacks double walled rims, you will have to buy a wheelset with 36 spokes and doublewalled rims.

Don't get hung up about the brand. Find the right bike for you, and go with that regardless of the brand. You can only see the logo when you are not riding the bike, and really, who cares about parking lot/coffee shop bragging rights anyway?

The reason some say not to do shocks is, at the price point you are looking, they suck and they won't work at your weight. And they add weight, cost, and complexity. So forget about shocks and go with a solid fork. As for discs, that just goes to cost. Again, entry level mechanical discs are not great and good mechanical discs or hydraulic discs are more expensive than either V brakes or cantilevers.

RE: riding position. It really comes down to balancing comfort against power and speed. As you ride, you will find a position that suits you, and don't assume it is sitting bolt upright. After a half hour of sitting upright, especially into the wind, or going up hills, you will get more fatigued sitting bolt upright than you will leaning slightly forward. Leaning slightly forward doesn't strain the hands if your core is strong, and that position allows you to shift your weight forward or back to handle bumps, cracks, train tracks, or other obstacles in the road. So in the long run, a position somewhere in between the hunched over position of a time trial or tri athlon bike and a comfort bike is best, IMO.

Though you might be averse to it, consider getting a bike with drop bars. Though many like flat bars, in the long run you may find they limit your ability to ride longer distances.

Take what stores say about swapping parts out with a grain of salt. Likely what they will do is give you a small credit for, say, swapping out tires, wheels, or saddle, and charge you full retail for the upgrade. So the shop that tells you up front about the upgrade charge is probably the more honest place.

Two new bikes, helmets, accessories (don't forget a pump, and a lock, and a seatbag to hold spare tubes, tire levers and tubes), and a trailer mounted rack for $1,500 is a challenge. Not saying it can't be done, but you will need to find something on sale, that is for sure.

brentd

Thanks. I'm pretty much coming to terms with the fact that I'll need a beefier rear wheel. If I can find something stock with 36 spokes that's double-walled already, I'll consider that bike, but otherwise I'll see if I can swap out the rear wheel.


I don't care about brand. The only reason I mentioned the brands I did is because those are the ones available to me where I live that I can actually try out before I buy. So if there's a specific bike from those brands that I should look into, those would be my first choice since I would be working with a local shop and not gambling on getting something shipped to me that I can't try first.


Good points on the shocks. Hadn't really thought about the added weight of those. As for riding position, I'm not looking for a comfort bike, completely upright form; I just don't know that I'd want my hind end at or higher than the bars. Drop bars don't really interest me, and I don't foresee doing any long distance riding any time in the near term. So that's always something I can change later if I decide it's something I need.


I see what you're saying about swapping parts. The shop that mentioned credit towards the upgraded parts was pretty up front when he said a small credit would be given, so I don't necessarily think they were trying to lead me to believe I'd get a full priced credit for what my swapped wheel or grip costs. The other store the guy helping me was new and just didn't know all the details really. I wouldn't be surprised if they operate in the same manner.


Thanks for the input!

MRT2

RE: riding position. Seat 6 or 8" higher than bars is a fairly aggressive position. Seat even with bars is a fairly relaxed position, and one which you will find on many hybrids as well. Seat lower than bars is a very relaxed position, that you will find on comfort bikes and cruisers.

That is fine if drop bars don't interest you, but don't kid yourself. That is one thing you can't easily switch in the future. For a variety of reasons, switching from flat bars to drop bars is expensive and impractical, so a switch from flat bars to drops usually means buying another bike.

As far as longer distances, don't sell yourself short. When I bought my first bike as an adult almost 20 years ago, I went with a flat bar hybrid (basically a mountain bike with bars mounted high for a relaxed riding position). I bought the bike for riding around the city with my then fiancee (now my wife), and to train for a one time 25 mile charity ride. Almost immediately after getting the hybrid, I realized I made a mistake. It isn't that I didn't love my bike, but the bolt upright seating position and flat bars were limiting, and while I modded that bike over the years, eventually I found I needed a bike with drop bars. I had no idea that I would be doing the equivalent of 2 to 3 of those 25 mile charity rides every single week over the riding season and at times, I would do rides of over 60 miles on the weekends. I am not saying this to pump myself up. I still struggle with my weight, but riding several times a week for 2, 3, or (less frequently) 5 hours at a time is now part of my weekly routine during the spring through fall riding season.

brentd

And you're in Wisconsin. Living in SC, I'd say "riding season" can easily be 10 months out of the year. Or 8 if you ask my cold-natured wife. ha Maybe I just need to try some drop bar bikes out. My only experience with one is what my mom had when I was maybe 8 years old. Nowadays it just doesn't *look* comfortable, so I shy away from them.

late

A mtn bike would be fine, if the tread is aggressive, it will tire you quickly on the road.

Test ride the bikes, see what you like.

Let me tell you what I did. This won't be anything like what you will do, but it may help indirectly. I got a $300 bike because I liked the way it fit. I didn't like the gears at all (we call that the grouppo). So I took all that stuff off one of my bikes, and it's now a 9 speed with drop bars. The bars are higher than the saddle, but having tried many bars, I think drops are the best. That doesn't mean I want you to go there, just info for down the road if you get into riding and wind up looking for a really good bike.

I put a B67 on, and I put my good Vittorias on it. I'm kind of fanatic over tires. When yours wear out, that is a good brand.

Brooks saddles have a place on the back to place tradtional saddle bags. I have a Carradice Barley. Great piece of kit, as the Brits like to say.

There are a lot of different types of bars.

The wife uses this one... with an Ergon style grip.
FSA Metropolis Handlebar > Components > Handlebars > Urban & Cruiser Bars | Jenson USA
https://www.rei.com/product/873074/e...andlebar-grips

H bar
H-BAR

There is a titanium handlebar, forget the name, that was the original H style bar. Seriously nice bar, not sure if anyone still makes it.

Duluth Trading makes polos out of the high tech fabrics fancy jerseys use. They have 4 shirts like that, I have them all. They look like polos, although they are some of the best made polos I've seen. They are cut for big guys, my wife asks we to wear them because she likes the way I look when wearing them. They won't have much now, but they will get in new stock in a few months. When I ride in a jersey, the neighbors act like I'm invisible. When I wear the polos, they smile and wave.

What I was getting at before about gears, partly what I meant is that a $300 bike cuts too many corners. $600 is much better, but if you can manage going higher, that's a good idea.

Jarrett2

I've had better luck with Specialized wheels over the crappy Trek/Bontrager AT's at that price point.

IAMAMRA

Check out the trek Crossrip, relaxed geometry, has interrupter brakes(second set mounted on the flat), double wall rims, and the upper models have disc brakes but the base has regular. I love mine. It's a cyclocross bike so it's a bit more rugged than a road bike.

dr_lha

Nope. You might say that, "we" don't.

Unless you're talking about Campy stuff, then it might be OK to say "gruppo" (note correct Italian spelling).

late

Seen it said by bike mechanics, in ads, etc.

Nice try, next time how about helping the OP?

dr_lha

I'm helping him out by making sure he doesn't make a fool of himself when talking about bike parts in the future.

Also I'm helping you out by pointing out the correct spelling.

Everyone's a winner.

brentd

Good info. Definitely like recommendations for additional kit to outfit my bike with. I'd already seen a lot about Brooks saddles on here from this particular group, so was already planning on looking into one of those. The handlebars look like they'd be pretty versatile for however I prefer to ride on any given day. I already have about a week's worth of the Duluth Armachillow boxer briefs and love them. They just aren't overly durable. I've always wondered about the other clothing they have, so that's good to know about the polos. May have to ask for a couple for Christmas.

Good to know. I know I've read a bit about Trek's standard wheels having some issues (at least at my price point).

The Crossrip actually shows up on their site as a City/Commuter bike. It also starts at $1100, which is out of my budget. Also, with 32 spokes I'm not sure the rims being double-walled would be a huge benefit from what I'm hearing from everyone else to go with 36 or more AND double walls.

dr_lha

One question: Do you have a Jamis dealer nearby? If yes, check out their offerings. For flat bar bike, the Jamis Coda Sport is a great bike, and I would say, Clyde worthy. The steel frame is tough as nails and the wheels that come with it are pretty strong.

If you're looking at drop bar, then the Jamis Renegade series should interest you. I'd go with the steel frame one personally, but the aluminum is closer to your budget.

NYSteve

Let us know what you get, and how you like it.

MRT2

The Jamis Coda Sport is a good choice, as is the Jamis Quest. Both steel frames, which I like.

Another good budget pick is the Giant Escape 2, if you like aluminum. Only $400 retail, which is about $100 less than similar models from Trek and Soecialized.