Source
r/whichbike•
TheExcludedMiddle

My research has just overwhelmed me, would appreciate a little personal advice.

Hello. I've been researching for a few weeks about what bike to get, but it seems that whenever I make any progress in narrowing things down, more options show up to confuse me. I'll put in the sidebar questions now:

Your level of experience with cycling - relative beginner. I've always loved cycling, but I got bored of not being able to leave the area I lived in and stopped for a while.

What's your price range, and have you considered second hand?

I have about $1200 cash in hand that I had intended to use to buy computer parts or a TV, and if I can sell my switches that will be another $500 I can spend. Obviously I don't want to spend more than is prudent, the less I spend on a bike the more I can spend on other gear.

Second hand would be fine - I've been scouring CL every day but nothing has really grabbed my eye yet.

What's your intention with the bike - commuting, fitness, touring, sport, etc?

Initially fitness, but I love camping so would like to expand to cyclo-camping/touring as soon as possible.

How far will you be riding, and how often?

Initially I'll be doing 15-25 mile rides 3-4 times a week, but I'm hoping to go out on some sort of tour as soon as I buy a bike and the temperature drops under 80.

Riding conditions: roads, pavement, trails, single-track, off-road? Flat or hilly? Traffic and weather.

It's hard for me to give more than a basic guess considering I might get a job out of state, but I imagine I'll stay mostly on paved roads, though dirt roads/crushed limestone would be nice (but not unnecessary) to have as an option. Traffic scares me so I expect I'll end up doing a lot of stuff like putting my bike on my car and driving to a country lake to ride around... like possum kingdom.

Your location (even approximate) can help other locals familiar with your conditions, too.

Dallas-Fort Metro area.

The "Big Kicker" item for me right now is that I am significantly overweight (5'11 280), am interested in camping/long distances, and have a short inseam for my height (after measuring at a bike shop I was told a 52.5 cm would be appropriate height, but was recommended a 54 cm because of stem length.

I have been looking at touring bikes because that seems to be the most appropriate for the circumstances, but this is where I got overwhelmed. I was looking at a Trek 520 (2012 model for $1250 at LBS), but then decided to check out the Surly LHT because I read it had advantages and was significantly cheaper (2013 model with disk breaks for $1275 at LBS). However, because I would be using a 54cm, the LHT can only come with 26 wheels and not 700 mm ones (though I am unsure of the significance). I also read on the subreddit about a Vaya and Sutra, but they seem to be even more expensive, and I do not yet know enough about components to judge.

I've also seen recommendations to build a bike from a old MTB frame + components to save quite a bit of money for comparable quality, but I have no idea where to start in that regards.

I realize the most important thing is making sure it fits well, but as I've never bought my own bike before I'm unsure what to keep my eye out for on test rides. I am also under the impression that you won't know exactly how a bike will fit until after you buy it and have it adjusted.

TL;DR - I love to bike, camp, and eat way too much, and the amount of choices is overwhelming.

Posted Sep 27, 2012, 5:22 PM UTC

16
LuggedSteel•

You're on the right track. I would recommend a touring bike for you. What advantages does the LHT have over the 520? I don't have pricepoints available, but definitely try the Kona Sutra and the brodie elan

2
Duke_Spanks•

Because you're a heavier person, you'll probably go through wheels if you don't get a real sturdy wheel set. These usually come standard on mountain bikes.

Most mountain bikes have suspension at least on the front, sometimes on the back (usually more expensive bikes). Although it's nice for bumps and stuff, it'll make your pedaling much less efficient because you'll be bobbing up and down with every mash of the pedals. Most have lockouts to make it into a rigid fork, but then you've got a fork that is more expensive than a standard one and much heavier, so it's less than ideal.

Because you're not going to be going over terribly rough stuff (it sounds like) you'd probably want a bike without front suspension. Unfortunately I don't know much about mountain bikes, so I'll have to leave that to the others here.

Building a mountain bike up from components is an excellent idea to save money and it's a great way to learn to maintain your own bike.

r/bikewrench is a subreddit for bike mechanics

Sheldon Brown is a bicycle mechanic who shared his vast knowledge through his website before he died, it's a great resource.

If you have a local bicycle co-op (I bet you do), they're usually really nice about helping people and sharing the specialty tools.

You could probably get a pretty nice bike (no suspension) together for $400 if you did all the work yourself.

Because you'll be mostly on roads and tame paths, you would probably be more comfortable on a sturdy 'performance hybrid' (they go by many names), which is essentially a mountain bike with wheels and tires for the road, and no suspension, but then again wheel strength is an issue. If you build it yourself, you'll probably build an old school hybrid :-)

Another option is a touring bike. They're exactly what they sound like, bikes made for long trips. They're very sturdy and usually have mounts for racks every which way so you can fit a ton of crap on them. They generally also have drop handle bars that will have you more leaned over for aerodynamics (it makes a big difference) and more hand placement options so if you get sore, you can, well, get sore somewhere new. I hear good things about the Surly Long Haul Trucker that you found on your own, but I have no experience with them personally.

Cyclocross bikes are basically road bikes that are built a bit sturdier so they can be taken off road, and in my opinion make awesome commuters. It sounds like the touring bike is a better fit for you, but just something to consider (hope I'm not making you more overwhelmed).

On test rides, most importantly see if you enjoy riding the bike. You won't ride it if you don't enjoy riding it. Beyond that, look for frame damage (dents and cracks), paint cracked in just one area (it suggests the frame took a pretty good hit there), ride quality, any unusual sounds, if all the bearings feel smooth, dry rotting on the tires, that stuff. Also, feel for play in the bearings. Grab a hold of the, say, crank arms (that connect the pedals to the bike) and try to wiggle them. If they wiggle in any way besides their prescribed circle they'll need a bit (usually not much) of attention.

EDIT: I can't type.

1
[deleted]•

I'd say you're about spot on with everything. For the size of rides OP is planning, suspension is probably not a good idea (but definitely make sure you rent a high-end MTB and try out the off-road near your area!). Steel is going to be too heavy to be any fun, and a rigid alu will probably be a good chunk of money (used is an option, the Attitude I (6', 185-205lbs) ride was bought in '94 and passed down from my dad (6'3, ~250lbs) -- both of us have ridden it hard on/around Whistler, but we've also taken really good care of it. Other bikes may not have been, so metal fatigue and material lifespan are big things to look for on a used bike.

It sounds like a touring bike is what you want, but bear in mind once you do drop weight you're probably going to want to go faster (who doesn't?!). Touring bikes are sort of like Cadillacs (probably closer to an escalade), whereas cyclocross is more analogous to, say, a WRX STI modded for rally racing. It'll go fast regardless of where you're riding, but won't be nearly as cushy, and will probably have a bit more of a learning curve (when to sit, when to stand, stability, etc.). Assuming you can find a decent rigid MTB, it will be right about in between those two (maybe an X6? My metaphor is stretching a bit thin). For some personal insight, I hate road riding and am allllll about silent, empty forest trails, but I have yet to find anything quite as exhilarating as 40mph down a freshly paved road. There's something really amazing about how snappy and responsive an aluminum road bike feels under you.

Once you fall in love with riding (you will), you'll probably drop weight pretty quickly. Talk to your shop to be sure, but I would expect as long as you aren't riding like a maniac you don't need to buy something specifically for the benefit of being "sturdy". Probably stay away from composite unless they're mountain bike components, especially in wheels. I'm not sure of the road side of things, but DT Swiss makes pretty damned tough wheelsets that are only nominally heavier than others. The most important thing is just to test ride as many styles, brands, and materials as possible. A Trek will be different from a Surly will be different from a Specialized, but the different models for each brand will be different from each other as well. Find something that feels right to you right now, but also something that will work for you once you're a bit more advanced and in shape.

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TheExcludedMiddleOP•

Thanks for the advice!

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TheExcludedMiddleOP•

Thanks for your help, even though I didn't get around to thinking of a good reply, your advice helped a lot. I ended up going with the 520.

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Duke_Spanks•

Awesome, glad you got a bike! I hope it fits all your needs :-)

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