Which bike, 6ft 5, powerfully built.

[hotchy]

Its time to loose this "powerfully built" body shape iv accrued over the last few years. Luckily im not alone with enjoying riding a bike, the gf does too and we've been riding alot recently. Her on her new fancie bike, me on her dads 1980 (must be atleast!) Giant bike. I want my own bike that wont shatter my teeth while going down the local woods, gravel etc hiding from public view. (i dont help my self by honking the horn he put on it when ever people are around...)

Budget £350 +/- a tad. Currently saving deposit and launching my own business. So cant afford much more.

Now here's the ones i see in Halfords. I know nothing, i just know im tall, "powerfully built" enjoy flying down the gravel woods near my bit, dont enjoy riding back up but i suppose i loose the weight on those sections.

This one http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik... £299 with £130 off and i have a 10% discount code - Total £260.

Then there is the voodoo bantu. £399 - 10% = £360
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

Only thing is these two come with 20" frames, recommended on halfords for 6ft 3. Im more 6ft 4 and 3/4 . Which seem to be the 22" frames. Yet first choice is 29" wheels, second is 27.5" wheels.

Although as a kid, i thought as you grew you just put the seat up.

Any advice? I mostly ride in the woods, then pavements covered by trees both sides, and enjoy the bumpy woodland stuff better.

[vanordinaire]

I can't give you any advice on the actual bikes you are considering, but at your size, go for the 29er option. I'm 6'4" and 20 stone, my son is 6'5" and 16 stone. He switched to a 29er last year and I was a bit sceptical at first but after a couple of rides, I bought one too. A 'normal' sized bike just feels ridiculous now.

[TACottle]

I would try and save a few more pennies and go for the Voodoo Bizango.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

Gets decent reviews.

29'ers work well for me - I'm 6'8'' and around 18 stone if that helps.

Those other bikes you've linked have cheaper components and as a 'powerful' chap I reckon they won't last all that long.

It really is worth forking out a bit more.

Try eBay too.

[hotchy]

TACottle said:

I would try and save a few more pennies and go for the Voodoo Bizango.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

Gets decent reviews.

29'ers work well for me - I'm 6'8'' and around 18 stone if that helps.

Those other bikes you've linked have cheaper components and as a 'powerful' chap I reckon they won't last all that long.

It really is worth forking out a bit more.

Try eBay too.

That bike looks great but again at £200 more it should and i honestly dont think i could convince her a £600 bike is whats needed. Iv checked ebay and gumtree already and not a sausage within 100 miles of me. Typical as in winter when i was pondering there was loads. Now its time to bite the bullet, theres none.


EDIT: 2md hand bizango currently less than 300 on ebay posted for 29...but 2nd hand and risks associated.. hmm.

Edited by hotchy on Saturday 9th April 23:27

[Clipper22]

Mate of mine got the Bizango on the cycle to work scheme last year, and I lashed out more on the Boardman 29er - both of us are 6'3 and the wrong side of 16 stone. The Bizango is a cracking bike, my mate loves his, and it is still going well, despite never being maintained and ridden roughly.

[deckster]

hotchy said:

2md hand bizango currently less than 300 on ebay posted for 29...but 2nd hand and risks associated.. hmm.

No specific recommendations, but as a general rule 2nd-hand is absolutely the best way to buy bikes and your budget will, to be frank, not get you onto anything even halfway decent if you buy new. These days, anything you get for £300 will be heavy, poorly specced, and is likely to put you off cycling.

Bikes plummet in value as soon as they're bought, so you can get some real bargains. Plus there's really nothing to go wrong and pretty much everything is user-serviceable with a couple of spanners and a set of allen keys. Really there is little to lose and potentially a lot to gain by going second hand.

[z4RRSchris]

Try the Facebook group : cycling buy sell swap

[944fan]

deckster said:

No specific recommendations, but as a general rule 2nd-hand is absolutely the best way to buy bikes and your budget will, to be frank, not get you onto anything even halfway decent if you buy new. These days, anything you get for £300 will be heavy, poorly specced, and is likely to put you off cycling.

Bikes plummet in value as soon as they're bought, so you can get some real bargains. Plus there's really nothing to go wrong and pretty much everything is user-serviceable with a couple of spanners and a set of allen keys. Really there is little to lose and potentially a lot to gain by going second hand.

I agree. I too am 6'5'' and powerfully built (and fat). I made a real mistake when I bought a roadie a few years ago. I went for an entry level Trek. The problem with bikes at that budget is they cut corners to keep it in the price bracket. Mine came with Sora gears, but the brake calipers and crankset were generic unbranded rubbsih. The wheels were ste. I buckled the rear wheel and bent the crank. £200 on new wheels, £50 on new crank. I have now replaced the entire groupset with 105.

I have spent as much again replacing broken parts and upgrading.

Always best to spend more upfront or go 2nd hand.

[louiebaby]

I have a Giant Talon 29er, and am 6'8'' and used to be 125kgs. Now down to around 100kgs though.

Definitely 29er, I do a good 20 odd miles each day commuting on it, and I've worn stuff out, but it's been pretty sound. It's not the ideal commuter, but like you, needs must at the moment.

Dunno what you'll get for your money, but I'd keep my eyes on eBay locally and Gumtree too.

[wjb]

I'm 6ft and 15st, another vote for a 29er here.

I've got a bright orange 2014 VooDoo Aizan, but the new one is a more subtle black/red.

I only ride off-road trails and it hasn't let me down, yet.

[anonymous-user]

If you're a lump I think wheels will be the weak point, I broke numerous spokes when I first started riding and had to have some custom made wheels built for me.

I was 28.5 stone, 2.5 years later, 3500 miles and I'm now down to 20ish.

I can't recommend cycling enough, much better than sharing space with grunting sweaty types at the gym.

[JustinF]

I can do you a Scott Aspect 740 650b 2014 Spec in XL for £300 if you're in the South east.

[Woody]

If you join British Cycling you can get an extra 10% discount at Halfords.

Not sure if the buying discounted vouchers thing still works - someone might be able to jump in and say.

[hotchy]

JustinF said:

I can do you a Scott Aspect 740 650b 2014 Spec in XL for £300 if you're in the South east.

Top of Scotland im afraid. Ill continue my ebay search. 2nd hand seems to be the way to go. Only problem is, how do you even know what a "good" bike is 2nd hand? Any place to read up on them? Other than going on ebay and looking at the good looking expensive ones and ignoring cheap priced ones.

I walked into halfords and to the eye the bantu looked really nice, good feeling brakes, feel alot better than stretchy cable brakes on a few others (air must be in the back brakes system as i could crush it to the bar). Suspension lock never worked though, either im too heavy and broke it or its cheaply made (im going for cheaply made) so put me off that one also. How a demo bike could end up like that without doing any trail stuff doesnt bode well for if i did get it. Although did prefer the looks of the bantu vs the more expensive big brother, yet its not about looks. I know.

the £299 on "sale" looked half decent, brakes were cables so never had the feel of the bantu etc and thinner girly looking suspension than bantu + big brothers and a bit too bright. By bright i mean id rather continue on my 1970s bike than be caught out on the local school kids pulling machine.

Although the "£129" specials suspension looked like pencils on wheels, but the smaller frame size did provide a few laughs.

So far i just ebay search the names people have gave me here, and ill hope for the best. Im sure ill be back with some more "is this ebay buy any good" soon enough. Thanks for the help though, informed me a bit more than before.

[Wilmslowboy]

As said above get a used bike, big difference in quality, spec and weight between a bike that is £300 new and one that was £600 new and now £300 used

Try

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=40... (Might be a bit out of budget)

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/

[anonymous-user]

hotchy said:

Suspension lock never worked though, either im too heavy and broke it or its cheaply made (im going for cheaply made) so put me off that one also. How a demo bike could end up like that without doing any trail stuff doesnt bode well for if i did get it.

In general no suspension will fully lock out, there has to be some give in it or you'd damage the bike if you hit a kerb etc.

That Voodoo is a decent bike if you're looking for something new and at that budget, plus the convenience of being able to take it back if it's not what you were hoping for.

But, as most have said, I'd still be all over Ebay and Gumtree for a used bargain.

[Pieman68]

I'm 6'2" and 20 stone and just got myself one of these

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m9b0s18p5326/GT-TRANS...

They pre build it before shipping so you just have to put front wheel and handlebars on. Very impressed with it. Got the XL frame and I haven't even had to raise the seat so should be fine for you. Front lockout has worked fine when I have used it and disc brakes as well