Ok, some help needed.
 

Hi,

I'm 37, and haven't been bike riding for maybe 15 years or so. (Nasty accidents have a habit of making one shy away from something.) But since then, I've gotten married and had a kid, and the wife and baby love to go riding on parkways and other bike trails. So I think I need to buy a bike.

Here's the gory details. I'm 6'5" and weigh about 360lbs. (Yes, I hope to lose a few lbs) I guess that makes me a super clydesdale. My wife has a very nice Giant Sedona, and we got an In-step trailer for the brat, which while inexpensive has been performing quite well. My wife took her bike into the shop where she bought it yesterday for a tuneup, and I asked the salesguy to show me an appropriate bike for a big boy like me. They are a Giant dealer, and he showed me the Rincon. (http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...tain/10/28392/)

It seems nice, and I gave it a whirl in the parking lot. (Guess what, riding a bike after 15 years is well.... like riding a bike.) It's a 22" frame, and seemed to fit fine, I'd prefer a comfort bike, but I have to get something that will hold up. It's got 36 spoke wheels and double walled tires and rims, and I asked him if it would withstand me...

Anyway, what I'm asking is, should I take his advice and go with that, or should I really be looking at something else like say a Kona Hoss or something sturdier?

I think Giants are great bikes and support of your LBS is a good thing to have as well. I would go for the giant and when you get the bug and your riding more you can start looking at other options....the Giant is a great starter bike. Also a Clyde is a Clyde....no super needs to be added. Were all in the same category.... :)

Double check with them and find out what they'll warranty if things break.

Welcome!! [And add 'Uber for every 100 pounds over 200...so look for 'Uber-Clyde' references :) Tom was an Uber-uber-uber-clyde and now he's kicking ass and taking numbers! Check my sig for some inspiration. ]

That'll work. I got a Specialized Hardrock Sport ('07 model) last summer at 420-ish and rode it down to 380-ish. I put some pounds back on over the winter, but I'm down to 394 right now (from 411 at the beginning of the month). While being a uber-clyde sucks, it's still better than the 567 I was at in June of '05.

Great job, Bdinger!

My take: To the orig poster: The Giant will do fine, it's a solid bike. I would look at a nonsuspended rigid fork, though. The suspension fork riding primarily pavement will just add weight and make the steering real twitchy because there really isn't any rake to the fork, not to mention adding a layer of unneeded complexity to maintain.;)

Doesn't that bike have rather agressive Knobby tires? IF it does and you intend on riding pavement/hardpack, you may want to see if the dealer will swap on some more appropriate tires.

Are you looking for a more upright riding position? If so, I picked up some 4"? riser bars at my LBS for $12.

I got my Giant Rainier back when I was 360lbs and it is still going strong! Mine came with 32 spoke wheels and after a week or two I had to have a 36 spoke wheel built, it's still on there and holding up like a champ after over 5000 miles on it.
The Rincon looks to be a good bike, and the Giant frames are warranted for life I believe. I never worried about breaking anyhting after the first few months, I could tell the bike was built to last, and it has.
The only modification I had to make was to get a stem riser to raise the handlebars so that I could get a more upright stance.

I'm Uber and taller than you. I ride a 25" Trek 7200. I put 2,000 miles on the stock wheelset until I popped a spoke. Since then they have been rebuilt by my LBS I have not had a problem. I believe they are 32 spoke Matrix 750 wheels. That Giant bike frame and wheelset should be ok. You might want to swap out the seatpost to a Thomson.

+1 on the tires - I have Specialized Armadillos which are puncture resistant. Besides the flat on day one (someone tacked the path) knock on wood I've almost forgotton how to change a tire :D

I was an Uber Clyde at 375 and rode a Trek 7300 2200 miles to get me to Clyde weight of 296 today. It is a great bike, but I did make some changes, all for the better. Wheels, rapid shifters and a rigid fork, I had an older model that hung in the garage for a couple of years.

Look for a bike that you can lock the front fork if it has shocks or look into replacing with a rigid fork, you will thank yourself for it later. My front end did not lock and everytime I came out of the saddle the front end would dive forward even when the bike was setup on the stiffest level. I think the Trek FX series have rigid forks and almost all of them now have the rapid shifters.

when I weighed 368 I'd ride my wifes Giant Inova,it's steel,the Rincon these days is ALU..that's ok.Rincon has been a basic non-suspension bike for 12 or so years. a basic not kids bike.I haven't clicked on the pic or the site.I 've seen the Giant site,a local LBS has Giants.If your LBS has a bike in your price range and vouches for it,I would stetch for a HOSS... neccissarily. The 360 doesn't impress me.It DOES impress me if your man has a bike that's tall enough.

NOT stretch for a DIFFERENT brand #$^&#$& defective keyboard

The most concerning parts of a bike are the frame and fork, a failure in either, and your buying your surgeons new Porsches. Now most bike frames in the MTB category, are engineered so that a 150lb guy, going off a 5m drop will not break it, the forces there are going to be a lot more then a 360lb guy just riding along, with the occassional curb drop. The next concern are the wheels, you want at least 36 spoke wheels. Shouldn't be any other issues.

Now if your looking at paved trails, maybe some road riding, go with semi-slick tires, if your looking more at unpaved trails ( single/double track ), then go with the knobbies. Knobbies are great in dirt and mud, but like snow tires on a car, you take a severe fuel efficiency hit:D .

I was off bike for about 20 years, sat on a bike, started pedalling, and it was as if I had ridden the day before. Your brain remembers how to ride, your muscles don't. So don't plan on doing a century the first day, go slow to start. Make sure you get bottle cages installed on your bike, and bottles to fill them, water is critical, especially in summer.