brucedelta

Having recently lost close to 100# and working hard riding a Peloton to help me through that process, I am looking at getting a real bike. Currently I am at about 300# but have a high degree of confidence I will hit my 265 target by the end of this year. Is there any problems a newbie big guy should worry about with the FX4 or Sirrus X4. Are there other options I should consider?

MRT2

If you have an issue, it is probably wheels. They might be fine, but they might not, especially the back wheel.

brucedelta

Trek rates their bikes to 300#, so I assume from a design perspective it is fine. Is there anything to look at on specific bike besides the spokes being tight that may ensure my safety? I assume the Specialized rating is similar.

MRT2

That is a big no, as for assuming the wheels are sufficient for your weight. What that rating means is, the frame will be sufficient to hold your weight. Not the wheels. The wheels may or may not hold up. Or they might hold up for just enough for the warranty to expire, then start giving you problems. The thing is, machine made wheels are made to be good enough for the average sized rider. And while the average weight has been going up, the average weight is still under 200 lbs. So if you are, say, 170 or 180 lbs, you can say the wheels will be fine, at least for quite awhile. If you are close to or right at the weight limit listed for the bike, maybe not.

I am telling you this out of experience, for years. Now, the FX4 has 32 spokes which might hold, but might not at 300 lbs. I was around 275 or 280 when I bought my last new bike, which also came stock with machine built 32 spoke wheels. The back wheel held up for about 2 years before giving my trouble. Flash back 20 years to the late 90s when I bought my previous bike new, and in that case, the wheel didn't even hold up through the initial break in period. The solution the bike shop came up with was to replace all of the spokes and rebuilt the wheel by hand, which worked. You need the spoke tension to be tight enough and even enough for the wheel to spin true. What started to happen was the wheels kept going out of true, and eventually the rim cracked across several spoke holes. So I upgraded to a hand built 36 spoke handbuilt wheel 7 or 8 years ago and it has held up since. I know going forward that is what I need to do for peace of mind, as it is a bad feeling to suddenly have your back wheel go all out of true when you are 15 or 20 miles from home. The last time that happened, I rode very slowly and carefully the rest of the way home, but it was a nerve wracking experience.

Razorrock

Either of those bikes will be fine. Just keep an eye on the rear wheel, specifically where the spoke goes into the rim. They will start to pull on the rim eventually and a crack will form. Once you see that , It's time to find a good 28/32 spoke rear wheel. Never had to replace a front wheel.

FYI I 'm in the 260 - 300lb range and ride 3,000 miles a year, all road and MUP's. Usually the stock rear wheel on an entry bike like you are looking at last me 1-2 years. Currently my ride has the stock 24 spoke DT Swiss E1800's. I have 1,600 miles on them. They have held up better than I would have thought.

shelbyfv

If the mfg rates the bike for 300# that would include the wheels unless they have a disclaimer stating otherwise. Verify the weight rating for each bike with the mfg, don't assume. If you are near max weight, be sensible and mechanically sympathetic. Don't bump curbs or jump off stuff. If you are over the weight limit, look for something else or wait until you are lighter. The Specialized is the better choice of the two you've asked about. Specifically, it has current thru axles, whereas the Trek appears to still use QR. QR and discs is quickly becoming obsolete. Other than that, either would be a nice bike.

travbikeman

Interesting that Specialized lists the rims for the Sirrus X4 as 32 hole. Yet the hubs are listed as 24 and 28 holes. Counting the spokes in the picture shows 24 and 28.

Ehhhh,,,,,, honestly, I would suggest putting in the budget for a very possibility for a new wheelset to replace that one. Or choosing a different bike. Which is a shame, cause these Sirrus X bikes are really cool.

Now granted, the rims are 21mm internal and the tires are 38mm width. But that...for those of us at the 300lb mark just ..... personally I wouldn't be comfortable on that.

Perhaps it's just me, but even when I myself get down to 200lbs from the well above 300lbs I used to be, I don't think I would still be comfortable with a 24 and 28 spoke count on a hybrid/gravel oriented type of rails to trails bike.

brucedelta

I brought home a Trek FX 4 this week which was my preferred option for a bike and I was very happy to find one within an hour of home in a suitable size. It has a 32 spoke wheel according to specs (I did not count them) and I think the advice to keep an eye on the rims makes sense, so I will do that over time. I already ordered a bike stand since I realize maintenance will be required and I am at the age where I do not want to crawl around on the floor or struggle to do it. So I will be able to easily keep an eye on the wheels. If the wheels on the FX4 show problems then I will get new ones, but the bottom line is most of this stuff can go well above the rating. Having spent the last 30+ years at over 350#, there were very few things I ever did or used that were rated to my weight, so now that I am lighter then I will just use stuff and deal with maintenance as needed.



One thing that confuses me is the spoke count. If I look at the specs for the higher-end FX5 & 6, they have a lower spoke count. I would think they have better stronger wheels and if a higher spoke count is better why do higher-end bikes have a lower count?

MRT2

Now that is a very good question. Lower spoke count wheels are more aerodynamic, and so, theoretically, can be faster if the rest of your body is small and aero. I bought a book some time ago entitled Just Ride by Grant Peterson. I don't agree with his entire thesis, but I do think there is something to what he says. If I remember correctly, and it has been some time since I read it, Peterson's thesis is, the bike brands are all about marketing and in particular, racing culture creeping into cycling culture. But, the average Clyde isn't ever going to be a professional racer, and should you have a mechanical problem such as a spoke breaking in the middle of a ride for the average rider, you don't have a team car pulling behind you with an extra wheel, or bike. You have to carry on, repair the problem, or call for a ride home. So buy a bike built for reliability as much as for ultimate performance.

MRT2

Just a quick addendum. My hand built 36 spoke wheel just started to fail after 8 years of riding. A crack developed around a spoke hole, and when that happens, you need to replace the wheel or re built it with new spokes and rim.
In fairness, though I paid for a hand built wheel, it was neither the most sturdy or expensive wheel built. Sometimes you are willing to accept durability as the price for better performance or weight. , , I am having a new wheel built around my existing hub, which is still in good shape, though it will probably cost as much as the price of a decent machine made wheel. And, these were years where I sometimes put well over 1,000 miles a year. So probably got over 10,000 miles out of this back wheel, where as I only got maybe 1,200 or 1,500 miles out of my original back wheel.

Galego92

Jumping on here as well I am in my late twenties, am currently at 314 lbs, 6' 1" and looking to get my first Road bike. Covid has done a number on most of us and I definitely fell victim with a desk job and new baby. I have been looking for a good road bike and found a Trek 5500 OCLV series carbon fiber with borntrager tires. I am hoping to lose weight pretty quickly but don't want to break the bike as it shows that it has a 275lb weight limit. I live where there are few hills and I can avoid the few there are until I lose more weight if necessary.

therunt

I was in the 310# range when I bought my Speciallized Allez Compact (aluminum fram with carbon fork) about nine years ago. Sticking strictly to neighborhood roads and MUP I managed to get about a year of consistently commuting to work (~20 miles round trip) at least 4 days a week out the stock wheels before I noticed the rear wheel had developed a few hairline cracks radiating from some of the spoke holes. At that point I had my LBS build me a rear wheel which held up, never once going out of true, through my getting rid of the bike two weeks ago (granted, the last three years I hadn't ridden it very much). This relates to the OP's concerns for getting a bike as well, and echos the majority opinion that the issue to look out for will be the quality and strength of the rear wheel. I can't yet speak to the reliability of a carbon frame for us heavy riders. I just purchased a 21 Trek FX 5.0 sport, and haven't been able to put any more than 10 miles on it yet. My LBS offered me assurances that the carbon frame will hold up better than an aluminum frame, and since I never had any issues with my Allez, I'm assuming/hopeful the only issues I might have with this bike is a need for a stronger rear wheel eventually.

ColonelSanders

Because of the view that people who buy more expensive bikes are more serious about "being fast", so they want as light a bike as possible, and will happily trade off wheel strength for a lighter wheel.

I use to find it frustrating that after a point(a relatively cheap point), I could not buy a stronger wheel, even if I was prepared to pay more, as the retail market does not cater to this.

For heavy clydes, you may be forced to go the custom built route, if a retail wheel isn't strong enough for you.