New heavy rider seeking advice
 

Hello, I am new here, but I've been searching around for the last few days. I am 6'2" 400+ lbs and my partner is just under 300 lbs at 5'5" and we are wanting to get into bicycling to help get healthier.

What I am looking for in a bike is a USED, older, maybe steel frame hybrid from reputable brand (mainly Trek and Specialized) without shocks. I am thinking about a 1994(?) Trek 750 steel frame, and a 1988 Specialized Rockhopper that I found locally, but I am worried about the wheels. I think the stock wheels should be fine for my partner, but I don't think they will last long for me. I am unsure where to find reliable tires for decent prices. The only 36 spoke wheels I've seen are very expensive.

The links for them are here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trek-Multitr...p2047675.l2557

and

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1988...p2047675.l2557

We really don't have much money to spend, as I'm an unemployed student and my partner is a part-time student worker.

Even though we are 9" apart in height, we both have the same inseam of 29" (I'm all torso), so do you guys think these bikes could work for us? Any advice would be appreciated.

You are looking at good bikes, but the sizing is more important than you think. Your torso length is going to matter more when fitting a bike than inseam length. If you really do have a 29" inseam you are going to be very cramped on a small frame bike. Get the biggest you can possibly stand over. I would avoid ebay for cheap used bikes, you will end up paying much more than the bike is worth after you factor in shipping. If you are in a college town, used bikes should be available locally.

Oh, sorry, I would pick those up locally. He said he could do 300 for the pair, but I want to pay around 250 and I would just pick them up from him.

So if I want to get the tallest bike I can stand over, does this mean that I would be better suited with a mountain bike frame since the standover height is lower, even with larger frame sizes?

1. I'd avoid ebay, keep a eye on craigslist.
2. If you're in a college town don't be afraid to try out used bicycles and look around. There's always a deal to be found.
3. I was 425 lbs when I started riding bicycles and I managed to get a few months of of my stock rear wheel before I upgraded.
4. Talk to your local bicycle shops.
5. Don't be afraid of bicycles with front forks, just make sure it's adjustable so you can lock it out till the weight comes off.

Fatpunk, what did you start out with at 425? I tried Craigslist, but I couldn't find any that I liked right away. That Trek 750 seemed to really fit my bill, at least for my partner. The only reason I am looking at those bikes on eBay though is because I can pick them up and check them out, and not pay shipping. I've talked to my local bicycle shops and while they were a little helpful, I've found much more info online. Seems like neither in my area are used to large riders at all. Also, the only bikes I've found with adjustable front forks seem very expensive, but maybe there are some that I am unaware of...

Go to yor LBS (local bike store) and see what bikes will fit you. If they can offer you something in a good price range, I'd go for it. They'll offer service to keep you up and running. Think of it as an investment in a new lifestyle.

Both of those are good bikes to start with if the fit is good. 43cm is a small frame, about what my 5'4" daughter would ride. That 750 is an excellent find but you'll need to watch the price. $150 isn't bad if it is in good shape and doesn't need anything major. 700s are easy to come by but the upgraded 730 and 750s aren't so abundant. The stock 36-spoke wheels should be fine to start with as long as they are in good condition. Have your LBS true and tension them after fitting them with some 32-35mm wide commuter/hybrid tires. You should be able to find decent tires for about $30 each. The higher volume tires will work fine with the MultiTrack and Rock Hopper frames and will help assure longer life for your wheels by absorbing road shock. Don't be doing any bunny hopping or curb jumping and you should be able to ride those wheels for quite a while.

When you do upgrade, remember that wheels are a great investment that can move from bike to bike as long as they are the same diameter. Front wheels are usually 110mm at the dropouts so are a direct swap when you get a different bike. Hybrids, touring bikes, and MTBs are usually 135mm at the rear dropouts but road bikes may be 130mm. The good news is that a wheel can be respaced from 135 to 130 or visa-versa for just a few bucks, so that "expensive" wheelset could end up serving you for a very long time. Be aware that some older road frames are 125mm and won't fit some modern cassettes making the refitting them more expensive or impossible. A steel frame can be cold set from 125 to 130mm so no problem there, but I'm not a fan of doing that to an aluminum frame, though many have done so without incident.

I had a set of clyde-worthy touring wheels built for me last year with Deore LX hubs, DT Swiss butted 36-spokes, and double-wall eyeletted Salsa Delgado rims in 700c for about $400 for the set. Sounded like a lot until I considered that if I gave up one bottle of soda a day, I would save that much and probably shed a few pounds. The wheels were one of the best investments I ever made for recreation/fitness. I've seen online where you can get Deore 36h hubs laced to Velocity Dyad rims with no-name straight gauge spokes for around $250. I've never had that particular wheelset but it sounds like it should be adequate though probably not bomb proof. My advice is that when the time comes to upgrade, get the best wheels you can afford.

Wow, Myosmith, thanks for the great reply. It is greatly appreciated. I think wheels are my main concern. It's one thing that I just cannot seem to readily find information on. I will definitely use your post as a point of reference when looking for tires and wheels. If you could link to online where you saw these wheels, I would appreciate it. Even if I could find where to buy the components for cheaper, then have my LBS build it, that should save me money.

Also, how do you all feel about the Trek 7100? I've seen a lot of recommendations for the 7300, but not the 7100 so much. Can the fork be locked out? Or is that only on the 7300's and up?

I won't speak for every year of Trek 7100, but the 2009 I have does not have any lockout on the front fork that I have found. I picked up 2 of them from CL for $330 so I am not complaining. The 7100 has a 7 speed freewheel, where the 7200 has a 8 speed freehub-you can read the difference at Sheldon Brown's (awesome) website, but the main difference is bearing location, and a freehub should be able to support weight better. If you are looking at used, I highly recommend Bikepedia.com. If the seller doesn't know year or what equipment is on the bike, you can usually find it on bikepedia. If you work a little at it, you can usually figure out what year the bike is, what equipment it has on it, and what the MSRP was before responding to the ad-valuable information to have.

Hi, I have owned both of the bikes that you have in the first post, I have weighed between 300 and 400 pounds since owning them and as far as the rockhopper goes I can ride it right now and feel confident on it, wheels are straight bike rides awesome and I still own it and ride it just for fun now and again. The Trek, when I was I want to say 340? 350? pounds that bike did not make me feel confident, I cannot pinpoint why but when I rode it I always felt like I needed to baby the bike, I sold that bike, I don't have anything to back up why I felt it was going to break eventually, call it a gut feeling.


I mirror what some of the guys have said, spend the time searching your local craigslist and gems always seem to pop up, I look at craigslist daily and have a shed full of bikes for my troubles :)


Hope some of that helps.

Thanks for the replies. I guess I will do some more research and look out for better bikes. It really seems like a mountain bike would be better suited for me. I will try to find something with a lock out fork. Seems difficult to find well within my price range, but it's worth the wait. Push , when searching for both of those bikes online, I found your blog and thought it was the strangest coincidence, so I actually asked the guy if he was you or if he knew you. He was confused and said that it must just be someone else that had great taste in bikes.

I started with a Giant Sedona. Giant bicycles are cheap compared to alot of brands but the things are well built. I never broke a spoke on my stock rear wheel. I ended up upgrading to a tandem set up for my rear wheel only because my wheel would flex under my weight.

Hey everyone, I got myself a bike. I ended up spending a little more than I wanted, but it seems like a great bike. It's a Trek FX 7.3 (not sure what year, but I'm thinking it's a 2010). Seems to be in pristine condition. The guy seemed to be very adamant about upkeep and maintenance. It's a 22.5 inch, so it's basically the tallest bike that I am still able to clear, so I think that will be good for my long torso.

I think it will be good for my uses, but I'm not completely sure. What do you think?

Still looking for one for my partner, maybe I'll try to find some good Giants. They do seem to be reasonably priced for the specs.

ha! I have the same bike. Great bike. Strong, reliable and quick.

What did you pay if you dont mind me asking?

Congrats :thumb:

I don't mind at all. I paid his asking price of 275. Seemed like a pretty fair price. I probably could have haggled some, but I really wanted it, and like I said, it seemed fair. There are similar bikes on CL in my area asking for 350 to 400, but I think that's too high.

And thanks. Did you buy yours used? If so, when did you purchase it and what did you give for it?

Edit: From previous posts, I do see that yours is the disc version, but mine is not (though I definitely wish it were!)

Hi,

I paid $350 for mine - used. You got a good bike for a good price.
You got a pic? :)

BTW - The disc brakes on the Trek 7.3 are 'cable-powered' not oil, so though they do work well, they dont compare to my oil-based disc brakes on my MTB. Im happy I have them but would not have paid the retail cost-difference if buying new.

Had to run and snap some real quick. Sorry, pics are too large to put into the post, so I'm just putting the links.
http://tinyurl.com/cxsp288
http://tinyurl.com/d5pejjk

I'm assuming these weld lines are normal, but are they? They seem extreme!

http://tinyurl.com/cvj8z3o

I cannot figure out what year it is, but I'm actually thinking it's a 2006 now. What do you think?

I was 300lbs on december 9th. I lost 30 the first month. I know you don't want to spend much but you will get hooked about week 3. Then you won't care about the cost.-David

Welcome! I had a 7.3 FX that I had a love/hate relationship with, but it was a great bike and served me well for a year. You're on the right track.

I was 572 pounds in 2005, got down to 350-ish in 2009/2010, then was back up to 471 in February. As of yesterday I'm at 306 and still falling mainly because I ride every day and track every calorie. Every single calorie. That last part is key.

Also believe in yourself. Not if you ride, when you ride. Not if you can, when you can. You can do this.

The welds are similar to mine. Hard to date the bike but my 2010 -11 has a slightly more angular frame type.

http://i56.tinypic.com/1hlee.jpg

Hey Magohn,
How difficult is it to quick release that front wheel with the disk brake? Harder, easier than pull brakes?

Its easy enough. Just align the disk into the caliper when refitting. Nothing to it really. Wheel comes off as easily as when using 'regular' brakes.

The best deals I have found on used bikes has been a student's bike that is hardly ridden, when the parent is cleaning out the garage and just wants to get rid of the bike. So don't ignore the classified ads in the local newspaper. Although Craig's list is a good source too.

$250 for two good bikes is possible, if you wait and are patient, but these deals don't come every day.

If that was my budget, I'd consider each of you buying a good pair of walking shoes and get at it. This is not a politically correct recommendation in a bike forum, but walking has worked well for me and is less hassle than biking. That being said, biking is good too.

Get at it,
and good luck.

I have found the quality of Craigslist listing varies a lot around the country. Here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida the bikes are overpriced, often seem to be poor quality, and yet seem to sell. In Minneapolis there was a lot more selection, the quality and prices better, but things also moved quickly.

I weigh 400 and I ride a 1995 Trek 730 with absolutely no worries about it's durability. When I bought it the front wheel had a few loose spokes but I bought the bike with the intention of immediately upgrading to stronger wheels with a 9-speed hub and I did so. I paid $420 for the wheelset (Velocity Dyad rims, DTSwiss spokes and a heavy duty 40-spoke touring hub) and feel like they were worth every penny. I run Vittoria Randonneur Hyper 32mm tires and the bike feels great. It's comfortable but still fairly "sporty". I've wanted to try some Schwalbe 40mm Duremes for over a year and finally did so about a month ago and was sorely disappointed. They did make the bike more comfortable but it felt like I was riding thru wet sand, which drove me nuts. I may be fat but I still like to go fast, relatively speaking.