6' 5" 250 Looking for new ride.......

quite a few options...

while I'm not as heavy as you any more (was 240, now 205) I'm 6'5" and I currently have a Santa Cruz Blur (Classic) and a Santa Cruz Superlight. I had a Gary Fisher Sugar prior and I haven't had any issues with frame size or strength on either of the 3 bikes.

I did crack the sugar rear triangle, but it seems to be more of a design flaw as my friend also cracked his rear triangle and he's 6'3" 176lbs.(No freeriding by either of us).

someone your size may also want to consider a 29er as they come highly recommended for larger riders (I've been considering gettinng one as my next ride). Good luck and PM me if you have any specific questions.

Have the guy at the shop adjust the suspension for you. I had the same problem when I was 250 and looking for a bike. Once I went to a shop that was concerned with putting me on the right bike instead of just selling me a bike things worked out. Keep in mind that a Full Suspension bike is what the name says...full suspension. So it won't feel like a hardtail. I just recently bought my first full suspension bike and that took a little getting used to. But I don't notice it much now, if at all. I definitely have noticed the benifit of the full suspension. I love it and wouldn't consider a bike without. To each thier own though... In case you were wondering I bought an 05 Cannondale Prophet 800 for $1550.

You know, this is the one time I would not recommend getting a full suspension. Sure, they are a lot more comfy, but they are a lot more hassle for the person just wanting to get out there and ride non-technical stuff for a couple hours. Get yourself a decent hard-tail, like the Kona Hoss Dee-Lux, and ride it until something breaks. With a bike like that, you can ride worry free for quite some time. Plus, all the important stuff like brakes and forks will be suited to clydes in the first place; you won't need to mess around getting the right suspension adjustments.

I considered saying something along the same lines but deleted it. The only reason I considered telling him to stick with the hardtail was because he made his trails sound fairly tame. But on the other hand he may have been taming them down a little because the creek and tree crossings made it sound like he may be understating his trails. I would hate to recommend someone buy a hard tail and then 6 months from now kick themselves in the rear for not spending that money on a full suspension. I say if you have the money for the suspension...buy it!

smear3 said:

I considered saying something along the same lines but deleted it. The only reason I considered telling him to stick with the hardtail was because he made his trails sound fairly tame. But on the other hand he may have been taming them down a little because the creek and tree crossings made it sound like he may be understating his trails. I would hate to recommend someone buy a hard tail and then 6 months from now kick themselves in the rear for not spending that money on a full suspension. I say if you have the money for the suspension...buy it!

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I would agree, but I'm going solely on his words for guidance. No more suggesting what I would like to ride! If it were me, I would spend the $3500 on a new Heckler outfitted for clyde use. But that is about three times what the Hoss costs. Besides, I use my Hoss at least half the time.

Great info everyone! I actually just got back from another local shop that carries mostly Specialized. After speaking my concerns with one of the shop guys he thought that the Stumjumper FSR may be something I should look at. He took the time to dial in all of the air pressures and I could really tell a difference in that it did not bounce much at all even when standing. Best price they would offer was $1550 so I will continue to look but seemed like a really nice bike that would suit me well.

Would love to get some response on the Stumpjumpers from anyone who might currently be riding them.

Thanks...........

smear3 said:

I considered saying something along the same lines but deleted it. The only reason I considered telling him to stick with the hardtail was because he made his trails sound fairly tame. But on the other hand he may have been taming them down a little because the creek and tree crossings made it sound like he may be understating his trails. I would hate to recommend someone buy a hard tail and then 6 months from now kick themselves in the rear for not spending that money on a full suspension. I say if you have the money for the suspension...buy it!

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I did make the trails seem a bit tame but like most I do enjoy a good adrenaline rush now and then so, yes jumping off a log, going for a nice smash thru a stream crossing is definitately something I want to do. Just probably no freeriding or 10' gaps though

Yeah you have to watch how you describe a trail to people on here... Some guys are talking about 15 FOOT drops....I'm thinking "you are just nuts" and also a little envious. I tried that Specialized FSR comp around that price and it was nice! I ended up with the Prophet.because it fit my body a little better and was cheaper then the Specialized I was looking at. I'd say that was a tight 2nd though.

Not a slam against Spec

but even with the trails you described I wonder if the FSR is a strong enough frame for someone your size. But then again I don't have any trail time on a FSR and Specialized has a great warranty. If you have the money you may want to consider Ventana or Turner. There are many high quality heavy duty frames out there but the two aforementioned makers were on my short list for my 250lb big butt. I purchased a Waltworks single speed on a whim and I'm really digging the ride and the reduced maintence required compared to my FS.

I have a trance 2 and the is no suspension bob. I thought I'd never go full suspension, but now I'll never go back. Giant makes the trance with four differant equipment groups to fit your price range. The frame is the same on all four. You should check the out. Best Bike I've ever owned.

You can't really go wrong with the Speshy or Kona stuff. For your height though, it is worth trying a 29er. A 29er HT from Fisher or a geared Surly Karate Monkey would be good places to start.

I'm a rider in the UK (not that that's particularly relevant). I'm 6ft 5" 240 pounds. I bought a Stumpjumper FSR Expert on the advice of my LBS. Absolutely great. No strength issues at all. Gets me up and down everything I've tackled so far.
My only consideration is perhaps I should go for a 29er. But leaving that aside the Stumpy is perfect. The comment from my shop was "they're good, thats why everybody buys them"

I'm your size...

get a Heckler!

I am your size 6' 7 and around 250 with gear.
There have been some great suggestions for bikes.
I use to have have a 03' Kona Dawgprimo and it worked for me quite well. I have now replaced it with another bike but I would suggest one thing that I have noticed.
IMHO Coil rear shocks and Coil/oil front shocks are what you should be looking at in your next bike. Coil is your friends and air is not. Air shocks front or back make your ride alot stiffer than coil and I think this puts your shock is under alot more stress than the normal rider. One thing you have to remember if you ever blow your air shock that is it for your day of riding.

I myself use a Fox Vanilla RC rear shock on both of my bikes, which I had Pushed.
It works like a charm and I even have a pedal platform while I am pedaling.

Just my 0.02 cents

I'm about 6'1-6'2" and 250lbs and tried the FSR xc and it felt very nice. This was an 06 model. I didn't get a chance to try the Stumpjumper FSR since it's WAY out of my price range and didn't want to try it in case I liked it too much hehe
I'm debating about buying either an 04 or 05 FSR xc (since the 04 has a coil shock on the rear... but the 05 has a nicer frame) or just sticking with a Rockhopper.
Big thing though is if you ride one, make sure they adjust the pressure in the shocks to your weight... or else you'll have a bad impression of the bike (as someone mentioned earlier).

6' 5' currently 250 as well,
I am riding an 05 Giant NRS and with 600 miles since January, it is holding up great.
I have an 03 Giant Iguana Hardtail that I have over 2200 miles on, it also has held up great.

I'm 6 foot 5, 240 lbs and right now I'm loving my new Turner 5-Spot - Sasquatch size (XXL).

It really is a compleatly different sport when your on a bike that was actually made for someone your size.

jynxfactor said:

I'm 6 foot 5, 240 lbs and right now I'm loving my new Turner 5-Spot - Sasquatch size (XXL).

It really is a compleatly different sport when your on a bike that was actually made for someone your size.

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Hey Jynx good to hear your enoying the spot. Always wanted to buy the 5-spot in the sasquatch size besides I was scared it might have been to big for me and I could never quite find one. But I did find a XL 5-spot frame for the right price so I am almost finished building it up. Now I have 2 Turners.............:thumbsup:

A little hi-jacking of the thread ...........sorry:smilewinkgrin:

So are you still happy with the XXL? I am looking to build a new trail bike and started doing some research. The 5 Spot in XXL is the only bike I can find with 5" of travel and has the specs of a bike I might fit.

Anyone else riding a XXL or Sasquatch 5 Spot? Any feedback would be great. I'm 6' 4" 260 lbs.