bike fit for a beast

torqueroy

i have just about had enough, i have gone through 3 bikes in 12 months and all of them seem to have broken down, it seems they keep breaking down by the pedals where the thread wears away on the cranks meaning i have to purchase new ones, also my back axle breaks down down as well, i have tried putting new bearings but after a week it seizes completely, i just dont know, am i too heavy for my bikes ( i am a rugby player 17st and i cycle to work) is there anyone who can advise me on bikes which cater for my size ??????? somebody help me

nicklouse

so what bikes have you been breaking? what is your budget? are you going to be using the cycle to work deal? if yes which shop?

torqueroy

i have two saracens and a apollo if that means anything, my budget now would be £500

dav1

apollo bikes just arnt up to the grade for MTBing, they will break just being used on tarmac let alone when things get rough.

sracen you have yo pick carefully i think to get a decent bike.

What sort of riding are you going to do with it? Have you looked at the what bike thread? How good at repairs/maintanance are you?

Steve_F

Your bikes should be able to take that weight without any problem. Sounds like the components in question may be the weak point.

Did you replace the bike due to the parts mentioned above breaking or were there other issues?

Hard tail bike may be the way to go this time (presuming the others were cheap full sus, apologies if I'm guessing wrong) as you get more for the money and it doesn't sound like it takes a lot of off road abuse??

torqueroy

i am good enough to do most of the intermediate stuff, i can strip a bike and service the axles, cranks,spokes, brakes most things i do well, i have looked at the what bike thread , probably want to know the best route for my weight specifications, can one be a unsympathetic rider, can a riding style be the problem

torqueroy

thanks steve, i do a bit of off road when i can, about once in three weeks, a hard tail you say ? oh yes i did replace these parts when they were starting to break down, after my weekly inspection.

Steve_F

Sounds like it is just due to cheap components letting go far too easily.

I like riding a full sus but if you are having to comprimise on the budget a hard tail would probably have better components than a full sus at the same price.

You'll probably find a HT at that price a much nicer ride on the road too. My FS hardly ever sees the black stuff.

steelo

Spend a bit more and get a Specialized Rockhopper with a lockable front suspension fork. I got mine when I was 17stone and its done fine with me riding off-road, singletracks (Afan & 7stanes) as well as a bit of road-riding.

The bikes you've had are just not up to the task of a 'proper' rider. They are predominantly childrens bikes and not for regular (proper) use.

The key is price=quality. The better the quality, the longer it will last.

Go to a dedicated bike shop, somewhere that deals in the upper mainstream bikes (Specialized/Trek/Giant etc.) and they should be able to give you some decent advice and let you try the bikes first.