Overweight - What bike

[belfastchris45]

first of all i am new here and looking some advise.

its been many years since i have been on a bike and clocked up any sort of distance, so please bare with me

I want to purchase a bike but I need a lot of advise on what to go for.

First of all it will be for road work only, potentially for work commute of 30 miles round trip (when I can do that )

The issue being im 6.3 and 22 stone. I need something that will be suitable, have you any advise on what would be good, makes, brands, models.

I have aprox 1k to spend

thanks
Chris

 

[Ice2911]

I would go and talk to your local bike shop and see what they recommend. You need to be able to take it for a test ride to see if you feel comfortable. You have a choice of road bike or hybrid depending on what bars you like and feel comfortable with. I'm 6ft 1 and was 19 stone, I have lost 5.5 stone, admittedly most before I started cycling again. I knew I wanted to tour so ended up with a Genesis which has a steel frame was £150 below your budget. I know it's sturdy and designed to take loads. New models are coming in at the moment so you might get some good deals on 2016 models. If you want it to commute does your employer support the cycle to work scheme? Or if you are unsure then you could get a second hand bike from a variety of sources to see if you will take to cycling again. Build the mileage up slowly, the distance soon comes, I've gone from 5 mile trips to 75 mile trips over 4 months. I know others have done this faster but it is a pace that suits me. Mostly just enjoy riding your bike, I absolutely love it!

 

[Fab Foodie]

A good bike shop is a good start.
A steel touring bike should be built to take heavy loads (strong wheels, lower gearing) and could be a good place to start. Also hybrids at the fatter tyred end if the range with MTB low gearing.
Many large chaps find bikes to get going on :-)

Echo the above, start slow, finish strong, most of all the enjoy. Speed and distance will come quickly as your fitness improved. Don't obsess, enjoy the views!

 

[david k]

Your not just looking for something strong but comfortable

I started with a hybrid, I'm 6,3 and was around 18plus stone. I still find the hybrid comfy, carerra subway 2

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Speak to Spa about one of these and potentially a beefier wheelset - they will customise:

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p2983/SPA-CYCLES-Steel-Tourer

Oxford Bike Works as an alternative:

http://www.oxfordbikeworks.co.uk/model-1e/

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Broken spokes, especially on the rear, are likely to be your biggest issue. Bike manufacturers tend to cheap-out on the wheels. It has more to do with how well the wheel is built rather than quality of components so I would recommend leaving enough room in your budget to take your new rear wheel to a reputable wheel builder and have them rebuild it.

 

[MikeG]

Buy something that will stir your juices once you've lost your weight. Use a smart bike as an incentive to do your fasting days, or whatever you are going to do, so that when you are 15 stone you'll have something that still calls to you from the bike shed (figuratively speaking).

 

[Bobby Mhor]

I was 20 and a half stone, 5' 10" when I got a hybrid(Voodoo Marasa), I did a couple of spokes in but I quickly upgraded both wheels ASAP(one was replaced by shop), I did go some iffy places though. I'm now around 16 st after some calorie control diet. It does work, keep in there, get a bike and go enjoy and lose at the same time.
I did promise myself a road bike but decided just to stay with what I have as I can't stop exploring.
Even better?
I now have cycling clothes I'd never dreamed I could wear, what lycra does for a 60 something

 

[jonny jeez]

first of all i am new here and looking some advise.

its been many years since i have been on a bike and clocked up any sort of distance, so please bare with me

I want to purchase a bike but I need a lot of advise on what to go for.

First of all it will be for road work only, potentially for work commute of 30 miles round trip (when I can do that )

The issue being im 6.3 and 22 stone. I need something that will be suitable, have you any advise on what would be good, makes, brands, models.

I have aprox 1k to spend

thanks
Chris

Some good advice here already that I shan't add to (it looks like it's all covered).

What I will say is....do it....just start, don't procrastonate. I am 6'2 and have weighed over 19 myself. The commute, even once or twice a week is possibly the only thing that keeps me healthy. I miss it terribly when I can't ride and physically feel slow, achy, heavy and lazy when I take more than a week off from cycling in to work. The commute alone took my weight down to 16 stone at one point.(although at that time I was commuting about 200 miles a week)

My fist commute was 35 miles round trip , just like yours and I convinced a pal to join me after a year of "proving" it could work. Nowadays 5 of my mates ride to work, one rides every single day and saves a fortune in rail fares. I did that early commute (10 years ago) on a 20 year old mountain bike...that I still tour on to this day sometimes

I have a scooter for the days I can't ride a pushbike, which works well but makes me lazy sometimes, when it's cold, dark and wet out.

That commute, the repetition of it, the stamina that it gave me has been one of the most defining elements of my life, I'm not "into" cycling as such, which is to say I don't follow it as a sport but that commute has led to me to take on some epic rides that have taken me across the entire length of the U.K., all over Northern Europe, Mallorca and almost every road in Kent!...all because I know that I can do it and all because that commute built up the fitness and stamina without taking any additional time out of my life.

Do it.

If you want to understand some of the unwritten rules of the road, there is a commuter cycle guide at the top of the commuting and utility cycling section.

Good luck Chris.

 

[Banjo]

Like others I would say the wheels are the important bits for a heavy rider. You want decent quality touring wheels with 36 spokes and 28 or 32c tyres. Not all road bikes can fit these wheels/ tyres so check before you buy. When the weight drops you could change to lighter faster wheels if you wanted to.

Good luck
There are lots of success stories of people losing lots of weight and getting fit by cycling and more healthy eating.The amazing shrinking Gaz went from 40 to 14 stone.

 

[brucegill]

new here too, but started last year around April on an old steel mountain bike. Gradually built my fitness up and wanted to go faster on the road, ended up with a Genesis Croix De Fer (so much the same as the Tour de fer mentioned). Started at 18.5-19 stone and now 15.5 stone Anyhow, the bike coped well. the mountain bike was a good start just to get me moving again. The Genesis was a great start on the road and also some off road bit, touring etc.. Sold the frame and now wanting another

Good luck! Keep at it and most of all enjoy it

 

[bozmandb9]

I'd say don't assume you need a heavy mountain bike, just because you're no racing snake (yet). Get something which feels comfortable, and which you really like. A lot of wheels will have a 100kg limit, so take advice on appropriate wheels, or maybe save enough of your budget to get appropriate wheels built.

You're not that big in the scale of things, check out Gaz's site below, he went from 39 stone to 13 through cycling!

Most of all, get riding, enjoy it, stick at it, it'll transform your life, if you do.

https://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/about/