what bike to buy?

[mozza4475]

hi. i was wondering if anybody could give me any advice on what bike would be best to buy for 42yr old male who weighs 330lb to help shed some weight. riding a bike is the only exercise ive ever enjoyed but not done it for a while. i do have a mtb but could do with overall so decided to treat myself. i like the idea of the cyclocross bikes cause i thought it would give me a taster of road riding but still allow me to go along the canal towpaths and through wooded areas. but im not to sure on what weights they would withstand. any advice would be very much appreciated. thanks in advance.

[eileithyia]

Size of bike and getting that right is probably as important as the weight carrying capacity. however we do have a club member who has recently started cycling and is probably in a similar ballpark weight as you, so have asked the question of where he was when he started and what he was riding. To give you some hope, he has already dropped 2 stone.

A cyclo-x bike does sound a sensible option and I would suggest now is the time to watch out for some bargains as the season has ended maybe those with no further cyclo-x ambitions decide to sell up...
But getting an idea of actual frame size will be important to start with.

[eileithyia]

Spoken to club mate.
Aluminium not Carbon frame... after that it does not really matter about frame.
Most important part is wheels, minimum of 32 spokes, though 36 would be better but less easy to come by. Decent quality hubs not cheap ones.

Hope this helps.

[Bonefishblues]

Without knowing the budget rather difficult, but I think there's much to like in this range from Evans:

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-li ... e-EV275574

Robust, still light, plenty of gear range for when things deviate from the horizontal, fattish but still fast-rolling tyres, will take on and off road quite happily. The one thing that I would do is to get the store's mechanic to check, tension and true the wheels as part of pre delivery inspection, as it will help to ensure their longevity.

[Brucey]

most bike manufacturers have a range of laden weights for their bikes and AFAIK none of the major manufacturers will make a bike that is rated to carry 330lbs. A typical all up load rating (including the bike) would be 125-130kg, i.e. you will be (with a 15kg bike and no luggage) about 35kg over the limit. If you overload a typical bike it will simply break sooner rather than later, and could cause you to have nasty accident. A standard bike's warranty will not apply and in addition retailers are obliged to sell you something that is 'fit for purpose' which may mean that they have no choice but to decline to sell you anything.

Thorn cycles make very heavy duty 'expedition' touring bikes (that look a bit like MTBs) and they have been used by heavy/strong folk that have a track record of breaking other bikes. However they are not cheap to buy and I am not sure that they will rate their bike as suitable. Doesn't hurt to ask though.

If you start with a blank sheet of paper I would say to go to a framebuilder and ask him to build something in heavy gauge tubing, using wheels, tyres etc that are meant for tandem bicycles.

Sorry to be blunt but this is a big ask for standard bike frames and bike components.

cheers

[rmurphy195]

Not just the frame I'm afraid - my wheels have a weight limit of 100kg, this is something else you may need to consider - wheels intended for a touring tandem would be more suitable I should think.

Best of luck - Richard

[TrevA]

Not just the frame I'm afraid - my wheels have a weight limit of 100kg, this is something else you may need to consider - wheels intended for a touring tandem would be more suitable I should think.

Best of luck - Richard

My wheels (Fulcrum Racing 7s) have a rider weight limit of 80kg and I weigh 115. I've been using the current wheels for 3 years and had another set before that for 5 years with no problems. I get that manufacturers are trying to cover their own backs, but these weight limits have to be taken with a pinch of salt. Most Mavic wheels have a weight limit of 120kg.

OK you won't be able to claim on any warranty, but with wheels, you'll probably only break a spoke anyway, which is more of an inconvenience than dangerous, and they can usually be fixed fairly easily.

If I was the OP I would go for a touring bike, where the frame and wheels are built to take extra weight. A Ridgeback Voyage or similar. Has some off-road capability too, though not for technical or muddy areas.

[tykeboy2003]

Don't be fooled by the bike weight arguments, the heaviest bike you can get will only be 10% of your combined weight (30lb or so like my steel framed tourer). You want something strong and sturdy, as mentioned 32-spoke wheels as a minimum.

[freeflow]

Your MTB is probably your best bet at the moment. Make the new bike a reward for losing weight.

Change the tyres on your MTB for slicks (No chunky tread) or something like Schwalbe land cruisers and you will be fine for using your MTB for roads and gravel tracks/canal path riding.

The other very significant advantage of your MTB will be the gearing. At 330 lb its likely you are not at 'peak fitness' so the lower gearing range of the MTB will be much more suited to your current riding ability.

If you did want to treat yourself now then getting your current bike fettled at your LBS and possibly investing in a new pair of wheels would be the best way to go.

Beware of buying a CX bike. They are meant for racing, not casual riding. If you don't know what you are buying you may find you end up with a unsuitable aggressive (uncomfortable) riding position.

For weight loss you need to be riding your bike at least four times a week. The distances you ride shouldn't be too far so that you enjoy your ride rather than feeling punished.

Good luck for the future.

[pwa]

For a heavy rider looking to get back into cycling and wanting a general purpose bike, if the budget will stretch to it a Thorn Raven would give you a strong bike with less likelihood of trouble. Not as fast as a cyclocross bike, except after the cyclocross bike has broken. But I would go to the shop for a fitting and advice on the spec.

And you are absolutely doing the right thing by looking for a route into more cycling.


http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/THORN ... ECIPES.pdf

[Bonefishblues]

For a heavy rider looking to get back into cycling and wanting a general purpose bike, if the budget will stretch to it a Thorn Raven would give you a strong bike with less likelihood of trouble. Not as fast as a cyclocross bike, except after the cyclocross bike has broken. But I would go to the shop for a fitting and advice on the spec.

And you are absolutely doing the right thing by looking for a route into more cycling.


http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/THORN ... ECIPES.pdf

OTOH, the OP can buy and discard 4 of the bikes I linked above for the price of a Raven, such is the premium that it carries for its spec & design. As you, Brucey and others suggest though, then the only thing really guaranteed to take the OP's current weight in a road bike is something "expeditionary"

[NUKe]

What about Kona Rove range they seem fairly Sturdy

http://www.konaworld.com/rove_ltd.cfm
http://www.konaworld.com/rove.cfm
http://www.konaworld.com/bikes.cfm

they do steel and aluminium.
The OP is only 330 llb. providing the frame is fairly rigid and the wheels have enough spokes there are plenty of choices out there.
Genesis Croix de is probably another option.
I do agree a race spec road bike is a little too flimsy, And if he gets going he will soon be a lot less.

[TrevA]

330lbs is 23.5 stone according to my maths. I've never been that heavy , but I have been 21.5 stone, currently 18.5. I've always ridden a road bike, either steel or aluminium. For the last 10 years I've ridden 20 spoke wheels. According to some on here, I wouldn't make it to the end of my road before the bike collapsed underneath me. The reality is somewhat different. You don't need some over-built tank of an expedition touring bike.

It's the same every time we get a heavy guy asking this question. Trust the big lads opinions because they have practical experience of the situation.

[mercalia]

Don't be fooled by the bike weight arguments, the heaviest bike you can get will only be 10% of your combined weight (30lb or so like my steel framed tourer). You want something strong and sturdy, as mentioned 32-spoke wheels as a minimum.

you kidding? 36 spokes or more mandatory

[tykeboy2003]

you kidding? 36 spokes or more mandatory

I tend to agree but nowadays, more than 32 spokes is unusual, even my steel framed tourer came with 32-spokes.