Looking for a bike to use on public land- Wanting something cheap to start with to figure out if iI think it could be a viable option for me. I’m talking about huffy, mongoose, Schwinn etc. I promise I can’t afford your Specialized. Located in Mobile. Thanks!

Are you willing to move to the Ozark’s?

Don't buy a Huffy or any Walmart brand if you don't want to walk out. I have bought about 10 bikes off Marketplace in less than 2 years. Most were around $100. I have over 500 hard miles on a Trek MTB that I gave $125 for last summer. What you want is a steel frame MTB with tires about 2" wide. There was a bike shortage last summer and some sellers are still asking stupid prices but you can still find something nice if you are willing to drive an hour or 2. PM if you want any help looking.

Thanks for that info Clark, I really appreciate it.

You need to know what size bike you need too. What's your measurements? Height, pants leg length, and maybe weight if you are real heavy or real light will matter more. It's more about frame size than tire size. I have a 13" frame with 26" wheels my son rides and a 60cm frame with 26" wheels I ride. Sometimes sellers have no idea of size other than wheel size and it matters. Just measure the seat tube to the center of the crank and the top tube length to get a good idea. Trek, Specialized,Diamondback,all have size charts on their web sites.

You might make anything work but size does matter in this instance. My first 2 bikes were really too small but I didn't have enough experience to be able to start knowing what I needed for a couple hundred miles.

I'm 6' 215 and wear a 32-34" inseam pant but will be packing in 20-30 pounds of weight. I'm gonna go by a local bike shop today and get some info.

A Mountain bike,gravel bike or adventure bikepacking bike is what you are looking for. You want bosses on the rear for a rack for sure. Ability to add a front rack would be great but you will only get that without a suspension fork. You don't really need suspension since I wouldn't expect you to be jumping off the hills. Wider 2-3 inch tires will give you plenty of suspension.You likely need something 56-58 cm or a 19-22 inch in a MTB. Ride a couple at the bike shop and then find something used close to what you like. You won't be taking advantage cause you will need new components all the time for any used bike anyway.