Help Please - Fat Bloke needs a bike
Discussion
I would really appreciate some advice from the cycling experts on here. I haven't ridden for many years but want to get back into it. Primarily to lose some weight.
I want to buy a bike mainly for road use but would like something rugged looking for kerbs and occasional muddy fields. I would really appreciate recommendations for specification and type of bike. Also, what sort of safety gear and clothing should I buy? I will mainly be riding in fair weather.
Advice on where to buy would also be appreciated. I am in the West Midlands.
I like techno/shiny gadgets and I am handy with the spanners so my choice may be swayed by those factors.
I have about £500 pounds to spend.
All advice gratefully and I promise in advance not to give the serious cyclists a bad name by riding irresponsibly.
pp
I want to buy a bike mainly for road use but would like something rugged looking for kerbs and occasional muddy fields. I would really appreciate recommendations for specification and type of bike. Also, what sort of safety gear and clothing should I buy? I will mainly be riding in fair weather.
Advice on where to buy would also be appreciated. I am in the West Midlands.
I like techno/shiny gadgets and I am handy with the spanners so my choice may be swayed by those factors.
I have about £500 pounds to spend.
All advice gratefully and I promise in advance not to give the serious cyclists a bad name by riding irresponsibly.
pp
Using the search function would be a good start.
Is your £500 budget for bike plus riding gear or just the bike?
Make your mind up - do you want an mtb or a road bike? Off the top of my head, for your budget and based on your sparse (of info) OP a Hard Tail (HT) mtb would be the most suitable for use on and off road.
More info is required.
How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
How much riding are you going to do?
What type of riding are going to be doing the majority of the time?
Are you going to carry anything on the bike?
Are you going to be commuting on it?
Do you want to buy it knew or second hand?
Does your Employer run the Cycle2Work or Cyclescheme schemes?
Do a search for the thousands of times this is asked and read through the threads. There's loads of advice on types of bikes and equipment required. If you want to get the right bike first you need to know what you are going to be doing with it.
Aditionally, get down Smith's and buy some biking mags - for example What Mountain Bike (WMB) has a perminant guide on buying bikes in the back of it.
Is your £500 budget for bike plus riding gear or just the bike?
Make your mind up - do you want an mtb or a road bike? Off the top of my head, for your budget and based on your sparse (of info) OP a Hard Tail (HT) mtb would be the most suitable for use on and off road.
More info is required.
How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
How much riding are you going to do?
What type of riding are going to be doing the majority of the time?
Are you going to carry anything on the bike?
Are you going to be commuting on it?
Do you want to buy it knew or second hand?
Does your Employer run the Cycle2Work or Cyclescheme schemes?
Do a search for the thousands of times this is asked and read through the threads. There's loads of advice on types of bikes and equipment required. If you want to get the right bike first you need to know what you are going to be doing with it.
Aditionally, get down Smith's and buy some biking mags - for example What Mountain Bike (WMB) has a perminant guide on buying bikes in the back of it.
other things to consider, are there many hills near u, noticed u live in west midlands which covers lots or it might be very flat
went for a hybrid bike, it has mudguards and a pannier to carry toolkit and stuff just in case broke down with puncture etc
wide chunky tires great offroad, but not as good on road
the seat will be important - dumped the supplied seat, seems the purpose was to transmit every jolt to my bum, went for a sprung seat with gel filled pads on, cost about £40 - well worth it
went for a hybrid bike, it has mudguards and a pannier to carry toolkit and stuff just in case broke down with puncture etc
wide chunky tires great offroad, but not as good on road
the seat will be important - dumped the supplied seat, seems the purpose was to transmit every jolt to my bum, went for a sprung seat with gel filled pads on, cost about £40 - well worth it
mk1fan said:
Using the search function would be a good start.
Is your £500 budget for bike plus riding gear or just the bike?
Make your mind up - do you want an mtb or a road bike? Off the top of my head, for your budget and based on your sparse (of info) OP a Hard Tail (HT) mtb would be the most suitable for use on and off road.
More info is required.
How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
How much riding are you going to do?
What type of riding are going to be doing the majority of the time?
Are you going to carry anything on the bike?
Are you going to be commuting on it?
Do you want to buy it knew or second hand?
Does your Employer run the Cycle2Work or Cyclescheme schemes?
Do a search for the thousands of times this is asked and read through the threads. There's loads of advice on types of bikes and equipment required. If you want to get the right bike first you need to know what you are going to be doing with it.
Aditionally, get down Smith's and buy some biking mags - for example What Mountain Bike (WMB) has a perminant guide on buying bikes in the back of it.
I'm guessing he is concerned about finding a bike that is going to support his weight and that may not be something covered on previous threads.Is your £500 budget for bike plus riding gear or just the bike?
Make your mind up - do you want an mtb or a road bike? Off the top of my head, for your budget and based on your sparse (of info) OP a Hard Tail (HT) mtb would be the most suitable for use on and off road.
More info is required.
How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
How much riding are you going to do?
What type of riding are going to be doing the majority of the time?
Are you going to carry anything on the bike?
Are you going to be commuting on it?
Do you want to buy it knew or second hand?
Does your Employer run the Cycle2Work or Cyclescheme schemes?
Do a search for the thousands of times this is asked and read through the threads. There's loads of advice on types of bikes and equipment required. If you want to get the right bike first you need to know what you are going to be doing with it.
Aditionally, get down Smith's and buy some biking mags - for example What Mountain Bike (WMB) has a perminant guide on buying bikes in the back of it.
It's been covered, many, many times.
Realistically, unless you're 20-stone and above then most bikes will cope with that. My mate went from 19-stone to 16-stone riding an Orange E8 (a light weight XC race bike) over the Welsh trails and Morzine. It gave up the ghost towards the end of last year but only after 4-years of hard riding (both by him and atom111). Bikes are more durable than people think.
It comes back to my first post about needing more info from the OP. Afterall, I used to be 10.5-stone and I'm now 14-stone. Imoho, I'm a hefty bloke but my 24lbs S-Works FSR copes just fine with me - I wouldn't take it to Morzine though but then again I wouldn't even if I was 10.5-stone again!
Now if the OP is 28-stone then I don't think they should take up cycling to lose weight. But then again they may feel that they are fat but only weigh 13-stone in which case the only equipment issues there would be is getting the cheap (being in mind the OP's budget) suspension forks set up. Again, we need info!!!!!
Realistically, unless you're 20-stone and above then most bikes will cope with that. My mate went from 19-stone to 16-stone riding an Orange E8 (a light weight XC race bike) over the Welsh trails and Morzine. It gave up the ghost towards the end of last year but only after 4-years of hard riding (both by him and atom111). Bikes are more durable than people think.
It comes back to my first post about needing more info from the OP. Afterall, I used to be 10.5-stone and I'm now 14-stone. Imoho, I'm a hefty bloke but my 24lbs S-Works FSR copes just fine with me - I wouldn't take it to Morzine though but then again I wouldn't even if I was 10.5-stone again!
Now if the OP is 28-stone then I don't think they should take up cycling to lose weight. But then again they may feel that they are fat but only weigh 13-stone in which case the only equipment issues there would be is getting the cheap (being in mind the OP's budget) suspension forks set up. Again, we need info!!!!!
Edited by mk1fan on Friday 7th March 16:50
mk1fan said:
It's been covered, many, many times.
Realistically, unless you're 20-stone and above then most bikes will cope with that. My mate went from 19-stone to 16-stone riding an Orange E8 (a light weight XC race bike) over the Welsh trails and Morzine. It gave up the ghost towards the end of last year but only after 4-years of hard riding (both by him and atom111). Bikes are more durable than people think.
It comes back to my first post about needing more info from the OP. Afterall, I used to be 10.5-stone and I'm now 14-stone. Imoho, I'm a hefty bloke but my 24lbs S-Works FSR copes just fine with me - I wouldn't take it to Morzine though but then again I wouldn't even if I was 10.5-stone again!
Now if the OP is 28-stone then I don't think they should take up cycling to lose weight. But then again they may feel that they are fat but only weigh 13-stone in which case the only equipment issues there would be is getting the cheap (being in mind the OP's budget) suspension forks set up. Again, we need info!!!!!
My my, what pomposity from a man with a bicycle. Realistically, unless you're 20-stone and above then most bikes will cope with that. My mate went from 19-stone to 16-stone riding an Orange E8 (a light weight XC race bike) over the Welsh trails and Morzine. It gave up the ghost towards the end of last year but only after 4-years of hard riding (both by him and atom111). Bikes are more durable than people think.
It comes back to my first post about needing more info from the OP. Afterall, I used to be 10.5-stone and I'm now 14-stone. Imoho, I'm a hefty bloke but my 24lbs S-Works FSR copes just fine with me - I wouldn't take it to Morzine though but then again I wouldn't even if I was 10.5-stone again!
Now if the OP is 28-stone then I don't think they should take up cycling to lose weight. But then again they may feel that they are fat but only weigh 13-stone in which case the only equipment issues there would be is getting the cheap (being in mind the OP's budget) suspension forks set up. Again, we need info!!!!!
Edited by mk1fan on Friday 7th March 16:50
Please feel free to return to whatever important task you were engaged in before my post distracted you. You are under no obligation to reply to any of my questions and it may surprise you to know that there are others who will happily and with good humour provide me with useful advice.
I am not a blithering idiot and you are not anything more then a man with a bike and a chip on his shoulder who has access to the internet.
As you were.
Cheers
pp
Scraggles said:
other things to consider, are there many hills near u, noticed u live in west midlands which covers lots or it might be very flat
went for a hybrid bike, it has mudguards and a pannier to carry toolkit and stuff just in case broke down with puncture etc
wide chunky tires great offroad, but not as good on road
the seat will be important - dumped the supplied seat, seems the purpose was to transmit every jolt to my bum, went for a sprung seat with gel filled pads on, cost about £40 - well worth it
Many thanks. That's given me something to think about.went for a hybrid bike, it has mudguards and a pannier to carry toolkit and stuff just in case broke down with puncture etc
wide chunky tires great offroad, but not as good on road
the seat will be important - dumped the supplied seat, seems the purpose was to transmit every jolt to my bum, went for a sprung seat with gel filled pads on, cost about £40 - well worth it
I bought my last bike in 1976 clutching a years worth of saved pocket money in my hands. The games moved on somewhat since then.
pp
pp
Have a look at these tyres designed for road and a little "light" off road.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18897
I would look at a hybrid as already mentioned, i've always liked the look of the Carrera Subway 2 at Halfords it's not super bling and it's below your budget , bear in mind it has no front suspension so could be harsh!!
Also have a look at Trek Hybrid 7100 and 7500 as well as the Kona Dew and the Dew Deluxe don't think these have suspension either but if it's mainly road that should be fine my road converted MTB has rigid forks and it's fine on the road.
If you are riding on the road in the day time i'd recommend at least a rear light to try and make drivers aware of your presence as well as hat and gloves from a safety perspective.
Have a look at these tyres designed for road and a little "light" off road.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18897
I would look at a hybrid as already mentioned, i've always liked the look of the Carrera Subway 2 at Halfords it's not super bling and it's below your budget , bear in mind it has no front suspension so could be harsh!!
Also have a look at Trek Hybrid 7100 and 7500 as well as the Kona Dew and the Dew Deluxe don't think these have suspension either but if it's mainly road that should be fine my road converted MTB has rigid forks and it's fine on the road.
If you are riding on the road in the day time i'd recommend at least a rear light to try and make drivers aware of your presence as well as hat and gloves from a safety perspective.
PeePay
Not entirely sure how you read my post but pomposity certainly wasn't intended or there. If you actually bothered to search around the forum you would see that I regularily offer my advice to all and sundry but it's hard to give good advice when a lot of info is missing.
As you've clearly stated, you don't know what you're talking about when it comes to the current bicycle scene. You would think that someone in that situation would be grateful to anyone trying to clarify what would best suit their needs. And you call me pompos!
I haven't made any comment on you inderlectual ability what so ever. Ok, I have just now but, as you want to act like a child, you started it.
You probably won't get to read this post anyway due to the enormous response you've had to your initial post. But let's hope it makes it through the throng of activity on this thread.
Happy riding
, feel free to spend your money on whatever bike, I'm sure you'll take ages to make the wrong choice and rest assured I won't bother to offer you any further advice. 
Edited by mk1fan on Friday 7th March 20:35
atom111 said:
pp
Have a look at these tyres designed for road and a little "light" off road.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18897
I would look at a hybrid as already mentioned, i've always liked the look of the Carrera Subway 2 at Halfords it's not super bling and it's below your budget , bear in mind it has no front suspension so could be harsh!!
Also have a look at Trek Hybrid 7100 and 7500 as well as the Kona Dew and the Dew Deluxe don't think these have suspension either but if it's mainly road that should be fine my road converted MTB has rigid forks and it's fine on the road.
If you are riding on the road in the day time i'd recommend at least a rear light to try and make drivers aware of your presence as well as hat and gloves from a safety perspective.
Many thanks. Have a look at these tyres designed for road and a little "light" off road.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18897
I would look at a hybrid as already mentioned, i've always liked the look of the Carrera Subway 2 at Halfords it's not super bling and it's below your budget , bear in mind it has no front suspension so could be harsh!!
Also have a look at Trek Hybrid 7100 and 7500 as well as the Kona Dew and the Dew Deluxe don't think these have suspension either but if it's mainly road that should be fine my road converted MTB has rigid forks and it's fine on the road.
If you are riding on the road in the day time i'd recommend at least a rear light to try and make drivers aware of your presence as well as hat and gloves from a safety perspective.
I will pop into Halfords at the weekend and another local shop and checkout the bikes you mentioned.
Cheers
pp
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