taylorgeo

Please help me pick...

www.konaworld.com/dew.cfm OR www.konaworld.com/lanai.cfm

– 5'8", 350 lbs
– Late 40s (arthritis in both knees, but well-managed).
– Will be riding mainly on suburban streets (smooth & pot-hold), paved bike paths, boardwalk, and possibly an occasional dirt trail.
– Biggest concern: bike falling apart on me – suddenly and catastrophically, putting me in the hospital.
– Snapping the seat post.

Thanks!

Thomas15

You are probably going to get a bunch of opinions so hang tight.

Personally I know little about Kona's but given your intended riding and misc. info given I would opt for the Dew. Unless you are riding on more advanced single track you don't need a suspension fork and the fork on the Lana'l is spring dampened not oil or air. In other words it's a low end fork. We have a few bikes with forks like that. We don't ride any technical single track so I keep the forks as tight as I can get them. Others might have a differing view for you to consider but my opinion is stay hard unless your budget will support a good full suspension, which is like a lot of money. Also the Dew has less aggressive tire tread which again is more suited what what you intend to do. I do a lot of rail trail/MUP riding, between 60 and 100 miles per week and use street tires on my hybrid. If you get hooked on MTB and decide to ride serious single track then you will want a better bike anyway.

Welcome to cycling, it is a great way to get fit and have fun!

FiftySix

I'd pick the Dew. No suspension needed for your situation, plus the tires on the Dew will handle exactly the type of riding you mention.

taylorgeo

Let's forget the surface I'd be riding on for a moment...

What bike would be sturdiest for my 350 lb. body?

TrojanHorse

They look equivalently sturdy but if you want long-term durability you might want to skip the front shock.

shelbyfv

I don't see any reason to believe one would be any less sturdy than the other. Wheels and frames seem similar. I'd pick the one w/o suspension fork. Just something to wear out and you aren't getting much tech for that price point. Either should be enjoyable but you know you are well outside any design parameters so expect to be hard on stuff. You're going to break spokes, experience flats, etc. Will be good to have a supportive shop.

shelbyfv

I was looking at one your other numerous threads about this purchase and noticed someone suggested sticking with walking for awhile. This may be the best advice! Cycling isn't really that great for losing weight and you have a long way to go (200#) before your shape will allow you to ride with any comfort. As you've said, a belly resting on the stem isn't a great fit. I don't know that I've ever discouraged anyone from cycling, other than our resident troll who feigns helplessness, but I can't see it working for you at this time. And yes, you are correct to be concerned about falling off and injuring yourself. You are going to be very unstable on any 2 wheel cycle.

taylorgeo

I have seen on this forum people over 350 lbs. riding a bike, but you're probably right. Just a hard pill to swallow. And there's no way I'm buying a f**king tricycle.

Thank you for your candor. Appreciate that.

Miss my BMX days.

GrainBrain

https://www.worksmancycles.com/

They make heavy duty bikes.

Thomas15

There are many benefits to riding a bicycle including that it's fun. I have to support what Shelbyfv is saying though. I know from personal experience that it is possible to lose weight riding bikes but to get the weight loss motor firing on all 8 cylinders takes a lot of time and effort. In the last 7 months I have shed 23 pounds but I did that riding 100-150 miles a week and paying fairly close attention to what I eat and more important when I eat. I restarted bicycle riding about a year and a half ago after 25 years off in an effort to lose a little bit of gut. Having said I have lost some weight I still have the gut. The legs are fantastic and my ability to suck in the O2 is greatly enhanced but many body parts are not getting anything out of my cycling.


I do think that if fitness is the goal then probably walking is a better route to go for now. The thing is and I don't mean to lecture anyone but you need to make your walking sessions often, like 4 days a week and cover a good amount of distance as in multiple miles and get your heart pumping. Really really push yourself...hard. Honestly if it were not for the fact that my feet are train wrecks I would be a runner in addition to a cyclist.


One other thing to consider if you are serious is an indoor bicycle trainer. This is one of those things where there is a mind boggling array of options and costs involved. As I said I've been back on the bike for 18+ months now but at first I wasn't doing that much. What really got me going was the purchase of a fluid trainer and an account on Zwift. This gave me a realistic indoor ride with the associated convenience. Months on a fluid trainer over the winter got me in the habit of getting on the bike almost every day and with good weather I'm on the bike racking up miles as if I were a kid and bicycles were just invented.


Another suggestion and I have never tried this myself is to check for a local spin class. Something like that might help you burn off the calories and get some mutual support which you might have a hard time with riding solo on a bicycle.


Having said all of this I commend you on your desire to get going and on a bike. It's hard to make a new habit, lifestyle change, doing something that takes time away from other things. I say set yourself up with a goal and work diligently to achieve that goal. You could have as part of that a bicycle that you intend to buy when you reach your goal fitness level.

Darth Lefty 

I would say buy a stronger mountain bike than this one, if you go that route. If you choose a bike like Big Honzo with through-axle hubs, they are stronger, and the whole bike is strong enough to land big jumps under a regular size rider so just riding along at your weight is fine. The bike at that price will also come with an air spring fork which can be pumped up to match your weight with a damper that can be tuned to match. The coil spring fork on this one will be medium strength and no damping.

70sSanO

Now because it is the internet and this post could be from a 130lb teenager; but if legitimate, it may help with your decision...

https://www.roadbikereview.com/produ.../kona/dew.html

You can also check out the Kona owners manual (page 34) where it rates the Dew as 300lbs for rider plus 30lbs for luggage (330lbs); and for touring 300lbs for rider and 55lbs for luggage (355lbs).

https://downloads.konaworld.com/docs/...ers_Manual.pdf

John

Korina

I also vote for the Dew. Will you be getting this from a bike shop, or on-line? If LBS, test ride it. If it feels good, buy it. If on-line, have you contacted Kona to ask their opinion? Can't think of anyone who knows their bikes better.

Pop N Wood

Whichever bike has more spokes.

Anything that will get you out and moving is a plus. A bike can be a great motivator, highly recommend.

You won't snap anything without some warning. Broken spokes are a possibility, that is why I suggest higher spoke counts and big tires like both those bikes have. If wheels end up being a problem universal cycles sells 36 spoke, No BS wheels for under $100 each. I have one in the mail right now for my ebike.

Viich

I've ridden the Dew - I actually rented it for a weekend on a business trip, and rode it 25km to the next city to thrash it on the pump track all day, then rode back. Went through some mild rock rolls and loose sand on the way back. I can't comment on the weight-carrying, but based on Kona's statement, I'd take a chance on it if I were you. Worst case you replace the wheels with a beefier set if you get repeated broken spokes. I wouldn't worry too much about it in advance though.

I'm not normally a fan of these in-the-middle kind of bikes, but I thought this was a great bike. I'm normally BMX and drop bar road bikes, and it can do what both of them does, just neither as well.

Suspension scares me.

theDirtyLemon

The orange one (the Dew, I presume?) looks to have a slightly more upright riding position, which will probably be a bit more comfortable.
Also, fwiw, walking is a seriously underrated human activity.

Grudey1

Just to offer another perspective... I started at 332 and lost 70 lbs on a low-end Trek hybrid bike (I think it was a 7.1). I first started riding just to lose weight. I ended up loving cycling so much that I found myself being more disciplined with my diet just so that I could improve on my rides. I can tell you that this would have never happened for me with walking. The Kona Dew is an excellent choice and it should hold up just fine for you. The main concern for heavyweight riders are the wheels. The Dew has a high spoke count so no worries at your weight.

My recommendation is to go get that bike and just start riding for fun. As you get better and increase your distance you will only want to do more. Clean up your diet and the pounds will come off.

Greg

taylorgeo

Thank you so much for this perspective (and encouragement), Greg. Some people don't get that it's not just about losing weight. It's about getting the blood flowing, the joints moving, and doing an activity that you enjoy. I used to ride BMX bikes many decades ago and I miss riding terribly. Also, 90% of my 50 pound weight loss came from diet modification – not from walking and strength training.

Thanks again!

philbob57

Also, biking is gentler to knees than walking is - non-weight-bearing vs. weight-bearing. One thing to watch for is wanting to eat after a ride and overestimating the calories burned.... Also, biking uses different muscles than other activities do. Being able to walk miles doesn't equate to the same amount of time spent riding. Be prepared to build miles slowly.

icemilkcoffee 

I started cycling at the beginning of May and I’ve lost 14lb.s- from 184 down to 170 . I am 5’8”. So you can lose weight cycling. I used to walk quite a bit but I never lost any weight doing that. And walking is not completely benign neither- you get blisters and if you are middle age and up- metatarsal pain -which was the reason why I switched to bicycling.
I’d encourage the OP to start cycling. Developed a routine and stick to it.

taylorgeo

Drumroll... I got the Electra Townie 7D! Pretty anticlimactic at this point, but it was tough trying to find a suitable bike. This was the perfect blend of comfort, safety and durability, and it's pretty sharp looking in person.

I'll be on a MTB next summer after I drop more weight!

A million thanks to those of you who have been so generous with your time, making suggestions, sharing your stories – and for encouraging me.

THANK YOU

P.S. I'm sure I'll be back to learn about maintenance and repairs.