littleluck55

I will give you some background information. I am currently 38, 6"3 and weigh 495lbs. My highest has been 530 lbs and was an on again/off again weight watchers guy. I decided a few weeks ago this is it and time to take my life back or I am going to die. I have two girls 9 and 11, I can't do that to them. I have since lost about 20lbs in the last few weeks and started weight watchers again.

We went on a camping trip a few weeks ago and I watched my friends, my wife and my kids riding all around the park and really missed it. Figuring I was too big to ride a bike, I decided my goal for camping next year, was to ride bikes with them. So, I have been riding my Schwinn Aerodyne exercise bike since I have been back. I found this site and read about some of the guys as big as me riding bikes so I thought maybe I could do it now. What do you think? Unfortunately, things are a little tight moneywise now. I researched the threads for an entry level bike capable of holding me and came across these models:

Kona Hoss
Specialized Hard Rock
Giant Yukon

Any other recommendations? I figure I need a mountain bike or at least a hybrid and I will need to have a rear tire specially made with 36 or 40 spoke wheel. I read I do not want suspension. My goal is to just ride with my family for some exercise. Mostly road riding but will have some major hills (going to try to stay away from for awhile). I do have a very nice bike shop very close and we seem to have many hardcore riders in our town.

I did find a nice 2003 Trek 7300 on Craigslist in my size 22.5" frame. Any information on this.

Any other help would be appreciated as I start on this journey.

Peter_C

Welcome to the herd~! I can't give you any specific knowledge other than to say it *CAN* be done. My first ride was all of 400 feet, and I have a bit over 500 miles on the clock now with my longest ride being 39 miles.

Once you get your bike, ride every day - even if only for 5-10 minutes, the key is no excuses.

There is a whole multi-page thread talking about my journey, but the greatest change is I have gone from seeing the heart DR twice weekly to my next APPT is a year away!! All becuase of riding.

Seek out "Tom Stormcrowe" and "The Historian". Both started out bigger than me, and both are now smaller than me. There *IS* support here, and any of us will help any way we can

exile

Get any bike that fits and is within your price range. It doesn't have to be fancy or anything special. The Trek should be fine. Unless the roads are especially bad or you are riding stairs or curb hopping most tires and rims from my understanding will work well enough.

Just get something you enjoy riding and spend some time with your wife and girls. And like Peter_C mentioned guys like Tom StormCrowe and the Historian have been an inspiration to a lot of riders. Don't let your weight or size discourage you. Good Luck in finding something. And just ride already.

jr59

Any bike that fits you will do for now.

I see people on here ask all the time, what bike for me?

Get a bike that fits, and like Peter C said, ride it. So what is the best bike for you or anyone? The one you will ride!
The 7300 is a good starter bike, as long as you ride it.

jet16lg

I would also advise, look at craigslist. Probaby don't needs anything fancy and a mountain bike would probably be a good starting bike. Buy something, ride it, and, fix stuff as it breaks. Never know, you might not need a new wheel for a while. No need to go spend money on one until you need it. I personally have been using the times that stuff has broken as the opportunity to learn how to fix my bikes. There is so much info on the internet on bike repair between videos and walkthroughs, that it's pretty easy to do. I figured with 6/4/2 year old children, I'll proably be fixing bikes for a while. Only thing I've not even attempted is wheel repair. One day, I want to do that also. Good luck in your journey

irclean

If I'm not mistaken, and other posters can correct me if I'm wrong, but all 4 of the bikes you mentioned have front suspension. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's just that suspension will turn your desired forward motion into vertical motion as the fork compresses (i.e. it robs your energy). Some higher-level suspension forks have a lock-out feature that essentially turns them into rigid forks, but if you're mostly riding on paved surfaces, or even hard-packed gravel/limestone/dirt, a rigid fork would be more efficient.

Older (late 80's/early 90's) MTBs can be found on Craiglist quite cheaply, and with some new, slick profile tires and a tune-up they make great commuters. Most will accept fenders and racks to make them even more functional. Here's an example of what I'm talking about (check CL in your area or you can use jaXed at https://bike.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/bike.cgi):

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/1899600846.html

Peter_C

My bike has a front susp. And while my weight does NOT bottom it out, and it is nice on bumpy patches...

I have found that yes, it does rob me of some energy that I'd rather be put towards forward motion. In hindsight, I'd have chosen a bike without suspension of any kind...

But, for starting, comfort and fit are king, and any bike that makes you want to ride is the best one for you

bradtx

littleluck55, I like the craigslist advice. Find a non suspended mountain bike that fits. Be aware that mountain bike frames are generally smaller for body clearance while riding off road. Look for something described as a large frame (I'm 6'0" and ride a medium). Don't worry about the number of gears yet, because if you can't find the sweet spot you're either aerobic or strength training.

Don't worry too much about how many miles you're riding, go by saddle time instead. Using that as a segway, there are going to be aches and pains at the start. Don't make any changes as many will go away as your body becomes accustomed to it's new tasks. If they don't after some time, then start looking into various bits and bobs to increase comfort.

Brad

mthayer

Do not forget to look at garage sales. When I started riding as an adult, I bought a 5 dollar bike from a garage sale. It worked and I put a few hundred miles on it. I then found a road bike at a garage sale for $8. I rode them until I could get some money for a nicer bike saved up. Also check with your relatives. Chances are, someone will have a bike and they will probably give you it because you are trying to lose weight. The important part is not to worry about what people are saying or what they are thinking and getting out there and doing it. Develop a support network and have them hold you accountable for weight loss or for your exercise. I find that helpful for me in accomplishing different goals.

Also, look to see if there are any bike swap meets in your town. You can find some good bikes there for good prices also.

littleluck55

I was trying to find a bike without suspension. Here is the link I was looking at. It is a 2003 Trek 7300 22.5" and it does not look like suspension to me.

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/bik/1898915266.html

chewybrian 

The 7300 is a good bike, if it's in nice shape. That's a good size for you, and the upright style is easy to jump on and go; easy on the back, don't need a lot of core strength. If the rear wheel gives you trouble, you can buy a new 36 spoke for about $150, and you're good to go. Many miles down the road, if you want to be a roadie, you can upgrade without taking a big hit on resale.

Slow, steady progress can take you as far as you want to go. Right now, you just have to think about going a little further, or riding a little longer, than you did the week before. Learn to love the diet, and make time to enjoy the bike. Stick with it! Good luck.

Edit--saw the ad--looks like a very good deal--jump! p.s. Go Reds; Go Bengals!

littleluck55

I talked to the guy selling the 7300 and he wanted to make it clear this is not mountain bike. It has the thinner tires of a hybrid and it is only 32 spoke. Will this still work or do I need the beefier MTB tires.

cyclokitty 

That looks like a good bike. You can always get a replacement rear wheel if the spokes start to pop, but first take it to a bike shop and have the wheels trued if necessary.

Beefier MTB tires won't necessary mean a better ride since the the thinner tires require a higher psi to keep them plump and rolling smoothly over terrain. Check the tire walls for the psi and keep them at the recommended max. If you are riding on park paths and streets then the smoother treads on the current tires will be more suitable and odds are more comfortable. But tires can be pretty inexpensive so you can always experiment.

The best thing you can do is go over to the guy selling it and give the bike a try out. Make sure it fits your leg length, arm reach and seat positioning. Then ride like the wind!

socalrider

I would also consider something like a surly crosscheck or long haul trucker. ...Universal appeal, can use 130mm or 135mm wheels, so it gives you a lot of options. Very robust steel frame and will give you more options down the road once you start losing some weight.. Unlike some road bikes, it can use up to 700x45 sized tires

I have used mine for road riding, off road riding and light touring..

As far as wheels, 36 or 40 hole would be best.. I had good luck buying from ebay seller rocky mountain cyclery, they have been selling hand built wheels for many years now..

https://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=36+....c0.m270.l1313

https://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/frames...46_119crx.aspx

littleluck55

The bike I was going to buy fell thru. I am now trying to decide between a Giant Yukon or Giant Rincon. They both are from the 90's with rigid fork. The Yukon is about 50 more expensive but does come with fenders. The tires have been changed to slicks on both. Are these two bikes similar? Which do you prefer?

dbikingman

If I recall correctly, the Yukon and Rincon, are pretty similar with the Yukon being a step up from the Rincon. Chances are it has a little better parts, but being used if may come down to how each was cared for. If the bikes are close asked if you can take each for a ride. One may just seem "right" for you.

Welcome to the forum. Hey take a pic of you and your "new" bike when you get it, you'll want to save it for the before and after thread we have here.

exile

Ride both bikes and see what you like. I had a 93 Giant Rincon and loved it. It sits in my mothers basement after I gave it to my little brother (who subsequently trashed it). I plan on taking it back and fixing it up because I really miss that bike (some sentimental value as well as being a nice bike).

If memory serves me correctly it had eyelets both front and rear for both rack and fenders. I believe it is also designed around a touring frame where the Yukon was designed around a mountain bike frame (I may be off on my assessment). This is based off of memory from of course 93 but I remember the LBS where I bought it from was marketing it as a Hybrid due to a number of factors. I believe the top tube wasn't as sloping as the Yukon and had more eyelets for mounting things. Component wise I didn't know anything except it lasted a number of years without me taking care of it.

Again, ride both and see which one you like.

magohn

Have you tried FreeCycle ?

https://www.freecycle.org/

Its nationwide and you basically post stuff you have to give away for free or stuff you would like for free. When I started out, I simply posted that I needed a free bike so that I could exercise. I was offered a Puch or a Motobecane road bike and chose the Puch. When I decided biking was something I wanted to stick with I bought a "properly fitted" bike from the LBS and haven't looked back since. I then listed the Puch on FreeCycle and "paid it forward".

BTW - My first offer was from a lady of a vintage Raleigh Road Ace bike (very nice) that was "cluttering" up her garage. I was thrilled until it turned out the ladies husband had no idea of the departure of his classic bike and put the skids on the deal.

Oh well...good luck!