Have you checked your LBS. Most of the LBS's near me have bikes in your price range that fit your riding style and are significantly better than retail store bikes with better components than the bikes you listed.

Bike shops are a wealth of knowledge and I'm sure they could help you find what you're looking for. They may even have used bikes. Then when you are ready to upgrade to a proper bike, you will already have a relationship.

Another option you may have in your city is a bike co-op. We have one in St. Louis that has pre-owned bikes that are decent and fairly priced. Check to see if you have one locally.

Good luck on your quest.

OP find a local bike shop you like, Trek,Giant,Specialized, matters not, But you will NEED the support of a LBS.
Buy the Hard Tail bike they tell you to buy and ride the thing until you are under 225 pounds,, beat it to death,,then get a better bike

It will be worth the $500-$600 you will spend, so keep saving your pennies.
Most/ALL $500 hard tails come with a crappy suntour fork made for mom and the kids to ride a dirt path..
There is an Upgrade program,, Do this as soon as you break the fork,, relax it will only blow a seal and leak,,,
https://www.srsuntourna.com/upgrade/

Spending $300 or so ONLINE or at Dicks sporting goods will get you a shinny bike,,,that you will hate after a month..

Sorry but a decent bike you will benefit from is going to set you back about $750 ish,, bite the bullet and just do it !
I'm sure you've blown money you did not have on wild women, flashy cars and parites before so man up and face the music !
Mountain biking Is worth it,, are you ?
You will live longer and stronger,,put a price on that !

TANSTAAFL
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch..

Do not re learn the oldest of lessons over and over again,,,, You get what you pay for In life ~

Oh and make sure you wrap the chain stay with a Lizard skin or an old tire tube,,trust me on this, A good bike shop will back me up here. I hate rattles and chewed up chain stay's, your next bike will have a clutched rear derailleur I hope..

+1

There is a minimum entry point to get something you really can enjoy and truly use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3eUfZuo5Bg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3vI2bYhCrk

Do you have a friend that knows about bikes?

Go used and bring them along.

Very Good advice and let me add, stay as current as possible, bikes older than about four, five years are often harder to find parts for.

You need a 23" frame @ 6'6"
I'm 6'3"/220 and ride a 21. My seat post is maxxed. A lot of places will do layaway. Spend the 500 on something decent. You won't be sorry.

Thanks for ALL of your feedback, it's been an interesting read.

I went with the advice of getting on craigslist to look around and sure enough-I found an older 18-speed bike (SportRock M2000) with 21" steel frame and no shocks. (the photo is not my bike, but it looks like it)


The guy who sold it happens to be working on bikes- restoring them, so I felt very comfortable with it from the start. Near new tires, new chain etc,
I haven't been on a bike for 15 years, and took it out for a ride last night.. It's perfect for me and rides like a dream.. Shifting is super smooth and i felt alive- flying down the street.. I forgot how fun it is.. and what a great workout.. I just need to get a new saddle, I definitely could tell that riding for a long time would be a pain in the...

I've come to realize that yes- spending some hard cash is necessary to get a new somewhat-quality bike, and it's something I may do if this catches on, but for now this will be a perfect beginner bike and I only spent $100 on it so there's room for maintenance and such. I also feel OK with the risk/reward for that price- it could go either way but the bike feels really solid and simple. There's a bike co-op in my area which is highly praised- its definitely a place I'd go to if anything needs to be fixed.

Thanks for the tips, I'll probably update to see if it holds up.

Maybe the guy that you bought the bike from will swap the saddle for you at no charge?
I'm glad that you've found something for yourself to enjoy and ride

It's funny how as a child we want so badly to do adult things... and now that we're "adults" we want so badly to do kid things.

Haha, youre right about that!

Try a Northrock x29er, Loved mine when i had at

Go for a steel frame and a rigid steel fork. You're a big guy, so go 29er. In fact, gravel/paved and light trails... that's perfect for a single speed.

Go find a used Redline Monocog or a used Kona Unit. Why mess with any suspension if you don't need to? Keeping it simple means it'll be better able to deal with neglect.

Single speed steel rigids are hard to move in the used market. A buyer's market really on these.

Its too bad your just now looking into a bike as an XL size of the 2015 Ponderosa 29er would have been perfect for you and clearanced down to $548. Call REI headquarters and see if any remain and jump on one if you find one somewhere. I grabbed one of the last Large sized Pondersa's in the country from California and had it shipped up to Seattle recently, they only had like 7 left in USA total

https://www.rei.com/product/874991/n...29er-bike-2015

Im glad to hear this -- have fun, get fit !