What the heck

Hello,

I am newish here (I have read threads for a while, but just joined so I can finally post). I have a bit of a conundrum and would love some input. I am 37, f, 5'10 and just shy of 400 lbs. I used to be quite athletic and only 200 lbs of glorious muscle and thickness, but I sustained life altering injuries to my back and pelvis four years ago that required extensive surgery and years of therapy. I had ridden my husband's beach cruiser (which we still have) when I was slimmer, but am afraid of breaking any of his bikes now. I hated my old bike even at 200 lbs and refused to ride it, because I always felt like I was flattening the back tire. I am trying to find a bike that I can just get active on again. Walking is hard on my joints, and I have a little girl I'd love to ride along with when she is on her bike. At this point, I would like to stick to pavement or at most, flat gravel/dirt trails. My budget is not extensive at all, 400-500 max, especially since I live in an area where bikes are frequently stolen (ridiculous). I am open to different types if it will support my weight AND I'm not totally hunched over. I am not afraid of falling (ex dancer and horseback rider- I can plant a seat and move gracefully still), but have always had fears of popping tires, busting spokes/rims, etc. I can swing my legs up and over no problem. Thanks to the bike surge, our local shops have had limited to no inventory...and frankly, they cater to very high budget clientele and haven't had much knowledge for as heavy of a rider as me, so I have been ignored and am very frustrated. I would just like ideas of bikes to look for even on resale from Marketplace and such. Or new if in price range. I want to get moving again and enjoy rides with my family. Any suggestions?

cyclist2000

I would use the beach cruiser. it should be safe for your weight, Save the money for a real upgrade after you have ridden a while and know that you want to keep at it.

taylorgeo

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...-thru/p/28080/

What the heck

Do you think it would need upgraded wheels? I got on his trek mountain bike today (too tall/uncomfortable for me) and everything felt sturdy, except the back tire was flattening too much (my beach cruiser did the same and i hated riding it because of that). We have to get his cruiser out of storage to see, so I am already mentally preparing for inadequate tires.

cyclist2000

Beach cruisers have fairly wide tires, pump them up to their max pressure and see what happens. Just bring tools to fix a flat, a pump and/or CO2 inflator and a spare tube for that bike and a wrench for unbolting the wheels, then you should be good to go. I wouldn't spend too much money on anything until you know that you like riding. Later you can look at other bikes when you figure out what kind of riding you want to do. Later if you really have a problem with your weight and the tires, then think about a fat tire bike or a bike that can take wider tires than the beach cruiser.

The problem right now is that bikes are hard to find and with the social distancing restrictions, it is hard to go to the different shops to test ride bikes.

What the heck

Heck yes, that's the most frustrating part. I agree- my husband's cruiser will hopefully do. Thanks for the tips to calm my back tire fears.

cyclist2000

Just know what size bike you ride. In a year or two you will start seeing lots of used bikes on sale cheap because all these bikes that are sold now will just be sitting in the garage or basement unused in a couple of years. So if you like riding a bike, you can find a good used one at a good price. And if you decide that biking isn't for you (heavens forbid), you haven't wasted lots of money.