MrGezus

Hello all. I stumbled across this forum after doing some digging on an /r/ website. I haven’t ridden since I was younger but would love to get back into shape. I live in the Calgary area and am planning to do paved trails and maybe a little bit of dirt/gravel paths.

I am looking for a bike that will handle my hefty body and height. I am fairly active for a large person. I recently moved here from Louisiana and the cold winters + Covid has kept me indoor more than I’d like which has been leading me to balloon.

I’m looking at a budget of around 1100 CAD. A bit less or a bit more is okay. Any suggestions on where to start? I’ve seen post similar to this but they are either much lighter than me or their budget is double mine.

ClydeClydeson

Check Kiiji. You will want the XL or XXL of any model of bike. If the frame is measured in numbers then you want a 22" or larger mountin bike or hybrid (bikes with a flat bar) or a 62cm or larger road style (bikes with a drop handlebar). You can sort kijiji 'bike' categories (mountain or road or city) based on frame size.

I would suggest a 29" wheel mountain bike or a hybrid for the riding you said you want to do. Or maybe a touring or 'gravel' bike.

As a heavier rider the primary problem you are likely to run into is wheel durability. It's an easy thing to solve - get a reputable shop to build you a rear wheel with 36 spokes at high tension. Flnt wheels don't take as much load so whatever came on a bike is likely to be fine, but the same solution as with the rear wheel will apply. Wheels don't collapse all at once, though - even if a bike has superlight wheels with high mileage already on them, you can safely ride, but expect spokes to start breaking eventually, then be ready to upgrade the wheel(s).

MrGezus

i will definitely check out Kijiji, however would it be a better bet buying something new without the knowledge of repairing or inspecting yet? If so, what are some brands that would have something like this?

ClydeClydeson

I just looked and there is a Norco Indie 4, a good quality hybrid bike in XL, seller is asking 650$ Seller says '99% new'.

When looking at a bike, the red flags should be (a) if you try it out and the bike pulls to one side
(b) any looseness or rattling in the wheel hubs or bottom bracket (pedal axle through the frame)
(c) if you spin the wheels and they are noticeably out of true.
(d) if loosen the seatpost bolt or quick release and the seatpost won't move in the frame

b and c are not complicated to fix, but just be aware that these indicate the bike needs more work. a and d might indicate a more serious problem that is more complicated to fix, if a fix is possible.

ClydeClydeson

On second thought, that Norco might not be as good a choice.

My red flags a - d are worth keeping in mind, though.

fettsvenska 

My one suggestion is the if you buy a used bike, plan to take to a bike shop and have it checked over and given a tune up. I concur with previous responses, that you probably need a 62cm frameset in a road bike or an XXL in a mountain bike. For reference, I'm 6'2" and ride a 60cm frame.

MrGezus

If I were able to find a mountain bike either second hand or new, Should I worry about swapping out tires to something less aggressive if I’ll be on pavement most of the time?

ClydeClydeson

Just keep your tires pumped up to the max (for mountain bike tires this is usually 65 psi). THen, after you have ridden enough to wear out the tires, reward yourself with a new set of tires.
If maximum efficiency is your goal, or you want to do longer road rides, then there are better road tires available.

fettsvenska 

For the most part I would agree with the previous comment about tires. Try out the tires that are on the bike and they might work OK for you. Having stated that, the tires are one of the components that you want to examine closely before purchasing a used bike. If the tires are cracked or show unusual wear, then you need to account for that in the total cost of the bike. I've had good luck with WTB All Terrain tires for urban riding. Just remember that a decent pair of bike tires can easily exceed $80. I don't usually purchase the most expensive tires on the market but I never go cheap either. If you're doing more urban riding, you're going to experience little pieces of metal, shattered glass and other misc sharp objects that can cause flats. So something to think about.

OldBike876

I am about the same size and have ridden a Norco Indie XL for the past two years in Vancouver. I had a sturdier rear wheel made for it, but it's great otherwise.

cacher

Interesting Im 6'1" almost the same weight, and have been using a Cannondale trail 6 as a commuter all over, and have had zero issues with tires, spokes, etc. Running WTB rangers on it, and a set of Atomlab pimplite riser bars for it. I will look into Norcos as well. Ivve been trying to find out who makes this one Ive come across. I did research online Peace bikes, if thats really one ofthiers, but Im thinking thats just a label over the brand name of the bike. Anybody know the make model in the picture? I would like to make me a 29er similar to this.

Canacol

Welcome from Ontario. I am new to the forums as well and was in the same boat as you couple months ago.

​I am 375 lb and 6'0" and the only two options I had were buying a new bike from a company that specialized on clydesdale/ athenas heavy duty bikes or reinforced the rear wheel. It was not an easy task because as you know with covid everything is expensier and harder to get.

I chose the second option and with the help of an amazing LBS store in Toronto I got a reinforced rear wheel on my 10 years old Hybrid Giant Cypress. I only have 200kms on pavel and light gravel trails and so far so good, I just make sure to inflate to the max psi the wheels before every ride.

As other members said, at 330lbs I believe you are going to be ok as long the bike have a double wall rear wheel and more than 36 spokes but if you want to play safe you can get a Northrock bike from Costco (frame is made by Giant) for around $400CA and then reinforced the rear wheel for another $300CA (wheel, new heavy duty spokes, niples etc) and you are going to be ok for total of $700CA.

Good luck.

blue192

I would also recommend a Norco bike. Both the Indie and the Scene models are actually quite good.

ClydeClydeson

OP - Not sure where you are in the bike buying process, but DO NOT get a Northrock. I am sure they are acceptable quality with a couple upgrades, but the sizing is very limited. Only one or two sizes available and none big enough for anyone over 6'1" (according to their own charts). A too small bike will never be comfortable and this will discourage riding and means the purchase could be a waste. I know this from experience of trying to get 'One Size Fits All' bikes (like the Northrock) to fit me.

Furthermore, I have seen loads of ads for used Northrock bikes and al of them seem to brag about them being 'made by Giant' as if that solves the problems with OSFA bikes from box stores. Giant makes hundreds of thousands of bikes at every quality level and price point for many different brand names. I'm not saying they're bad, but don't expect the same quality in a Northrock that you would get from a $3000 Giant branded bike, or even from other manufacturers like Trek or Cannondale or Jamis or Kona* or others who might have Giant contracted to do some of the manufacturing for their higher quality bikes.

*random examples of bike brands who get most or all of their bikes made by large Asian contract manufacturers like Giant. I don't know if any of these are actually made by Giant.