I read several posts within another thread on bicycling and it has me interested in taking it up as an exercise regime especially when we go camping on weekends.

I know most skinny tired racing bikes would not hold up to 400 lbs and the ones I have seen on the internet for "Big People" are way out of my price range.

Would a Schwinn Heavy Duty handle this kind of weight? Any other affordable bikes out there?

:help:

Jobstud,

Most any steel bike should be able to carry you. The Schwinn you mentioned looks extra tough, so you should have no worries. There are other brands of bikes that are in the same segment, such as Electra Hawaii and Giant's Simple Single. The advantage that both offer is that they are available from a Local Bicycle Shop (LBS), who will be able to help get them adjusted properly for you, and will be able to provide after-sale support.

Speaking as a fellow larger rider, the fit and adjustment of a bike is even more critical for us than for a typical small rider, due to the forces at play. A well adjusted bike should cause little discomfort to ride (your sit bones may hurt some at first), and should not cause undue stress on your joints. A poorly adjusted bike can cause a lot of stress, especially for your knees.

While your initial interest may be in s single-speed cruiser, I would recommend looking at the Giant Simple 7. If it's in your price range, you might consider it. The additional gearing will allow you to utilize your mechanical efforts more efficiently, and it may allow you to take the bike farther than you currently plan. I don't use all the gears on my bike, but the one that seems to get the most use is the granny gear to keep me moving up some hills.

In addition to a bike, make sure that you get a helmet (expensive helmets may be more aerodynamic, but anything over $25-30 will protect your noggin as well as a $100 helmet), here again, you will actually get more for your money from an LBS. I also highly recoomend proper bike shorts, the spandex kind. They do not have seams on the inside of your legs, they have padding to protect sensitive areas, and the material is designed to wick moisture away.

I hope that this is helpful, and I wish you the best for your biking future.

B

Job-

Come on over to the bycycle thread. It's being spelled wrong kills me! We move pretty quickly but we love talking bikes and you'll get all kinds of information. B recently joined the discussion and we didn't treat him poorly.

Juli