"John Schlesinger" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just moved to a neighborhood with a bike trail(paved) right next door. Would like to start
> riding again. Would like to know which bike(s) can handle the stress. Even when I was 220 I was
> hard on my bikes.
The biggest issue at your weight will be wheels. Wheel strength/durability is as mostly a matter of
quality of build/prep more than $$, once you reach a certain (fairly low) threshold. You would
probably be OK with a mid-range mountain bike (swap knobby tires for slicks for pavement),
preferably with no suspension, since, at your weight, that'd be another problem. For a more road-ish
bike, and a little more money, you might look at either touring or autocross bikes. The former are
designed to carry rider and cargo loads, so are more beefy, the latter are designed to take off-road
wear & tear. You might get by with a hybrid or "comfort" bike, if that's more your style, but you'd
need to pick carefully and get good prep.
At your size, the support of a good bike shop will make the difference. They'll know what will work
& how to set it up. You may spend a few more bucks initially, but it'll be cheaper in the long run.
You'll need very well set up wheels, which means (in addition to beefy -- 36 spokes min, good hubs
and rims) high & uniform spoke tension and spoke stress relieving (read the section in the on-line
FAQ about wheels). A good shop will set you up right, then be there if you need support later.