Yet another new rider Clyde looking for bike choice advice (400-450lbs)
02-15-17, 02:13 PM
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Yet another new rider Clyde looking for bike choice advice (400-450lbs)
Hello, I know variations of this question have been asked time and again, but I'm hoping to get some "up to the minute" advice.
I'm in the market for a bike. Currently weighing in at approximately 440, give or take 10lbs in either direction. Height around 5'11". Weight is down about 40lbs in the last few months and should continue to drop at a fairly steady pace. I'm on doctor supervised caloric restriction similar to post-bariatric surgery caloric intake, just without the surgery part. Health and energy levels are doing great, looking to add in some exercise. Never cared much for walking/jogging, always loved biking, but it's been 15 years since I've done any real bike riding.
Did a lot of reading around this forum, finally came to the decision that the Trek Shift 4 was the bike for me, only to realize that the bike is no longer made and not easy to find used.
I did, however, find one being sold by a person near me on craigslist. He has listed the condition as "Excellent" and is asking $400. I don't have any experience with used bikes. Unfortunately, the frame is 16.5", which I am under the impression is too small for a 5'11" rider. Also, it appears that the post has disappeared while I was writing this. Knowing Craigslist, it may be reposted soon, but who knows?
So, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice as to what bikes I should be considering at this point? Am I wrong about the Trek being too small? I have a "cash in hand" budget of about $650, but would be willing to go about double that if necessary, although the second $650 would have to go on the ol' credit card. I have no particular preferences for a bike other than I'm really not interested in a trike or recumbent. While it seems that the Trek Shift 4 was a bike suitable for a rider my size "as-is", I see that the general accepted advice for most other bikes seems to be to expect to have to upgrade the wheels to something custom built.
I'd love any advice anyone might have. Should I just buy whatever "decent" bike and upgrade the wheels? Wheel builder PSIMET is about an hour's drive from me, so that's a plus. I'm in the Chicago area if anyone were inclined to check out what's being offered used on Craigslist around here.
Thanks!
I'm in the market for a bike. Currently weighing in at approximately 440, give or take 10lbs in either direction. Height around 5'11". Weight is down about 40lbs in the last few months and should continue to drop at a fairly steady pace. I'm on doctor supervised caloric restriction similar to post-bariatric surgery caloric intake, just without the surgery part. Health and energy levels are doing great, looking to add in some exercise. Never cared much for walking/jogging, always loved biking, but it's been 15 years since I've done any real bike riding.
Did a lot of reading around this forum, finally came to the decision that the Trek Shift 4 was the bike for me, only to realize that the bike is no longer made and not easy to find used.
I did, however, find one being sold by a person near me on craigslist. He has listed the condition as "Excellent" and is asking $400. I don't have any experience with used bikes. Unfortunately, the frame is 16.5", which I am under the impression is too small for a 5'11" rider. Also, it appears that the post has disappeared while I was writing this. Knowing Craigslist, it may be reposted soon, but who knows?
So, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice as to what bikes I should be considering at this point? Am I wrong about the Trek being too small? I have a "cash in hand" budget of about $650, but would be willing to go about double that if necessary, although the second $650 would have to go on the ol' credit card. I have no particular preferences for a bike other than I'm really not interested in a trike or recumbent. While it seems that the Trek Shift 4 was a bike suitable for a rider my size "as-is", I see that the general accepted advice for most other bikes seems to be to expect to have to upgrade the wheels to something custom built.
I'd love any advice anyone might have. Should I just buy whatever "decent" bike and upgrade the wheels? Wheel builder PSIMET is about an hour's drive from me, so that's a plus. I'm in the Chicago area if anyone were inclined to check out what's being offered used on Craigslist around here.
Thanks!
02-15-17, 02:58 PM
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Welcome.... you will get some good answers here. Wheel concerns will deff come up. But give your desired style of riding and that will better get you the answers you are looking for.
02-15-17, 04:27 PM
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Don't know where your located but i'm in central indiana and have a 21 inch shift 4 that I'd sell. I bought it when I was 350 and started riding. When I got down to 275, I bought a surly disc trucker and been riding it since. The shift 4 is a good choice because it has 13 gauge spokes, 26 in wheels(stronger) and a larger seat post. It done me very well, has about 1800 miles on it. I'd take 350 for it if you were within driving distance.
02-15-17, 04:40 PM
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I suggest that you keep it very simple and cheap for the moment. There are a few reasons.
First of all, you have no assurance that this is something you'll stay with.
Even if you stay with it, your needs now are very different than they will be when some of the weight falls off.
So, consider this an interim deal, and spend accordingly. The easiest solution is to find a decent used mountain bike (brand name, not junk) preferably with a rigid (non-suspension) fork. Make sure it's your size and equipped with decent tires made for pavement, and MOST IMPORTANT, make sure it fits you properly.
Look for a decent mostly level place to ride, like a bike path around a lake because hills are murder when you're heavy.
Don't be overly ambitious or expect miracles, just get to where you can make decent effort for stretches of half an hour or more (1 hour at least every other day is a decent initial goal). Speed and distance don't matter, just so you're working at at a decent but sustainable level.
Now for the bad news. It's hard to shave weight riding a bike, especially if you're trying to get better. Initially some weight will come off, but after a while your body gets more efficient, and you need more distance, time and speed to burn the same number of calories.
Meanwhile riding makes you hungry, and dieting makes riding hard, so you're in a catch-22 and need to be patient. Focus on the diet, looking for slow weight loss, but not to the point that you feel you can't ride, then stick with it.
Somewhere between now and 300#s you'll reach a point where you may want a better bike, and that's also when you have enough of a sense of things to buy smart.
Good luck, you're starting down a good road, but it's now well paved at all, so you'll need to work hard to make progress.
First of all, you have no assurance that this is something you'll stay with.
Even if you stay with it, your needs now are very different than they will be when some of the weight falls off.
So, consider this an interim deal, and spend accordingly. The easiest solution is to find a decent used mountain bike (brand name, not junk) preferably with a rigid (non-suspension) fork. Make sure it's your size and equipped with decent tires made for pavement, and MOST IMPORTANT, make sure it fits you properly.
Look for a decent mostly level place to ride, like a bike path around a lake because hills are murder when you're heavy.
Don't be overly ambitious or expect miracles, just get to where you can make decent effort for stretches of half an hour or more (1 hour at least every other day is a decent initial goal). Speed and distance don't matter, just so you're working at at a decent but sustainable level.
Now for the bad news. It's hard to shave weight riding a bike, especially if you're trying to get better. Initially some weight will come off, but after a while your body gets more efficient, and you need more distance, time and speed to burn the same number of calories.
Meanwhile riding makes you hungry, and dieting makes riding hard, so you're in a catch-22 and need to be patient. Focus on the diet, looking for slow weight loss, but not to the point that you feel you can't ride, then stick with it.
Somewhere between now and 300#s you'll reach a point where you may want a better bike, and that's also when you have enough of a sense of things to buy smart.
Good luck, you're starting down a good road, but it's now well paved at all, so you'll need to work hard to make progress.
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“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
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WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
02-15-17, 05:33 PM
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https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/bik/5963307726.html
Something like that might work, if it fits. Basic 80s steel mountain bike, no suspension, 26" wheels. That seat post might be a weak spot though, with it's long set-back.
Or this: https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/bik/6000223631.html (but that's a little suspect because the seller doesn't even know how to spell "Trek").
Or this: https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/bik/6003613475.html
Something like that might work, if it fits. Basic 80s steel mountain bike, no suspension, 26" wheels. That seat post might be a weak spot though, with it's long set-back.
Or this: https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/bik/6000223631.html (but that's a little suspect because the seller doesn't even know how to spell "Trek").
Or this: https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/bik/6003613475.html
02-15-17, 06:33 PM
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Hey Friend,
about three years ago i found myself in a situation where i weight 365 pounds. one happy pound for every day of the year. and trust me, i was fully content eating like it was going out of style. i dont know if that's why you got heavy but me, i am addicted to food.
in any case, i started off with a diamondback full suspension mountain bike from Dicks sporting goods. broken bottom bracket, two or three cracked pedals and becuase of my weight, i would bottom out the bike which was awful because the rear derailleur cable was routed under the bottom bracket and would cause it to shift irregularly if i hit a pothole or bounced too hard while pedaling. I lost about 25 pounds before giving up on this bike.
in any case, i later upgraded to a trek Xcaliber mountain bike purchased from my local bike shop mostly because i hated the other bike but i really did like riding. i dont recall what i paid for it but the bike shop mechanic was an awesome dude who had a similar weight loss story that really motivated me. they invited me to group rides but i never went because i knew i'd get dropped and blah blah blah. i started a very strict diet like yourself and it sure wasn't easy because as previously mentioned, you want to eat because you rode your bike and its hard pedaling a heavy body and bike up a hill. i stuck to our local bike trails which helped as the elevation changes are minimal. my ass hurt, and only a massive schwinn bike seat from wal-mart helped out. the bike mechanic and owner offered me something though. knowing i was light on funds, they said if i kept with it, they'd buy the bike back from if i decided to trade it in but only if i lost some weight. again i dont know if i got ripped off or not, but it was motivation enough for me.
Last year, i took the bike back to the bike shop. finding myself down 100 pounds from where i started and in significantly better shape, they bought the bike back and i traded it in for a Felt Z95 with shimano 105 and drops which i was finally think enough to be able to reach. i'm not going to tell you that my story is typical or not, but based on what people have said in this post you're getting more than sound advice.
buy something moderately decent at first, you dont want something unreliable or difficult to ride as it will make achieving your weight loss goals harder than it needs to be.
then get something you can enjoy but still strong enough for you - i upgraded to a mountain bike but switched the tires to something more road friendly and road it until i both lost enough weight to be comfortable on a road bike and also until i knew i could also take advantage of the faster gearing and more aggressive seating position of a faster road bike.
in either case, good luck to you, keep at it.
about three years ago i found myself in a situation where i weight 365 pounds. one happy pound for every day of the year. and trust me, i was fully content eating like it was going out of style. i dont know if that's why you got heavy but me, i am addicted to food.
in any case, i started off with a diamondback full suspension mountain bike from Dicks sporting goods. broken bottom bracket, two or three cracked pedals and becuase of my weight, i would bottom out the bike which was awful because the rear derailleur cable was routed under the bottom bracket and would cause it to shift irregularly if i hit a pothole or bounced too hard while pedaling. I lost about 25 pounds before giving up on this bike.
in any case, i later upgraded to a trek Xcaliber mountain bike purchased from my local bike shop mostly because i hated the other bike but i really did like riding. i dont recall what i paid for it but the bike shop mechanic was an awesome dude who had a similar weight loss story that really motivated me. they invited me to group rides but i never went because i knew i'd get dropped and blah blah blah. i started a very strict diet like yourself and it sure wasn't easy because as previously mentioned, you want to eat because you rode your bike and its hard pedaling a heavy body and bike up a hill. i stuck to our local bike trails which helped as the elevation changes are minimal. my ass hurt, and only a massive schwinn bike seat from wal-mart helped out. the bike mechanic and owner offered me something though. knowing i was light on funds, they said if i kept with it, they'd buy the bike back from if i decided to trade it in but only if i lost some weight. again i dont know if i got ripped off or not, but it was motivation enough for me.
Last year, i took the bike back to the bike shop. finding myself down 100 pounds from where i started and in significantly better shape, they bought the bike back and i traded it in for a Felt Z95 with shimano 105 and drops which i was finally think enough to be able to reach. i'm not going to tell you that my story is typical or not, but based on what people have said in this post you're getting more than sound advice.
buy something moderately decent at first, you dont want something unreliable or difficult to ride as it will make achieving your weight loss goals harder than it needs to be.
then get something you can enjoy but still strong enough for you - i upgraded to a mountain bike but switched the tires to something more road friendly and road it until i both lost enough weight to be comfortable on a road bike and also until i knew i could also take advantage of the faster gearing and more aggressive seating position of a faster road bike.
in either case, good luck to you, keep at it.
02-15-17, 09:54 PM
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Sorry about that! Meaning like, where and how I plan to ride? I'd expect to be riding in rural/suburban areas with good roads. I'm not concerned with getting anywhere in any sort of quick time, just looking to ride hard enough to get the heart rate up a bit for now. There's a convenient paved bike trail that gets me most of the way from my home to my place of employment in 7.5 miles; I'd love to get to where I was biking to/from work whenever weather allowed.
02-15-17, 09:56 PM
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Don't know where your located but i'm in central indiana and have a 21 inch shift 4 that I'd sell. I bought it when I was 350 and started riding. When I got down to 275, I bought a surly disc trucker and been riding it since. The shift 4 is a good choice because it has 13 gauge spokes, 26 in wheels(stronger) and a larger seat post. It done me very well, has about 1800 miles on it. I'd take 350 for it if you were within driving distance.
02-15-17, 09:57 PM
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I suggest that you keep it very simple and cheap for the moment. There are a few reasons.
First of all, you have no assurance that this is something you'll stay with.
Even if you stay with it, your needs now are very different than they will be when some of the weight falls off.
So, consider this an interim deal, and spend accordingly. The easiest solution is to find a decent used mountain bike (brand name, not junk) preferably with a rigid (non-suspension) fork. Make sure it's your size and equipped with decent tires made for pavement, and MOST IMPORTANT, make sure it fits you properly.
Look for a decent mostly level place to ride, like a bike path around a lake because hills are murder when you're heavy.
Don't be overly ambitious or expect miracles, just get to where you can make decent effort for stretches of half an hour or more (1 hour at least every other day is a decent initial goal). Speed and distance don't matter, just so you're working at at a decent but sustainable level.
Now for the bad news. It's hard to shave weight riding a bike, especially if you're trying to get better. Initially some weight will come off, but after a while your body gets more efficient, and you need more distance, time and speed to burn the same number of calories.
Meanwhile riding makes you hungry, and dieting makes riding hard, so you're in a catch-22 and need to be patient. Focus on the diet, looking for slow weight loss, but not to the point that you feel you can't ride, then stick with it.
Somewhere between now and 300#s you'll reach a point where you may want a better bike, and that's also when you have enough of a sense of things to buy smart.
Good luck, you're starting down a good road, but it's now well paved at all, so you'll need to work hard to make progress.
First of all, you have no assurance that this is something you'll stay with.
Even if you stay with it, your needs now are very different than they will be when some of the weight falls off.
So, consider this an interim deal, and spend accordingly. The easiest solution is to find a decent used mountain bike (brand name, not junk) preferably with a rigid (non-suspension) fork. Make sure it's your size and equipped with decent tires made for pavement, and MOST IMPORTANT, make sure it fits you properly.
Look for a decent mostly level place to ride, like a bike path around a lake because hills are murder when you're heavy.
Don't be overly ambitious or expect miracles, just get to where you can make decent effort for stretches of half an hour or more (1 hour at least every other day is a decent initial goal). Speed and distance don't matter, just so you're working at at a decent but sustainable level.
Now for the bad news. It's hard to shave weight riding a bike, especially if you're trying to get better. Initially some weight will come off, but after a while your body gets more efficient, and you need more distance, time and speed to burn the same number of calories.
Meanwhile riding makes you hungry, and dieting makes riding hard, so you're in a catch-22 and need to be patient. Focus on the diet, looking for slow weight loss, but not to the point that you feel you can't ride, then stick with it.
Somewhere between now and 300#s you'll reach a point where you may want a better bike, and that's also when you have enough of a sense of things to buy smart.
Good luck, you're starting down a good road, but it's now well paved at all, so you'll need to work hard to make progress.
02-15-17, 09:58 PM
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craigslist link
Something like that might work, if it fits. Basic 80s steel mountain bike, no suspension, 26" wheels. That seat post might be a weak spot though, with it's long set-back.
Or this: craigslist link (but that's a little suspect because the seller doesn't even know how to spell "Trek").
Or this: craigslist link
Something like that might work, if it fits. Basic 80s steel mountain bike, no suspension, 26" wheels. That seat post might be a weak spot though, with it's long set-back.
Or this: craigslist link (but that's a little suspect because the seller doesn't even know how to spell "Trek").
Or this: craigslist link
02-15-17, 09:58 PM
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Hey Friend,
about three years ago i found myself in a situation where i weight 365 pounds. one happy pound for every day of the year. and trust me, i was fully content eating like it was going out of style. i dont know if that's why you got heavy but me, i am addicted to food.
in any case, i started off with a diamondback full suspension mountain bike from Dicks sporting goods. broken bottom bracket, two or three cracked pedals and becuase of my weight, i would bottom out the bike which was awful because the rear derailleur cable was routed under the bottom bracket and would cause it to shift irregularly if i hit a pothole or bounced too hard while pedaling. I lost about 25 pounds before giving up on this bike.
in any case, i later upgraded to a trek Xcaliber mountain bike purchased from my local bike shop mostly because i hated the other bike but i really did like riding. i dont recall what i paid for it but the bike shop mechanic was an awesome dude who had a similar weight loss story that really motivated me. they invited me to group rides but i never went because i knew i'd get dropped and blah blah blah. i started a very strict diet like yourself and it sure wasn't easy because as previously mentioned, you want to eat because you rode your bike and its hard pedaling a heavy body and bike up a hill. i stuck to our local bike trails which helped as the elevation changes are minimal. my ass hurt, and only a massive schwinn bike seat from wal-mart helped out. the bike mechanic and owner offered me something though. knowing i was light on funds, they said if i kept with it, they'd buy the bike back from if i decided to trade it in but only if i lost some weight. again i dont know if i got ripped off or not, but it was motivation enough for me.
Last year, i took the bike back to the bike shop. finding myself down 100 pounds from where i started and in significantly better shape, they bought the bike back and i traded it in for a Felt Z95 with shimano 105 and drops which i was finally think enough to be able to reach. i'm not going to tell you that my story is typical or not, but based on what people have said in this post you're getting more than sound advice.
buy something moderately decent at first, you dont want something unreliable or difficult to ride as it will make achieving your weight loss goals harder than it needs to be.
then get something you can enjoy but still strong enough for you - i upgraded to a mountain bike but switched the tires to something more road friendly and road it until i both lost enough weight to be comfortable on a road bike and also until i knew i could also take advantage of the faster gearing and more aggressive seating position of a faster road bike.
in either case, good luck to you, keep at it.
about three years ago i found myself in a situation where i weight 365 pounds. one happy pound for every day of the year. and trust me, i was fully content eating like it was going out of style. i dont know if that's why you got heavy but me, i am addicted to food.
in any case, i started off with a diamondback full suspension mountain bike from Dicks sporting goods. broken bottom bracket, two or three cracked pedals and becuase of my weight, i would bottom out the bike which was awful because the rear derailleur cable was routed under the bottom bracket and would cause it to shift irregularly if i hit a pothole or bounced too hard while pedaling. I lost about 25 pounds before giving up on this bike.
in any case, i later upgraded to a trek Xcaliber mountain bike purchased from my local bike shop mostly because i hated the other bike but i really did like riding. i dont recall what i paid for it but the bike shop mechanic was an awesome dude who had a similar weight loss story that really motivated me. they invited me to group rides but i never went because i knew i'd get dropped and blah blah blah. i started a very strict diet like yourself and it sure wasn't easy because as previously mentioned, you want to eat because you rode your bike and its hard pedaling a heavy body and bike up a hill. i stuck to our local bike trails which helped as the elevation changes are minimal. my ass hurt, and only a massive schwinn bike seat from wal-mart helped out. the bike mechanic and owner offered me something though. knowing i was light on funds, they said if i kept with it, they'd buy the bike back from if i decided to trade it in but only if i lost some weight. again i dont know if i got ripped off or not, but it was motivation enough for me.
Last year, i took the bike back to the bike shop. finding myself down 100 pounds from where i started and in significantly better shape, they bought the bike back and i traded it in for a Felt Z95 with shimano 105 and drops which i was finally think enough to be able to reach. i'm not going to tell you that my story is typical or not, but based on what people have said in this post you're getting more than sound advice.
buy something moderately decent at first, you dont want something unreliable or difficult to ride as it will make achieving your weight loss goals harder than it needs to be.
then get something you can enjoy but still strong enough for you - i upgraded to a mountain bike but switched the tires to something more road friendly and road it until i both lost enough weight to be comfortable on a road bike and also until i knew i could also take advantage of the faster gearing and more aggressive seating position of a faster road bike.
in either case, good luck to you, keep at it.
02-15-17, 10:03 PM
#12
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The bright side is that if you dial it in carefully, you'll be able to ease up on the restrictions, making sticking to the diet easier.
BTW- while you're in a calorie deficit, don't forget that you'll be robbing protein from other muscles besides the legs, so make sure to add some walking, and exercise for arms and the core.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
02-15-17, 10:04 PM
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Also, a user PMed me stating that a Trek Verve 3 worked well for them. I can't reply via PM yet as I am a new user, but thank you for the suggestion! It looks good, and if I end up going for a new bike I will definitely check it out in person.
02-16-17, 06:49 AM
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I am interested. Now that I have started this thread I am looking to absorb as much info and opinion as folks are willing to give, but I am definitely interested. I'm in the south suburbs of Chicago, zip code 60417. Indianapolis looks to be about as close to the center of Indiana as it gets; I'm about two and a half hours (150 miles) from there. It's doable. Is that about where you are? Also, of course, if anyone has any opinions as to why this would/wouldn't be a good choice I'm all ears.
02-16-17, 09:21 AM
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I went with the Surly Troll and custom 40 spoke wheels right away but it sounds like you have this well in hand already so I am just going to say you have got this 
These are a bunch of smart people. I will comment more on something else though, I too found out I simply don't trust used bikes no matter how well vetted they are by experts. I got one at a super good price but to this day still won't even consider riding it though I know it is fine logically. Also sadly elitist shops will happen, just don't give them your money and badmouth em to all your friends ;D
These are a bunch of smart people. I will comment more on something else though, I too found out I simply don't trust used bikes no matter how well vetted they are by experts. I got one at a super good price but to this day still won't even consider riding it though I know it is fine logically. Also sadly elitist shops will happen, just don't give them your money and badmouth em to all your friends ;D
02-16-17, 11:20 AM
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Thank you! I can't respond to it because I haven't posted ten times yet, forum rules. I'll do that right now.
02-16-17, 11:22 AM
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I went with the Surly Troll and custom 40 spoke wheels right away but it sounds like you have this well in hand already so I am just going to say you have got this These are a bunch of smart people. I will comment more on something else though, I too found out I simply don't trust used bikes no matter how well vetted they are by experts. I got one at a super good price but to this day still won't even consider riding it though I know it is fine logically. Also sadly elitist shops will happen, just don't give them your money and badmouth em to all your friends ;D
These are a bunch of smart people. I will comment more on something else though, I too found out I simply don't trust used bikes no matter how well vetted they are by experts. I got one at a super good price but to this day still won't even consider riding it though I know it is fine logically. Also sadly elitist shops will happen, just don't give them your money and badmouth em to all your friends ;D
02-16-17, 11:26 AM
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If I buy this Trek I'll hopefully be transporting it in the back of my Honda Fit. That should be fine, I think? I imagine I'll have to remove the front wheel, but I'm sure that'll do it. If this post seems sort of inane, it's because I need to post ten times to use the PM system and I couldn't think of anything else to say. 
02-18-17, 09:33 AM
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I bought mine from a local wheelbuilder with an online shop He has since moved to Vancouver but when I need new ones I will use his service again. My LBS kind of blows so I try not to use them for anything, they jerked me around for way too long to trust them. Once I get my balance up enough to ride properly then I will try the next closest one ;D
He has since moved to Vancouver but when I need new ones I will use his service again. My LBS kind of blows so I try not to use them for anything, they jerked me around for way too long to trust them. Once I get my balance up enough to ride properly then I will try the next closest one ;D
02-23-17, 04:36 AM
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I would go for something like a second hand Surly Troll or Ogre. The good thing is that with such a flexible frame, once you know where you want to go with cycling, you can build up a range of bikes, from hardcore offroad to utilitarian city bike and everything in between.
The people in the Surly forum are a friendly bunch who are very willing to offer reasonable advice on Surly bike builds as well.
The people in the Surly forum are a friendly bunch who are very willing to offer reasonable advice on Surly bike builds as well.
Last edited by PDKL45; 02-23-17 at 04:39 AM.
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