fat tire bikes

t1h5ta3 · Jan 14, 2015

ok, i know theres mountain bikers on here...
im fat lazy and out of shape, last time i was on a bicycle was almost 30 years ago...

that said, i think im going to try to get into it, and im thinking the fat tire bikes are cool. im not going to dump a bunch of $ in up front, i know mongoose's are crap, but hey, i can get my feet wet for $250, a grand less than just about any thing else in the market, im looking at the Mongoose dolomite. unless some one talks me out of it.

im a newb

school me!:awesomework:

Big Rick · Jan 14, 2015

Getting your feet wet is good, saving money is also good. That being said, don't buy a brand new bike, buy a used bike off the craigslist. You will be getting more for your money, if $250 is your budget then look for a bike that is in your budget that is used. the resale value for a good used bike is not always that high. It's likely that you, with a little patience, can get a couple years old, barley used, aluminum frame bike with medium grade components for half the money as a new bike.

If you get a low end bike that is cheep, like the mongoose, It will save you money, and you will get into shape alot faster because of all the extra work you will be doing, (the weight of the bike), pushing that thing up hills will be alot of work. It is also likely that you will want to upgrade the bike very soon after you start riding it so the money you spend on it will be a waist.

Low end bikes tend to be not as much fun to ride so you don't ride as often. the component package tends to be very finicky and not stay in tune for very long , making it less fun to ride. learning to tune your bike is not hard but it's still not fun to have to constantly manually adjust your derailers and brakes because you want to ride your bike and want it to shift, and / or stop when you want it to. that is just my two cents , which is only worth about .01

t1h5ta3 · Jan 15, 2015

i hear you. i stoped by tims today and talked to them. they have prety much talked me out of a fat bike. they said they sold a few, then not long after almost all of them got traded in. he also confirmed some things i had in the back of my head about the mongoose's . he said they actualy like it when people buy them, most people wind up spending more in the long run on maintanace and upgrades than say, buying a kona in the first place.

so, now it looks like ill be looking for some thing more along the lines of a 29" kona, not wooried about fancy suspension,

Clark · Jan 15, 2015

Don't forget to check the pawn shops. I bought a nice, almost brand new 29er, redline monocog, with disc brakes, and chromoly frame for $250.

t1h5ta3 · Jan 15, 2015

i was laughing looking at craigs list last night.... tons of bikes on there for MORE than new retail pricing!
i allways forget pawn shops..

Glenn · Jan 15, 2015

Get a bike that fits. If it doesn't fit you correctly, it won't be as fun to ride. For mountain bikes, about 3" to the top bar from your :swing:

. See what frame size works in a store and find something near that and it should be close.

My friend's steel frame bike is super heavy compared to my aluminum frame Trek.

Maverick26 · Jan 15, 2015

I got an few year old Specialized Hard Rock that I don't use anymore... Its in almost new shape, disk brakes, tires are great. Its the LE model with the flame paintjob they only made for 1 year.

Boonie Buster · Jan 16, 2015

Maybe a couple more questions for you:
-What type of riding do you plan to do? All dirt/gravel? Some paved roads? Mild/Wild?
-How tall are you? (it will help in our search for a bike frame, fitment is very important, if you don't fit well, you will now want to ride!)

Look at Hardtails (no rear suspension, only a front fork for suspension), I wouldn't suggest single speed for someone beginning, I can see it being frustrating when the "hike-a-bike" sections of your ride come sooner than expected on a ride. But they're very fun to ride, for their simplicity.

Aside from a brand bike, look closely at the components of the bike. As others have said you can get a very decent bike for cheap. but bad components can ruin a ride fast, poor shifting, lack of brakes, etc.

I would suggest that even a $250 bike would require a trip to the local bike shop for a $100 Tune-up (which is a GREAT investment! people find it worthless, don't, they know what their looking at and can make adjustments that make a world of difference) . If you're committed to some weight loss and more importantly many great memories on your bike, I think a $500 budget really opens up your bike options.

Here are a couple bikes I would feel good riding away with for the price:
19" Kona Blast Mountain bike, DISC Brakes. ***BUY-SELL-TRADE*** - $325 (Snohomish - Bellevue)
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/bid/4842464088.html

17" Accesss 29er - $325 (Issaquah)
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/bik/4825979636.html

Kona Scrap Mountain Bike - $225 (I would def do a tune-up and confirm the frame size of this one)
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/4839235914.html

Kona Roast hardtail bike - $350 (Mount Vernon)
http://skagit.craigslist.org/bik/4818033493.html

t1h5ta3 · Jan 16, 2015

im 6'3" 36" inseam so a 29er with a 20" frame fits good and is the direction im leaning. and yha, hard tail...

as far as type of rideing, prob street and trail mix, i used to be an adrenoline junky, but ive tamed that over the last few decades. so mostly fire roads, trails etc, no downhill raceing etc...

mavric, you looking to get rid of it? pics? more specs?

Maverick26 · Jan 16, 2015

t1h5ta3 said:
mavric, you looking to get rid of it? pics? more specs?

Ya I would sell it, Ill get some specs for you as soon as I can... Im a little slammed this weekend with work and some travel. I cant remember how big the frame is but Ill measure it. I don't think its as big as what you need but it might work.

junkyard jim · Jan 17, 2015

This one has a fat tire, but just for under your ass!

Big Rick · Jan 18, 2015

that one needs a banana seat and a sissy bar.

Maverick26 · Jan 18, 2015

So my Hardrock is a size Large. If you go to Specialized's website and fine the Hardrock in the mountain section then go to Geometry and you will see all the specs for the size Large. Convert the measurements to inches. The Seat tube is 19" and the top tube is 22" with 26" tires. Its a nice bike for sure.

junkyard jim · Jan 26, 2015

Big Rick said:
that one needs a banana seat and a sissy bar.

I think it needs a motor. :swing:

toyzuk · May 6, 2015

i just picked up a mtn bike so i can get my fat but into shape lol. I just started off with nice flat trails lol. ordered a comfy fat person seat for it.

Glenn · May 6, 2015

toyzuk said:
i just picked up a mtn bike so i can get my fat but into shape lol. I just started off with nice flat trails lol. ordered a comfy fat person seat for it.

You'll hate that seat after a while on it. Those big cushy seats on bikes are no buena because they put pressure on the wrong places.