The Perfect Platform

[flashstar]

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that my 18"? Motobecane 400 ht that I got when I was 12 is not going to be big enough to hold a DAX 70cc motor let alone allow me to comfortably ride. It does have disc brakes and a front suspension along with premium components all-around, but it just seems too small.

I know that a mountain bike is ideal for motorization, but what specs should I be looking for in a mountain bike? I've heard that a 26" frame is almost required but I can't find any that I can comfortably fit on (I'm 6 feet tall) and the selection on Craigslist is limited at best.

Can I also look at hybrid bikes?

I have found a bunch of 22-24" frame mountain bikes which seem to have ample space for a motor in the triangle, but these are all older and do not have a front suspension. Would it be worth buying a $75 mountain bike on Craigslist which will meet all of my requirements (down tubes which are not too large, strong frame, V-brakes, big enough for a 6' guy) and then just replace the front fork with one that has a suspension?

I am looking at making a 900-1000 mile trip next summer to return home from Georgia to Texas, so I would need a bike that is comfortable to ride.

Finally, is Craigslist worth looking at or should I just go to the local bike store? I don't have a car as I am in college so long trips to pick up a bike are out of the question.

Thanks.

 

[EnFlaMEd]

get a hybrid. Might as well take advantage of having 700c rims and suspension seat post etc if you are going to ride it on the road most of the time. All depends on your budget really.

 

[loquin]

I really like my Trek Navigator 2.0. It's a comfort bike, front shocks / suspension seatpost. 26 inch. They come in various frame sizes, so you can get one that [[[fits]]] just right. (I'm 6'2", and ended up with the 21 inch frame.) I believe the list at $399, but with the economy, you can get pretty good deals - I've seen them for less than 300.

 

[flashstar]

I read somewhere on here that a bike frame needed to be at least 24" to comfortably fit a HT engine. My inseam is 86 cm so according to the internet, I need a 56 cm road bike or a 18" mountain bike. I'm guessing that my current bike's frame is around 16". How on earth are people getting these engines in smaller bike frames? I doubt that everyone here is over 6'4"!

I found a good looking mountain bike with front suspension at a pawn shop locally which seems to have enough space in the triangle (it's 19") and which will hopefully not be too expensive. The quality of components is nice too so I'll probably just measure the dimensions of the motor once I get it and make a decision then.

Do you think that this would make sense? I was shocked to see that decent hybrid bikes start at $380 new. I bought my mid-level mountain bike with disc brakes and top-quality components in 03 for $350.

I'll report back when I get the engine in and assess the situation.