spyderjohnson

I've noticed some of my larger friends are somewhat hesitant to seriously bike because of potential embarrassment of breaking the bike. That's a shame, because we all know biking is a great way to lose weight. If I had the money for my friend, he would own this tomorrow. Any ideas from you guys?

https://www.amsterdam-bicycle.com/sh...dutch-bicycle/

Harold74

I've contemplated similar issues with respect to my own father who is a substantial gentlemen who used to love riding.

Perhaps a hardtail mountain bike to be used on pavement? Given the abuse that mountain bikes are designed for, I'd have to think that most of them could sustain significant rider weights on tarmac.

I feel as though your biggest risk is likely in breaking wheels on road bikes. So, again, a mountain bike might be a good choice. That, or touring wheels with high spoke counts (>32 / wheel).

Another possibility might be to start off on a decent indoor trainer until some weight is lost (Wahoo Kickr, Tacx Neo, etc). That should be a safer and less embarrassing scenario in which to break a frame should that occur.

Most eBikes appear to be pretty sturdily built.

Harold74

It would be useful to know how much weight really needs to be supported here. Is it really approaching the 440 lbs rating of the bike that you linked to?

spyderjohnson

360

Schweinhund

worksman cycles can be spec'd to a capacity of 500 lbs.

NYLowLife

We have Worksman Cycles here in NYC. Here are two versions I like.

plumberroy

I've had a hell of a lot more weight than 500 lbs on a workman's choice trike .at one time I weighed 350 plus 100 plus pounds of tools plus a pump that was around 150 lbs I had to get on the trike then coworkers set the pump on my tool box rode it to the other end of the factory . Then they had to unload the pump before I could get off.

Schweinhund

I've seen bus rear axles on the basket of a worksman trike.
I don't know how strong they actually are, but 500 seems to be an understatement.

spyderjohnson

Thank you guys, It means a lot.

mams99

This post is near to my heart. As a woman, being overweight is uber embarrassing. Like, I have a Bike Friday I got secondhand. I am safely within the bike's weight limits, but if I go for a tour carrying all my gear? I'll be over that weight limit.

When I was at my absolute fittest, exercising an hour a day HARD 6 days a week I managed for a hot minute too get to 165 lbs. (docs say an idea weight for me would be around 160 with my body frame). On rare occasions I can get to 185 now with lots of consistent exercise and really watching what I eat, but I want to live somewhat normally, around 200lbs is sustainable. To weigh less, I'm starving or binging - NOT HEALTHY.

It took me until I was 53 to say F it. I'm a bigger woman - who skis and walks and hikes and bike rides AND I weigh more than 200 lbs and I'm pretty fit. (Hovering around 200-210 now).

Giving up exercise because people will look at you - or bike and fitness manufactures don't account for people over 250 lbs is not OK.

tds101 

Here's their website: https://www.worksmancycles.com/

spyderjohnson

Thank you, mams99 (you're not really that overweight) , I was hoping to open a door into this issue. It should not be that someone overweight is shut out of biking because of fear of ridicule, especially when it's one of the best ways to lose weight - and it's addicting and fun. Anyone else want to open up?

Schweinhund

At a point in my life I was 315 lbs. In high school I was 195 pounds of muscle (at 5'5" I was a stump) then, with the help of carbs and weights I got that up to 225. Super stump. Then the inevitable happened, life.
I got caught up in this and that and stopped paying attention to diet. Next time I stepped onto a scale I was about 35 years old and 285. by 40 that was 315.
By starving myself I had that down to 250 by my late 40's
Then my friend bought me a book on the south beach diet. I learned the concept of good/bad carbs and slowly lost another 25 pounds in the next couple of years. I'm static at 150 pounds and have been over 7 years
I am 61, I eat when I'm hungry. It's what you eat, not how much.
Don't start a new diet, start a new food lifestyle.
Good luck.

plumberroy

We didn't have trikes in the plant where I delt with bus axles so we didn't try it 😁
I've seen some serious weight put on workman's choice trikes

spyderjohnson

Great job Schweinhund, You should tell the world how you did it, a true success you are. I know, as you, that it's a mental game. Gimmicks and fads don't work. Set your mind, get on that bike, and attain your goals and aspirations.

Schweinhund

lol, That was a structural steel company I worked for, a bus conversion to motorhome

vintagebicycle

I'm 6ft 3in tall and 375 lbs with size 17 boots, a 32 in inseam, and 44 in waist.
My go to rides are either an old Robin Hood three speed or my 80's Nishiki beach cruiser.
I built new wheels for the Nishiki but its still on its original 33 year old tires. I mostly use that on the boardwalk or at a few game preserves where I fish.
Years ago I had a Worksman Mover trike, we used it in the pits to carry fuel for the race car. I'd put four 6 gallon jugs on the back rack regularly and I had a 454 Chevy block, heads, ad crank on it at a swap meet once. The only problem I ever had on that bike was a pair of bent cranks. Every so often I'd have to pull the cranks and bend them back into shape. I finally got tired of straightening them and sprung for a pair of chromoly BMX cranks for the trike.

I just priced one of those big front baskets and I almost fell over when I saw the price tag. They wanted $110 for a front basket. and more for the rear saddle baskets. Either one is more than the bike is likely worth.

Jax Rhapsody

I don't think 200lbs is bad. My last girlfriend was 416 and she had zero problems outside of me not keeping my hands to myself. She used to ride a Trek Multitrek 720 (that was originally mine) as a long term loan from a friend of mine, no issues, not even the wheelset, that was off a GMC Denali.

That bike in the link looks like a commercial bike. If my ex can ride a bike that probably has a "150lb limit", with walmart bike wheels, I'm sure he'll be fine on something normal- maybe even get a set of tandem wheels for good measure. A worksman is a damn fine bike, easy to customize... kinda like a Harley- yesterdecades technology today. They're a tad heavy, but at 40-45lbs, probably lighter than that commercial vehicle you posted. The worksman alone is cheaper than that thing, I think they're like $300.

missingspoke

I worked at a fabrication shop that had several Worksman Mover trikes from the 90's rigged as both torch carts and tool and fuel caddies.
One had a platform set up to carry 55 gallon drums of oil with a four drawer tool chest on a bracket up front. Most had solid tires due to the nature of the shop but I used to borrow one all the time when I went to various larger car swap meets, it sure beat carrying things around all day. I bought a complete Mopar big block engine one day and it had no problem carrying that back to the van, between my 6ft3in, 350lb self, and the engine and full front basket, that thing had to be pushing the 800lb mark onboard, not to mention the 150 lbs or so the trike had to weigh with three urethane tires, full fender kit, front basket and custom made rear deck out of steel. . I had the chance to get one of those when they closed up but simply didn't have the room to store it. At 32" wide by nearly 7ft long, those trikes were a good bit larger than most bikes or trikes. When I took one to a show, I'd haul a pair of them on a trailer behind my van. If I had kept it, I'd have most likely tossed the solid tires in favor of some normal HD balloon tires to save weight and for easier pedaling. Those solid industrial tires tended to get a bit squishy feeling as they aged, especially around grease, oil, and hot steel.

oldiron

I had a couple of those older Worksman warehouse bikes, they're pretty much indestructible.
The wheels on the pair I had looked more like old motorcycle wheels. Deep dimpled spoke holes, heavy gauge spokes, and wide tires.
The seat was old school with springs as well. When I got mine they had the solid tires mentioned above, both totally embedded with staples, metal scraps, and shards or glass.
So much so they were a danger to handle. I cut those off and put a pair of modern 26x2.30 tires on it with heavy tubes and rode it during the summer as my fishing bike for the pier. A pair of saddle baskets, some rod holders and a front basket for my tackle box and cooler and it was set.

Thethingwthin

im short and round and the earth groans beneath my feet of diabeetus why not a build your own. i have a stretch manhatten lowrider frame, and it and the wheels hold up to my sweating mass quivering atop it (146kg). i am using 3" x 26" rear, and 2.125" x 26" front with mtb shock absorbrerererer. with z bar handle bars.

AtNjineer

Does your friend express motivation to ride bikes or lose weight.

bc your I assume ready to have him spend a pretty penny just to get the proper equipment for him to ride.

Or he can try intermittent fasting. For free