Big girl looking for bike to hold her goodies! Any suggestions on bikes 4me

Hello Ladies, I weigh 238 pounds am 5 feet 10 inches tall. Today I turned 47 years old, Hooray!! I decided to make the next 10 years healthier than the last. I've saved my $ now am ready to buy my first adult bike. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good bike for my size? Should I go mountain or racing? I plan to ride everyday and occasionally on the weekends. I live 2 miles from job & school. What's the deal with the different handle bars? After many years of being tide to my car, I purposely moved close to both school and work. My job has lockers,shower & rack, YIPPIE!!! No more excuse to drive and pollute the earth. I'm concerned because I'm a plus size lady, don't plan to stay there 4ever. Any suggestions on a good bike for me? Just moved to VA: totally loving VA! any ideas on bike clubs or groups would greatly be appreciated. Finding this forum has been a lifesaver.

Hi!

I don't have any bike suggestions for you, but I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. You have a wonderful outlook and are ready to do great things - just need the tools! I do know that a lot of ladies start with a hybrid bike before determining that they want a road bike. Mountain biking is great too, but unless you have good trails near where you live, there are more road biking alternatives most places. I am lucky enough to do both, and enjoy different aspects of both. Of course, I have four bikes, so that helps!

I hope some other gals here can offer you suggestions on specific bike models. The only advice I can offer is to go to your LBS and test ride as many bikes as you can and see which type/style feels right to you. And make sure to get a good fit. At your height, you probably won't need women's specific design, so you'll have lots of options.

Good luck, and keep on posting!!

Emily, just one state south :)

If you're looking to commute and bike for fitness, I would almost reccomend a mountain/hybrid bike. Each type definately has its pros and cons, the pros of the mtn bike being
*the strength of frame/fork/components
*width of the tires.
In my mind, it makes mountain bikes more adaptable.
They also tend to be a little cheaper (Specialized Hardrocks and Rockhoppers going for ~$450
However, they're less comfortable on long (and I mean long) rides, but should be alright for a commute of ~10 miles.
They're also not as fast and require more effort to move.

Road bikes, on the other hand (these are my perceptions... I don't actually own one)
*More expensive for a quality bike (generally, though you can find nice deals)
*Thinner tires may lead to less stability (though cross bikes can be equipped for wider tires, and tires with decent tread, so this is negligable)
*Sleeker, faster, lighter (generally...)

My bike was purchased to be an all-around-user. I couldn't fathom the idea of a bike that had to avoid pot holes or bumps/curbs/etc... and I wanted to be able to take on trails when I was capable of it. It's a '03 rockhopper hardtail, now with rack and trunk, and smooth tires, too. I can't *quite* keep up with roadies who are really cruising, but I do alright. :)

Hi!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

"I decided to make the next 10 years healthier than the last."

That's great to hear, and......it certainly can be done. At your height, you do have lots of options for bicycles. The most important thing is getting a bike "that fits you".......

Welcome to TE !! You will learn so much here! Please go introduce yourself on the "Getting to know you" thread.

Have a wonderful evening :)

Denise

Denise223 "At your height, you do have lots of options for bicycles."

yeah, I'm jealous. :mad:

I'm 5'1" and went full custom to get a great fit. Where you, you non-vertically challenged person you :p the world is your oyster, might not even need to look at WSD.

welcome to TE and here's to many happy miles, shopping and ride reports. We live through you, we love to shop for bikes....with other TE gals money :p Take us shopping with you.

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Originally Posted by aar80863

any ideas on bike clubs or groups would greatly be appreciated.

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Welcome to the area. One of the biggest, most active groups in the area is Potomac Pedalers. Also, many bike shops also organize group rides.

Here's my 2 cents...(since you asked!)

From your described situation I would say a hybrid bike might be a great choice for you to start out on and commute on. For one thing: really skinny road bike tires + heavier rider + typical commute pavement with potholes and broken glass= more flat tires to fix!

Hybrids have good sturdy commuting tires, sort of between small heavily knobbed mtn bike tires and way-skinny roadie/racing tires. They also have comfortable handlebar position for doing shorter rides and commutes. It takes racks and baskets and kickstands etc quite well too.

"Comfort/Cruiser" bikes sold to ladies may not be what you want if you start enjoying yourself and riding longer distances. They have cushy seats, can be heavy, with fewer gears for climbing hills. They are particularly good for flat neighborhoods where you are mostly using it for errands or riding with your kids.

Typical road bike crouched position may not be the most comfortable choice for a new rider commuting short distances. And if you are commuting, you may have to attach panniers or racks and such to carry clothes and laptops. Why get a racing bike for this purpose?

A hybrid bike can comfortably fill a variety of different riding situations, and if you get one that fits you well and is comfortable, you can still use it for different types of riding as you start becoming a better rider. It can handle some fairly long rides and does well on hills and has few flats.

Happy Birthday!
I agree with the suggestions about a hybrid bike. You might even find a used bike on craigslist or at a yard sale to get you started riding, and as you learn more about your style of riding and how you'll use a bike, you can put your money toward something new that will suit your situation.
Good on you for moving where you are so close to work! Please keep posting and let us know how your new life is progressing!

I agree with everyone who suggests starting with the hybrid bike. That is what I did. I want to mention some additional benefits and that is you will build muscle density faster on a hybrid because it is heavier than a road bike. My LBS told me that the 20 miles I pedal on my Trek Navigator 300 is equivalent to pedaling 40-50 miles on a road bike.

You move up to the road bike when you strongly desire to ride that 40-50 miles, not the mere 20 miles, and at higher speeds. If you are starting at base zero, it takes awhile to get your fitness level up there and for some people, they will always prefer their hybrid, but for others, they progress from the hybrid to the road bike when they really want to pedal more miles and are capable of doing so.

Darcy

Hi Darcy!

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Originally posted by Darcy: My LBS told me that the 20 miles I pedal on my Trek Navigator 300 is equivalent to pedaling 40-50 miles on a road bike.

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I can't believe this would be true. I have a hybrid as well..... When I ride 20 miles on my Gary Fisher Nirvana --- that's exactly what it is -- "20 miles". It's not equivalent to 40 or 50 miles -- it's equivalent to 20 miles!

I wonder why your lbs said that pedaling 20 miles on your Trek Navigator is equivalent to pedaling 40 - 50 miles, if you were on a road bike????

Does this sound right to anyone?

Denise

Would it be because you're pedalling harder?

It does sound extreme.

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Originally Posted by Denise223

Hi Darcy!



I can't believe this would be true. I have a hybrid as well..... When I ride 20 miles on my Gary Fisher Nirvana --- that's exactly what it is -- "20 miles". It's not equivalent to 40 or 50 miles -- it's equivalent to 20 miles!

I wonder why your lbs said that pedaling 20 miles on your Trek Navigator is equivalent to pedaling 40 - 50 miles, if you were on a road bike????

Does this sound right to anyone?

Denise

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Well, as a former Navigator owner, I'd say yes. It was a beast to pedal on the roads (and hills!) compared to my Jamis Quest. It has a fork also. I think I would classify it more as a comfort bike. I'm not sure how it compares to the Gary Fisher Nirvana. (When I first got it, it was heaven compared to Wal Mart bikes, though). And my Navigator got me started...

I sold it for a Trek 7.2fx which was lighter with no fork. It was more like a road bike than the Navigator, but definately a hybrid, and it works equally on roads or rail trails. I heartily recommend it. It's known as a "fitness" bike and now it's my commuter. You know what they say, you'll be wanting that great mountain or road bike when you decide what type of riding you will do, (because you will love riding and stick with it!) but I don't regret the 7.2fx purchase. I think it's a terrific bike to get started on and it starts in the low $400.

Okay, okay, before everyone starts cracking jokes about my bike not having a fork, I meant to say suspension fork.:o

My hybrid (Kona Dew) was a great purchase. $400, very user friendly, sturdy, willing, good (not great, but darn good) components. Very nice geometry. I can go fast on the road or slow in the dirt and commuting is very good with it. I even did a triathlon with it!

As I got into longer rides I knew I needed to get back onto a steel road bike, which I've done.

But I certainly have no regrets about my Kona Dew! My son will ride it until he outgrows it, then I'll take it back and use it as my commuter/wet weather/loaner bike again.

http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_ca...6&parentid=253

How much do you want to invest? This is my dream bike... right now I have an Xtracycle on a hybrid (Giant Nutra), and when I got it last February, suddenly I simply didn't have to drive, for weeks at a time. It just does everything - I've carried bookcases and crock pots and groceries and all kinds of stuff. It also announces "hey! there *is* a FUN alternative to polluting-commuting!" and four more of them have sprouted in my neighborhood since I got mine. It handles extra weight peachily, though I got a new back wheel with 36 spokes because I needed a new wheel anyway (the bike already had 17,000 miles on it); from the discussion groups, the frame holds up but with a heavy cargo load a light wheel would "taco."

Many of the "comfort" bikes are made to be comfortable for short rides... and they're honestly a lot harder to push around. Yes, the effort to push one 20 miles could push a racing bike twice as far. (I love switching from the Xtra to my Trek 7500FX... FLYING!!!) Many hybrids are a really good compromise between comfort and efficiency.

http://www.xtracycle.com/images/images_big/breezer.jpg