20st and need my first adult bike!

[mattprince]

Hi All,

Decided now I'm 36 its time to try and shift this weight once and for all. I'm 20st 11lb currently and get hardly any, if at all, exercise. I drive for a living so don't really do manual work either. I have 3 young kids (9, 7 and 4) so really want shift the weight so can do more with them. So... I'm looking for a mountain bike and one that will cope with my weight, at least for a bit as I tend to lose weight quite quick when I put my mind to it. I drive 7 miles every day to work so was thinking of riding there in the mornings and then getting the wife to pick me up at night (id put the bike on a mount on the car) at first so I don't over do it and then after a while, bike there and back Monday to Friday.

I want something with disc brakes as had enough of fixing and adjusting my kids v brakes to last me a lifetime. I've seen a few , so what do you think? My budget os around £200-300 but closer to £200 would be ideal...

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/db-outback-dd-p181104

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_992102_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

 

[Herzog]

2nd hand may be your best option. Bikes for around 200 quid new can be very iffy and you'll spend a lot of time attempting to just get the thing ridable. Save yourself the frustration and have a look at some classifieds.

Well done on deciding to start cycling!!

 

[cyberknight]

Ditch bikes with suspension for commuting on the road as its not needed,
I got one of these on C2W last year ..
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810731_langId_-1_categoryId_165534
Stick some slick tyres on it and it will fly .
Another option is a trip to decathlon, they do competitively priced bikes .

 

[Donger]

Hi All,

Decided now I'm 36 its time to try and shift this weight once and for all. I'm 20st 11lb currently and get hardly any, if at all, exercise. I drive for a living so don't really do manual work either. I have 3 young kids (9, 7 and 4) so really want shift the weight so can do more with them. So... I'm looking for a mountain bike and one that will cope with my weight, at least for a bit as I tend to lose weight quite quick when I put my mind to it. I drive 7 miles every day to work so was thinking of riding there in the mornings and then getting the wife to pick me up at night (id put the bike on a mount on the car) at first so I don't over do it and then after a while, bike there and back Monday to Friday.

I want something with disc brakes as had enough of fixing and adjusting my kids v brakes to last me a lifetime. I've seen a few , so what do you think? My budget os around £200-300 but closer to £200 would be ideal...

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/db-outback-dd-p181104

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_992102_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

As a fellow 20 stoner, I'd like to be able to help - but your budget seems a bit tight, so I'm thinking second hand might be best for you.
Personally, I opted for a tourer, rather than a mountain bike, as they are built to take a bit of weight and geared low enough to get you up the hills. Given your weight, my preference would be for a steel frame, and bomb-proof tyres. I use 32mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Continentals together with Slime self-healing inner tubes for a reliable combination, and find I can go off road with confidence whenever I want. When I first started about 5 1/2 years ago, I kept plugging away on a heavy old steel hybrid bike for a year before getting my first tourer. My logic was that the heavier it was, the more effort I was putting in, and the more good it was doing me. I then bought a steel framed Saracen tourer from a mate for £200 and that kept me happy for another year or so until I was in a better financial position to go for the bike of my dreams. I now regularly do 1,500-1,700 miles a year including audaxes and charity rides, and can't imagine life without cycling. Whatever you end up with, I hope things work out for you as well as they did for me. Good luck and many happy years cycling to you.

 

[mattprince]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. So why would a tourer be better? is it because the tyres are slimmer and therefore less resistance? Are the hybrid bikes at Halfords the same as a tourer?

 

[vickster]

The carrera subways from halfords are bombproof and usually sub £300, there is a model with mechanical disc brakes

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810731_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

 

[Donger]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. So why would a tourer be better? is it because the tyres are slimmer and therefore less resistance? Are the hybrid bikes at Halfords the same as a tourer?

Basically, yes. I preferred to go for a tourer because it is part of the way towards being a road bike (drop bars, 700C wheels with slimmer tyres etc), so can just about keep pace with groups of people on road bikes, while being able to ride on rough ground too. Mostly, it is that they are really built to take some weight (rider plus panniers, tent etc), and have low enough gearing to shift that weight up hills. It is the versatility that I really appreciate - I can head out on the main road and then opt to come back via canal towpaths, railway paths etc. To me, mountain bikes are strictly for rough ground (though I'm sure plenty would disagree). My preference for steel frames is because they are repairable, whereas carbon or aluminium frames, once you prang them, can be a total right-off.

 

[mattprince]

Basically, yes. I preferred to go for a tourer because it is part of the way towards being a road bike (drop bars, 700C wheels with slimmer tyres etc), so can just about keep pace with groups of people on road bikes, while being able to ride on rough ground too. Mostly, it is that they are really built to take some weight (rider plus panniers, tent etc), and have low enough gearing to shift that weight up hills. It is the versatility that I really appreciate - I can head out on the main road and then opt to come back via canal towpaths, railway paths etc. To me, mountain bikes are strictly for rough ground (though I'm sure plenty would disagree). My preference for steel frames is because they are repairable, whereas carbon or aluminium frames, once you prang them, can be a total right-off.

Do you know of a good tourer for up to £300 new? Id prefer to buy new.

 

[mattprince]

The carrera subways from halfords are bombproof and usually sub £300, there is a model with mechanical disc brakes

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810731_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

Yes ive just been looking at that one actually. Im toying with either a mountain bike or a tourer , just trying to get a decent one for up to £300

 

[mattprince]

Ive just thought , I would prefer not to have drop bars as don't fancy leaning over when riding as my stomach isn't the smallest at the moment lol

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I agree with @Donger, because tourer's are good all-rounders, that can handle on or off-road conditions equally well. Best of luck with the weight loss plan

 

[mattprince]

What do you think of this one? I know it doesn't have disc brakes but I could manage with this for 6 months or so and then buy a really decent one?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_912123_langId_-1_categoryId_165534#tab3

 

[vickster]

The subway will make a Super winter bike after you reward yourself in 6 months with a shiny roadbike for the weight loss you've achieved

 

[John the Canuck]

i have a 2008 TREK 7.2 as my commute/shopping/rough roads - excellent

if you can find a used FX 7.5 -- has disks
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/72-fx-disc-2014-hybrid-bike-ec040355

 

[mcshroom]

I would go for a hybrid without front suspension as a good start (all suspension adds on the road is extra weight and you lose power bobbing up and down). The Carrera Subway mentioned above is a good solid bike, and there are others around that would work as well.

I'm a couple stone lighter than you, but have been able to ride a road bike on 23mm tyres so don't worry about the bike being up to it, they tend to be tougher than you'd think. What you would be more likely to do at your size is to knock the wheels out of true so a spoke key would be a good investment. Also a pump that will get the tyres up to the maximum written on the sidewall of the tyre.

For £200-300 then you will probably get more second hand. Disk brakes are good, but don't discount rim brakes. V-brakes once set up on a decent bike shouldn't need much in the way of adjusting. I've used them, and cantilever brakes on my bikes for many 1000s of kms without any problems.

Whatever you get then make sure you are happy with it being the right size for you, and that you like it. You will be more likely to ride it if you like it.

Have fun, and soon you will be a 5-day a week commuter. You're about the same distance form work as I am. Then you will get to the stage where you start extending the ride home to make it longer