Cycling UK Forum

PH wrote:

Big Boy Dan wrote:Hi all, thanks for the suggestions, elephant bikes look like the most ideal thing for me right now, i currently live in a rather flat area with not many slopes or hills so this looks like it'd probably be the best thing for me.

It looks a good choice to me, though I've only had a short play on one.
Don't over do it, there's nothing wrong with walking up some slopes, make your own rules. It's far better to get home feeling like you could have done a bit more, than so knackered you never want to get on the bike again. When I started I used to do laps of a park, allowed me to increase the distance without committing to it. Good luck, I need some of that myself, this last three months hasn't been kind to my waistline

cheers!, yeah the start of lockdown was just like being back at uni for me haha, junk food all the time, luckily i snapped out of that pretty quick and started losing weight, its tough but rewarding once you start seeing the lb's drop off the scales!

Big Boy Dan wrote:if anyone else has any reccomendations i'd be happy to hear them

Hand-built wheels have been mentioned further up the post. I've had both whole bikes and replacement wheels from Spa Cycles, who will build to your requirements. For example, strong rims like the 36-hole version of these: https://spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s116p4235/ ... utnik-700c along with these spokes: https://spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s156p1268/ ... ong-Silver would make a strong wheel. You can order one of their off-the-peg bikes (e.g. this one https://spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s225p3961/S ... ar-9-Speed) and specify what kind of wheels you want.

Apologies, couldn't find what I needed!

Anyone know if I'm reasonably correct in believing that a brand new, cheap, steel framed mtb, correctly welded/brazed* wouldn't have any issue coping with a 150-200kg weight? As mentioned elsewhere, it's the wheels which would fail first under such a load?

Just for once, Im going to suggest a trip to halfords. Not because their bikes are great, but because they arent. Buy something cheap, ride it, break it, demand your money back. Serves them right for selling chinese tat. By the time you've done this you'll have a much better idea of what you want.
Dont lose that receipt !

greyingbeard wrote:Just for once, Im going to suggest a trip to halfords. Not because their bikes are great, but because they arent. Buy something cheap, ride it, break it, demand your money back. Serves them right for selling chinese tat. By the time you've done this you'll have a much better idea of what you want.
Dont lose that receipt !

Agreed also look at Decathlon and Argos.

Decathlon probably have a weight limit though and know what it is.

Cheers James

This might do the job https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/en/kat ... 2-852-2020

That looks excellent ! Its probably the strongest bike available anywhere. Fahrradm make some strong bikes. Shame they dont have a single shop in UK selling their stuff. nearest ones in France, with a fortnights quarantine should you dare go there.

how about a used Koga, world traveller etc, they ought to be very sturdy. Or a. SJS / Thorn nomad ? both expensive new but well up to the job of carrying excess weight. Im sure there are other models in both makers line ups. A bit of ebay scouring might turn up trumps.

I’m not sure I would worry so much. Bikes can carry staggering amounts of weight in the form of cargo. Huge amounts of the supplies for Ho Chi Min’s victorious army in Vietnam was transported by bike after all. (Although often pushing rather than riding!). A reasonable quality second hand MTB, or something like a Pashley roadster, or a ‘Dutch bike’ which tend to be built in the old school style, should be fine I would have thought. As with any bike, check weekly for broken spokes, loose nuts etc, and many carefree miles should be yours.