The "Googly" eyes
 

That's what I get when I go in to the LBS and ask to look at road bikes with my svelt frame :) One guy directed to a Mongoose that had 29" slicks on it. I'm not embarassed by my weight - of course my goal is to get it off (thus the biking thing?), but come on!

I mean I"m probably looking more towards a touring bike, but when I came in looking at roadbikes and he directs me to this Mongoose I knew it was time to head out ;)

Am I nuts for wanting a road bike? I've tried the mountain bike, I've got my cruiser bike for the family rides. I want something that is sturdy and I can grow in to but something like I used to ride when I was younger (and 1/3 the size ;) )

Nope, find an LBS that is willing to work with you.

Find a good LBS and tell them what you want to do. It would really depend upon your weight, but most road frames can handle the weight, it is the wheel setup that is the weak link.

It was more a humorous vent than anything. I found a local LBS that I think will do my right. They have an '07 model Pilot 1.0 I'm hoping they'll lower the price on it. Also looking at the 1 series as well.

I already know (thanks to all of you here) that I'm going to sink a couple hundred into a wheel/rim set. Most of the LBSs here will credit you for the stock wheels on the bike towards a different purchase. I just get a kick of the faces I get from people when I come in and dont' ask for a recumbant or comfort bike.

I was in REI (or maybe RBM, I forget) a while back, and just looking at some of the high $ bikes. I was just hefting one to see how heavy it was (a couple of pounds) when the salesman walked up. The look on his face was a "please don't let this man want one of these bicycles" look, although he didn't say that!

How heavy are you? It should be no problem riding any road bike if you are under 300lbs. Over 300 and maybe some nice wheels and wider tires and youll be fine.

For a touring bike look into the Trek 520. It is very popular and will most definately hold you.

When I got my first bike the LBS was very willing to work with me. I was actually scared I was going to break everything in the store but he assured me I would be fine. I started at around 280lbs.

Do the seen from Pretty Woman. Buy yourself a nice bike, go back to that shop, but instead talk to the manager and tell them you would have spent X amount here but you were treated poorly by the sales staff because of your size. Then ride off with a smile.

Definately find a different LBS or go in at a different time to see a different person :-)
I have found when I express my concern over the problem areas of the bike I haven't had an issue but it may be the folks I was lucky enough to deal with, or unlucky when they just seemed to want to make the sale even if it wouldn't work for me.
When I got this bike and had BB problems I did some research and thought it was my weight making the issue worse. My LBS (not where I bought it since it was a used find) fixed me right up after the second more permanent fix and assured me that I'd be fine on it. 1300 miles on the bike and the BB problem hasn't reappeared.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/...222454.jpg?v=0
Not even a broken spoke and only 1 flat (rim strip issue) since I got it and I ride it hard and on some really bad streets for 700x25 tires. I was close to 300 when I got it and have carried a pretty heavy backpack so easily exceeded 300.

I have a touring bike myself and now a recumbent tourer/commuter. They are both nice and all but I gotta say I really love responsiveness and quickness of the road bike it is a completely different, and much more tiring, experience.

Went back to the chain LBS today to look again at bikes. This time the salesperson directed me towards cyclocross bikes. Looked at a very nice Felt F1x (http://www.feltracing.com/08/product...,1513&pid=8719).

The Mrs. said last night when she saw the 330 in my basement (Why dont' you just go out and spend $600 on a bike.". Told her when I drop below 300 lbs then I'll do that. For now I think I'm going to ride the Navigator try to burn some pounds and build some stamina.

I live a few blocks from a local bicycle shop that seems well-regarded by people I know who have spent a lot more than I can. I tell people that I don't go there because they don't carry either of the brands I'm looking at, but truth be told, I'm too embarrassed to set foot in the place. On Saturday I almost went into another bike shop that's about 60 miles away, which carries at least one of the bikes. I drove past it, went around the block and drove past it again. That's as close as I got.

There are poor bike shops that will not like you because you don't fit their idea of a cyclist, there are good bike shops that are the same way. There are also bike shops that look at everyone the same, after all a 45 year old 300lb rider has just as good a money as a 23 year old 145lb 6' rider. Until you visit, you never know what a particular bike shop is like.

When I ran a shop in my younger years that 23 yr old would come in an drop $900-$1200, usually on a mountain bike. But far more often the 45 year old would come in and ask to see the $300-$400 mountain and hybrid bikes, mostly to feel out the vibe of the store and see if you were an honest salesman or not. If you treated them right, they'd buy the bike...and then come back in to buy another one for their wife, a Burley trailer for the kids, a car rack, a bmx bike for jr, 5 helmets, etc. etc.

What some of these snobby shops don't understand is that those family sales are your bread and butter, especially in a middle sized city that is not big enough to support a number of niche shops. If you think your customer base is going to be those 23 yr olds, who inevitably leave town as soon as they graduate, you've got serious problems.

are you too embarrassed because you are big?
i don't like to go into bike shops either. i am big, i am dorky, i am poor, i'm a girl, and i am silly, so maybe because of those things, people don't always take me seriously. so, based on prior experience, i had a pretty bad attitude going into a few different shops the past month. but they were awesome! one guy talked to me and my sister for like 45 minutes, even calling other stores to help us find the bike i wanted, and then two women at another store were so accomodating and kind and helpful that i was, frankly, taken aback, and later another woman at the same store talked to me on the phone for 15 minutes helping me decide what to do. it was really great.

maybe you could call up and talk to someone there, see if they sound nice and attentive or not. if not, call again another day, hope it's someone else who is nicer. go in when that nice person is working, and see if you can work with that particular person to find a bike.

like i said, i hate going to bike shops (and it was even harder the very first time, a couple years ago, because it was a foreign country to me), but if i hadn't gone in, i would have really missed out.

i have had some anxiety stuff ever since i was born, pretty much, so when i was little i'd be possessed by some worry or other, and my mom would say "what is the worst thing that could happen?" and whatever it was was usually not that bad. so what is the worst thing that could happen if you go into the bike shop? some jerk bike shop guy might treat you badly? it's possible. but you can handle it! i'm sure you've seen worse. who cares about that loser anyway? but more likely, the people there will try to help you. they want you to give them money. plus if they're rude, you can tell on them. :)

you deserve to go into the bike shop and get a bike and have fun riding it around.

i hope i'm not misinterpreting what you said! if i am, just humor me :)

Yes.
I thought about sneaking in under the pretext of trike-shopping for my daughter.

I love my LBS for that reason. I was 275 and knew nothing about bikes. Unfortunately I didn't know enough to let them choose the bike for me. I talked myself out of a Trek 7.5 fx and into a Navigator. It took me seven months to realize the shop knew better than I did what I wanted. :D

Nothing wrong with that. Anything to get you in there:-) If its the right shop you'll be bowled over and kicking yourself that you didn't go in before now. If not then the next one could be;-) wild animals is right - think about what you have to gain and how good you'll feel after you do it. and let us know how you get on!

I had a LBS guy (I won't insult him by calling him a salesman) offer to let me take one of the new Trek carbon racers out for a quick spin.

I did it: I set foot in the local bike shop. The staff did not rush to push me out of the door. Eventually a helpful fellow walked over to me and answered my tentative question with "Oh, we've put bigger guys than you on bikes!" After looking at a few bikes and discussing Clyde-related issues, I asked which he would recommend for me. He suggested I ride two or three and see which suited me best. Clearly a cycling enthusiast, not a sales drone! I didn't have time today for the test rides, but I'm leaning towards http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/artemis

Sounds like you've got a good shop. No pressure, and willing to work with ALL their prospective clients; that's always a good combo.



A few weeks ago I was chugging my way up a very long hill and one of the full-kit carbon everything racer guys from the shop caught up to me (and passed me quickly) but not without slowing down for a couple seconds to ask how I'm enjoying my new bike.

Just to get back to one of the original questins -- no not at all, Clydes roll real well on a road bike. A road bike can make some things seem effortless compared to a rolling resistance of a mountainbike.

Not all effortless of course, to work a little harder, nothing more simple than point it into the wind, uphill or just increase the pace.

Wow this post came out of nowhere. My roadbike is in the future, it's my goal-weight present from my wife. I've been doing well these past 2 months so I'm thinking a 2009 model ;)

I've noticed the LBS's tend to be much more accommodating in Jan/Feb, when they haven't sold anything in the last week!

That's great ball, I'm glad you found a nice shop that didn't pressure you. Now all thats left to do is to ride those 3 (or 10 :)) bikes and find out which one you like best.

I was flicking through the Trek catalogue today and noticed the 'Cruiser Classic Steel', which looks promising. I have a dubious left knee though, so the extra complexity of a mountain bike may be worth tolerating. Am I right in thinking that gears could help me reduce the strain on my knee?