hey everybody,

im really new to getting a nice bike, my name is paul im 21, and im a big guy, i really want to lose some weight and i found out that my parents are going to take me to europe and go biking around france germany and italy. so i really need to get in shape, i used to bike a lot but i stopped when i got a car and i have put on a lot of weight since then and i need to lose it, i will be using the bike for commuting around 5 miles per day and more on weekends so i can lose weight and get ready for europe. my problem is that i have had a problem breaking cranks when i peddled, i have extremely strong legs and never had a quality bike, so i need to know what to look for, i want to get a steel frame with a strong crank so i cant get to work, any help is much appreciated on anything, treat me as a complete newb. thank you in advance.

If you are breaking cranks you are probably not geared properly. With you commute practically anything would work so can you say a little more about what sort of distances you are planning on doing for the weekends etc. Also what is your price range?

i want to work my way up to doing about 40-50 miles per day, i want to spend less than 500, i dont mind buying used

Suggestion: https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32576 The (almost) Official "Big Guy" ride

First, you want to go to a bike shop and not a department store to get your bike, but based on your price range it sounds like you already know that. You can get a lot of nice bikes under $500. The Kona Dew is frequently recommended on this board. Be sure to leave room in your budget for accessories like lock, helmet (even if you have a helmet you should consider getting a new one if yours is more than a few years old), fenders, etc.. You can probably get by with just a lock and helmet at first if you really need to.

On losing weight and getting into shape. I've been there. It can be hard, but you can totally do it. I was 37 when I did it, so it will probably be easier for you.

My first piece of advice would be, don't give up if you can't do what you'd like to be able to do at first. When I took my new bike out for the first time, I only made it about a mile and went up a couple of hills that were more than I was ready for, and at the end of it I could barely stand up. But I stuck with it. Within a couple of weeks I was riding 6 miles a day three times a week. Within a month I was riding every day and could make it the full 11 miles from work to home once a week. Within about four months I could do 100 miles in a week. Now, about a year later I'm preparing for my first century (100 mile ride).

Don't push yourself too far too fast. This is probably especially a danger since you used to ride a lot. It'll take time to get back to where you were. Remember that resting between rides is as important as riding for building up fitness. Try riding no more than every other day for a week or two.

Now weight loss. This is tricky. When you start riding, you're going to want to eat a lot more. That can stop you from losing the weight you want. On the other hand, if you don't eat more you can lack the energy you need to ride. The trick is to find balance. Track what you're eating. I used the Weight Watchers formula, and it worked wonders for me. I lost a steady 2-3 pounds a week, just like they recommend, and eventually shed a total of around 40 pounds in about 7 or 8 months.

I'd say you could use any name brand mountain bike, with a good set of componets. Not sure how big you are, but you may want to look for a trail bike with Downhill cranks. That specialized is a good start that was recommended is a good start.

You should post this in the Clydesdale forum.
There's a lot of 400+ lb. people there.
The choice there seems to be the HardRock by Specialized. You may want to upgrade the wheels.
Also spin more & mash less.