Thanks for that. I will look into the Roscoe.Originally Posted by JodyH
Trek Roscoe 6 or 7.
A novice friend of mine who's 6'6" and 320# bought a XXL Roscoe 7 and after getting his fork and tire pressures right it's held up to his big clumsy ass extremely well.
BTW: I rode with a guy a few weeks ago who is on a weight loss journey and he's done it all on a MTB (down 70# in 6 months). So don't think you have to lose weight first, go ahead and buy the bike and lose the weight on the bike.
Also check out the Trek Stache. I have some riding buddies who are bigger guys and they've had good luck using the Stache. I think the bikes with plus-sized tires seem to work well for bigger folks.
I'm certainly not a big guy (only 165 in riding gear), but I really don't like the way that plus-sized tires feel. My wife's bike has 2.8s, and I really can't get used to the vague feedback that they give. I also feel like I'm going to rip the rear tire off the rim when running the low pressures that everyone claims to run as a benefit with plus-sized tires.
I agree that hardtails give the best value for new mountain bikers, and I'd recommend checking out the YouTube channel Hardtail Party. He's done a ton of very good reviews on many current hardtails.
Unfortunately, the mountain bike industry might be the only industry with more supply/demand issues than the gun industry right now.
I'm right at 200# fully kitted for a remote 30 mile ride, "Whole Enchilada" style.
I like the 2.6"x 29" tires @ 15-17 psi on my Surly Krampus (I really like 2.8" or even 3" but they're hard to find right now).
For the extremely loose sand and rock we have around here it's really the only way to get traction.
If I lived somewhere with actual tacky dirt I'd probably go down to a 2.25" or 2.5" and up to 22 psi or so.
One way to get more feedback from fatter tires is go with a stiffer casing like a downhill or enduro tire.
I'm currently using Vittoria Mazza 29" x 2.6" on 34mm internal width carbon rims and really liking that combination for traction, float and feedback.
"For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
-- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --
I like to tell people that "mountain biking is the most fun you can have with your clothes on"...worst case, it certainly makes suffering (i.e. exercise/weight loss) a lot more tolerable (fun even).Trek Roscoe 6 or 7.
A novice friend of mine who's 6'6" and 320# bought a XXL Roscoe 7 and after getting his fork and tire pressures right it's held up to his big clumsy ass extremely well.
BTW: I rode with a guy a few weeks ago who is on a weight loss journey and he's done it all on a MTB (down 70# in 6 months). So don't think you have to lose weight first, go ahead and buy the bike and lose the weight on the bike.
Second the recommendation for larger width tires, having been on 29+ (29x3.0) for the past 6 years. I think the latest 29x2.6 has a lot of promise as a new 'middle ground' and personally wouldn't buy a frame that won't comfortably fit a 2.6 width tire. YMMV.
-Rainman
That's a very good point. Pushing big tires hard into hardpack berms isn't really what they're for. I'm almost always riding on good dirt (VA, MD, WV, and PA).
I'm running a 2.5 Assegai as a front tire on my bike park wheels. I'll probably give the Mazza a shot when I wear out this tire.
I know this is supposed to be MTB content but I recently picked up a mountain biker's "road bike": Ibis Hakka MX
A quick video from my sunrise ride in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains of NM.
Yea... it's a little rocky.
Last edited by JodyH; 06-19-2021 at 06:38 PM.
"For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
-- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --
And some uphill.
The first climb is deceptively technical. The switchbacks are rocky and loose with ledges. Place your tires just a few inches off and your momentum comes to a screeching halt (which usually results in you falling over into a cactus).
My heart rate usually pegs around 160 right at the end of the first climb and drops down to 140'ish by the end of the video.
The trail is in terrible shape right now after some heavy rains washed away the dirt, all that's left are marbles, golf balls and baseballs to ride on.
"For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
-- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --
JodyH; nice videos, nice trails!
-Rainman
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