Author Topic: Bicycle for a fat bloke. (Read 23807 times)

paceman · « **Reply #25 on:** April 15, 2015, 06:20:17 AM »

Quote from: evolution on April 14, 2015, 11:12:47 PM

Im pretty heavy in to single track mtb. Although a different ballpark to what you are wanting to do, some of the same rules apply.
Unfortunately to get anything half reasonable from the big 4 these days its between $1200-$2000 which is a ton of cash.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/roam.xr.0/19127/77242/#specifications

I would really be looking for something similar to the Giant roam which is a hybrid style mountain bike. There is no point spending money on wide tyres and better suspension when most of your riding would be on bike paths.

Cheers
Evo

+1... i have a giant roam 2 from 2013 and it is excellent. have been able to do a few of the local charity rides on roads (last one was 60klm) without issue...

for reference, when i bought the bike, i was about 105kg and am about 185cm tall...

Bill · « **Reply #26 on:** April 15, 2015, 06:41:27 AM »

I went down this same road about 18 months ago.
Bought a really nice bike and hung it on the wall in the garage for easy access.
Sold it about a month ago to an under height friend of mine because I was sick of seeing it hanging on the garage wall. When I sold it, it was the first time it had ever come off the wall since the day I hung it there.
As someone else mentioned, I just walk my dogs everyday with my music cranked.
Now a days I also take my camera and its not as boring.
And dont think of yourself as fat. Think of yourself as being plesantly plump.

Bill

tk421 · « **Reply #27 on:** April 15, 2015, 07:13:33 AM »

Im a bit of a cycling tragic, have loved it since I was 7 or 8 and have loved touring on bikes so I'd say go for it. If you're going to use it occasionally the entry level Giants, Specialized, Treks will do you fine and they start about $700 brand new. No point in spending 2k on a bike you may never use.

Just stay away from the Kmart bike. I've had the front brakes fold up on my going downhill riding a borrowed one. The metal was just so thin. Made a nice long skid with the rear though but bloody scary

I've got a specialized 29er and its a nice easy ride. It's not as nimble as the 26" bikes but it's easier on climbs, but that's not something you would probably care about.

I've also got a Giant Defy road bike, and I love it. I hardly ride the MTB anymore.

If I were you I'd get a MTB and put some less knobbly tires on. They're just more robust and the riding position is more comfortable than a roadie. If you are unsure at this stage you could a cheap bike from cellbikes.com.au or 99bikes.com.au. But you'd need to know your size. At 6'3" you'd be a large or XL. I'd got to your local bike shop and make friends. If they're good they'll fit you properly which makes a world of difference.

Barrabart · « **Reply #28 on:** April 15, 2015, 08:47:25 AM »

Quote from: evolution on April 14, 2015, 11:12:47 PM

Im pretty heavy in to single track mtb. Although a different ballpark to what you are wanting to do, some of the same rules apply.
Unfortunately to get anything half reasonable from the big 4 these days its between $1200-$2000 which is a ton of cash.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/roam.xr.0/19127/77242/#specifications

I would really be looking for something similar to the Giant roam which is a hybrid style mountain bike. There is no point spending money on wide tyres and better suspension when most of your riding would be on bike paths.

I would hit up Bike exchange, your local shops, gumtree, ebay etc etc and try and find a new one or close to new that is a year or two old as just like a car you can save hundreds of dollars.
Now with Giant in particular, the dealers are not allowed to ship/courier a bike. you MUST purchase from a dealer in person for a new one. However with a brand like specialized they will.

Some things to look out for.

If looking for a bike up too $1000 new:
* Hydraulic disc brakes are a must.
* Sram gearing is great from X9 and above, X5 is hopeless. X7 is mediocre
* Shimano is fairly good, XT and above is pretty smooth and easy to get parts etc for.
* You don't need big fat chunky tread tyres. These increase rolling resistance and make for a pretty terrible town bike if you never get on the dirt
* Don't be fooled by a salesman selling you a 29er. Yes the bigger tyres can be easier, but the more common one now is the 27.5 (less of a compromise than the 29er)
- Due to the geometry of a 29er (even in a L or XL frame) they can be very twitchy and no where near a smooth as a 26er. They are however less effort to gain forward momentum, coast better and absorb shock better. The 27.5 is obviously in between, however it doesn't have as much of a down side to it.

Me personally if I were in your position I would be buying based on component quality rather than frame branding. For instance
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/hasa-hard-tail-mountain-bike-slx-30-speed/RACE90
Awesome components for the money. A giant with that level of fitout would be $2000.
Only downside is its a 26er
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2014-hasa-gallant-29er-shimano-slx-mountain-bike/GAL-SLX14
Now even though I bagged out 29ers earlier, If I had to pick between a 26er and a 29er, I would pick the 29er
The above bike would be $2k-$3k in a giant.
Ahaha, Here you go. Very similar specs
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/xtc.advanced.29er.1/18992/76592/#features

There is seriously a million and one choices you could make. The best way to do it is to take a few for a ride at your local shop

Cheers
Evo

Evo,

Thanks heaps for the info, i'll do some more searching around with your information, though i have a couple of questions......

What are the Hybrid bikes? Are they essentially a road bike with wider tyres, flat bars etc?

Can you give me a breif description of S-ram, I believe it applies to the derailleur gear, what is x9, x5, x7 etc?

thanks again.

broncos11 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:03:00 AM »

Fyi

http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Top-8-Mountain-Bikes-Under-1000-/10000000177747725/g.html
I have both road and MTB. A great all rounder is the Giant Tallon at well under 1K. Although we did buy this a few years ago. Look for the current model of this and check out price now. Good frame for bigger guys, I'm 6'3 and 105kgs and good level components.
I'd stick with hard tail also.

Dave

Sent from my iPad

raider · « **Reply #30 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:05:54 AM »

Quote from: evolution on April 14, 2015, 11:12:47 PM

Im pretty heavy in to single track mtb. Although a different ballpark to what you are wanting to do, some of the same rules apply.
Unfortunately to get anything half reasonable from the big 4 these days its between $1200-$2000 which is a ton of cash.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/roam.xr.0/19127/77242/#specifications

I would really be looking for something similar to the Giant roam which is a hybrid style mountain bike. There is no point spending money on wide tyres and better suspension when most of your riding would be on bike paths.

I would hit up Bike exchange, your local shops, gumtree, ebay etc etc and try and find a new one or close to new that is a year or two old as just like a car you can save hundreds of dollars.
Now with Giant in particular, the dealers are not allowed to ship/courier a bike. you MUST purchase from a dealer in person for a new one. However with a brand like specialized they will.

Some things to look out for.

If looking for a bike up too $1000 new:
* Hydraulic disc brakes are a must.
* Sram gearing is great from X9 and above, X5 is hopeless. X7 is mediocre
* Shimano is fairly good, XT and above is pretty smooth and easy to get parts etc for.
* You don't need big fat chunky tread tyres. These increase rolling resistance and make for a pretty terrible town bike if you never get on the dirt
* Don't be fooled by a salesman selling you a 29er. Yes the bigger tyres can be easier, but the more common one now is the 27.5 (less of a compromise than the 29er)
- Due to the geometry of a 29er (even in a L or XL frame) they can be very twitchy and no where near a smooth as a 26er. They are however less effort to gain forward momentum, coast better and absorb shock better. The 27.5 is obviously in between, however it doesn't have as much of a down side to it.

Me personally if I were in your position I would be buying based on component quality rather than frame branding. For instance
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/hasa-hard-tail-mountain-bike-slx-30-speed/RACE90
Awesome components for the money. A giant with that level of fitout would be $2000.
Only downside is its a 26er
http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2014-hasa-gallant-29er-shimano-slx-mountain-bike/GAL-SLX14
Now even though I bagged out 29ers earlier, If I had to pick between a 26er and a 29er, I would pick the 29er
The above bike would be $2k-$3k in a giant.
Ahaha, Here you go. Very similar specs
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/xtc.advanced.29er.1/18992/76592/#features

There is seriously a million and one choices you could make. The best way to do it is to take a few for a ride at your local shop

Cheers
Evo

I think I have ridden that one

broncos11 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:07:20 AM »

Here you go

Should be able to get 2014 possibly well under 1K.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/talon.29er.2/14927/66449/#specifications

Sent from my iPad

Beachman · « **Reply #32 on:** April 15, 2015, 10:13:25 AM »

I bought a $100 Dunlop mountain bike from Big W on special about 4 years and while it’s not flash, it’s still works fine and allows he to keep up with my kids when I take them riding.

My mate has a flash $10K bike and we often take our kids riding together his bike allows him to just cruise without the need to peddle down slight slopes while I’m still peddling my arse off, but I gather the extra exercise is doing me good and in all our rides it’s always got me to the same places his bike has gone, but just slower.

Would I like a better bike yes, can I justify a better bike no.

tk421 · « **Reply #33 on:** April 15, 2015, 10:41:36 AM »

Quote from: Barrabart on April 15, 2015, 08:47:25 AM

Evo,

Thanks heaps for the info, i'll do some more searching around with your information, though i have a couple of questions......

What are the Hybrid bikes? Are they essentially a road bike with wider tyres, flat bars etc?

Can you give me a breif description of S-ram, I believe it applies to the derailleur gear, what is x9, x5, x7 etc?

thanks again.

SRAM and Shimano are the groupsets (brakes, gears (cassettes), cranks, shift levers etc)... x9, x5, x7 are the hierarchy of the SRAM range. The higher the level the better the componentry, durability, but the higher the price. You'll quite often find that they mix and match from different levels.

Comparison of the two here: http://www.bikeroar.com/articles/mountain-bike-groupset-comparison-shimano-vs-sram
and here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/au/gear/article/buyers-guide-to-mountain-bike-groupsets-42578/

Personally I'd go for at least SRAM X7 or Shimano SLX (or Deore on a budget). I've got SRAM X5 on my Specialized and its a POS in my opinon. I've had no end of issues with it.

Hybrid bikes are a blend of road, mountain and tourer bikes. They are meant to be a general-purpose bike that can tolerate a wide range of riding conditions and applications. Flat handlebars, more upright riding position than a roadie, and with bigger tires than a roadie, but not as fat as an MTB- a lot of people use them for commuting. Something like the specialized cross trail.

You can use them for light MTB'g (most will have suspension front forks) but the forks won't be as robust as the dedicated MTB's. They're a jack of all trades - A road bike will be faster, a mountain bike will be much better off-road. But for someone who wants to ride mixed terrain in comfort, they can be ideal.

chester ver2.0 · « **Reply #34 on:** April 15, 2015, 11:20:45 AM »

Go a hybrid as above but look for a 700C size wheelset as this will allow you to hold a bit more speed as you explore further With cycling i have found there is no in between you will either buy it and it will gather dust or you become an addict like myself and the bike goe everywhere

I am currently on a Scott Sportster 30 as a commuter and it is a good crossover bike

Couple of tips

Spend a little more for 1000 you will get an OK bike but bottom of the rung components which will wear quickly so you will find down the track that when it comes to chasing components to replace they are worth more than the sum of the bike so in 4 years you have ended up buying 2 bikes when you could have spent the extra on a good bike

Disk brakes are great but spend the extra to get a hydraulic system much more processive

Shy shorts are your friend they are like boardshorts with the lycra padding inside you will love them

This is what i commute on at the moment about 80k a week and i find it quite comfortable

It becomes then adictive see below touring ayres rock

The you do something you would never have thought you could like ride around the bay in Melbourne 200km

The you start doing crazy stuff like Melbournes famous 1 in 20 hill climb

but lets be honest this is the real reason i ride a bike

wakychapmans · « **Reply #35 on:** April 15, 2015, 12:15:32 PM »

so... I'm going to go totally against the grain and suggestions of everyone here. And suggest a FATbike. Now I'm well aware that our bikes are out of the budget of many people.

So I'd suggest this.

http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2015-wheeler-snow-beach-sand-fat-mountain-bike/CGS120MA

Nice bike. decent parts spec. I know people that bought them. They're fun to ride.

The key word for a FATbike is F U N.

Ride it to the shops. Ride it with the kids. Ride it on the beach. Ride it to go fishing. Ride it when you go bush.

ok, yes... I'm a little bit of a FATbike evangelist, but if you're not hung up on going FAST... then why not.

4" wide tyres mounted on 80mm wide rims will let you ride more places, more confidentially, than any other style of bike.

Other bike brands also make FATbikes, but none of them match the value for money of the Wheeler.

Just worth considering.

pinarelloman · « **Reply #36 on:** April 16, 2015, 02:20:35 AM »

I was going to suggest a FAT bike, but thought the original poster would think I was taking the pi$$!

wakychapmans · « **Reply #37 on:** April 16, 2015, 07:08:24 AM »

Quote from: pinarelloman on April 16, 2015, 02:20:35 AM

I was going to suggest a FAT bike, but thought the original poster would think I was taking the pi$$!

I was thinking the same thing as I replied.

I've got some good friends that chuck two of our FATbikes on the front of their Kimberly Karavan whenever they head bush. They just recently came back from the Finke and last year it was the Kimberly. I know that George does a lot of exploring on his FATbike from camp each afternoon.

For us, having the 80 series trailer means that we have another towbar out back. a perfect place for the iSi bike rack and two FATbikes.

KingBilly · « **Reply #38 on:** April 16, 2015, 08:15:57 AM »

Quick question. Can you get a roof rack mount for a fat bike? Does the fat rear tyre fit in the rack?

KB

paceman · « **Reply #39 on:** April 16, 2015, 08:29:14 AM »

Quote from: KingBilly on April 16, 2015, 08:15:57 AM

Quick question. Can you get a roof rack mount for a fat bike? Does the fat rear tyre fit in the rack?

KB

from this thread, it appears there are a few options, both home-made and aftermarket:

http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=79207

Barrabart · « **Reply #40 on:** April 16, 2015, 08:56:46 AM »

Quote from: pinarelloman on April 16, 2015, 02:20:35 AM

I was going to suggest a FAT bike, but thought the original poster would think I was taking the pi$$!

Hey no drama mate......... If i bought a Harley it's probably be a Fat Boy too...........

tk421 · « **Reply #41 on:** April 16, 2015, 09:05:27 AM »

Ok - I'll bite. What's with the FAT bikes? I thought they were mainly for snow and sand - can definitely see the benefits there, but what are the advantages over a normal MTB for general use? I would have thought for mixed use the thinner tires on the MTB/Hybrids would be better? The rolling resistance of those tires must be something else, especially on road/pavement, and they're heavier again than an MTB by a couple of kg.

I've got a 29er and I know I really feel the differences going from my roadie to it and back again. You'd definitely get a work out, but that kind of defeats the fun of cycling for me, speed vs effort.

KingBilly · « **Reply #42 on:** April 16, 2015, 09:45:06 AM »

Hey Wayne, quick question for you mate. Can you get a roof rack mount for a fat bike? Does the fat rear tyre fit in the rack?

KB

Thanks paceman also

Squalo · « **Reply #43 on:** April 16, 2015, 10:24:55 AM »

By all accounts FAT bikes are just simply heaps of fun to ride. And traction for climbing and cornering is also a big plus.

Good advice given above. Giant are probably the best bang for the buck.