cryogenic

Ok, I'm not a big fan of Treks by any stretch of the imagination, but you may want to check out the 7300FX and 7500FX models? The 7500FX with disc brakes doesn't come with the lower spoke count wheels and costs just a bit over $650... the 7300 is considerably cheaper (under $400 if I recall). Specialized makes a Crossroads, Sirrus and Sequoia that would all suit your needs perfectly fine. You could also check out the Gary Fisher Zebrano or Nirvana... not sure on the actual price of them but I'm pretty sure they both clock in under $600. My suggestion would be to stay away from front suspension if possible as it's just going to bob and suck power away from you on the streets. I'm friends with Pwrdbytrd, who is 450 lbs and he complains about that very thing all the time.

Slvoid's suggestion for an OCR Touring is great, but one problem.. Giant stopped making it in '04 and only has smalls left at the moment. Checking Ebay shows an XS, L and XL available, all used of course. It's a very good bike... has 36 spoke wheels and disc brakes along with drop bars and plenty of braze-ons for rack, fenders, 3 water bottles, etc. Stock, they're around $1000 so that's above what you want to spend, obviously. However, you may be able to pick one up used in your intended price range.

Don Gwinn

Couple of things I've figured out:

1. Recumbents are out. Neat idea, something to keep in mind for the future, but too expensive for the moment. I don't want to wait very long at all to buy this bike because I don't want to lose momentum and start making excuses.

2. I don't have a problem with a used bike, but for now I think I need the help of my LBS. Ebay may be handy later when I know what I'm doing, but not this time.

3. Suspension is definitely a NO. I don't like it and, it seems, neither does anyone here.

v1nce

The Kona Hoss sounds good.

But if you want something really affordable and frame only i'd check out Surly, they are tough i am not sure what they are rated at but you can just mail them to ask. If you can ride that one it is a great bargain as it is so good you won't need to upgrade,.. well,.. ever. Unless you become a pro biker or something.

Otherwise, definately stick with steel.

If you find that wheels buckle quickly because of your weight, i'd suggest checking my webpage below. 20 inch wheels are tough as coffin nails (BMX... ) and Raleigh Twenty (plus a few other folder frames) are real tough as well (may be hard to believe...)

Dead Extra #2

Sounds like good advice, I can tell from looking at the pictures that the frame has been cracked for a long time.

FarHorizon

In my experience (260#), just about any modern, mid-level frame will do fine. The wheels are more likely to fail than any properly-constructed frame (department store bikes, Huffy, et-al, I don't consider properly-constructed).

I'm riding a Kona Dew, an Easton aluminum race frame, and a 70's steel Panasonic - no problems. Of course, this is a "statistical sample of one," so take it for what it's worth!

MichaelW

That is hardly the description of a catastrophic failure. Your frame broke, you noticed someting funny, after a through search you discovered a cracked tube then walked home to your cat/dog/family.
Catastrophic failure mode is a sudden and complete structural failure, eg the fork/stem/handlebar snaps, the carbon-bladed spokes shatter, your crank snaps in half. All of these have happened to riders and dump you off the bike, usually with a horrible injury.

Most modern frames from respected brands are massivly overbuilt and will not fail under hard use. The usual failure point for heavy riders are the wheels which are often badly tensioned on factory bikes. A handbuilt, touring grade wheel will support a big guy + a full camping load. Tandem grade wheels will support 2 big riders + load. A proper bike shop will be able to supply strong wheels.
If you want a total Big Guy bike, besides the Kona there is
https://www.co-motion.com/mazama.html

huhenio

I have good news for you ... they are not quite as heavy. I my fixed gear conversion is a Traveler from the 70's and is holding up pretty well.

Heavy ... yes, but not 45 pounds. More like high 20's. Good steel as Calimoxo2 said, it will hold up pretty well. Best 50$ you will spend on a frame.

alanbikehouston

Some of the toughest bikes ever made were the "high quality" steel frame mountain bikes of the 1985 to 1985 era with rigid steel forks. Beefy frames. Beefy rims. Then the "weight weenies" invaded the world of mountain bikes, and today aluminum frames and flexy forks dominate.

I have seen 1990ish Trek mountain bikes in pawn shops in good shape for $75 and in good bike shops (with a tune-up and the shop's guarantee the bike is in good shape) for $150. Sometimes you see them in a Goodwill store for $25 or so.

"Brand Name" steel frame/rigid fork mountain bikes can handle a 300 pound rider, as long as he is riding on pavement or smooth dirt trails. If he wants to do the stuff my nephew does (riding off three foot high loading docks at high speed) than NO bike is gonna hold up for long.

Terex

I'd go with cyclocross or rigid mtn bike with slicks for now, especially going into winter. Later it can be used as your spare. At 300 lbs., you are probably beyond design limits of most road bikes in some area or other - frame, wheels, stem, seat, whatever. As you begin to drop that 100 lbs (yes, I believe you can do it) you need something 1) comfortable, 2) efficient and 3) safe. Mtn & cyclo cross are generally more durable, and mtn bike gearing should be looked at as "significant mass gearing" for now. I'm with you on the recumbent issue...no way. You do need to listen to the comments re bike maintenance - you need a precision machine, and you need to maintain it like one (I was talking about the bike, but same applies to your body). All in all, excellent work! Looking forward to reading how the bike buying turns out, and how your riding and weight loss progress. Oh, and sign up for the Chris Carmichael free info on nutrition. It's at https://www.trainright.com/info.asp?a...lay&record=443

avidday

I weigh in at around 400 lbs and for the past month I've been riding a 2005 Giant Sedona ST with no problems. It's a MTB style hybrid with a steel frame and no suspension, so it can be a bit of a rough ride on gravel and offroad, but it's silky smooth on asphalt. I would look into the Sedona line a bit or the Cypress line if you are looking for a road bike. The Cypress ST looks a lot like my Sedona ST, but with street tires. For the record, my Sedona St cost me $230 + tax and I could have gotten a 2004 model for $219. I would expect the Cypress to be similar in price.

geraldatwork

First off, congradulations on losing all of that weight. Sound like you will be successful with the balance. Go for the road bike and maybe the suggestions of others in your weight class who have success with their road bikes.I believe on buying on the internet if possible. I got my Windsor Kennett that way but in your case if you buy locally.If your frame happens to break you have a much better chance of getting a replacement than chasing someone on the internet. Find out up front how long the frame is guaranteed for and make sure they put that info on the invoice.

bluyak

Department store bikes are what they are. Cheep crap period. There are different types of quality bikes for a reason. You are not going to find a magic bike. But as you are going into winter I would suggest a Trek 7200. Its a hybrid. A cyclocross bike would work too. You dont have to buy new, get a used one. Then start saving your pennys for a nice road bike. A Trek 1000, 1200, or 1500. Unless you got cash for a Madone 5.2. In my opinion stay away from Giant. They're going down the same road Shwinn did. One of our local LBS terminated his contract with Giant. He was getting to many complants and problems from patrions of shoddy craftmanship on the Giants. The owner told me. They make a lot of frames for department store bikes and the quality of the bikes has gone down hill.

dan828

Well, cyclocross bikes have come up a couple of times and I have to agree. 2 months ago I was at almost 290 lbs when I decided to get back into cycling after a many year hiatus-- the goal being to drop 100+ pounds and do the Davis double century before I turn 40 (a couple of years before I hit that mark, but I'd like to get a couple of centuries in next year before I try the double). Ended up at a local bike shop after looking at a few hybrids as a "starter" bike with the idea that I'd get a road bike next year. The owner of the bike shop talked me up and showed me a cyclocross bike, a Fuji Cross Comp. Nice rubust frame, stock wheels that can take a bit more weight (I've not had any problems with them as of yet)-- seemed like an ideal starter. MSRP from Fuji is $1000, but since it was an '05 I got it for $800 because they were dumping their stock to get the new models that just came out.

The LBS owner suggested have some wheels custom built because of the weight issue, but said I should try out the stock wheels first and see how they hold up, and he'd trade them in on some custom ones if they didn't stand up.

Anyways, I'm down to ~270 now and the bike has held up fine after a couple of hundred miles. I haven't had a problem with the stock saddle as the shop owner took the time to get everything ajusted. Good luck on finding a new bike and don't let anyone talk you into something you don't want. Get a nice machine that you like, and you'll end up riding it more.

megamind

how about a specialized hard rock hard tail mountain bike.. I recently started to ride mountain bikes and for some reason I prefer mountain bikes over road bikes. It doesn;t mean that road are no good but for right now I feel very confortable with mountain bikes.. I have a hard tail moongoose bike. someone mentioned to inspect your bike often.. that's a good point because by doing that then you know when something is wrong.. also I will recommend you to get to kknow how to fix bikes.. that;s not too hard to do.. I have been taken apart many bikes and sell the parts for profit .. is a good way to know more about bikes..

hhabca

There's always these things...

https://cgi.ebay.com/2008-NEW-ROAD-RA...QQcmdZViewItem

I expect flames now, but really, they're cheap and with what I'm guessing is a plain gauge steel frame, should last a while. Weak spots might be the crank, maybe. A LBS might have someting similar in the $200-ish region. Some of the department store bikes that get lambasted here aren't too bad - a bit heavy but far better than what they used to be 20 years ago.

If you have about $1000 to spend, I'd go with a Surly Crosscheck with Shimano Sora triple group, and 40 spoke tandem wheels. It'll last a lifetime, and as you loose weight you can change the wheels out to decent 32 spoke road wheels. Tire clearance for big tires too - you can go almost anywhere with a bike like this.

Little Darwin

Do y'all realize this is a 2 year old thread???

brianmcg123

LOL....that is what I was wondering.

v1nce

Yeah, so what the flamin heck did het get in the end? Did he lose weight? Did the Glock get put to use at the LBS or someplace else?

I need answers on this Bat Channel pronto!

Cosmoline

I cracked an Electra frame there after a lot of very rough riding. They replaced it free. No injuries, no big deal. Just another part needs fixin'

If you got several YEARS of active riding out of HUFFY, you did good.

WTH? I'm talking to zombies here. Why was this revived? I hate when this happens.

SEARHC GUY

I weigh 330 (not including the 25-40 pound backpack I usually carry) and I ride a Giant Yukon to work every day. I can hear the frame groaning under the strain at times, and I had to replace my pedals when the old pedals broke under heavy cranking stress on a hill, but it still runs even in the Alaska winter. I've also ridden a Cannondale road bike and an old Shogun beater mountain bike, both of which required some extra maintenance. I'd check out the Clydesdale thread for info applicable to heavy cyclists. I'd also look at this site, https://www.supersizedcycles.com/, though the bikes here are very spendy and aren't for entry-level cyclists. I think you can find a workable bike for your size without having to go to the price range on the link I posted.

Air

For the interest of anyone checking this thread out, my sig has a good list of everything Clyde

ideasculptor

Any decent steel frame should hold up to the abuse your weight will throw at it. the bigger issue is wheels - almost any stock wheels are going to be too cheesy to deal with a 300 pound rider. Hell, most OEM wheels are too crappy for a 150 pound rider. Assuming you don't buy something designed for racing, you shouldn't wind up with super light cranks, seatpost, stem, or bars, so you should be OK on that score. Basically, assume that any wheels that come on a bike you buy are spares and buy some quality wheels, preferably with 36 spokes. You don't need to go totally crazy on th spec. Just reasonable parts that aren't too light and a very good wheelbuilder will get you where you need to be.

And don't assume it is going to take all that long to drop much of that weight. If you are enjoying the riding and can find a way to work it into your lifestyle on a regular basis (try commuting, it is great for this!), you can drop a good bit of that weight in well less than a year, so you may not need a bike for a 300 pounder for long. Bear in mind also that, if you can afford the cash upfront, getting a bike that feels great will make you ride more often, which will cause you to lose weight faster, which means it'll take less time before you can stop worrying about being on the heavy side for your bike. Don't be afraid to pend the money cause if it causes you to drop 50 - 75 pounds and keep it off, it will be worth every penny 100 times over. That's how it was for me, anyway. Spending $2K on a bicycle that I love to ride is nothing compared to the 50 pounds I'll never put back on so long as I own this bike. It was the difference between being obese and being just a little bit stocky, and probably added 20 years to my life expectancy (not factoring in the crazy LA drivers, of course). You can't put a price tag on that, especially if we are talking about being around to watch your kids grow up.

dekindy

Could you possibly buy a nice pair of walking shoes and/or join a health club and ride an exercise bike this winter and lift weights until you get to a lighter weight? That way you could save money and get a really nice bike. You will undoubtedly continue riding even after your weight goals are met.