New to forum and request for new bike advice

Madurbu

New Member
It's my Birthday!
Hello all,

My name's Mark and I'm from Oak Ridge in Morris County. I'm looking to get back into cycling to lose weight. At least that's the story I'm using with my wife so I can spend more on a new bike. I have an old Fisher Joshua X1 that rides like a clown car. I'm not sure if the investment to replace the fork and rear shock is worth it. I may give it to one of the kids and get a new bike for myself.

I'm looking to start riding on the street to get my legs and @$$ back into shape, then more time on the trails.

Not sure what kind of bike to get. I'm 5'11" and 280lbs ( I know, right? ) :cool:

I'd like a decent bike that can support my weight and can upgrade components in the future.

Maybe a 29 or a Fatty (they look cool to me)?

Any and all advice is welcome.

Thanks
 

Juggernaut

Master of the Metaphor
Welcome:)

Let's start with the obvious..... Bike recommendations are only as good as your input.
You need to be as honest with yourself as possible. what type of riding do you like? If you don't yet know, that's ok. Experimentation is half the fun anyway. I would recommend that you not dump a bunch on money into anything at this time. Go to a few demo days, visit a few bike shops and get to know them. I have purchased A LOT of bikes and I can tell you with 100% confidence, buying from a local bike shop will yield a better result. The bike will be made to fit you correctly and in the long run will actually come out cheaper because you won't constantly need to tweak things to get you to the same place you will be when you walk out the door of the LBS.


That's my 2c.

Have fun,


Dan
 
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Madurbu

New Member
It's my Birthday!
Thanks Dan. Good Advice. I'll be visiting the local shops over the next few weeks.

Mark
 

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Hit up rt 15 or I think it's now cycle craft. See if they have demos. Ride as many demos as possible then single what bike and type of riding you like. Don't drop hard cash until you know what feels best to you...
 

muddybike

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Welcome!! Def try out bikes before you commit. Some local shops will let you rent demo bikes for a few days, so you can really get a good feel for it, try it out on different terrain.
I'm a 29er girl myself.
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Another option is to hit the used market. Then you can try it out for a couple of months. If you don't like it, you can likely sell it for about the same price you bought it for (as long as you didn't get ripped off and turn it around quickly).

But if it's your first time buying, don't know much about bikes and/or don't know how to wrench, you might be better off going to bike shops as others have suggested. It requires some amount of patience and research to figure it out on your own. If time is important to you, going to a bike shop is probably a better bet.

Also, if price is a concern, try asking for prior years models they are looking to get rid of.

What area are you from? We can suggest some bike shops if we know where you are.
 

Carson

Sport Bacon
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Absolutely DO NOT upgrade the Joshua. Total waste of cash.

I vote for a 29er hardtail. It will be cheaper, able to handle your weight no problem, and won't break the bank. If you are set on full suspension, definitely check out the 650B/27.5 wheel size.

Hit up a local shop for the best advice you can get.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Just checked the Joshua specs to see what you rode
What type of riding did you do and where? Def don't upgrade parts
 

Madurbu

New Member
It's my Birthday!
Thanks everyone. I bought the Joshua when I lived near Round Valley and used to ride there. I'm looking to get back into trail riding, easy stuff at first. I won't be doing any high speed riding or racing. I'm not in a rush and will be patient to be sure I don't waste money. I haven't visited the stores that are close to me (Cycle Craft and Sussex Cycle) but will go there next weekend. I need a new helmet, shoes, and shorts. I will end up making my purchase at one of those stores since they're so close. If I can rent some demos bikes, that will be a great help in the process. A 29er hardtail is a good recommendation. I don't need full suspension for the riding I'll be doing in the near future. In the meantime I'll ride the old bike to get started. I'll figure out a way to minimize the compression travel of the rear shock, tightening the spring down as much as possible.

I appreciate all the advice.

Thanks again,
Mark
 

mike_243

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Welcome aboard... I have no bike advice that has not been posted already....
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Welcome.
I'll just add that the most important thing is that whatever bike you choose, have fun and you will ride it. So keep it fun, get on some group rides and post up how its going.
 

Carson

Sport Bacon
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Check Cannondale, Giant, Trek, and Specialized websites for demo days. Maybe you can jump on a few bikes at a local trailhead this summer.
 

Rich H.

Member
Hello all,

My name's Mark and I'm from Oak Ridge in Morris County. I'm looking to get back into cycling to lose weight. At least that's the story I'm using with my wife so I can spend more on a new bike. I have an old Fisher Joshua X1 that rides like a clown car. I'm not sure if the investment to replace the fork and rear shock is worth it. I may give it to one of the kids and get a new bike for myself.

I'm looking to start riding on the street to get my legs and @$$ back into shape, then more time on the trails.

Not sure what kind of bike to get. I'm 5'11" and 280lbs ( I know, right? ) :cool:

I'd like a decent bike that can support my weight and can upgrade components in the future.

Maybe a 29 or a Fatty (they look cool to me)?

Any and all advice is welcome.

Thanks
Hi Mark, I would recommend going to CycleCraft they have a great staff and can fit you and take real good care of you. I do a lot of MTB riding and some road riding . I also ride for fun not racing . I live in north jersey . When you want to go on trails let me know.
 

Madurbu

New Member
It's my Birthday!
Thanks Rich. It will take me awhile to get legs ready for trails, but I will PM you and we'll ride together.
 
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