Any fat people ride E-bikes? Or any good bike shops near Charlotte?

[NoBodyImportant]

So I’m obese, a couple years ago I went keto for a year and lost 95lbs. But quickly gained it back after going to 3rd shift. Been trying to add some light exercise to my life. While back I read an article at the dentist about a man who lost 100 lbs with a E bike. My wife’s grandfather left a cabin to her mom in Damascus VA which happens to be a Mecca of mountain bikers. Any recommendations for 310lbs man ebike?

 

[Supermatch]

I'd recommend three things without considering price point - first, see where else you may want to ride. There are still quite a few places that do not allow ebikes due to lithium fire potential. Secondly - I would stick with the major brands for ease of service. A lot of the straight to consumer MTB brands offer great value, but getting warranty work from them is like pulling teeth. This is going to be far more critical with an eMTB, so I would stick with Trek, Specialized, or even Giant due to availability of service. Third, consider sending the shocks from the bike you buy off for a custom tune. The reality of it is that most MTB products are targeted at sub-200 lbs riders, and even if you find a safe pressure to run your shocks at, they will be far from ideal for someone who's 300#+. Getting a custom tune is a worthwhile investment, will absorb the terrain better, and will likely make those parts last longer in the long run as they won't be bottoming out and running through their stroke quite as hard.

On the price side, do recognize that this is not an insignificant investment. You're talking $6k+ on the low end, and if you buy low and are like all the other MTB folks who try it and get hooked, you will wish you had bought a better bike out of the box (buy once cry once). I would say if you want to see what its like to give it a shot, take a ride out to Kanuga bike park in Hendersonville for a day. They have Specialized ebikes for rent, I think its maybe $120 for the entire day and several green/blue man made trails you can try out. The other option is to consider a traditional used mountain bike. It'll take a few weeks of riding to get your sea legs and a bit of cardio, but there are trails at Anne Springs in Fort Mill, Mazeppa in Mooresville, Sherman Branch and Purser out towards Matthews, and several others all of which don't have crazy climbs, or have climbs that are short and easily walkable.

 

[Jerzsubbie]

I'd recommend three things without considering price point - first, see where else you may want to ride. There are still quite a few places that do not allow ebikes due to lithium fire potential. Secondly - I would stick with the major brands for ease of service. A lot of the straight to consumer MTB brands offer great value, but getting warranty work from them is like pulling teeth. This is going to be far more critical with an eMTB, so I would stick with Trek, Specialized, or even Giant due to availability of service. Third, consider sending the shocks from the bike you buy off for a custom tune. The reality of it is that most MTB products are targeted at sub-200 lbs riders, and even if you find a safe pressure to run your shocks at, they will be far from ideal for someone who's 300#+. Getting a custom tune is a worthwhile investment, will absorb the terrain better, and will likely make those parts last longer in the long run as they won't be bottoming out and running through their stroke quite as hard.

On the price side, do recognize that this is not an insignificant investment. You're talking $6k+ on the low end, and if you buy low and are like all the other MTB folks who try it and get hooked, you will wish you had bought a better bike out of the box (buy once cry once). I would say if you want to see what its like to give it a shot, take a ride out to Kanuga bike park in Hendersonville for a day. They have Specialized ebikes for rent, I think its maybe $120 for the entire day and several green/blue man made trails you can try out. The other option is to consider a traditional used mountain bike. It'll take a few weeks of riding to get your sea legs and a bit of cardio, but there are trails at Anne Springs in Fort Mill, Mazeppa in Mooresville, Sherman Branch and Purser out towards Matthews, and several others all of which don't have crazy climbs, or have climbs that are short and easily walkable.

This^^^^ Great info!

I’ll reiterate the cost, good bikes aren’t cheap and e-bikes are expensive! Giant tends to be the best value of the major brands, they’re also the OEM for a lot of the other guys.

Renting 1-5x is a great idea before dropping $$$ on a bike. Don’t be afraid of buying used, many people buy and don’t stick to it so you can get very lightly used bikes for a healthy discount. Just like buying a car, be sure to bring a knowledgeable person with you when checking out the bike or have them meet you at a shop with whom you’ve prearranged to do an inspection.

My favorite easy trails on the north half of the CLT area are Whitewater Center Lake Loop and North Meck Park.

Speaking of MTB, I’m dusting off my bike this week to get my butt back out there.

 

[GymB]

Check out Bike Town in Rock Hill.

I know Tom, the owner, from other dealings. We have lunch every month or two. He’s built a good team.

 

[JohnFreeman]

You could lose a lot of weight with an Ebike if you ride it with the battery dead.

 

[GymB]

You could lose a lot of weight with an Ebike if you ride it with the battery dead.

I know that you‘re joking, but they actually work pretty well. They allow the rider to experience success and enjoy riding right from the start. It’s still up to the rider to push themselves a little, maybe add a heart rate monitor and display?

 

[Supermatch]

I know that you‘re joking, but they actually work pretty well. They allow the rider to experience success and enjoy riding right from the start. It’s still up to the rider to push themselves a little, maybe add a heart rate monitor and display?

I know a lot of people rag on eMTB's in particular, but the enjoyment part is big. Even at my best, I was still out of shape compared to 99/100 mountain bikers. There was a zero percent chance that I was going to be able to put in 15 mile rides in an afternoon like some of these people (I think my longest ride was a touch over 6 miles, and I was about dead at the end). Consequently, most of my riding was planned around short loops, which gets pretty dull and repetitive. An eMTB lets you cover more ground, faster, and in turn be able to ride new/longer trails and really mix things up a bit. That's a hugely underrated feature, IMO, and is one that a lot of MTB snobs don't understand.

 

[GymB]

I know a lot of people rag on eMTB's in particular, but the enjoyment part is big. Even at my best, I was still out of shape compared to 99/100 mountain bikers. There was a zero percent chance that I was going to be able to put in 15 mile rides in an afternoon like some of these people (I think my longest ride was a touch over 6 miles, and I was about dead at the end). Consequently, most of my riding was planned around short loops, which gets pretty dull and repetitive. An eMTB lets you cover more ground, faster, and in turn be able to ride new/longer trails and really mix things up a bit. That's a hugely underrated feature, IMO, and is one that a lot of MTB snobs don't understand.

I used to ride centurys, now I doubt that I could ride 10 mi at a reasonable rate. Do wish I still had that full lug steel frame Fuji!

 

[Supermatch]

I used to ride centurys, now I doubt that I could ride 10 mi at a reasonable rate. Do wish I still had that full lug steel frame Fuji!

I could probably do 10 miles on a gravel bike or very smooth single track, but the punchy climbs with all the rocks and roots around here kill me. The only thing worse was riding a trail up around Lake Gaston somewhere that had so much crushed shale on the ground, you couldn't even gain momentum going downhill.