I am resolved to begin a weight loss regimen until the end of August and with the goal of losing 20 pounds before I return to teach school.
I typically don’t exercise much, except for walking and esp. bicycling, which I can do for hours. However I have not owned a bicycle for sevral years and am unsure how to proceed buying one. I have an $800 budget and I don’t mind second hand bikes, if they’re in good shape. I will also consider buying online
I’m 5’6" and weigh 250 pounds. My leg length (inseam) is 30 inches. I live near downtown in the exceptionally flat city of Columbus, Ohio and will probably restrict my self to bicycling around the neighborhood and to and from work.
Get a good mountain bike by a reputable manufacturor like Trek or Specialized. If you don’t mind doing a little extra work, a nice used bike will be fine. $800 will get you a decent new bike or a very good used bike. 5’6" is not really an issue-- both manufacturers I listed will make a bike frame that fits you. Mtn bike frame sizes are also a bit more fogiving (adjustable) than road bikes. Also, you won’t have to deal with flat tires very often, and the upright position will be more comfortable.
Don’t cut corners and buy the bottom-of-the-line model made by anyone. You’ll own this bike for 10 yrs or more, so think of it as an investment in fitness and fun. And who knows, once you get in decent shape you might even enjoy taking it off road for some more adventurous riding.
I once bought a Huffy Mountain Bike for around $120 and warped the frame, front wheel (three times i had to get it trued!) and wore out three sets of brake pads – all inside a year. Granted, this was at least seven years and 50 pounds ago, but this should give you a vague idea how opten I used to ride.
I second the mountain bike and suggest you buy some street tires for it. The hum of nobbie tires on pavement drives me insane. It has been a while since I looked at bike prices but I think you should be able to get a very nice bike with a suspension fork or a bike with no suspension for that price. IIRC quality full suspention bikes start at around $800 but I think that is unnecessary for what you plan to use the bike for.
There are also bikes that look like old fashioned beach cruisers and the like now, some have internally geared hubs but only 3-5 speeds (I think). If you are just cruising around in flat areas you might enjoy a bike like that.
Bicycling magazine has an annual buyers guide where they list the best bikes in every catagory and the price range you should expect to pay. The descriptions of the different catagories may help you decide. It may be worth taking a look at it before you spend $800, your local library will probably have it.
There is very little markup on bikes anyway, it is probably worth it to get the bike from a bike shop. If $800 is the total you want to spend remember that accesories will add up (helmet, lock, water bottles, bottle cage, etc)
I beg to differ. Get a comfy bottom of the line bike. Iv’e ridden them for years. If you wanna buy something serious later, do so, but I’ve had expensive bikes and I’ve had cheap bikes, and there’s just not that much difference between them, except the cheap bikes had a lot fewer flats.
It might help if I knew what to consider “Top of the line” and “Bottom of the line”… I’ve basically ridden Huffys all my life, although I’ve sworn those off after last time.
Get a stationary recumbant bike like they have at the gym. Get a radio headset or CD player and hammar for about 30 to 40 minutes a day at a level that burns you out.
Also, limit you daily caloric intake to 13 times your weight and I guarantee you’ll lose weight.
Alex NC - No, thanks! I would rather take two hours to ride crosstown outside in the sun and fresh air than to sit in one spot pedalling away for half an hour in my basement.
Oh yeah. And I got the $275 bike from a local shop. It’s a Giant brand bike.
As for Huffy bikes, they are incredibly cheap. My favorite experience with one was riding down a slight hill and discovering that no matter how hard I tried to brake, it WOULD NOT stop me.
Oh yeah. And I got the $275 bike from a local shop. It’s a Giant brand bike.
As for Huffy bikes, they are incredibly cheap. My favorite experience with one was riding down a slight hill and discovering that no matter how hard I tried to brake, it WOULD NOT stop me.
I bought a Murray moutain bike from a thrift shop several years ago. That shop has since gone out of business but my bike is still going strong, even though I’ve gained about 50 pounds. Guess I should be riding more.
Any other advice? I’m not sure if I have enough information to start buying anything yet, but I’m anxious to make a purchase this week… are there bike brands (like Huffy) I should avoid?
I too am heavy and short (5’7" 265 when I started riding) I had a cheap mountain bike which I rode and it was, well OK. Then some scumbag broke into my garage and stole it. I decided that I would like to try something a little better. I bought a Cannondale. What a world of difference. Everything was just better, climbed better, turned better, pedaled with less effort, and most of all more fun to ride. So much fun that a year later, I bought a road bike. I love them both, for different reasons. For your type of riding you might want to consider a road bike. road bikes are smoother (pedaling) and faster. Road bikes are more fun (On pavement, off road a mountain bike is more fun)
I would suggest this. Go to a good reputable bike store. Tell them what your goals are. Ask to ride a couple of different types of bikes (ride a mountain bike, ride a road bike, try a beach cruiser) try different brands. do this a two or three different shops. When you are all done you should have a pretty good idea of what you want, and who you want to do business with.
A few words of advice:
[ul]
[li]To find a good bike shop ask a somebody that rides.[/li][li]A beach cruiser may feel really cool for 5 minutes, but for a two hour ride, they may not be comfortable.[/li][li]A skinny saddle may feel bad at first, but in the long run is the most comfortable.[/li][li]The real wide “comfort saddles” can and will leave sore spots on long rides.[/li][li]Bike fit is very important, a good shop will fit you[/li][li]Speaking of which a good shop will welcome you back to make adjustments to the saddle, bars etc.[/li][li]Tiny adjustments of things like saddles make for BIG differences in comfort.[/li][li]Read Bicycling magazine They have wonderful reviews of bikes, often in the $600 range[/li][li]Most people ride with their saddle too low. This will cause a lack of power to the pedals, and will make the top of your thighs very sore. You want almost full extension on your leg at the bottom of the stroke.[/li][/ul]
If I can offer any other advice feel free to e-mail me.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Rick. I just might be e-mailing you for follow-up questions before I make that final purchase. Thanks for offering to tutor the newbie!
I got a brand new Trek brand bike for about $250 or $300 when I graduated high school (which was in 1998) – you can definitely get a decent, brand new bike for less than $800 and still have money for gear (helmet, mirror, water bottle and clip, etc).
Too bad they don’t make Schwinns anymore. My parents got a matched pair as wedding presents and they both still work fine after almost thirty-one years.
ASKIA:
If I may be so bold as to say there would be an advantage to a stationary recumbent exersize machine as mantioned by ALEX-NC,that being you would always have good riding weather.There would also be safer riding conditions taking for granted that your basement isn’t located in the middle of a freeway.
NadaHappyCamper I know me. A stationary bicycle in my possession would go the way of the Nordic Trac and the fold-away rowing machine: out of sight, out of mind, unused. I bore easily, which is why I like riding: I’m DOING stuff.
A bike would not only be a great piece of exercise equipment but useful alternative mode of transportation. There’s less inclement weather here in Ohio than where you live. I mean, c’mon, Seattle? As for safety, I have more than 50 blocks of residential streets and alleyways to ride in in my neighborhood, so why let it go to waste? Since I’m a teacher, and off for the summer, I can ride around during the day between morning and evening rush hour while everyone else is at work or camp.
Isn’t it strange that people recommend either an upright outdoor bicycle or a recumbent stationary bicycle? What you need is something that combines the advantage of both: an outdoor recumbent bicycle. You will find it much more comfortable than a regular bicycle. You’ll have a much better view of the road because you’re not crouching down like on a road bike.
For your budget and needs I’d recommend the Easy Racers EZ-1 SC. It’s pretty tall for a recumbent so you have no problem with visibility in traffic. And it’s only $500. I don’t know the weight limit of this specific model, but this company is well known for catering towards large riders.
Or for $800 you can get their EZ-1 SC Lite model which has a lighter aluminum frame. Other options in this category include the Maxarya and the Cycle Genius, but Easy Racers has been around much longer and has a good dealer network. You can read reviews of the EZ-1 SC and EZ-1 SC Lite here:
