Looking to buy my first bike...

[IntrepidXJ]

I just got back from my LBS to see what was available and at what price point, plus to see what fits me. I figured I would post up here to get some opinions since it seems we have some knowledgeable folks here

Anyways, I am looking for my first bike. It will be used for a daily commute to work (approx 1 mile each way) and to start riding some of the single track trails in the area here. I'm also planning on bringing it along when I go exploring in my Jeep so I can take a break from driving and hop on the bike.

My budget is in the $800-$900ish range, so I am looking for a hard tail.

I am a pretty big guy. 6'5" in height and currently about 270lbs (though, I am losing some of that weight )

While I was at the store, I tried out a 21.5" Trek and it felt OK to me. The owner suggested I try a 29er because of my height, and it felt alright to me as well. I had not considered a 29er before this point.

I guess my main question is, are there any downsides for someone of my size, if I were to go with a 29er? I guess I'm just not familiar with the 29ers? The one I tried out was a Gary Fisher Cobia...but if I were to stick with Gary Fisher, the 29er in my price range would be the Mamba...

Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Pokey]

At your weight- you may want to steer clear of a 29er.

At 230 i really flex my 29er wheels fairly substantially. I kept building wheels tougher with heavier spokes to dial it in---but then i ended up with a sluggish heavy set of wheels which didnt feel as nice as my 26"wheelset.....i then opted for a custom 26" wheeled ride with short chainstay and 71.5deg headtube angle which helps reel in an otherwise long wheelbase.

I may be selling my custom steel hardtail which has a 25.25" toptube and fit you like a glove. pm me for details.

Its tough to find bikes that have longish toptubes without having extraordinarily long wheelbases which ends up feeling sluggish. Most non-custom frames have rather long chainstays and coupled with the long toptube and normal head angles----result in a long and un-nimble frame.

shoot me an email to bugsnbikes@yahoo.com and i may be able to hook you up if you are able to spend a bit more to get into something fully custom and real well sorted out geometry wise.