werwer2012

I am 55 and would like to get into riding. I fix bikes but now would like to get out and enjoy them. I am six foot tall and weight 300 lbs. What should I get for a first bike. I just want to ride around our neighborhood. Not into mountain biking or anything fancy. My wife thinks I should just start with a Schwinn Coaster bike and proceed from there. Any positive suggestions.

Thanks...Greg

WMcCready

Would think that you should go with a bike with gears, coaster or cruzer bike would have limitations there. MTB, frames are solid, and, good gearing, just change to different bar's, to allow more hand positions. Wheels, depending on frame size, either 26", or 700 size, for wider range of wider sizes more modern with braze on's for water bottles, rack mounting. Best of luck in your search.

cplager

Go to a bike shop and see what's comfortable. I too recommend something with gears. Mountain bikes are fine IF they are comfortable for you (although put on slick tires).

werwer2012

Thanks for the tips.

LiamSkymom

I'm not going to say that a single speed bike wouldn't for you, but I love having gears. Definitely get some sort of sizing done at a LBS though. My DH thought he hated biking because he got a too small bike. Right size bikes and he likes it again.

Classic Bicycle

I weigh a little more than you, and I think you should consider comfort. Bike saddles are designed for people half our weight, yet our bone and flesh have basically the same load bearing capacity. One very common response to this question is a classic 80's-90's steel frame mountain bike. I agree with that up to a point, but especially later ones with a suspension fork. I have two classic rigid mountain bikes, a 1985 Stumpjumper and a 1985 Ritchey. I don't use the stock saddle on either, but rather a $300 Brooks saddle that is wide and triple sprung for riding upright on rough roads. I also have a 2002 Gary Fisher Solstice comfort bike. You can buy this bike or the equivalent used for a few hundred dollars. This bike will never be mistaken for a racer, but the suspension fork and seat post, and a comfy seat, will make your initial days/weeks of riding MUCH more pleasant.

paulbi

Definitely get a good saddle. I'm 312 and ride 18 miles each way 3 days a week. When I first started I went only 3 miles and was dying. I was literally hurting for 3 days afterwards. I got the Cloud 9 Cruiser saddle and couldn't be happier. If you can try out different seats in a store. If you can't I love my cloud 9 saddle. It's heavy, but the extra weight the seat adds should come off of me because I rider more when I'm comfortable.

paulbi

Definitely agree. I wanted to go single speed because of less maintenance, and my bike is how I get to work. I need it to work perfectly. I practiced on a single speed cruiser to get back into biking that was in my dad's garage before buying my own. I also happened to try a coworkers 21 speed before buying my own. Riding his bike convinced me I NEEDED gears.

I'm in flat sunny AZ and I love that I got gears. I got an Insight STI-8, so it's only 8 gears, but I need them all for my mostly flat ride because of two little hills, and on the way home I'm really tired.

paulbi

How many miles do you think you'll go a day? or a week? If it's not that high I guess a single speed could work. But any hill, any hill, will make you pretty tired.

MadCityCyclist

Ditch the coaster bike idea unless you live in a perfectly flat area and time and/or distance traveled is of no concern. If neighborhood rides are all you want and the terrain is flat, a coaster bike would be OK. If there's a hill nearby, try riding a coaster bike up it and see how that goes. Plus, coaster bikes usually have nothing but a coaster brake, and if you're going downhill and the chain jumps off the rear hub you'll be in trouble.

300 pounds isn't in the danger zone of just about any non-folding bike, go to the nearest LBS, take a bunch of different bikes for a spin and then choose.

werwer2012

Probably just going to ride a mile or two a day. We don't have any hills here to say but we do have a couple of long grades.

werwer2012

Thanks to everyone for the excellent advise. I now have a better idea of what I want.

paulbi

If it's just a mile or two a day a fixed gear would be fine, especially with no hills. I'd get this one: https://www.target.com/p/magna-white-...lot=medium_1_4

and get some new tires and inner tubes for it.

werwer2012

Thanks for the link. Unfortunitly we don't have any Targets here in Canada yet. but they will be here later this year. One thing i can tell you though is that they sure won't be that cheap. Probably closer to $ 200 here.

imacflyr3

I would think about either a hybrid or a cyclocross style depending on what's more comfortable to you. I started on a hybrid with a flat handlebar. After one season I went to a road bike. It didn't take long for me to realize I should have started on a cross bike instead of the hybrid... very much like a road bike with different brakes and larger tires. The road bars are so much more comfortable due to the different hand positions available. Whatever you get, get fitted and put in some miles (or kilometers!)! Be careful... It's very addictive!!

gh

werwer2012

Thanks for the advise, never heard of a cyclocross before but I'll check it out.