dk63

Hello, I will be turning 63 this Sunday. I stand 5 foot 10 inches tall 330 pounds
I have not been on a petal bike since 1984; last bike was a 15 speed japan made racer that I rode while in Korea.
My question is more or less any recommendations on type or style of bikes.
Being short fat and bald has it set backs but even that can change.

berner

Comfort is king. When beginning to cycle most newbies will not be riding high mileage that can lead to discomfort early on. But after a while the newbie will be going on longer rides and if the bike does not fit well it not only will be uncomfortable but may be really painful. I've been there. Other than a bike that feels right, I'd look for versatility. That is a bike than can most anything will be used the most. I see many bike on out local bike path that fit that general profile. Some are sort of like a mountain bike in that they have shock absorbers on the front wheel or just as likely are categorized as commuters. The tires are usually about 35mm to 40mm wide and provide cushioning. All of those bike will have mounting points for a rear rack so you can haul stuff around town.

I found a good bike shop and they put me on just the right bike and 25,000 miles later, it is still the right bike. If you have a bike club near where you live, contact them and ask them to recommend a bike shop if there is more than one. To get you started, the link shows some typical commuter type bikes and prices. A good quality bike will run from about $500 to $100. I'm not recommending Trek bikes but they do have a good selection with prices. Good luck.

Carbonfiberboy 

I see you double posted, also to the Clydesdale/Athena forum. That's a no-no. I think that the other forum will be much more useful to you than this one.

Ericoschmitt

At that weight I think you should focus on comfort for now. If you can afford, get a good bike fit such as Retül or similar, it uses a special "ergometric" bike to get you fitted even if you don't have a bike yet, and THEN the fitter will recommend you proper geometry and some purchase possibilities. I think there are other similar systems, do your search to find something in your area.

The fitter possibly will have a variety of test saddles as well, so you will know what to get instead of buying a dozen saddles just to find they are not right for you. So in the end such a bike fit will probably save you time and money, sparing you from buying everything twice.

I'd also recommend getting a saddle with a "slot" in the middle (a hole) so that your soft precious parts don't get compressed by the weight. Get one that sustain your weight from the seat bones and has the right width for you (the fitter should know). You could also consider something similar to a Brooks saddle, they are suspended from both ends (either leather or synthetic), again, slotted. Bike tourers swear by them, although I tried one and didn't like. If you don't get a bike fit your shop will still probably have some saddles for you to test.

And about the bike, if you don't do a bike fit, get one that puts you more upright for now, so at that weight you won't get back pain. This means a taller head tube and slacker seat tube, probably a seat post with offset. And I'd look for an option with wider tires that allow more comfort and less punctures. I wouldn't worry much about speed anyway.
If you are decided to ride spend good money on a bike, since some really cheap walmart crap would just put you off in a couple months. If you have the cash get a good one!

Then there's what kind of bike to get. If you are really into road bikes get a "endurance" road bike with 28 or 32mm wide tires. It will have slacker angles and taller head tube. There is now something called tubeless tires, they won't pinch flat such as clinchers and at your weight this is a concern, so they are a good choice. Get a bike with lots of spokes on both wheels, like 32. Many bikes now have 20 spokes on front wheel and 24 in the rear, and unless very well built, they would give you a headache. It can be hard to find a road bike nowadays with 32 spokes, so you might have to buy wheels apart. But you have better chance of getting more spokes if you choose a bike with disc brakes (that's a new trend on road bikes). Also disc brakes will work better for you. I ride rim brakes myself on the race bike but I weight 140lb.

Then there's something you might not have heard, there's one kind of bike getting really popular now: gravel bikes. They are basically road bikes with wider tires made to ride both tarmac and dirt paths. They loose a bit speed on tarmac but are much more comfortable because of the wider tires. Most have at least 32mm wide tires and many allow up to 42mm wide tires, and I've got one with 60mm Schwalbe G-Ones (those are very fast tires besides the width, and I can ride with roadies no problem). They allow you more varied riding since they won't be boneshakers when hitting a dirt road, and asphalt cracks can be ignored. Even small potholes won't matter much, and they are much less likely to flat. A gravel bike will probably come with all I mentioned above that you should look for in a road bike (slack angles, many spokes, disc brakes, wide tires). And if the tire width (or knobs) put you off you can simply change tires for some 32mm wide slick road tire for city riding. That's two bikes in one.

Other than drop bar bikes, you could consider a mountain bike as well. Those will have your spine more upright and have suspension. But if you are riding mostly asphalt they are overkill. In that case you could look into "city" bikes (also called hybrid bikes). They have flat handlebars and upright position kindda like a mtb, but with rigid forks and slick tires for asphalt (usually 28 to 35mm wide). Those city bikes can be a great option too! They make great commuters. I had a bike like that for many years, sold to a friend who enjoys it a lot. There's probably a better chance that you will find a stock city bike with 32 spoke wheels too and comfy saddle!

You should also have in mind the gearing range in the bike. Road bikes often have heavier gears and if you live in hilly area you will have trouble. You also probably won't need the fastest gears anyway so that's a waste of gearing range.
Most entry level road bikes will come with 50/34 chainrings and 11-28 or 11-32 cassette. That gives you a speed range from about 8mph (or 7mph with 32t cassette) to 35mph at 90rpm, and for most mortals that's much taller gearing than they should ride, and the extra top range is just a waste. It would be very hard to find a stock road bike with smaller chainrings, and at best your shop will get you an 11-34 cassette which would give you a decent 1:1 low gear, but still waste the top range. Smaller chainrings usually require modding the bike, getting a whole new crankset, and sometimes the front derailleur braze on will be just too high to shift properly. So bottom line, you will hardly find any stock road bike that is fully ready for you with any gearing modding (gearing, tires, saddle, stem...).

You have a much better chance with stock gravel bikes since they also usually have smaller chainring(s) and bigger cassette (some gravel bikes have a single chainring and wide range cassette to make things simple but the gaps between gears are bigger). Also focus on a wide/low gearing range regardless the number of total gears the bike has.

MTB and city bikes also will have smaller chainrings to make climbing easier, and probably won't require any modding at all.

One last consideration: nowadays there are 3 main wheel sizes in use. 26" 27,5" (650b) and 29" (700c), the 29 being the same rim size as the road 700c. Some gravel bikes come with 650b wheels, and if you have any intention of, for example, getting a gravel bike with stock wide tires but also having possibility of fitting slick tires on it, get one with 700c/29in rims because it will be easier to find both kinds of tires for it. 650b slick tires are hard to find. Road bikes all come with 700c rims. Same goes for a MTB, there are many 29 and 27.5 options, and if you will eventually put slicks on it, 29 is better for that.
IMO the best size for heavier rider is 26in though because a smaller wheel is stronger and also gets you lighter effective gearing, but 26in bikes are dead nowadays unless you buy used. My old city bike I mentioned had 26in wheels and I loved them! But finding tires for it is getting harder. On the 27.5/650b thing though, if you won't be using narrower slicks, that size is a bit stronger than 29/700 because it is smaller.

Bottom line, in your place I wouldn't get a road bike. Get a gravel one (and a spare set of slick tires if you wish) or a city bike. Or a MTB if you will ride offroad as well.