SoSmellyAir

The Velominati (Velominati – Keepers of the Cog) are now accepting bigger members!? See Rule #5.

choddo

How is rule 5 related to weight?

SoSmellyAir

Not directly. But riding on skinny tires hardens one and all the more so at > 1/8 ton.

base2 

I see what you did there.

Reflector Guy

It boggles my mind as to why that thread hasn't been made a sticky....

veganbikes

In terms of bikes for larger riders I recommend finding a wheel builder who can build you a set of wheels. Ideally you probably want 32 spoke with good quality components that will last a long time. Avoid aluminum free hub bodies and stick with steel or titanium, go with good butted spokes and a good double wall rim. I would also agree with the sentiment above about looking at a gravel bike or something with wider tire clearance as wider tires at lower pressures are lovely at any weight. Also hydraulic disc brakes are quite nice but if you do end up with mechanical stuff or rim brakes get good stiff compressionless housing and nice slick stainless cables (polished please) and good high quality pads from KoolStop or SwissStop with good stiff shoes and that will improve braking quite a bit. If you run disc brakes, remember larger rotors will give you better stopping and cooling but with flat mount brakes larger rotors aren't always possible. Pads would still be the same companies but in this case I would look at stuff for e-bikes or downhill applications if possible.

You shouldn't be breaking spokes, it is not a part of cycling you need to be a part of. A good handbuilt wheel to the specs you need will prevent that and certainly regular maintenance will keep an eye on that as well and allow you to correct. Properly tensioned spokes on a well built wheel shouldn't break under normal usage in a weird crash or if someone say sticks a frame pump in it while moving because you are keeping up with them then sure but that is not a normal situation.

This is not to say I haven't broken spokes but it was not a wheel built for me it was likely a machine built wheel and it took a lot of use and abuse without the care it needed the rebuilt wheel by a professional wheel builder has been fine with similar conditions and much more riding and much more looking after it to make sure nothing is loose which hasn't changed. Most of the broken spokes I see in my daily life at a bike shop are on cheap machine built wheels generally on lower end bikes but on occasion some slightly nicer road bike wheels.

Scott Speedster

I been in your predicament broke some spokes on the rear wheel once. I came across some Vuelta HD wheels HD basically meant 36 spokes so I went from 24 spokes to 36 and its been a VERY solid ride ever since. At the time I was about 270lb. Gravel bikes are also hot and great option too. My next bike God willing will be a gravel bike.

eduskator

I will assume that losing weight is your goal here:

I would use a gravel bike for the first few months until you lose enough weight and then buy a road bicycle. Most road bikes have a weight limit of 100-125kg, depending on several things such as the components. The wheels (spokes, rim, hubs, bearing) will be the main component that will overwork so make sure they're strong enough.

Maelochs

As fro wight limits ... ignore them. I have been riding 28r/24f spoke wheels for years one what used to be my main ride and never broke a spoke. Spokes don't break if you keep them tensioned properly unless you ride heavy (stuck in the saddle over bumps) or slam deep pot holes ar railroad tracks or something. Frames ... no issue there either, and my two main rides are CF. get the bike you are actually going to ride. if you don't like riding it is just one more obstacle to actually getting in the miles and taking off the pounds .... IMO.

choddo

Do we think he’s ever coming back?

Road Fan

To the OP, I'd suggest talk to one of those guys who has a bike whic may be too light for you and maybe them, see what they weigh and tal to them about reliability and any breakages they might know about. My guess is the bike in question probably has the necessary strength, but the lawyers say the bike company needs to have a CYA in the records.

If you find a few failures which have some consistency, I'd say you have found a bike which could have weaknesses - avoid this model!

There's no wayb you can develop a real reliability model with this (never gonna build up a big enough sample size, but any data points you can nail down are much better data than most people will have.

Take it for what its worth, but your results will be worth something.

Bradleykd

I find it funny when light people talk about how big guys break stuff. I got my first road bike in 2012 at 265lbs (120kilo). I rode that bike through weight loss to 205, then less so as I worked my way back to 260 then back to 220, then back to 260, and currently working back to losing again at 245lbs. I still have the same bike. It is an aluminum Felt Z85 with plenty of light weight stuff on it and Boyd Altamont aluminum wheels - 24f/28r spokes. Bike weighs 17.63lbs (8.0kg) - so fairly light weight.

I have never broken a spoke, neither of my wheels have gone out of true, never broke a chain, never cracked a frame, fork, bars, stem. Honestly, the bike has never broken. Worst I have done in many thousands of miles is get a pinch flat. I have had many bikes in the last 14 years, all of which were "nicer" than this one, but I always keep this bike when I move on from one and I still really enjoy riding it.

To the OP or other bigger people reading this thread - don't do what I did and let your weight fluctuate after working to lose it. Life happens, but it is soooo much harder to get it off than put it on. Make riding a priority and you'll keep the weight off. I enjoy a light bike. I think it is more fun, even if you're heavier. Do your maintenance and you shouldn't have any problems.