hpsean

I've been wanting to get back into biking now that i'm getting fitter and have been eyeing the Jamis Sequel. I loved it when I was younger but have stayed away from it due to my weight (originally at around 360) I'm 6'4" and currently weigh a little under 300lbs. I've been working with my local shop who recommended the Jamis Boss as a beginner bike, but I want something that will eventually be able to commute into and around town (including a need to support some kind of rack to carry more gear), as well as be a bike I can ride around my neighborhood that is both fun and provides a different type of exercise. I basically want a good beginner bike that is fun to ride, but capable of turning into more. I'd love to be able to put some real miles on it before I eventually move into some of those several thousand dollar bikes a couple of years down the road. I'm not looking to race or anything, or ever take it off road. I just want it to really hold up with a lot of use.

After a lot of research, the things that seem to stand as most needed for a heavy rider are good rims, tires and pedals. From what I can tell, the Sequel seems to have all those. The rims have 32 spokes and the tires seem wider and sturdy. Does anyone have any experience with the bike at around my size?

I'll be steadily dropping weight over the next few months, before I hit my goal weight of around 240. Would it be worth it to just hold off until then? I'm also not limited to just a Jamis bike, though that is what my local shop seems to specialize in. I've seen other recommendations for Surly bikes, Cannondales, etc. My price range is $1,000-$2,000, but again, especially at the higher end of that, i'd like it to be something that will last me for awhile. I'm down to get anything as long as it meets my requirements.

Finally, should I get just the base Sequel or upgrade to something like the S2 or S1? As a beginner, i'm not quite sure what all the differences are or if they are really worth it.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I really like that normal style of handlebars. I'm not really looking to get into anything with a drop style handlebar.

MRT2

If you don't want to go with a drop bar, the Sequel looks pretty nice. 1 x 10 gearing, steel frame, fat tires. The only thing to watch is the wheels, which should be OK to get started, but if you stay at 300, you might need to upgrade the back wheel eventually. What IDK is, how the Jamis fits you. I imagine you will need to get the largest frame they offer.

hpsean

I won't be at 300 for long. This is one reason i'm considering just waiting one more month if that's a smarter move. I'll be at around 280 the beginning of June. The Sequels run WTB ST i23 TCS 2.0 wheels, which have 32 stainless steel spokes. Would I be able to put sturdier wheels on the frame for now? If so, I don't mind getting a sturdier wheel for the time being and having the stock wheels for later. The frames go up to 23" and the local shop i'm working with says I need at least a 21" or 23".

MRT2

If you go to the expense to buy a better back wheel, you should use it going forward. Stock wheels are generally a weak point of off the shelf bikes, regardless of rider weight.

brawlo

Those wheels on the sequel would easily handle your weight. Maybe just get the spoke tensions checked and adjusted to suit you better, but they're more than capable of handling you. I run 32 spoke 29er wheels on my MTB. I built them myself and have zero issues hitting jumps and drop offs. I'm currently sitting around 290lb

stevel610 

That's a good looking bike. I would ride it as is and get a new wheel if needed when spokes start popping. As mentioned, have the spokes tensioned when new.

hpsean

Thanks for all the help everyone. I've been spending the past few days reading reviews of the Sequel and checking into other bikes. I think the main thing that caused me a little concern was that the Sequel was never recommended when similar questions were asked by others, here on bikeforums.net or on various other resources. The Jamis website also doesn't have a ton of information on the Sequel, which is unusual as all their other models have tons of information displayed for their various other bikes. The website goes into frame details, brake details, wheel details, etc, for almost every other bike. For the Sequel, they talk about only two things: frame design and mounts. Mounts are a strange thing to advertise if you only have two paragraphs for marketing. That, coupled with many of the reviews I found mentioning that the bike was fairly overpriced for a Hybrid bike, had me a little concerned that I needed to look elsewhere for a bike.

Thankfully I found enough information on the company and on the bike to convince me that I should go ahead and get one. It looks like Jamis has a great warranty and the company seems to be solid. The bike seems to be what I want in a bike and is right around the price range i'm comfortable spending ($1,099 + tax and fees I guess) even if the bike isn't a super steal or incredible value.

My problem now is that the local bike shop is slammed and they don't have the model and size I need. They regularly have a line of 40+ people, all lined up outside just waiting their turn. No one is allowed in the shop because of the pandemic. I'm almost positive I need the 23" frame, as I can't get a bigger one and 21" is gonna be too small from what everyone has said. But I should probably still be fitted for one, right? Is there a chance the 23" is still gonna be too small and I need to look at a different company/model altogether?

Plus side to all this is i'm continuing to lose weight, so my proximity to 300lbs and the weight limit of a bike is gonna be less of an issue. I'm almost at 290 and by the time I get the bike ordered and it arrives, I will be even lower.

If anyone has any last minute recommendations or advice, i'm happy to look at other bikes and maybe go into another area. But on Monday I think i'm gonna call and go ahead and get the 23" Sequel S2 ordered.