Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
Reload this Page >

300+ lb guy on a road bike?

Notices
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) Looking to lose that spare tire? Ideal weight 200+? Frustrated being a large cyclist in a sport geared for the ultra-light? Learn about the bikes and parts that can take the abuse of a heavier cyclist, how to keep your body going while losing the weight, and get support from others who've been successful.

300+ lb guy on a road bike?

Old 05-01-19, 04:33 PM
  #51  
starkmojo
Old and in the way.
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eugene OR
Posts: 353

Bikes: Jamis Renegade and Kona Jake

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 73 Post(s)
Liked 47 Times in 23 Posts
I am down from 350 to 290 this morning and I have to say that "Drop Bars aren't good for Clydes" is pure BS! I prefer drop bars (I suspect that its the extension forward as much as anything- I am 6'6" with long arms for my body) but they work for me and I am pretty tired of every time I go to a bike shop they start telling me I should get a comfort bike! If I wanted a comfort bike I would buy a comfort bike! The bike you need is the one you ride.




Also as a side rant I would add that I am supposed to be 216 lbs to not be "overweight"? I havent been 216 since High School! I was 250 most of mt life so far so that's where I am headed now... how the hell did I gain a hundred pounds anyway?




oh yeah, thats how.
starkmojo is offline  
Old 05-09-19, 06:57 AM
  #52  
zjrog
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,753

Bikes: 1986 KHS Fiero, 1989 Trek 950, 1990 Trek 7000, 1991 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, 1992 Trek 1400, 1997 Cannondale CAD2 R300, 1998 Cannondale CAD2 R200, 2002 Marin San Rafael, 2006 Cannondale CAAD8 R1000, 2010 Performance Access XCL9R

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 284 Post(s)
Liked 385 Times in 207 Posts
Originally Posted by starkmojo

Also as a side rant I would add that I am supposed to be 216 lbs to not be "overweight"? I havent been 216 since High School! I was 250 most of mt life so far so that's where I am headed now... how the hell did I gain a hundred pounds anyway?

oh yeah, thats how.
Yeah how did I gain over 200 since High School? HAHAAAA...

Like you, I was in my 230 to 240 range for my most active years, but the last 18, since retiring from the Navy, I ballooned. 378 down to 269, aiming for 240, maybe less.

I much prefer 700x28s, but now have 700x25s on my aluminum bikes. My drop bar 29er has massive 700x54s, but is still fast. I imagine some 42s may be better...

I may revisit lower spoke count wheels and 23s if I get under 240...
zjrog is offline  
Old 05-12-19, 07:25 PM
  #53  
illdrag0n
Senior Member
 
illdrag0n's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 322

Bikes: 2014 Focus Mares AX 2.0, 2019 Cube Litening C:62 Race Disc Teamline

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 121 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 140 Times in 68 Posts
currently 333lbs down from 360lbs. I ride a Mares AX, Conti 4 season 32c's and Alexrims XD-Lites 36H/32H

I love my SMP extra saddle. Bit of extra padding for the sit bones, thin enough to not chafe and a great front end for reduced perennial discomfort on the drops.

Some tips i have -
- Get your spokes re-tensioned before your first ride. They can still be out from new.
- 28c or 32c tyres for extra confidence. Rolling resistance differences are minimal.
- A good Alu frame over a cheap Carbon frame. If you're just starting out on a road bike, they take some getting used to coming from an MTB and you want the extra durability of alu (avoid cracking the frame on a bad fall)
- Disc breaks are much better for stopping your extra weight than traditional rim brakes.

illdrag0n is offline  
Old 05-18-19, 10:10 PM
  #54  
tallbikeman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yolo County, West Sacramento CA
Posts: 517

Bikes: Modified 26 inch frame Schwinn Varsity with 700c wheels and 10 speed cassette hub. Ryan Vanguard recumbent. 67cm 27"x1 1/4" Schwinn Sports Tourer from the 1980's. 1980's 68cm Nishiki Sebring with 700c aero wheels, 30 speeds, flat bar bicycle.

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 141 Times in 102 Posts
Some bicycle comments

As a bigger and taller rider, 6ft 5in 265lbs, finding bicycles that fit and will hold up is quite the challenge. I've always placed durability over weight savings so all my wheels are 36 hole. Overbuild, probably, durable, yes. The most challenging spokes for us are the spokes on the drive side of the freewheel/cassette rear wheel. The loadings are very high on these spokes and they are the ones that most often break. I've gone to using 13/14 gauge rear wheel spokes and have had no breakage or wheel issues of any sort. Freewheel hubs are out due to the long unsupported axle on the drive side. I always bend that axle and got quite good at straightening them. Cassette hubs don't bend and are the ones for us. I like box section rims and better yet V or deep V section box rims. I've had no problems running these type of box rims. I only ride steel bicycles because of long held prejudice in favor of them. As far as rim brakes are concerned I have never felt underbraked using these types of brakes. Yes I have tried hydraulic discs and I just didn't think the light touch provided enough advantage over a good set of rim brakes. More old man prejudice. The last thing any of us want is for some component under us to collapse and throw us to the ground. Good luck with your road bicycling. On another note I'm retired and balloned up to 282 lbs at one point and am now reducing my weight for health reasons. I use the myfitnesspal food diary method and it works well as long as you do it and don't lie to it.
tallbikeman is offline  
Old 05-19-19, 02:01 PM
  #55  
zjrog
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,753

Bikes: 1986 KHS Fiero, 1989 Trek 950, 1990 Trek 7000, 1991 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, 1992 Trek 1400, 1997 Cannondale CAD2 R300, 1998 Cannondale CAD2 R200, 2002 Marin San Rafael, 2006 Cannondale CAAD8 R1000, 2010 Performance Access XCL9R

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 284 Post(s)
Liked 385 Times in 207 Posts
Originally Posted by tallbikeman
As a bigger and taller rider, 6ft 5in 265lbs, finding bicycles that fit and will hold up is quite the challenge. I've always placed durability over weight savings so all my wheels are 36 hole. Overbuild, probably, durable, yes. The most challenging spokes for us are the spokes on the drive side of the freewheel/cassette rear wheel. The loadings are very high on these spokes and they are the ones that most often break. I've gone to using 13/14 gauge rear wheel spokes and have had no breakage or wheel issues of any sort. Freewheel hubs are out due to the long unsupported axle on the drive side. I always bend that axle and got quite good at straightening them. Cassette hubs don't bend and are the ones for us. I like box section rims and better yet V or deep V section box rims. I've had no problems running these type of box rims. I only ride steel bicycles because of long held prejudice in favor of them. As far as rim brakes are concerned I have never felt underbraked using these types of brakes. Yes I have tried hydraulic discs and I just didn't think the light touch provided enough advantage over a good set of rim brakes. More old man prejudice. The last thing any of us want is for some component under us to collapse and throw us to the ground. Good luck with your road bicycling. On another note I'm retired and balloned up to 282 lbs at one point and am now reducing my weight for health reasons. I use the myfitnesspal food diary method and it works well as long as you do it and don't lie to it.
I have a similar prejudice in respect to carbon fiber. Retired Navy, worked around aircraft, and I really don't want any of that in my skin, as in an accident. But I also just picked up a lightweight aluminum frame with carbon fork. Which I intend as a reward as I lose more weight. I much prefer a steel bike, and yet I only own 1 steel roadbike. After crashing on an aluminum Cannondale, and it survived intact, I've accepted aluminum frames. I was slow to accept aluminum forks, yet, I recently purchsed a nice 1992 Trek 1400. I'm just not as strong as I was 25 years ago, so I won't push a bike as hard as I did efore. So I doubt I seriously stress either aluminum or carbon forks. But it will be a very long time before I go carbon in frames...

I also used to stress wheels, used 13/14 gauge as well. My MTB rear wheels were 4 cross though, on older high flange hubs. I never broke any after that. I haven't seen the need presently to go overkill on my wheels. But I also don't ride the way used to either...
zjrog is offline  
Old 05-19-19, 11:26 PM
  #56  
tallbikeman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yolo County, West Sacramento CA
Posts: 517

Bikes: Modified 26 inch frame Schwinn Varsity with 700c wheels and 10 speed cassette hub. Ryan Vanguard recumbent. 67cm 27"x1 1/4" Schwinn Sports Tourer from the 1980's. 1980's 68cm Nishiki Sebring with 700c aero wheels, 30 speeds, flat bar bicycle.

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 141 Times in 102 Posts
Zjrog, Like you I'm retired and can't push a bicycle like I used too. Be careful with the older aluminum road bikes. I've known several 200 lb guys that broke the head tubes on 1990's era Specialized and Trek bicycles. Like you I am wary of carbon fiber. I believe the epoxy matrix is not the right material for bonding the carbon fibers together. The epoxy is not tough enough to shrug off real world handling dents and dings that a steel fork does. There is a Carbon fork for Clydes discussion under Clydesdales that has the following quote from a Zinn article that is referenced in the discussion: From Deda:
Carbon lasts longer than metal.Only love is stronger than carbon.Bonding is a different story.I believe that a good glue (epoxy) can last for 2000 hours of work, or about 800 days, not in continuous daylight, and below 35 Celsius.Whenever a carbon “part” has crashed, even if you cannot see a failure, if there is any reasonable doubt about having surpassed the elongation limit, the part must be replaced.
–Fulvio Acquati
Deda is a carbon fork manufacturer and this is their comment about carbon fiber fork useful life. Gives you pause to think. I believe that a different tougher matrix for the carbon fiber will be developed that is much more real world worthy and durable. Until then approach with caution. Buying used carbon fiber bicycles has quite a bit of risk associated with the bicycles crash history. Experts in the field say that you should have the frame and fork ultrasound inspected before buying. It will be interesting to see if these bicycles have long or short careers as they age out and fall into the hands of second and third owners and even the homeless. There are still massive amounts of early steel mountain bicycles being used by everyone including the homeless. I want to wish you luck with your weight lose and your search for the perfect bicycle.
tallbikeman is offline  
Old 05-19-19, 11:37 PM
  #57  
tallbikeman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yolo County, West Sacramento CA
Posts: 517

Bikes: Modified 26 inch frame Schwinn Varsity with 700c wheels and 10 speed cassette hub. Ryan Vanguard recumbent. 67cm 27"x1 1/4" Schwinn Sports Tourer from the 1980's. 1980's 68cm Nishiki Sebring with 700c aero wheels, 30 speeds, flat bar bicycle.

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 141 Times in 102 Posts
Starkmojo I loved your rant, and I now ask how did all that hamburger get glued to my midriff? What the %^&*^$^%$%^. This is my second time of dieting with Myfitnesspal which is an online food diary. This time I'm going to diet until my Body Mass Index is down to 18. Not sure what weight that will be but it will be in a healthy BMI range.
tallbikeman is offline  
Old 05-23-19, 07:52 PM
  #58  
Myosmith
Lover of Old Chrome Moly
 
Myosmith's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NW Minnesota
Posts: 2,949
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 143 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 23 Times in 17 Posts
I started around 280# and my first road bike was a mistake. It was an old aluminum Trek 1500 with very little tire clearance. I have since moved up to a more modern bike, a Motobecane Gran Premio, and swapped to 36-spokes on double-wall touring rims. I've got 25mm Bontrager AW3 tires but they look and ride more like 28s with the slightly wider rims. I would highly recommend something along this line to any rider in the 300# range.

I've also got a mutt bike that has even wider rims and 32mm AW3 tires. Very comfortable but more of a hybrid than a true road bike. Great for all-day rides and day touring.
Myosmith is offline  
Old 05-23-19, 09:18 PM
  #59  
zjrog
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,753

Bikes: 1986 KHS Fiero, 1989 Trek 950, 1990 Trek 7000, 1991 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, 1992 Trek 1400, 1997 Cannondale CAD2 R300, 1998 Cannondale CAD2 R200, 2002 Marin San Rafael, 2006 Cannondale CAAD8 R1000, 2010 Performance Access XCL9R

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 284 Post(s)
Liked 385 Times in 207 Posts
Originally Posted by tallbikeman
Zjrog, Like you I'm retired and can't push a bicycle like I used too. Be careful with the older aluminum road bikes. I've known several 200 lb guys that broke the head tubes on 1990's era Specialized and Trek bicycles. Like you I am wary of carbon fiber. I believe the epoxy matrix is not the right material for bonding the carbon fibers together. The epoxy is not tough enough to shrug off real world handling dents and dings that a steel fork does. There is a Carbon fork for Clydes discussion under Clydesdales that has the following quote from a Zinn article that is referenced in the discussion: From Deda:
Carbon lasts longer than metal.Only love is stronger than carbon.Bonding is a different story.I believe that a good glue (epoxy) can last for 2000 hours of work, or about 800 days, not in continuous daylight, and below 35 Celsius.Whenever a carbon “part” has crashed, even if you cannot see a failure, if there is any reasonable doubt about having surpassed the elongation limit, the part must be replaced.
–Fulvio Acquati
Deda is a carbon fork manufacturer and this is their comment about carbon fiber fork useful life. Gives you pause to think. I believe that a different tougher matrix for the carbon fiber will be developed that is much more real world worthy and durable. Until then approach with caution. Buying used carbon fiber bicycles has quite a bit of risk associated with the bicycles crash history. Experts in the field say that you should have the frame and fork ultrasound inspected before buying. It will be interesting to see if these bicycles have long or short careers as they age out and fall into the hands of second and third owners and even the homeless. There are still massive amounts of early steel mountain bicycles being used by everyone including the homeless. I want to wish you luck with your weight lose and your search for the perfect bicycle.
Oh, if only I were fully retired... But at 56 that just isn't in the cards just yet. I'm not as strong or as gonzo as I once was. And some of that is pretty recent. My last gonzo moment, a high speed downhill canyon ride resulted on a broken back... But I'm in decent shape again. And respectful of these sorts of things...

I agree on bonding, and the tech behind that has improved a lot. Despite that, I just can't see me on a full carbon bike. I'm taking a big leap on a carbon fork, and a carbon seatpost. And I reckon the carbon crankset too. But. Not until I lose some more weight...

At 235, I broke a steel frame at the downtube/bottom bracket Not high end, but it was a decent Bianchi. I have a 98 Cannondale R200, and it survived my crash, save for the front wheel and handlebars. Had it inspected before putting it back in service. So, my faith in aluminum is higher than it used to be. So I did take a leap of that faith choosing an older 92 Trek 1400...

I used to have issues with wheels. Believed only 36 spoked wheels worked for me. I have a set of 36 on my older steel road bike. But both my aluminum road bikes have 32 hole wheels. And my 29er has 28 spoke wheels. Haven't collapsed yet. (But doubt they'd have survived me 25 years ago...) OK, another leap of faith. If I get under 200, I have a set of 16 spoke front, 20 spoke rear wheels. That might be interesting. Otherwise, they are likely to be on the wall in m basement for a long time...
zjrog is offline  
Old 05-23-19, 09:53 PM
  #60  
tallbikeman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yolo County, West Sacramento CA
Posts: 517

Bikes: Modified 26 inch frame Schwinn Varsity with 700c wheels and 10 speed cassette hub. Ryan Vanguard recumbent. 67cm 27"x1 1/4" Schwinn Sports Tourer from the 1980's. 1980's 68cm Nishiki Sebring with 700c aero wheels, 30 speeds, flat bar bicycle.

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 141 Times in 102 Posts
Zjrog, I too have broken a couple of steel frames and bent a steel fork leg so far. One frame had not been properly brazed into the bottom bracket lug and came loose. Boy did it steer and handle really weird. I had that rebrazed and it is still out there. The other bike broke on the seatpost tube just above a weld for a chainguard bracket. From what I can tell the manufacturer welded to non heat treated non alloy steel and caused an area of hardened, heatreated, steel and the crack developed right at the weld. Low quality engineering/workmanship. I've never had any problem with Schwinn bicycle frames or forks and I've owned everything from Varsity's to a 1971 sew up equipped racing Paramount. I still own a couple of Varsity's that I ride daily. My big problem with today's bicycle market is the total lack of honesty and candor about frame, fork and component group failure rates. You hear all kinds of tales about broken bicycle frames and forks but no real data from which informed choices can be made. There are several lawsuits proceeding through the US and Australian court systems that may break this data vacuum open. Four years ago I rented the latest and greatest 29er full float MTB bicycle and proceeded to ride down the Downeyville downhill here in California. The wheels were 28 spoke and I weighed 240lbs. The bicycle had disc brakes and the rims were the new disc specific rims. Those rims bent side to side terribly. I was real concerned that they would blow up before I got to the bottom. My companions kept telling me how much the wheels were visibly bending. At the time I owned a 26" solid MTB with 24 bladed spoke wheels on deep V rims by Vuelta that were completely fine at my weight and caused no problems off road. Long story short I'm sure there are wheels that will carry you with less spokes in perfect safety. Good luck with your weight reduction program. I'm not sure why I got heavy and stayed that way despite knowing it is bad for me. This time I'm losing weight until my Body Mass Index is 18 or so and keep it off. Heavy people have a harder time reaching older ages and I want to see my grandchildren graduate high school and college if I last that long.
tallbikeman is offline  
Old 08-18-19, 05:35 PM
  #61  
Lucchini
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 11
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
New big guy from New Mexico..

My name is Pete and am trying to get back into road cycling after many years.
Like some of us way back when I was a monster rider for almost 20 years 185lbs 120 mile round trip's were no issue.
Then life, Marriage and bills (reality) set in and i just stopped riding and let myself go..

Now at 59 I'm still the monster but on the horizontal side of the mountain 340lbs 6'3" .
I use to ride a Fuji Del Rey 25" high frame 27" wheels when i was in my late teens till my early 30's loved riding that bike, it rode itself.

I recently picked up a Fuji Espree for $40.00 same size as the Del Rey needed a little TLC and want to get back on the pavement.
What would be a good setup on the seat and seat size, has the original Fuji plank?
My inseam is 32" long upper torso and long arms..

I took it for a very short spin and at night of course, i felt like a circus bear on it.


Anyway glad to see I'm not alone..

Last edited by Lucchini; 08-18-19 at 06:30 PM.
Lucchini is offline  
Old 09-30-19, 08:41 AM
  #62  
tallbikeman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yolo County, West Sacramento CA
Posts: 517

Bikes: Modified 26 inch frame Schwinn Varsity with 700c wheels and 10 speed cassette hub. Ryan Vanguard recumbent. 67cm 27"x1 1/4" Schwinn Sports Tourer from the 1980's. 1980's 68cm Nishiki Sebring with 700c aero wheels, 30 speeds, flat bar bicycle.

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 131 Post(s)
Liked 141 Times in 102 Posts
Welcome Lucchini. Lets start with seats. I gave myself a real good case of prostatitis from the normal type of seat with the nose out front. Prostatitis is no joke and you feel like dying while going through it. I have since bought some Hobson and Spongy Wonder, yes that is its trade name, noseless saddles and find them quite the comfortable revelation. A caution about noseless seats, it takes some time to get them adjusted and to get you adjusted to them. I see the Fuji Espree was a 27"x1 1/4" wheeled bicycle. These bikes have freewheel as opposed to cassette rear hubs. Freewheels hubs weakness is the long unsupported axle under the freewheel itself. At our weights that axle is guaranteed to bend. I put a cassette hub into the rear wheel. This will necessitate springing the rear triangle of the bicycle out a little when putting the wheel on the bike. I bend the rear forks just a tad to fit the cassette hubs. If you don't want to do that have a competent bike shop bend the rear triangle a little to fit the cassette. Everything else on that bike is fine. Changing to a cassette hub will allow you to go up to 11 speeds on the rear. You might have to change to a wide range MTB/Touring derailleur on the rear if you get large gears. When putting in the rear cassette hub I buy 13/14 guage spokes for the rear wheel and find they don't break under my weight. As it is I would keep riding the bike as it is right now and fix things to your liking as you go along. I have three old 27"x1 1/4" bicycles with a mix of 700c and 27"wheels. They work well both ways. There are plenty of tires still available for the 27" wheels and rims and spokes are no problem. Let us know how your experiment goes.
tallbikeman is offline  
Old 09-30-19, 08:00 PM
  #63  
Lucchini
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 11
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanks for the heads up on the seat.
Still working on the bike, decided to refinish it.
Pete
Lucchini is offline  
Old 10-01-19, 09:12 AM
  #64  
dagray
Senior Member
 
dagray's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Boardman, Oregon, USA
Posts: 1,748

Bikes: Orbea Orca,Raleigh Talus 29er, Centurion Le Mans 12 speed

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 164 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times in 42 Posts
I started at 395 on a road bike and was breaking spokes and getting flats. The reason was that the wheels weren't sturdy enough for my weight.

I upgraded my wheels from 28 spokes to 32 spokes and then went tubeless with the tires. Doing this severely lowered my broken spokes and flats as well as the time to true the back wheel as that was the wheel I had issues with.

Later on I went to a wheel built for Clydes from Rolf and I haven't broken a spoke or knocked a wheel out of true since. I also still run 700x25 tubeless tires (I am currently at 365).
dagray is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
someoneonabike
Mountain Biking
0
05-11-16 03:50 AM
Downr@nge
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
28
08-13-15 12:30 AM
GaryinLA
Mountain Biking
4
08-24-12 09:58 AM
tony_merlino
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
28
12-20-11 10:44 PM
cycle2
Hybrid Bicycles
38
05-23-11 07:58 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.