Fat guy needs help!

[Texas Bubba]

I did a search on bikes for overweight folks and they had good advice but were a bit out of date. The bikes I found in town were the Trek 7.3FX, Specialized Sirrus, Gary Fisher Mako, and Raleigh Passage 5.5. The Mako would have slicks on it and all would have any suspension seat post converted to solid. At 340lbs they don't do much for me.

I need help with getting through the clutter. Some shops feel the 700cc wheel will be fine and others insist that the 26" would be better. The 700cc bikes sure are faster but then I haven't tried the Mako with high pressure slicks yet.

Any advise as to which is best or at least more advisable would be GREATLY appreciated. I have to get the weight off and after my knee surgery a couple of months back walking isn't going to get it done.

As a side note, I used to bike every day but stopped a number of years ago. I prefer larger frames because I like to get stretched out - now I kind of need to be as my body gets in the way when I'm on a smaller frame.

The questions I came up with are:
1. Which wheel size is really stronger?
2. Which bike would be better for losing weight - MTB with slicks or Fitness/hybrid?
3. In the Trek line I can't find the 7000 - only the 7.3. Would the 7000 be better? (both have rigid forks which is a must)
4. Any preference on brands for durability?
5. Anything I forgot?

If you have time, I would really appreciate your help and input.

Thanks,
Steve in Houston

 

[Texas Bubba]

I should have mentioned that until I drop some more weight (I'm recently down from 388lbs) I will be on paved paths and city streets.

 

[schwagger]

IMO, a 26" mtb. type bike hard tail,aluminum frame, swap knobby tires for slicks if you'll be on pavement, frame size is best left to be determined at a good shop after numerous test rides. Find the right frame size and swap out the stem if your feel like it's not long enough, buy a comfy seat. 700c is out of the question, you'll destroy the wheels and the frames are usually not as strong as a mtb. frame. Do not buy a base model becasue of th weight issue. A good site to also check out is http://www.mtbr.com/ & http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=95, clydesdale forum. Good luck!


can't go wrong with specialized, cannondale, or trek.

Also, just about all bikes have front suspension, why are you against it?

 

[Texas Bubba]

I have yet to try a bike where I didn't bottom out the fork every other second.

Most of the LBS here are pushing the Trek 7.3fx which has the 700cc wheels. My only other strong option is the Mako with slicks as there aren't any other MTBs with rigid forks.

Do you really think the 700cc tires will eat it?

Why do you think they keep pushing the bike? Maybe becasue the weight loss goal and they don't ahve many rigid forks?

 

[pagani]

I got my 360 lb husband a GT mountain bike with a suspension fork and it works fine for him. We put slick tires on it and a fat guy seat. Yes, he compresses the front fork some, but not 100% and it seems to work.

FWIW, he has ridden my Norco 700c road bike for a short distance and he didn't kill it.. but I was scared. Just for safety's sake, I think you should go for the solid mtb and think about a hybrid after you drop another 60 or 70 lbs.

Also, you'll be able to enjoy your mtb on trails and you'll get some more interesting exercise that way.


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www.chrisspagani.com

 

[pagani]

I got a GT mountain bike with front fork suspension for my 360 lb husband and it seems to survive okay. Yes, he compresses the suspension a little, but it works for him. We got a fat guy seat on it, and some cross type 26x1.85 tires that work just great. And of course, you get the benefits of trail riding, too, when you feel like it.

My husband rode my Norco 700c a short distance, and it survived...but I was scared! Just for safety's sake, I think you should stick with the stronger frame and rims that a MTB provide until you drop another 60 or 70 lbs, then you can think about a hybrid.

 

[RickF]

Here are a few more things to consider. The 26" wheels are stronger because the spokes are shorter. Shorter spokes mean less stress on the spoke and less flex in the wheel.

For the same amount of riding, the 26" mountain bike requires more physical effort on the part of the rider than a 700c hybrid or road bike. If weight loss is the goal, working harder is a good thing. You are not racing, so it does not matter how far or fast you go. The important thing is how long you stay in the saddle.

I have gone from 265 pounds to 200 pounds in eight months riding a Specialized Crossroads Elite. I ride in several groups where I am the only one on a hybrid. I know that I am working a lot harder to keep up, and I can only ride in the beginner or D paced groups, because I cannot average above 15 mph on that bike, but for now, that is what I want. I test road some road bikes last night, and could not get over how effortless it is to ride compared to what I have been doing. Many of the folks I ride with on a regular basis tell me I would have no problem keeping up with the B paced rides if I switch to a road bike. I did not believe them until I tried those bikes. Still, I do not care who I ride with or how far or fast I go, as long as I spend one to two hours riding.

You might want to consider the Trek Navigator 50 (http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike.php?bikeid=1206000&f=27). It is hybrid, but has 26" wheel, a rigid fork, and a steel frame. That bike should hold up to anything.

 

[pagani]

And there's also the high spoke count of the mountain bike family. You can ride about anything on absolutely smooth, flat ground... but sooner or later you are going to hit a pothole or an unexpected dip in the road. Do not underestimate the laws of physics when it comes to moving weight! A jolting drop of a couple of inches into a pothole turns your 340 lbs into an effective 1,500 lbs of shock force on your poor, defenseless rims. Mountain bikes are built to take this, and more. So are some hybrids, but you really need to forget about the road bike for a while.

 

[Texas Bubba]

I talked to some more Clydes around here and half are on the road and half on MTBs. The road group uses tandem wheels which have 40+ spokes and they seem to work well.Since I wanted to stay on the road or paved paths it seems like this might work. The possible models are the Specialized Sirrus [still] but now leaning towards a Bianchi Volpe and specialized Tricross. Specialized said the fork was built tuff enough for my weight. The Bianchi is a little heavier becasue it is steel . All of them would end up with 35mm or 40mm tires on, at least, a read tandem wheeel. I like the sirrus but I think the drop bars may come in handy in the long run. Both the tricross and volpe woul dhave inline brakes so I could vary the hand positions.

I know that the MTB with a 26" tire makes more sense on the surface but what do you think about these bikes with the wheel upgrade??
Steve in Houston