Horsington

Hi, i've been reading for a while and decided to make an account and post to ask for help on what road bike to purchase.

Here's my situation: I'm 6'1 and weigh a little under 250 pounds (picture at bottom for reference). I'm looking to bike to and possibly from school (15 years old, high school freshman.) as well as my upcoming summer job which I will have every Tuesday and Friday. I live under 2 miles from my school and where i'll work. My budget isn't that great as it is money saved from last summer's job.

My budget is $350. It can flex to no more than $400 at the most.

Currently i'm looking at a couple bikes on Amazon.
Amazon.com : Tour De France 700c Packleader Elite Road Bike : Sports & Outdoors
https://www.amazon.com/Vilano-Shadow-...0668024&sr=1-7

I'll only be riding on uphill, downhill, and leveled sidewalks and streets. No need for a mountain bike or anything hahah.

Size reference picture-- https://i.imgur.com/L0ZH7ZQ.png
The above picture is from about 3 months ago. I am the one with the light blue paint covering my face and the others are other high school freshmen who are 14-15 years old. My inseam is actually higher (and much more normal) than it looks, my outfit was just big because JCPenny's was running low on suit pieces
I appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or advice. If my budget for a bike (A bike that will be used a good bit) is too low then please say so. I'm fine with it needing replacing after a couple years as long as it gives a reliable ride. Thank you!

Disclaimer--If I posted in the wrong subforum please tell me and/or move the thread, thanks again!

Bradleykd

Of those two, the first isn't offered in a size that would fit you. You could probably fit on the second one in a Large, but there are probably better options. Are you opposed to used?

Bradleykd

This would be a lot better option IMO. This site sells the bikes from bikesdirect.com that have a few visual flaws, but you will get a much better bike than either of those two.

BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

Horsington

I'm not opposed to used so long as the seller is reliable and the bike isn't straight up broken or defective out of the packaging

Bradleykd

Craigslist would be a good place to start then. If there are any bikes in your area, you will be able to ride them to make sure they fit and work well. That price point will make it difficult to find a newer road bike, new or used, but you could easily get a really nice classic bike for that price. If you find some older bikes in your price range, the classic and vintage forum here is really helpful and will be able to answer any questions you have.

goenrdoug

That bikes direct option is a good one -- and probably the appropriate size as well.

Otherwise, let us know what your local Craigslist is and we can pick out a few good options there that you could go look at.

$400 is not a massive budget, but it ought to get you rolling on something that isn't a total piece of junk. Keep in mind that you'll also need a helmet, padded shorts, shoes with clips, pedals to go with the shoes, jersies, water bottles, new tubes when you inevitably flat, a little pump (and/or CO2 cartridges) etc. etc. It piles up. You can also slowly accumulate all of the accessories over time.

In the end, however, you'll have a bike that'll work well for many years, proper gear to go with it and a great story about how you biked 50 lbs off your ass.

Elvo

GMC Denali Pro 700cc Bike w/ 22.5" Frame - Sport.Woot

You can get about 10 of these for the amount of money that everyone here spends on wheels.

seymour1910

do you mind giving us your location? If you don't want the Bike Islands option above we don't mind looking at your local craigslist to help you.

Horsington

I live in Atlanta, Georgia. I actually do like that BikeIsland option. Are all the components reliable? I'm fine with the price.

seymour1910

Man if you had a tad more money there are some nice used bikes in the Atlanta and Marietta area. Here are some options....

Trek Pilot 2.1 Road Bike, 58 cm

Tell your parents to kick in a hundred and get this...lol

Carbon Trek Road Bike

jrossbeck

That Motobecane will handle anything you want to do and then more. In 2-3 years if up you want, you can probably sell it for $200 and put that towards something else. Assuming your Dad, or some other guy nearby is good with tools you should be able to assemble it and do a basic size adjustment of seat, handlebars, etc with info you can look up online. Otherwise it will probably cost you another $50-100 to get that done at a bike shop.

Considering your age, and the fact you have no car, Craigslist probably isn't the easiest route for purchase, I say order that Moto, set it up and enjoy. It's a lot nicer bike than what I had at your age!

lsberrios1 

Hey, i live up in roswell. I love shopping for bikes and helping people get into the sport. I can help you find a good deal on CL and, if you dont think it's creepy, i'll even go with you to check it out. Let me know and i'll be extremely happy to help.

Raiden

People in the road bike forum tend to get hung up on drop-handle 'road bikes' with integrated shifters for these discussions. I think it's a terrible choice of bike for this application, for a guy your size. The spiffy integrated shifters are expensive, and they are built to be light and fast, rather than specifically to be durable. The narrow tires are not ideal for a heavy rider, and require very regular attention (inflation).

-Take a closer look at hybrid or flat bar road bikes, like the Vilano Shadow you posted. It has MUCH nicer parts than the Packleader road bike, and costs less (it's not available in your size, but you should be able to find more bikes like it).
-Mountain bikes would be a fine choice for you- the high volume, lower pressure tires, and heavy duty frame are bonuses for a guy your size, and if the hills you mentioned are steep, the bike will have a better geometry (wide handlebars) and gear range to climb them. If you buy a bike from a shop, see if they can swap the knobby tires for smoother street tires, they will perform better on pavement. A fork with a lockout (to stop the spring action in the fork) would be a nice bonus for your purposes.
-Singlespeed bikes (typically 'fixed gear' bikes with 'flip flop' rear hubs) are often much like road or hybrid bikes, but without any gear shifting hardware. If your bike is going to be locked up with the other kids, exposed to the weather and such, these would be an ideal choice because there is very little to be damaged on such a bike.
-If you MUST have a drop-bar bike, an older model (like 60s-80s, preferably Japanese or American made) with friction shifters and steel wheels might be a good choice, but only if you have someone to check it out for you and make sure it's in good shape.

Check this thread in the commuter section of the board- it's the the most appropriate section for the riding you'll be doing: https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...ycle-pics.html (Its 500 pages long, and pictures in the first few hundred pages are often broken or missing- jump around a bit )

Bunyanderman

I think you are off to a good start, and you should look to use the bike more than just commuting. This being to exercise often and become in better shape. For $400 you might be able to get a 3 year old bike that was $1k new. I would stay away from a carbon frame on a $400 is some pop up, as they are likely to have problems. Go to a local bike shop, tell them your plan and they can recommend bikes that will work for you pretty well. At 250# this is pushing the skinny bike tires to their limit. If you ever get a bike, try and fit the widest tire you can, this will probably a 28mm or 32mm. It is doable to ride a 25mm, but you need to regulate the pressure closely.

Maybe look on ebay for complete bikes, there are many in that price range. Here are just some basic examples.
KHS 2009 Flite 300 Alloy Racing Touring Road Bike Bicycle 56cm | eBay

Raleigh Grand Sport Road Bike 56cm Aluminum Frame Race Bike | eBay

Motobecane Le Champion Road Bike Full Carbon Fork 56cm Shimano Tiagra Sora | eBay

newbie101

Giant Escape 3 for $400:

Escape 3 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Horsington

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice, I appreciate it! I'm trying to decide between these two. Which do you all think is the better bike?

Bradleykd

The one I recommended originally is the better bike if you can handle the small defects in paint it may have. The Giant is flat-bar for one, so you will only have one hand position, versus 3 on a drop bar bike. With the Moto you also get 2 grades higher of rear derailleur and maybe front too, IDK for sure. And you get one more cog on the back, so more gear selection options.

Sheik24

Yup Bike Island for sure. I'd be happy on it.

newbie101

I would recommend a flat bar hybrid as a first bike.

Do you have a giant dealer near you? If so, you can test ride the bike, possibly in multiple sizes before you buy. Also, every bike shop offers at least one basic 30 day tuneup. Some shops even offer additional support for up to one year, or longer.

With bikeisland, you're on your own.

Also, be sure to create a budget for certain essentials: a helmet, a ulock + cable, and bike lights front and rear if you ride at night. A patch kit, spare inner tube, and a tire pump are probably a good idea at some point.

rms13

My only recommendation per the original post is don't ride on sidewalks.

qclabrat

solid recommendations from everyone, esp newbie101

my suggestion is to go to a few bike shops, give them your budget and see what they have
you may be surprised by the choices for previous year models

before going familiarize yourself with the different grade of parts so you are making an educated decision
my experience with most bike shops are not like car salesman (no disrespect), but they won't likely pressure you on a sale you are not ready to make

if the bike fits, rides to your liking, within your budget, and feel you made a good educated decision, I'd go with the local bike shop (LBS) 110% of the time

I'd also echo newbie101's suggestion on a flat bar bike with slightly wider tires (28-32mm) for commuting.

Also buy one size larger, like a 60cm or 21in frame, (check with the bike shop for your size and room to grow) my guess is that you'll still grow out of an XL size frame, but it'll still have a better chance of fitting you for another year.

think cyclocross type bike with flat bars, which are going to be a bit beefier with wider wheels. If you want to upgrade to road bars later on it won't be hard to do either.
here's one on bike island for $250, but needs a fork, which you can also buy from them: BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

Sheik24

Ah, I dunno, I still think drop bars are more fun and versatile. All my friends who went with flat bars quickly outgrew them. I will say, too, that there are plenty of road riders at your weight or above. Don't listen to those people who say you can't ride the skinny tires - those things are very, very strong, and are built to withstand plenty.

Also...
Not really. It's expensive to do this (think $200), and requires switching out more parts than what it's worth. Road bikes, on the other hand, cost a little more at first but are much easier to upgrade to your preferences, whatever those may be.

Just get what you want, and get what you think will keep you happiest for the longest. Then when it stops making you happy, upgrade or get something else.

rms13

I love when people come looking for one thing (road bike) and people have to keep telling them to get something else (hybrid). Swapping the flat bars to drop bars on the Windsor hybrid posted here would likely cost at least $200 if he could do the work himself and might cost $350-400 if a shop does it.

There are plenty of road bikes for the same price both on BD/BikeIsland and used. There are plenty of road bikes and cross bikes that will take 28-40cm tires if he needs them. But I think wheels are more of an issue than tires with his weight and cheap wheels on a cheap bike will probably need to be replaced sooner than skinny tires. My friend was about 280 when he got his first road bike and it was a Cannondale Supersix with 23cm tires and he never had any issues with the tires, wheels or carbon frame at his weight

Bradleykd

I love how little people try to tell big people they are too heavy for a road bike... SMH. I was 250 when I got my entry level road bike 2.5 years ago, and the wheels are still true. It has 25mm tires on it. You are not too heavy for any bike, and any factory wheelset will have enough spokes to be fine for a guy of your size. 250 isn't really that big comparatively to most American men. The bikes are made to be ridden by the masses.

As far as maintenance, you should check your tires ever other day or so before you ride and top off the pressure to reduce risk of pinch flats.

As far as flat-bar vs. drop-bar, well, you can ride a drop bar bike in the same position as a flat bar, but you can't ride a flat bar in the same positions as a drop bar...

The main thing is to buy which ever one you think you will enjoy more. I know your main goal is commuting short distance right now, but hopefully you will enjoy riding and start to add miles for fun. It really has changed my life-style completely. After I found out how much I enjoyed riding around on a road bike, I lost 60 lbs.... It is the only fitness activity I enjoy.

qclabrat

no disagreements from me on who can ride a 23mm tire, my pal weighs in at 250 and have never in recent memory gotten a flat. From the OP, it appears he is looking for a bike more for utility than recreation. Some of us have suggested a flat bar as an option, flat bar bikes can also road bikes, if he rather go with drops for what ever reason so be it.