davidh8981

I am looking for a mountain bike, road bike or hybrid bike that will support my frame. I've been looking all over bikesdirect and just dont have a lot of knowledge of the situation. If anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great. Budget will be around 500 dollars

xroadcharlie

You might try Giant's Sedona (not the DX version). It's a comfort bike so you sit upright, has a strong mountain bike frame and cromoly steel rigid forks. Have the dealer replace the suspension seatpost as it is likely designed for no more then 200 lbs. I don't suggest buying any bike with suspension as most will be ruined quickly. The 53 mm tires fully inflated on Double wall 32 spoke rims might support your weight as long as you don't jump on or off curbs, and provide a comfortable ride.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/sedona-2020

This is Canadian prices. US much less.

It's not light or fast, but looks quite sturdy. I really enjoy mine. The 3 x 7 drivetrain has gears for any situation your likely to encounter too.

Good luck.

Wilfred Laurier

Good advice above. I will add that pretty much any bike will work, but the stock wheels may have a short lifespan.

Since you mentioned Bikes Direct...

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...afe-sprint.htm

Rigid frame and fork, and available in an XL size of 22.5".

Save Up to 60% Off NEW SRAM Apex 1x11, High Grade Reynolds Steel Flat Bar Road Bikes On Sale + FREE SHIP 48 Super Road, Wide Tires, Reynolds High Grade Steel Flat Bar Bikes with Lugged Crown CrMo Forks Motobecane Cafe 11, Advanced SRAM Apex 1x11Spd
This one is a bit ore cash, but has slightly nicer parts. You would want the 63cm frame size.

tyrion

I recommend a touring bike:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ng-bikes-v.htm

Touring bikes are overbuilt to carry a load and come with sturdy wheels and wide gear range (although the one I linked to doesn't have as low a gearing as I'd prefer - most touring bikes come with lower gearing than that). You can a much better deal if you can find a used one like a Surly Long Haul Trucker, but if you can't find a used bike I'd go with that bikesdirect one.

Also the old 1980s steel mountain bikes that were made before the suspension era are very sturdy, if you can find one your size.

dagray

Orbea Orca (road bike) or other Orbea Road bike. Change wheels and stem to fit you.

My Orbea Orca has served me well from 406 pounds down to 350 pounds. I put different wheels on to support my weight and run 700 x 25 Maxxis Padrone tubeless tires.

Bianchi is another good bike that will hold up.

Jay_M

Hey bud I have a question. I currently weight 330 lbs and started cycling to loose weight. However I have gotten really bad chafing and saddle pain. What saddle did you use ? Any recommendations? Thanks

dagray

bib shorts with pad, chamois cream ( many brands available, but they keep you from chafing. I use DZ Nuts or Buttonhole), a nice saddle (I like a Selle Flite with cutout, but have switched to a Selle SMP Evolution). Also if you are very hairy in your nether region you might consider putting a number one or number two guard on a set of clippers and trim down there. Trimming keeps the hair from being pulled when you ride which will help keep irritation down.

Also wiping your undercarriage down with Sea Breeze before a ride, showering right after a ride (don't spend a bunch of time in shorts that are sweaty), and then wipe down with Witch Hazel or Sea Breeze when you get out of the shower.

jettabambino

I don’t want to hijack the post but I am also 330 and looking to get into bikes. I don’t need anything fancy but worried about weight capacity. What do you ride. What bike what model. Did you make any changes

MRT2

It is a combination of a saddle that is neither too wide nor too narrow. Too narrow will feel like your butt is sliding off the outer edges of he saddle. Too wide, and your inner thighs will chafe, and you will feel as if you are sinking into the saddle, which will cause pain and/or numbness in your perineum, which is not a good thing. I have had good luck using the Brooks B17 standard. It took a few months to break it in, but 8 years on, it is still my go to saddle. A few years ago, I decided to try to the Brooks C17 Cambium, which is not leather, but I found it just a bit too narrow. There are lots of choices for saddles, so you might need to try a few out.

Second, get yourself some good cycling shorts or bibs. They do a lot to reduce chafing.

MRT2

Maybe look into something designed for loaded touring. Trek 520, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Kona Sutra, Salsa Vaya. Something like that.

I have been riding the Salsa Casseroll for about 8 years, and though my weight got as high as 312 last year, for most of the 8 years I was 260 to 290 lbs. I did have to replace the stock wheels though after about 2 years, to some touring wheels with Velo Orange Grand Cru hubs, and 36 spokes. The standard wheels with 32 spokes just didn't hold up over time.

SethAZ 

You mentioned wiping down the undercarriage before a ride. I just jump in the shower and do the needful, then start off my rides sparklingly clean. I think it helps massively with preventing abrasion and chafing and whatnot from getting inflamed or irritated.

As far as saddles go, I'm a Brooks fan. Sure, the initial few hundred miles are a pain in the ass (see what I did there?) but after it breaks in (or your body breaks itself in to the saddle, whatever the case may be) it's amazingly awesome. One might be tempted to think that the relatively unforgiving hard leather surface would be inferior to some padded monstrosity of a saddle, but I've ridden both extensively, and I like the Brooks better. Everyone's going to have their own opinions on this. I have the sneaking suspicion that Brooks fans can be a little like paleo or cross-fit fans, always quick to jump on any soapbox they can find to preach the gospel, so I'll just step off the box and leave it there.

MRT2

Good advice about starting off a ride relatively clean. I do the same. Just a quick rinse off before putting on a clean pair of biking shorts, and I am good.
Also a Brooks guy, but I cannot guarantee everybody will like Brooks. I bought my wife a Brooks for her vintage Peugeot. and while she doesn't mind it, she prefers the relatively cheap Serfas saddle on her Jamis road bike. Go figure.

SethAZ 

This one needs to be said very carefully: by showering before a ride, then pulling the bib shorts/jersey off after a ride, unless it was a long and very sweaty ride, they can usually be worn again for another ride or two before being washed. This helps them last longer. Folks who don't shower right before a ride are depositing their accumulated daily funk into their kit, which is far worse than a little honest sweat.

When I was considering the Brooks (same as you, B-17) I read lots of comments from people. There were the people who loved it and evangelized about it, and there were the haters. I weighed both sides and decided to try it out, and once decided, I forced myself to gut out the break-in period. 3000 miles or so later I'm definitely in the "evangelizing their greatness" camp. I accept that some who have tried it and ridden long enough to have broken in and still hate it may exist, so I try not to sound like it's the only and universal answer. The only other saddles I've seriously considered since the B-17 are the other leather saddles, like the Gilles Berthoud. I've also wondered if I might not like the narrower versions just as much or better, like the Brooks Team Pro. I haven't wondered it enough to break out the wallet, though.

MRT2

Maybe 3 or 4 years ago when Brooks came out with the C17 Cambium, I bought one based on some rave reviews, and about a 10 mile test ride to try one out. The advantages of the Cambium were supposed to be a similar comfort to the B17 but no break in, and no worry about it getting wet, since it is not leather. And on rides up to about an hour, it was very good. But I noticed after about 1 1/2 hours, it started to irritate me, and beyond 2 hours, I really started to not like it. So, now my son uses the C17 and I am back to the B17.

dagray

Yes I like to be dry before a ride so I wipe down the paraneal area, inner thighs, groin with Seebreeze (an astringent), and then use the chamois cream.

I love a good cutout saddle and use the Selle SMP Evolution saddle. Brooks makes good saddles, and I would never put anyone down for using one.