Very New. Should I buy this bike?
 

NO MORE ADVICE NEEDED. Thank you!

Hello! I'm 5' 9 and 350 pounds. I want to give biking a try, but at this point will most likely just be peddling around town on flat ground, or maybe on flat packed bike trails. Found a trek hybrid/commuter 7300 multitrack bike on craigslist for $300. (Wish I could post a link, but I'm not allowed to since I'm new to the forum.) Is it suitable for starting out, or will I crush it? Additionally, should I buy a different seat for it?

Thank you for any help! (And my apologies if I sound like I know nothing about bikes! That is definitely the case.)

Sounds like a decent bike. A lot depends on condition and the year. That model was made between 2000 and 2012, so it is between 21 and 9 years old, which is fine. But condition is key. Was this bike ridden hard, or has it been hanging in a garage or basement the last 10 years? And has it been well maintained? But if the answer is yes, then offer the seller $200 and see what he says.

Frames and forks and most moving parts are tough enough to handle very heavy riders. The primary weakness will be the wheels, especially the rear - machine built wheels will often lose spoke tension over time, and then the spokes will start failing soon after. Since it is a used bike, you don't know what sort of use or abuse the bike has seen, so the wheels might not last too long. My suggestion would be to buy the bike if it fits (you probably want a M size or so), and ride, but be ready to buy a new rear wheel, or have the existing wheel relaced with new spokes by a knowledgeable wheel builder.

You don't even need to weigh 350 lbs to need the services of a good wheelbuilder. I am more like 250, and have had to replace the back wheels on my current bike as well as my previous bike. On my 1997 Bianchi, I was popping spokes every week. The shop agreed to rebuild the wheel and replace all the spokes, effectively making me a handbuilt wheel that lasted a good 20 years. On my current bike, a Salsa Casserol, the back wheel lasted a bit longer, maybe 2 years before I ran into trouble and had to have a wheel built for me. Wheels is one of those areas the bike companies save money building wheels that are just good enough for some, but not all riders.

Agree it is hard to tell without even a picture, let alone an inspection of the bike. Some bikes have hard lives, having been passed from one person, to another, to another. Maybe it was used as a commuter in an area with harsh winters. Or left out all winter by some college kid. Or maybe some person bought it in 2010 with some vague idea of trying out some cycling, rode it once or twice, and hung it in a garage for the last 11 years. Now that would be a find.

MRT2 MY experience has been you don't even need to be a larger than average person - I have had customers who were small people (>150lbs) who started popping spokes after a couple months of regular riding on the machine built wheels off a big name brand bike.

The thing to remember is that broken spokes are not a safety issue - worst case Ontario is that the wheel is so out of true it is getting stuck on the brakes or (worse) frame, and you need a ride home.

Thank you folks! Sadly it looks like the bike is no longer available anyway. I'm disappointed but will keep looking.

Another piece of advice- with the shortage of bikes if you find a bike you like and fits be ready to move on it right away. Especially if you get one for $300.

As you learned, good bikes at a fair price go quickly. If you make more comments on other posts you will be able to post a link.

If you post from CL, it is helpful to post a picture, price and description so the thread will be useful after the ad is removed. Helps people know what the market is doing.