Naturegal77

Hello all. I am looking for a bicycle I am 315 lbs and 5'6". I was looking into Giant bicycles but am not sure if I am over the weight limit. My budget is under $500. What would you recommend?

TrojanHorse

You're probably over the lawyer derived weight limit but don't sweat it, they're very conservative. What kind of bike are you looking at and where do you plan on riding it?

Naturegal77

I'm interested in a commuter or comfort bike. I will be riding around town.

Aahzz

Try some bike shops in your area and see what they recommend - I've found that a shop with good service and support is more important than the brand of the bike - all the major brands make something that will fit your needs. I ended up on Trek because my local Trek store is fantastic and takes great care of me. If the other big bike shop in the area was as good, I'd probably be riding a Giant. BTW, I'm 365 (and shrinking) and have done just fine on a bike with a stated weight limit of 300. The weight limits are set by lawyers as mentioned above, the bikes are engineered to handle more.

If you stay with Giant, the Cypress would probably fit your needs well and be within your budget.

Wilfred Laurier

The only real weak point that I would be concerned about is the wheels, and specifically the rear hub... some less expensive bikes (not sure exactly what that means in 2019 sheckles) have a rear wheel with a 'freewheel' type rear hub, instead of the modern standard 'freehub' style. Freewheel hub bearings are not spaced to support the axle well, so bent or broken axles are not uncommon. Freehub style hubs have bearing out closer to the ends of the axle which prevents bending and breaking.

The good news is, even if you get a bike with a freewheel hub, and the axle fails after a few months or a season, the whole wheel can be easily replaced with a freehub type. Further good news is that even if the axle bends or breaks, you can continue riding the bike to safety - the bike usually doesn't become unridable when this happens.

Also, I would avoid bikes with suspension forks if you have the option. The ones included with less expensive bikes have little benefit, but add weight and rob some efficiency from your pedalling.

fat2fit

This exactly. My Specialized Shop in town are ******** so I ended up with a Trek because the Trek dealer was so much better. You will be fine man, most importantly you will be riding and losing weight! I like the Dual Sport 2 (Trek) and I'm a heavier rider myself (250-270 depending on how many carbs I've had lol).