Mountain bike for a tall-big man

[Volvoline]

Hi ! I am a newb who is sick of his Turbocharged car and it's gas consumption so I decided to cut the car travel by HALF (because I can) and use the bike more.
I am a professional athlete so I hope to enjoy the ride
I will be using it on roads of dirt mostly, and try to bypass traffic via forests. Budget is around 500-800 dollars.
Now I am very tall and very big (6'4" 230LBS) so I need:

1. A very STRONG, BIG WHEELED set that won't break like toys and fit my size.

2. STYLING - It MUST look "monsterous" and "tactical" and not like a kid's bike. It must have some "Cool" factor to it.


3. Disc breaks, good seat, and again, tactical-built. This needs to be a work horse because i'd like to have some fun with it on weekends as well.


Companies I have available in my country: Jeep, Haro, Diamondback, Jamis, Marin, Felt, Norco, Scott and Cube.

So,

1. what should I look for (Hardware) In a bike that will fit me ?

2. Any specific model recommendation from the above companies ?

Number 2 will be cool, but I really want to know what to look for in terms of hardware when I go to the store, regardless of companies. Then I can just take the coolest looking good specced ones Thanks !

Thanks !

 

[kdelong]

All of the companies that you have listed make good bikes. If it were me, I would take Diamondback out of the mix, as well as Felt. Felt is known for their road bikes but not for their MTBs. What you want to look for is a bike that is referred to as a 29er. This means that it has 29" wheels rather than the 26" wheels that is common on most MTBs. They are about as monstrous as you can get.

If you are going to be using it on forest roads rather than blazing your own trails, I suggest that you get what is referred to as a hardtail MTB. This will have a front suspension but no rear suspension. A rear suspension looks cool but it only serves a purpose if you are going to be jumping dropoffs and running through creeks. On a reasonably maintained dirt road, it is just going to rob you of energy as the suspension will flex at least a little with each power stroke of the pedals, transmitting less power to the wheels than what you would get with a rigid hardtail. Plus you really don't want all the extra weight of the rear suspension components weighing you down. Besides, a full suspension bike costs more.

Most MTBs come with disc brakes. There are mechanical and hydraulic brakes. Hydraulic costs more and is more difficult to maintain but drives up the "cool factor". Mechanical work as well as hydraulic but costs less and are easier to maintain, however there is less "cool factor".

The good seat is something that you are going to have to put up with. Everyones posterior is different so a saddle that may work for one person may or may not work for someone else. Unfortunately there is no science to picking a saddle. It is mostly a case of trial and error. Fortunately most bicycle shops have a saddle trial program where you can try a saddle for a week or two and if it doesn't work, you can swap it out for another saddle to try. Check with your local bike shop to see if they have a program and to find out the details.

 

[Volvoline]

Thankd !!! Sounds great.. Is there any special stat that i should look at to determine chassis stability for heavy rider ? What to look for in the bike store ? What wheel size do you recommend for 6'4" persobally ? Can I still go on rocky dirt hills with hardtails ? Or is it only for civilized areas....