starg8

Hello!

I'm in a bit of an unusual situation: I used to weigh over 500lbs, and I've lost about 100lbs so far over the past year! 🎉

I would like to get back into cycling, after being off a bike since I was around 330-370 pounds in 2015-2017. I used to ride across the city everyday on a Pedego City Commuter, which was just about the only electric bike available in my area at the time. In three years, I popped spokes several times, so I can already tell that finding a bike to support my weight is going to be... an experience.

I'll confess that even though I used to ride daily and year-round in cities for 4+ years, I don't have much experience with constructing bikes or bicycle maintenance. So, having to piece together parts myself to construct something is pretty intimidating. I'd also like to ride this bike on (pretty quiet) city streets to get to a nearby bike path, so it's important to me that the bike be electric--because I want assistance crossing intersections for safety, for example. The area I live in these days is pretty flat, so I would probably stick to flat areas until I lose more weight, then start climbing hills and bridges eventually. I would need to store the bike in my apartment, which would require lifting it up several steps, albeit not a full staircase. So, large cargo bikes that weigh 70+ pounds are unworkable, though I could lift a 50-60 pound bike without much issue.

Money isn't a worry for me, so I've been looking at options like Zinn Cycle's Clydesdale Whip, which is semi-custom, designed for folks up to 450 pounds, designed for folks my height and up, and has a Bosch motor that's appealing. I have already messaged Zinn to see if they could help. I'm open to other custom or semi-custom options, though, and am concerned about safety more than anything else.

Does anyone have other recommendations I should look into? Specific bike model recommendations are welcome, but I'd also love to be connected with a bike shop that is experienced and willing to handle a lot of the work and research for me.

Thanks in advance!

Clyde1820

Might be worth checking with R&E Cycles (Rodriguez) in the Seattle area, regarding their UTB bike. They also do custom geometries, and I'm sure you can work with them on specification of stronger-tube selection (and other factors) in the build.

R&E Cycles / Rodriguez:
https://rodbikes.com/index.html

Rodriguez UTB Extreme Journey model:
https://www.rodbikes.com/catalog/utb/utb-main.html

boozergut

For motivation I would recommend reading Heft on Wheels. The book really helped me and I re-read it regularly.

stevel610 

Congrats on the 100 lb. loss! As you already know, strong wheels are key. In your case, as you are staying on flat terrain for a while, the Worksman industrial bikes with solid seat post. Not sexy but will support you in continued weight loss.

Leisesturm

What do you mean by the bolded? Tandems aren't rare vehicles at all, and any tandem is doing the work of keeping 300 to 400 and more pounds of rider(s) and their personal items safe with ease. Our first tandem was a dept. store level BSO and never broke a spoke or had any other kind of mechanical failure. The OEM v-brakes were of the $11/ea. variety and I routinely had us out with just the front brake working. The higher quality more road oriented tandem with disc brakes, broke some spokes. A spoke(s) failure was never frightening. Most times we never even knew till we got back home. Eventually we got the wheels rebuilt, that was the end of spoke failures. The Trek T900 we have had since 2016ish has never broken a spoke and it is ridden daily in city commuting.

I personally would go with the Zinn option and not complicate it any further. That's a lot of money you will be sinking into this and much of it will be unrecoverable. I'm hearing just enough trepidation and anxiety in your o.p. to advise that you think long and hard about this after today. Open up more about your reservations and see to it that they are addressed to your satisfaction before you go any further. I don't think I have misread your desire for e-assist as a hedge against the greater power of the cars around you on the road. I urge you to stop thinking about it like that. You will never come close to the power advantage cars have.

I ride in such a way that I am always safe, no matter if I am at zero speed, or at 25mph, which is about as fast as I go in the city. Traffic always has a way around me, and crossing intersections, even wide ones, is not a place I have felt the need for more power. Pedestrians crossing those same roads have even less power/speed, and traffic signals are built around a pedestrians limitations. That's usually enough. FWIW.

starg8

Clyde1820 Thank you for the recommendation! 🙏

boozergut Thank you for the book recommendation, too! I ended up reading it and found it super-motivating and relatable.

stevel610 Thanks! I've seen those, but unfortunately, they're pretty heavy so not practical for riding on busy city streets. They also have only coaster breaks, three gears, etc. so are not really appropriate for riding up hills--or bridges, which Portland has plenty of.

starg8

Tandem bikes aren't practical for a single person to use in a busy city as a daily commuter bike, so I'm not sure why you're mentioning this?

It's true that the same people who build tandem bikes might also build me a "normal" bike--or that custom builders who make tandem wheels could build me custom wheels--but it's not as though companies that build off-the-shelf tandem bikes sell tandem-strength bikes designed for single riders. That's why I asked about builders. Also, tandem bikes, like cargo bikes, are not necessarily designed to hold a single rider of 400 pounds, even if they are designed to hold two 200-pound people or 400 pounds of cargo overall. Weight distribution matters.

Re: "A spoke(s) failure was never frightening. Most times we never even knew till we got back home," that must be nice for you! But bikes can fail in all kinds of unexpected ways when you as a single rider weigh 300+ pounds, and not all of them are safe to happen on a busy road alongside cars. Some, even ignoring cars, are wildly unsafe in general, like e.g. a seat post breaking in the middle of a ride, which is not unheard of for heavier riders. I also can't tell from your message, but you may be assuming I'm a man based on my height and weight. I'm not; I'm a woman, and it's not generally safe for women to be stranded alone on the side of a road. I'd be using this bike as transportation, too, and the idea of being stranded on the side of the road with an unrideable bike after the bike shops have closed and the buses have stopped running is... not great.

Finally, you seem to think I am not speaking from experience, for some reason, even though I mentioned having commuted by electric bike in the city before. Not that I mentioned it, but before that, when I was much lighter, I also commuted on a "regular" bike around San Francisco, which is known for having fairly aggressive drivers and requiring pretty defensive riding.

I'm not sure why you're referencing money when I've already mentioned that budget is not an issue. I'm also not sure what "trepidation and anxiety" you think you're hearing--if you feel that way, you're projecting. There is no trepidation here. I am asking for advice around safe bikes for me to ride at any cost.

Alas, you have indeed misread my desires! I'm not sure where you live or what you weigh, but I have commuted via bike in an urban environment at 300+ pounds before, and my concerns are not unfounded.

It's not unreasonable to say that crossing intersections on busy roads is concerning when you're heavy and have a lot of weight to get moving from a standstill, especially when drivers get road rage. It's not unreasonable to say that pedaling too slowly uphill is concerning when you might be on a single-lane bike path over a bridge, blocking other cyclists from safely traveling, themselves. It's not unreasonable to say that the bike paths "safest" to ride on are often secluded, and as a woman, sometimes you want to be able to get away from danger quickly. Even aside from safety, it is not unreasonable to want e-assist when using a bike for transportation versus purely sport; sometimes you need to travel 15 miles out of your way in the middle of summer for a social engagement and do not want to push a whole 400 pounds to get there, arriving drenched.

Anyway, it sounds like you live a charmed life! However, you do not seem to have the life experience to give much input in this specific situation. Thanks, nonetheless.

fat biker

starg8,

I have nothing to contribute to your search for the right bike.

I want to congratulate you on your weight loss and also encourage you to hang in there on the road ahead.

fat biker

Calsun

Zize bikes will support a 550 lb rider and are available through REI

https://www.rei.com/product/193126/z...17890014089821

The comment about a broken spoke not being a problem is from someone who is very light. Every heavy rider I have ridden with carried 2 spare spokes to be safe. I have seen badly dished wheels after a single spoke breaks on a rim as the opposing spokes are still in tension. Less of a concern with disc brakes but with caliper brakes it is a very big deal when a rim is an inch or more out of true.

shelbyfv

That looks like a good choice and buying from REI is easy and safe.

Clyde1820

starg8 -- Just wondering, did you ever decide on a choice of new bike?

starg8

Yes!

I ended up being between sizes for Zinn's Clydesdale line, so I placed an order for a custom bike, instead. It takes 4+ months for them to build, though--which isn't a big deal for me, because I live in Portland, OR, anyway. So, winters are pretty rainy. The bike should arrive in time for spring!

I got my measurements from a local PT/fitter here in town (Pedal PT) who were great to work with, and Zinn has been great to work with so far, too. Even though I haven't gotten my bike in hand yet (&#128514, I'd already recommend them both.

Hopefully this helps the next person!

indyfabz

That looks neat. And as the page notes, join REI ($30 for a lifetime member ship) and get and estimated $280 back at the end of the year. Get their credit card and get another $56 you can spend at the store immediately after you get your credit card statement. Not sure, but you also might get an additional 5% back from REI at the end of the year for buying with their credit card. All that would go a long way towards accessories.

VaMoots

Where are you located?

Alan K

Custom fit is always the best choice, given that money is no object.

[Had I seen this earlier, I would have suggested going with stronger than conventional tubes for the frame to support ~50% higher weight than ever anticipated. Similarly, wheels have to begin with strongest rims and hubs 36H laced 3-cross or at least 32H. I’d prefer a metal (steel, Ti, or Al but not Mg) frame over carbon.]

Good luck and congratulations on your weight heading in the right direction!

ScottCommutes

Congratulations on your weight loss!

For reference, I weigh about 190 lbs and ride a 90's mountain bike. My wife has weighed from 300-365 and rides a similar bike.

I would suggest you consider perhaps a non-electric bike as the safer option. I've seen from numerous sources that e-bikes are more dangerous because they allow less experienced riders to attain higher speeds without putting in the miles at slow speed and working their way up in skills. I would also worry about the speed you could obtain vs. how much braking force you would have available to stop all that momentum. As far as accelerating through intersections, you could begin with a shifting bike in a very low gear and solve the problem easily. A regular bike would also be cheaper and easier to carry up the stairs. A regular bike also obviously burns more calories per mile.

My experience is that heavy people do better on bikes than they expect. Granted, a typical bike is designed for a lighter rider, but this is offset by the reality that most heavy people don't ride the bike nearly as hard as a lighter rider might.

I'm sure you know - lots of spokes. Heavy-duty spokes. Wide tires. Lots of air pressure. Keep the spoke tension tight. It's all about good wheels and a comfortable seat.

Amducious

starg8 Are you still looking for a bike. If so I hope I can help. I am 6'1" when I got back on the bike I was 560lb, yes that is with a "5", I could not find a shop that would sell me a bike until I stumbled across a small shop with an owner that literally built me up a built bike from scraps he has laying around his junkyard. When I got around the 480lb mark I switched to a Kona Dew and now that I'm down to 340 with a goal of 280 by the end of 2024 I just picked up a used Surly LHT. The wheels are your biggest issue with bikes at larger sizes.

Frames - Truthfully it does not matter. I would stay away from Carbon Fiber, but that is just a personal thing I have seen them suffer from faults/dings under heavy loads. I started off with an old 80's steel frame and then switched to a Kona Dew when I got down to the 480 range. The only issue I ever had with a frame was seat post clamping force. you want to make sure to use some grip paste on your seat post. I messed up the old 80's steel frame by clamping it down too tight before learning to use grip paste.

Pedles - I have snapped one set of peddles but I think that was from old age - they where the original pedals from that 80's MTB, but I would stay away from road pedals. Make sure to get a quality brand and I would go with MTB flat pedals. something that is designed to take the force of jumps. I believe I'm using some "Specialized Bennies Platform Pedals" that I picked up at a local shop.

Seat - this is where I struggled, I could not find a good seat for the longest time and it kept me off the bike. But I have been loving the "ISM Cruise" saddle. This has worked great in more of an upright position, but now that I'm starting to lower the handlebars I have switched to a "Brooks B17"

Brakes - If possible at all go Hydrolic disc brakes. I had two different Konas, one was a regular Dew that came with cable brakes the other was a Dew Plus that came with Hydraulic brakes. I quickly upgraded my regular dew once I felt the difference. I always had in the back of my brain needing to give extra length for stoping on the old cable brakes but the hydraulic brakes stopped on a dime even with my extra weight.

Wheels - This is where bikes truly suffer for larger people. Other setups will work fine, But I found the sweet spot was a 650B they also go by 27.5" 40-spoke wheels. I run the 27.5" "Velocity Cliffhanger" Rim with a 40 spoke hole "Velocity Standard ATB Disc Hub". its the spoke cound and the stiffness of the rim that will keep you from popping spokes while riding. You should be able to get away with a 36-hole wheel. But if you are going all out I would just get the 40-hole and never have to think about it again.

Ebike motor - I ended up doing a conversion with one of my Kona Dew using the Bafang BBS02 750W mid drive motor. Since it sounds like you dont really want to tinker with stuff like this I would just say, because of needing higher spoke wheels I would avoid hub motors. Go with something that is mid-drive. I would also recommend something using the Bafang BBS02 750w or the BBSHD 1000w. As a larger rider the Extra wattage will help keep the 20mph speed up and at least for me allows for plenty of help up the hills I have to deal with here in the western Washington area.

The bike you listed looks to be a good choice. Its makers are plus-size friendly so you should not have any issues with warranties if something comes up, and it looks like the bike already comes with 36-hole wheels. If you have a local bike shop I would swing in there see what they sell. unless you want to deal with doing maintenance yourself it's almost always best to buy your bike through a local shop as it sets up a relationship with them for future maintenance/repairs/upgrades. Most shops that I know of should have no problem ordering the velocity wheels I listed and get them added onto just about any bike.