choice of bikes

Question
tad: i am a large guy 6'2" about 280. i am looking for a bike but would need something pretty sturdy with large frame. i have looked at diamondback edgewood also trek  adventure 3 26". can you suggest some other bikes nothing too expensive. i would like to buy used but will buy new if i absolutely have to. i want to go with a hybrid at first but would like to get both street and mountain later.

Answer
Hi John,

I really can't, or I should say, won't recommend a brand. I have my loyalties but what I like is not what will fit another person. And that is what it comes down to... fit.

About ten years ago I had the chance to trade up to a Trek OCLV, the same bike that Lance rode in the Tour de France. Beautiful bike, lightweight, responsive, and the price being offered to me it should have been a no-brainer. However, and I knew this going in to the test ride, Treks do not fit me. I took the bike for about a fifteen mile test ride, I loved the way it climbed, I loved the way it sprinted, I hated my position on the bike... the top tube is too short for me and, like you, I ride the largest production size out there. I knew if I plunked down the change for the bike I would be happy only for a while before the comfort I had in the cockpit would drive me over the edge.

A long story just to recommend to you to try several bikes and see how they feel. Go for a good ride, it doesn't have to be fifteen miles but it should be more than a spin around a parking lot. Make sure you are comfortable on the bike, not just the seat but the position the bike puts you in for riding. If you are too upright, which may feel good at first, it will put a lot of weight on your saddle and your bum. If you are reaching too far out for the handle bars it will put too much weight on your hands. You should be in a good, neutral, position. On a hybrid it means slightly bent at the waist with an equal amount of pressure on your hands and seat. You should be able to easily lift your hands from the bars while riding without feeling like you will fall over the front wheel. There are a lot of "rules of thumb" while fitting someone to a bike and that is why I always recommend a good bike shop when you want to purchase.

Your weight is not an issue for the frame of the bike but the wheels. Back in the olden days I would be recommending a very heavy duty wheel for you. Now, however, the wheels (rims actually) are so much stronger that they hold up fine. You may have to take your bike in to have the wheels trued more often that a 110 pound lightweight, but I wouldn't worry about them failing. You will want to keep a close eye on tire pressure and keep them inflated to the maximum pressure that is on the sidewall of the tire.

Bottom line: Find a good bike shop to work with; find a bike that you are comfortable on and you feel you can put some miles on; get out and ride a lot! Oh, if you like the ride of X-brand go out looking for the same thing used, you can save a good deal of money that way. But take a bit of your savings and have the bike looked over carefully by your local bike shop. It is always good to build a working relationship with a good shop.

Keep spinning!
Tad