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07-04-2004, 12:29 PM

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 15:00:42 +0000, Kenneth Akehurst wrote:

> HELP!
> What would be a good entry bike for a 350# male. Would like to ride with
> my wife!
> Thanks, Ken

Cool! Beats walking.

I don't know what you're wanting to do, but perhaps you're poking around
the neighborhood and going on bike paths like most entry level riders?

Like the others said, wheel strength is really really important. That
said, you can often get away with just ordering a pre-built tandem set
from a mass market place like Performance, Cambria, Nashbar, and the like.
If you've got the dough, and your local shop seems up to it, definitely
spend the extra bucks and have them hand built.

For your first bike, if speed is not a concern, but comfort is, how about
a "cruiser" style bike like the Electra company makes? You can get them
with three and seven speed Shimano hubs, which are NO maintainance, giving
you no excuse for not riding. The saddles are big and plush, the frames
are sturdy with no springs, and the wheels have nice wide tires. You might
have to get a new rear wheel built if you bought one, one with extra
spokes for strength so add a hundred bucks or so. You could probably get
away with keeping the front.

The best thing about a cruiser is that you can just jump on in whatever
you're wearing and not look out of place. It doesn't look like
exercising--you're just going for a cruise with the lady, man. LOL.

They start at around $300 and go up. Not the thing for long distances, but
a great fun toy to get you started.

If you find yourself shedding some
pounds you can add a sportier bike to the stable.

Well, I've convinced my self that I want one at least, but check'em out
yourself here:

http://www,electrabike.com

There are other brands with the same "sensibility" as well.

Let us know what ends up working out for ya.

07-04-2004, 12:29 PM	#48 (permalink)
maxo Posts: n/a	Re: Big Guy On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 15:00:42 +0000, Kenneth Akehurst wrote: > HELP! > What would be a good entry bike for a 350# male. Would like to ride with > my wife! > Thanks, Ken Cool! Beats walking. I don't know what you're wanting to do, but perhaps you're poking around the neighborhood and going on bike paths like most entry level riders? Like the others said, wheel strength is really really important. That said, you can often get away with just ordering a pre-built tandem set from a mass market place like Performance, Cambria, Nashbar, and the like. If you've got the dough, and your local shop seems up to it, definitely spend the extra bucks and have them hand built. For your first bike, if speed is not a concern, but comfort is, how about a "cruiser" style bike like the Electra company makes? You can get them with three and seven speed Shimano hubs, which are NO maintainance, giving you no excuse for not riding. The saddles are big and plush, the frames are sturdy with no springs, and the wheels have nice wide tires. You might have to get a new rear wheel built if you bought one, one with extra spokes for strength so add a hundred bucks or so. You could probably get away with keeping the front. The best thing about a cruiser is that you can just jump on in whatever you're wearing and not look out of place. It doesn't look like exercising--you're just going for a cruise with the lady, man. LOL. They start at around $300 and go up. Not the thing for long distances, but a great fun toy to get you started. If you find yourself shedding some pounds you can add a sportier bike to the stable. Well, I've convinced my self that I want one at least, but check'em out yourself here: http://www,electrabike.com There are other brands with the same "sensibility" as well. Let us know what ends up working out for ya.