squire
10-20-05, 04:46 AM
Estimating 300lbs. for myself, touring gear and bike. Do I need custom wheels on a touring bike or will stock wheels be ok? I haven't purchased my bike and would like to stay around $1500 if possible. Thanks, Sam
Touring - Fat guys touring bike?
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The Seldom Kill
10-20-05, 05:41 AM
That's really not that fat. Stock will be fine but make sure that you ride them regularly for at least a month and then go back to the shop to get them tuned-up. Like cables , spokes can come a but loose after building and can use a bit of tightening. Not sure how well you can guage this but you really need a shop with an excellent wheelwright and is the one area where I would be willing to compromise my principles on LBSs to get what is necessary.
I speak from bitter experience when I started dropping spokes in Holland on a Saterday evening. Finding a shop to replace the wheel on Sunday was no a fun task and took a lot of time out of our schedule.
I speak from bitter experience when I started dropping spokes in Holland on a Saterday evening. Finding a shop to replace the wheel on Sunday was no a fun task and took a lot of time out of our schedule.
cyccommute
10-20-05, 09:00 AM
That's really not that fat. Stock will be fine but make sure that you ride them regularly for at least a month and then go back to the shop to get them tuned-up. Like cables , spokes can come a but loose after building and can use a bit of tightening. Not sure how well you can guage this but you really need a shop with an excellent wheelwright and is the one area where I would be willing to compromise my principles on LBSs to get what is necessary.
I speak from bitter experience when I started dropping spokes in Holland on a Saterday evening. Finding a shop to replace the wheel on Sunday was no a fun task and took a lot of time out of our schedule.
I agree fully. You might also want to have the shop teach you the rudiments of truing and how to check tension so if something does come loose out in the wilds you can fix it. Leaving a loose spoke unfixed while riding with a touring load can lead to rim cracks and failure. Been there, done that.
As for a bike choice, I have a Cannondale T800 and an old steel touring bike. While the comparison is not the best (the old frame is somewhat different from modern steels), for a big load the T800 can't be beat! It is not the best bike to ride without a load as it has a harsh ride but when loaded that stiffness really helps. My old steel bike would shimmy at time on fast downhills. I've never had that problem with the T800. And the price is right in the range you are looking at.
I speak from bitter experience when I started dropping spokes in Holland on a Saterday evening. Finding a shop to replace the wheel on Sunday was no a fun task and took a lot of time out of our schedule.
I agree fully. You might also want to have the shop teach you the rudiments of truing and how to check tension so if something does come loose out in the wilds you can fix it. Leaving a loose spoke unfixed while riding with a touring load can lead to rim cracks and failure. Been there, done that.
As for a bike choice, I have a Cannondale T800 and an old steel touring bike. While the comparison is not the best (the old frame is somewhat different from modern steels), for a big load the T800 can't be beat! It is not the best bike to ride without a load as it has a harsh ride but when loaded that stiffness really helps. My old steel bike would shimmy at time on fast downhills. I've never had that problem with the T800. And the price is right in the range you are looking at.
coconut in IA
10-20-05, 09:09 AM
I can't give names or styles because my buddy help me build the bike but I know this. I have Tandem Rims on my touring bike. I have had over 245 pound loaded on it *not including me* if you included me It would be around 465 This was for a week straight tour, and the rims didn't even come untrue. They have taken a serious beating from me and not even a broken spoke or even a wobble... I am totaly amazed. I have gone through a set of tires but the rims are golden. I will see if I can find more information on brand and possible price.
Cheers,
Coco
Cheers,
Coco
Bekologist
10-20-05, 09:17 AM
Handbuilt wheels, XT hubs, Rhynolite or Dyad rims. Not that much more expensive than machine built. Mavic has a bunch of rims too but they have too many numbers in their lineup for me to keep track of.
There are nicer hubs out there with burly axles if you want uberstout.
There are nicer hubs out there with burly axles if you want uberstout.
NoReg
10-20-05, 11:34 AM
300 all up is nothing. You pass thin guys who all up have that with extravagent gear, or "big" guys like me who were careful with what they took, and were 300-320 depending on water etc...
My bike cost 1000, Alexrims DL22, 36 spokes, LX hubs. The wheels were straight when I bought them, they are straight after 1000 miles of road and mild offroad. I never ran anything in. I just left with new Brooks saddle, new bike, and full confidence in my not so LBS, Urbane cyclist. If you don't think your local shop knows squat you could order your wheels from someone who does like Rivendell has LX based touring wheels, or Gordon.
You may start out "FAT", that won't last long. I ate healthy on my 1000 miles, and certainly didn't diet. But because of the output level, I felt like eating good stuff, you can't put bad gas in the tank. End result was significant weight loss. I don't have a scale, but clothes that haven't fit in 15 years... Anyway, my legs are bigger also, so weight may not be the main issue.
My bike cost 1000, Alexrims DL22, 36 spokes, LX hubs. The wheels were straight when I bought them, they are straight after 1000 miles of road and mild offroad. I never ran anything in. I just left with new Brooks saddle, new bike, and full confidence in my not so LBS, Urbane cyclist. If you don't think your local shop knows squat you could order your wheels from someone who does like Rivendell has LX based touring wheels, or Gordon.
You may start out "FAT", that won't last long. I ate healthy on my 1000 miles, and certainly didn't diet. But because of the output level, I felt like eating good stuff, you can't put bad gas in the tank. End result was significant weight loss. I don't have a scale, but clothes that haven't fit in 15 years... Anyway, my legs are bigger also, so weight may not be the main issue.
metal_cowboy
10-20-05, 09:34 PM
I am a big rider-240lbs and have had great success with the Mavic A719 36h rim. I have had them laced to an assortment of hubs:LX, XT,105 with no problems at all. The last set I bought was from Performance. They had A719 rims with 105 hubs. I think I paid around $199 for the set.
check out this auction on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Hand-Built-XT-Mavic-A719-36-Spoke-Wheels-Wheelset_W0QQitemZ7190049399QQcategoryZ58098QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Have you choosen a frame yet? For your price range you have a lot of good choices. I am currently in the process of building up a Surly LHT. Total price for the build should come up around $1300.
Good luck.
check out this auction on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Hand-Built-XT-Mavic-A719-36-Spoke-Wheels-Wheelset_W0QQitemZ7190049399QQcategoryZ58098QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Have you choosen a frame yet? For your price range you have a lot of good choices. I am currently in the process of building up a Surly LHT. Total price for the build should come up around $1300.
Good luck.