245lbs needs help getting active..want to head outdoors

[Manny735]

Hello everyone,

I am in my mid 30's and planning to get back into shape,I have never been much of a cyclist however want to get into the outdoors more.

So heres my question,i started shopping today and really can't tell which bike is good and which is not.

I feel i am more of a trails kind of guy,so question is mountain bike or road bike.

Which are the preferred brands?should i buy new or used?

My budget is under 700 usd.

I have done my own research and have heard brands like Trek,Kona,Norco,Giant are some good mid priced brands.


Anything i should look for when shopping?


Thanks in advancce

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I feel i am more of a trails kind of guy,so question is mountain bike or road bike.

For crushed stone prepared trails or packed dirt trails a hybrid/crossover type bike will work fine. For true, wooded trails like singletrack and the like with ruts, bumps, jumps and rocks a mountain bike is more suited to the terrain.

A road bike would be at home on paved cycling trails.

Which are the preferred brands?should i buy new or used?

Until you find your riding niche and/or lose some weight, buying used is a good option. Craig's list is loaded with both junk and good deals. Knowing which is what is the secret to saving money.

If you are uncertain as to what to buy or how to judge and wrench on used bikes, a new bike from bike store would be a better option. Trek, Kona, GT, Specialized, Cannondale and a slew of others are out there on the market to choose from. I suggest getting a feel for the type and brand of bike that interests you and matches your intended riding by visiting two or three local bike shops and asking these same questions of them.

My budget is under 700 usd.

Certainly, that will get you a good starter bike, new or used.

Anything i should look for when shopping?

At nearly 250 pounds...strong wheels and quality tires. Also, a decent crankset and pedals. Heavier, more powerful riders stress a bicycle more than a lightweight rider and those stresses often show up in the wheel set. A seat that fits will be critical and most likely you will end up trying/buying a couple before finding what really works for you.

GET SHORTS! Proper cycling shorts. Buy now and thank us later. While you can start off in street shoes, cycling shoes are a big plus for efficiency and comfort. The longer rides you do, the more you will appreciate wearing clothing designed for the job at hand...it really does make getting into your workot much more enjoyable!

Good health and safe riding to you!

 

[Manny735]

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB .

I feel i am more of a trails kind of guy,so question is mountain bike or road bike.

For crushed stone prepared trails or packed dirt trails a hybrid/crossover type bike will work fine. For true, wooded trails like singletrack and the like with ruts, bumps, jumps and rocks a mountain bike is more suited to the terrain.

A road bike would be at home on paved cycling trails.

Which are the preferred brands?should i buy new or used?

Until you find your riding niche and/or lose some weight, buying used is a good option. Craig's list is loaded with both junk and good deals. Knowing which is what is the secret to saving money.

If you are uncertain as to what to buy or how to judge and wrench on used bikes, a new bike from bike store would be a better option. Trek, Kona, GT, Specialized, Cannondale and a slew of others are out there on the market to choose from. I suggest getting a feel for the type and brand of bike that interests you and matches your intended riding by visiting two or three local bike shops and asking these same questions of them.

My budget is under 700 usd.

Certainly, that will get you a good starter bike, new or used.

Anything i should look for when shopping?

At nearly 250 pounds...strong wheels and quality tires. Also, a decent crankset and pedals. Heavier, more powerful riders stress a bicycle more than a lightweight rider and those stresses often show up in the wheel set. A seat that fits will be critical and most likely you will end up trying/buying a couple before finding what really works for you.

GET SHORTS! Proper cycling shorts. Buy now and thank us later. While you can start off in street shoes, cycling shoes are a big plus for efficiency and comfort. The longer rides you do, the more you will appreciate wearing clothing designed for the job at hand...it really does make getting into your workot much more enjoyable!

Good health and safe riding to you!

Campybob,


Thanks for the detailed respose,feew more questions

For a guy like me who wants to fit,would you say going the paved road ave or off road?Is there a bike that would combine both,say great off road and on the pavement?

I am worried if i choose a mountain bike i am not gonna be happy with it on the road and vice versa.

Whats your thoughts?i really want to get into the sport to get more active.

thanks in advance

 

[Chavez]

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB .

Which are the preferred brands?should i buy new or used?

Until you find your riding niche and/or lose some weight, buying used is a good option. Craig's list is loaded with both junk and good deals. Knowing which is what is the secret to saving money.

If you are uncertain as to what to buy or how to judge and wrench on used bikes, a new bike from bike store would be a better option. Trek, Kona, GT, Specialized, Cannondale and a slew of others are out there on the market to choose from. I suggest getting a feel for the type and brand of bike that interests you and matches your intended riding by visiting two or three local bike shops and asking these same questions of them.

...or take a quick google search for your area, usually any reasonably sized city will have at least one store that sells used bikes. Probably the best bet to start - you get the price discount for buying used but the comfort of buying it from a (hopefully) reputable place of business.

 

[Brian in VA]

Originally Posted by Manny735 .

Campybob,


Thanks for the detailed respose,feew more questions

For a guy like me who wants to fit,would you say going the paved road ave or off road?Is there a bike that would combine both,say great off road and on the pavement?

I am worried if i choose a mountain bike i am not gonna be happy with it on the road and vice versa.

Whats your thoughts?i really want to get into the sport to get more active.

thanks in advance

I'm going to chime in here since I started riding for exercise about a year ago.

I started with a hybrid Trek that I'd purchased a few years before. It's a great ride but because it's a hybrid it does things okay but doesn't do anything really great. I wasn't sure if I wanted to ride trails or road at first. What I found, pretty quickly, was that I prefer road cycling. Within a few weeks, I was laboring to ride at a decent speed and wasn't enjoying it as much.

As soon as I could, I purchased a used road bike from Craigs list (Giant CFR3 about 15 years old) and was immediately converted. Suddenly, it was easier to spin off the miles. Now I look forward to my rides every time; I get to go riding instead having to go riding. Makes a difference. To me, the most important part is finding a bike that is the right size, making sure it's mechanically sound, and then putting in the miles. (I keep ogling new bikes but I can't find one that is lighter and more tricked out than this old Giant without spending stupid money - by that I mean in excess of $300 per pound. I'm sure I'll get there at some point, though.)

You need to find out what will make you happy. I have friends that hate to road cycle and would always rather be on a mountain bike. Hey, if we all liked only vanilla ice cream, it would be a bland world.

Brian in VA

 

[Dave Cutter]

Originally Posted by Brian in VA .

I'm going to chime in here since I started riding for exercise about a year ago.

I started with a hybrid Trek that I'd purchased a few years before. ................. I was laboring to ride at a decent speed and wasn't enjoying it as much.

As soon as I could, I purchased a used road bike ................. Suddenly, it was easier to spin off the miles. Now I look forward to my rides every time; I get to go riding instead having to go riding. Makes a difference.

Brian in VA

+1 I stopped at a StarBucks when nearly home after bicycling not long ago. A guy about my same (advanced age) said to me he wished he had the ambition to get out and exercise. I told him... "I am not exercising... I am just having a good time riding my bicycle".

Bicycling is many things to many different people... to include being a great exercise. But bicycling is also a bunch of fun! Although I do reap healthful benefits from my road cycling... mostly I do it for the shear pleasure of cycling.

 

[Manny735]

i think road bike will work better for me,if i end of loving cycling so much i am sure i can pick up a MTB in the future for those days i want to pound the trails...i tell my friends and family that i am getting set to start cycling they kind of just stare at me with a dumb founded look...im not gonna be the next Lance Armstrong but sure want to get active...this will get me outdoors,fresh air,sightseeing,so done with the treadmill at the gym

 

[kdelong]

Originally Posted by Manny735 .

i think road bike will work better for me,if i end of loving cycling so much i am sure i can pick up a MTB in the future for those days i want to pound the trails...i tell my friends and family that i am getting set to start cycling they kind of just stare at me with a dumb founded look...im not gonna be the next Lance Armstrong but sure want to get active...this will get me outdoors,fresh air,sightseeing,so done with the treadmill at the gym

There are going to be a lot of people telling you that you will need bombproof wheels with as many spokes as they can fit on the darn things because of your weight. Actually 245 Lbs is not that heavy for most bikes, so get whatever you like. Don't go for a bike with wheels loaded for spokes just because someone told you that you need to. An injury kept me off my feet for over six months and off my bike for two years back in 2001 - 2003. I was slightly north of 260 when I was allowed to jump back on the bike, and the first one that I took riding had 20 - 24 bladed spokes front and rear and I did not have a broken spoke or even a truing issue with them. So don't give up a nice bike just because the wheels don't have massive numbers of spokes on them. Hopefully you will be able to ride a lot and drop your weight fairly quickly so that it won't be an issue when you go looking for your next bike.

When your family and friends look at you with that dumb founded look, tell them that they should get a bike and join you. A lot of people see cycling as a lot of work instead of being fun. They see bicycle races on TV and hear how hard the competitors have worked to get there and it gets ingrained in their mind that cycling is hard and that riding consists of nothing more than really mashing the pedals. They don't realize how pleasant a bike ride can be and all of the things that you can see and experience on a bike that you can't in a car.