New bike, large male

[yamyam91]

Hello

I suppose i'm a newbie to the bike scene as i haven't really gotten on the saddle for a few years now,

In this time i have stopped all exercise, got a job in an office where im sitting down 12 hours a day and have piled the weight on massively,

Time for a change...

I used to smoke at least 30 a day and i'm throwing take-a-ways down my neck like there going out of fashion.

I've tried gym's, these diet shakes and everything in between but never really stuck to these, The one thing i loved when i was growing up was cycling everywhere,

So.. i have now packed the cigarettes in, first step in a long road of getting fit.

To cut a long story short i need a bike, im struggling to pick one that will suit my needs of riding to work (about a 10 mile round trip) and maybe go on some trials on a weekend/after work.

I have a budget of about £200-£300 maybe at a push £350 but ideally the £200-£300 mark

Been looking at hybrids and mountain bikes just need a push in the right direction

I have my sisters wedding this time next year and i want to get into some sort of shape for this.

BTW i'm a fairy large lad at around 6 ft 3 and about 22 stone

Help will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[vickster]

Have a look at the Carrera Subway in Halfords

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...-bikes/carrera-subway-1-mens-hybrid-bike-2015

Also, similar has been discussed recently here

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/is-there-a-bike-to-support-my-weight.184575/

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/comfy-bike-for-fatty.184540/

 

[yamyam91]

Would the carrera subway be okay to use off road on trials?

Need something for a commute to work and abit of fun on a weekend to keep things interesting...

 

[MichaelW2]

I used to smoke at least 30 a day and i'm throwing take-a-ways down my neck like there going out of fashion.
I've tried gym's, these diet shakes
riding to work (about a 10 mile round trip) and maybe go on some trials on a weekend/after work.
I have a budget of about £200-£300 maybe at a push £350 but ideally the £200-£300 mar
BTW i'm a fairy large lad at around 6 ft 3 and about 22 stone

How much does it cost to eat take-aways
How much does it cost to smoke 30/day ?
How much does gym membership cost
How much does it cost you to commute 2x5 miles without a bike.

Work out the cost of all of the above, annually, then over 5 years.
5 years is the accountants standard time for amortizing capital expenditure. Spread the cost of your bike over those 5 years and any riding after that period is free.
£300 =£60/year = £5/month =25p/day

You can and should be prepared to spend more to buy a bike that can withstand regular use by a big guy.
The usual point of failure are wheels. You will need 36 spokes in a wheel which has been checked and tuned by a mechanic in a good bike shop. Even mid-market bikes benefit hugely from this check.

If you want to ride trails, look for a 29er MTB with front suspension. You can switch tyres from knobbly to dual use style.
Suspension is usually there to protect the rider, but for heavy riders it can also protect the bike from overloading when you hit a pothole. Make sure the frame has threaded eyelets for rack and mudguards.

Also budget for lock, lights, helmet, mitts, rack, mudguards, luggage, repair kit, windproof/waterproof as required. Negotiating for extras is always easier than trying to reduce the cash price.

 

[ian turner]

How much does it cost to smoke 30/day ?

Work out the cost of all of the above, annually, then over 5 years.
5 years is the accountants standard time for amortizing capital expenditure. Spread the cost of your bike over those 5 years and any riding after that period is free.
£300 =£60/year = £5/month =25p/day

You can and should be prepared to spend more to buy a bike that can withstand regular use by a big guy.

Thought pack of cigarettes was £5, my I'm out of touch.
A years worth at 30 a day would be heading towards £5000 for a first bike on cigarettes alone !!!
A bit much for a first bike

 

[vickster]

Would the carrera subway be okay to use off road on trials?

Need something for a commute to work and abit of fun on a weekend to keep things interesting...

I would think so, although suspension might be useful, but not on the roads although changing tyres to more slick can help (although a faff to do every week)

 

[jowwy]

Quit the fags, put the £310 saved in the first month of not smoking together with your £350 budget and buy a specialized rockhopper and go have fun

 

[yamyam91]

A mate a work has offered me his Carrera Banshee X for £325 as he is'nt able to ride anymore

Would this be a good deal? or would i be better off sticking with the Carrera Subway 1?

 

[MichaelW2]

A mate a work has offered me his Carrera Banshee X for £325 as he is'nt able to ride anymore
Would this be a good deal? or would i be better off sticking with the Carrera Subway 1?

Full sus is not a good choice for commuting. It is for play bikes.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Not too much advice on the bike front but I am 6'1" and used to weigh 24 stone. I still weigh about 18 now but was 16.5 at one point (I've had a bad year )
Mt advice, whatever you buy is to stick with it and the weight will come off as well as toning you up at the same time.
I bought a 29er which was more than capable of taking my weight and was great fun. For your budget I can recommended carreras or voodoos from Halfords, a few friends ride them on trails and they are more than capable. Good luck with the weight loss

 

[Luegolover]

I have two thinks I think are important from the perspective of a large lad.

Make sure the wheels have enough spokes, I found that when I went to 32 spokes the wheels stopped creaking and stopped getting buckled.

Buy as light a bike as you can afford. This is the same for all people however a heavy bike gets tiresome after a while.

Have you thought of the ride to work scheme, makes a great way of getting a good bike very affordable.

For my work trip I ride a Charge single speed and I love it, mind I live in London and it is pretty flat on my route to work.

Good luck

 

[yamyam91]

I finally purchased my bike last week,

The carrera Banshee X, Great bike! gave it a run around the block to make sure everything was okay and swapped the cash for the bike.

Ill post some pictures up later of the bike itself.

Just wondered, Where could i get a decent 2 bike rack for the back of my car? are they easy to get on and off the car? the rack that is not the bike.


Cant wait to get out on it and gradually shifting this weight!

 

[vickster]

What car is it?

 

[yamyam91]

Vauxhall Astra 2010 at the moment, Will be changing to a Honda Civic Type R in the coming month though.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Do you have a towbar/towball whatever they are called on your car. If so a towball mounted rack is the way to go. If not, my preference would be for a roof bar mounted rack.

There are several threads on racks with recommendations etc, have a quick search for them.