KTM trekking bike durability for clydes ?
 

My original thread about my need for a daily bike - want MTB comfort but for mostly pavement, but really bad pavement, tall with back issues sometimes, so probably no road/race bikes.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=421882

So - any KTM owners ? They make trekking bikes in my size or approximate size [60-61 cm or 24"] and I see 36 spoke double wall rims, and general good gear on their bikes. Pricey, but nothing extreme for all the good components.

I'm 6'3 to 6'4 and weigh 290 pounds or 130kg. Just need something comfy I can ride daily for many miles and good exercise :).

Any other suggestions ? Need comfy - mountain or trekking or hybrid or whatever bikes with as much upright posture for the back as possible, able to hold my weight and AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY good for my height, cause' I don't have any place I can get pro advice or fitting or try good bikes. I hear 22"-25" frames are GENERALLY ok for my height , give or take , and not all trekking / comy MTB models I've seen ARE available in more than 21 or 22 sizes.

A Trekking bike is an expedition quality bike. Yeah, it's a great bike. Bombproof and designed to traverse hard country, so, yeah, it'll laugh at your tiny little 290. ;)

If you can't afford a professional fitting, then start with one of the fit calculators online, a couple of them are here (click on road or mountain, then fit) and here this will give you a basic size to work with, these calculators go by certain measurement rules. Once you have the proper size, then you can tweak the saddle and stem to get fit dialed in perfectly.

I don't have a KTM and am not familiar with that brand, but bike shop bikes all use similar components from a hand full of suppliers, a $500 bicycle from one supplier will use a similar level of components as a $500 bicycle from another supplier (going by MSRP, as dealers sometimes have their own ideas on pricing), don't be surprised, cars are the same way.

I only wish I could make as good a decision with a bike as I've done with the car.

I might be going for KTM , the dealer said that the bikes are tested to hold up to 140kg or about 310 pounds, seems a little on the edge but I guess it's a strict Problem-Free kind of weight limit, which might mean the rims will hold a good while as well - 36 spoke ones. And I guess they at least LOOK like your usual trekking 'bit more comfy than mountain - hopefuly' bike.

http://www.ktm-bikes.at/2008/_bikes/...bordeaux-a.jpg

that looks like a really nice commuter. I'm close to your weight and would recommend getting a spoke wrench for basic truing because you will undoubtedly hit a few bumps on the road that may bend your rims.

I'll say this (before Tom gets a chance :D) Weight limits are usually lawyer limits not engineer limits. A frame designer, designs a frame, and then gives the design to engineering (who decide how thick tubes need to be, tubing sizes etc), although these days with most design being done using CAD, the engineering decisions may be made by the frame designers computer. Either way the engineering always has a limit in mind, usually somewhere beyond what they think is reasonable, since there are not many 200kg+ (440lbs) out there, the engineer might use a 200kg limit. Now legal, in order to keep law suits as few as possible, so the lawyers can sit on their fat keasters, getting paid big bucks for doing little, picks a low limit, say 100kg, for published specifications, legal warnings, etc. Marketing wants a high limit, to make the bike easier to sell to heavier riders, especially for "comfort" and hybrid bikes. So marketing and legal fight it out, and decide that 140kg is reasonable. All this to say, even if your right at the limit, it's safe to say, the design and engineering limits are something beyond that 140kg.

Selecting a bike is actually easier then picking a car, you only have one choice of engine:rolleyes:, and typically no choice on the tranny, options are easier too, no power windows needed, no A/C needed, and it's easy to pick which stereo you want :)

In fact picking a bike is easy, you just need to decide what type you want, the Porsche (racing bike), the Jeep (mountain bike), Corolla (hybrid) or the Silverado (touring bike). Now as for a specific bike, that choice is easy, ride as many of the type you pick as possible, that will fit your budget, one of them will feel like it is an old friend you have known forever, that's the one.

I only have a 15 year old (perhaps older?) KTM mountainbike - which always was very sturdy (and a bit heavy). No problems.
I would assume that the new KTM's are built in China or Taiwan in the same factories as the Giants, Specializeds, Treks, Scotts, etc. , etc.. (None of these companies make any good moto-cross bikes like KTM does).

Well if there aren't any other of this commuter kind suggestions, I'll probably stick with this one. I like the looks, and can't find any others that HAVE a larger frame - this has 60cm or almost 24" which is probably just about right for me - and the others that I do find mostly will have 32 spoke wheels. This one has 36 ones and I would hope not to change the wheels anytime soon, so this I guess is a definite plus as far as I've researched clyde stuff :) The bike isn't very cheap anyway, at 640 euros or 1000 $, and as far as I can tell has good components into it, so I'm hoping for the best.