HAY! HAY! hay...

[R'LeeQ]

I've been thinking about this for quite awhile now and I've finally made up my mind to JUST DO IT
So the first thing I wanted to do was get a bike that fit me...I'm 6'3" and over 300 lbs. After looking around I finally settled on the bike in the picture.

I bought it because it is a 29" Steel Frame bike, just a basic 18 speed bike with no frills. With my weight it needs to be sturdy. I haven't bought an engine yet and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As time and money permit I will begin modifying it to suite my tastes.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Welcome aboard.

Your height might be a bigger problem than your weight. It's gonna be hard to be comfortable.

I wouldn't want to understate the weight issue. 300 lbs is a lot. But a 66cc two cycle engine ought to be able to handle it. But you're going to want to go slow. About as fast as you'd pedal that bicycle.

I mention that in case you're hoping to average 35 mph or something like that. That's not very do-able.

On the other hand, I'm the type who preaches "slow, slow, slow!" on these bikes. So take that into account.

Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[R'LeeQ]

Thanks Blue for your comments. As for the speed thing, as the old saying goes, "been there done that" now I'm over it. 20 mph which I am hoping a 66 cc engine can supply for me is plenty fast enough. 100-mpg is what I like about these bikes. Now I was hoping that getting a 29 inch bike would compensate for my being 6'3". I am hoping that I can find some modifications that can ameliorate my height. maybe higher and more sweptback handle bars or a seat post mod of some kind. I already am looking for a wider longer saddle with deep foam for my fat butt. Kinda like an old tractor seat with deep cushioning.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

For comfort I'd recommend some MTB style handlebars. I haven't gotten along well with cruiser style handlebars since my knees nearly bump into them. I'm 6 ft 0 in. Here's an example of bars that work well for me. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ting&field-keywords=wald+steel+handelbar+#803

A lay back seat post works well for taller guys, too.

I'm about to try a new saddle. I can't tell you how well it works since it hasn't even arrived yet. But I expect good things from it. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ive&field-keywords=BKRider+13"+Wide+Solo+Seat The one on the left is the one that I ordered.

I have one other concern for you. I'm afraid that those 29 inch wheels will be a bit flimsy for this use. But there's something you could do about that. You could downsize to some 26 inch, heavy duty wheels. I do this with my 26 inch frames. I downsize to 24 inch, heavy duty wheels. And it works great. My bike is more stable. It doesn't feel any lower to the ground. And there's a bonus; there's more room in my frame. And the whole thing looks a little more like an antique motorcycle than a bicycle with a motor slapped into it.

20 mph is not an unreasonable hope. Though you might find that you only want to go that fast on the smoothest pavement. Myself, I average 12 to 15 mph over five or ten miles. With 20 mph as my peak. In those traffic situations where I want to just get the heck out, for instance. It might sound a little bit slow. Yet you can still eat up quite a few miles pretty quickly.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Here is a good bicycle size calculator you can use

http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer

 

[sbest]

The new Grubee GT5A has lots of guts for 30mph with the 44 tooth sprocket, but lacks on steep hills with my 210 lbs. I'd recommend getting a 48 0r larger sprocket if you have serious hills to do. You don't need a new bike you know? In my area used bikes go cheap. Craigslist and Kijiji are your friends. Go try the bikes out and don't plan on paying any more than $100 for a bike. Oh, now I see you bought it already. Looks fine. Is that 29" frame or wheels? With 29" wheels you will need even larger sprockets.

Steve