Location: Peoria, illinois
In the last few weeks, My twin 5 year old grandchildren have shed their training wheels (they wore them out), and are now riding bikes with just two wheels. I am their 69 year old Pappa and borrowed a 70’s Raleigh bike from a friend and took the twins bike riding this last week. It was an adventure enjoyed by myself (haven’t biked in years) and my grandkids.
Looking for advice on purchasing a bike the twins dad, who is 6 ft 2 in and on the big size. Bike needs a 400 lb weight limit. Money is tight so we will most likely be looking at used bikes. Some bikes with higher weight limits that came up on internet searches are: Worksman Cycles; Zize Bikes; Mongoose; Merax.
Any comments that might help narrow down the search could be helpful. Any recommendations on what used bikes to be on the look out would be appreciated.
Best regards, Greg B
Location: Northern Florida, USA
(10-18-2020, 02:40 AM)Gregs Wrote: In the last few weeks, My twin 5 year old grandchildren have shed their training wheels (they wore them out), and are now riding bikes with just two wheels. I am their 69 year old Pappa and borrowed a 70’s Raleigh bike from a friend and took the twins bike riding this last week. It was an adventure enjoyed by myself (haven’t biked in years) and my grandkids.
Looking for advice on purchasing a bike the twins dad, who is 6 ft 2 in and on the big size. Bike needs a 400 lb weight limit. Money is tight so we will most likely be looking at used bikes. Some bikes with higher weight limits that came up on internet searches are: Worksman Cycles; Zize Bikes; Mongoose; Merax.
Any comments that might help narrow down the search could be helpful. Any recommendations on what used bikes to be on the look out would be appreciated.
Best regards, Greg B
Hey Greg,
Here is a link regarding info on heavy rider bikes of various types (mountain, road, cruiser, etc.):
https://outdoorright.com/bikes-for-over-400-lbs
There are even folding bikes designed for that weight load. He needs to decide on what type of bike is needed (aside from heavy duty) based on terrain, distances, etc. There was a mention of tire size, but you need the frame to fit properly regardless of tire/wheel size. I recommend searching online for the various brands/models out there to get an idea of prices for new bikes and then start checking the used bike sources (e.g. Craigslist, etc.) and see what's out there. I would expect that he could find a very good bike at reasonable cost since the market for used bikes of that design is fairly small; albeit it will also mean a more limited supply of used bikes to choose from. It might be wise to go to a bike shop and have them give him a general idea of what frame size to look for since buying a used bike online that doesn't fit will probably be a loss of money unless you give it a good test ride before buying (highly recommend this if bike is rideable at time of purchase!); verify the safety of the bike before riding!
Take care,
Jesper
"I am become Death, the destroyer of bicycles." NJS
One thing to add: be wary of the weight limits bike brands state on their websites. I've come across some brands that include the weight of their bike in the limit shown on their website. An e-bike could weigh 75lb, so if they claim a 350lb weight limit, the bike is actually only rated to carry another 275lb.
I've even seen 'expert' bike reviewers repeating these false weight limits.
Typically, however, the owner's manual shows the true weight limit.
If a bike brand makes it hard to figure out the true weight limit, I would just skip onto a better brand.
If you're shopping for a decent bike from a well-known, reputable brand, this shouldn't be a problem, but it's still something worth checking.
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