Commuting - Need help in choosing bike for a large frame male

hi, im completely new to biking/cycling and i need a little help. Im a fairly large guy (6'5 and about 260 lbs.) and i would like to start commuting to work. I live about 17 miles away (obviously i would have to work at my mileage). My question is do they make bikes that will accomadate my size and height so that the bike doesnt feel like its going to break or fall apart. I bought a bike from wal mart just to get back in the groove and lets just say the bike scared me. Im pretty sure the gears or something were going to break haha. So if any of you have any help or tips or websites with information i would greatly appreciate it! thanks in advance...

I can't speak for weight, but I'm 6'6" and there are plenty of bikes that fit me. I have a 37" inseam and usually feel great on 63-65cm bikes.

*NOTE* Not all bike manufacturers use the same measuring standards! It really threw me for a loop and I discounted some bikes just because I didn't think they made a size large enough for me. Some measure from the center of the bottom bracket to where the middle of the top tube intersects the seattube, some to where the top of the top tube intersects the seattube, and I think the usual measure is the bottom bracket to the top of the seattube(that is what I'm basing the 63-65 off of)

You can get a nice steel frame, possibly a touring bike, which should be able to deal with the extra weight. At any rate, you want to make sure you get a reasonable tire and a wheel with a high spoke count. I, in fact, just took home a Fuji Touring bike today and I love it...it rides like a cadillac :) Should definitely be able to handle your size...I got it for about $650 from Performance

i wouldnt recommend buying a rivendell model (purely based on cost, and how new you are to it, i think they are great bikes), but thier website has plenty of good info on bike sizing. be aware: 99 percent of bike shops will try to sell you on the largest bike they have, which is also the largest size a company makes. usually this is a 61 cm frame, or in some rare cases, a 63, both of which would be too small. also, dont let a bike shop just ask your height. if they do, they know nothing about proper road bike sizing, which is based on pubic bone height, again see the rivendell website. things to look for in a bike: wide gear range, ie not a road racing bike, tires with some cush: ie nothing smaller than a big 700 x 28, but idealy, a 700 x 32 or 38 will fit, with room for a fender. saddle should be close to the height of the bars, ideally level, or even a bit lower... get a good strong saddle like a brooks for your weight, and aviod trendy but again for your weight pointless suspension seatposts. http://www.rivbike.com/html/101_pureopinions.html feel free to drop a line if you have further inquiries... jamesjohnsonart@yahoo.com

go to your LBS and ask them--and build a good relationship with them-- it will pay off in the long run. They should be able to give you a lot of advice-

train safe-

You can do a semi-accurate inseam test with a book pushed up against your pubic bone and taking a few measurements. You can google bike fit and find plenty of sites that show you how and give you the formulas that will get you close to the bike size you want.

ridelugs is right, sometimes a store will try to push a bike that is too small(they rarely keep the largest sizes in stock) if they're trying to move older inventory or if that's a certain line's max size. I had one store try to put me on a 59cm which is waaaay too small, but it was last years model and on clearance...

hi, im completely new to biking/cycling and i need a little help. Im a fairly large guy (6'5 and about 260 lbs.) and i would like to start commuting to work. I live about 17 miles away (obviously i would have to work at my mileage). My question is do they make bikes that will accomadate my size and height so that the bike doesnt feel like its going to break or fall apart.

I'm 6'3", about 250 and my one-way commute is 19 miles so our situations are pretty similar. For several years I rode a hard-tail MTB with 26 x 1.5 road tires (Raleigh M-50, XL). It worked pretty well and felt solid, but it was barely big enough and I really wanted a road bike. I looked at many options, saved up a lot of money and ended up with a custom Waterford. However, there are plenty of non-custom bikes that should work for you.

Someone suggested the Fuji Touring - although I didn't actually buy one (came close) I would agree that the 64 cm model could be a good option for you. There are several steel frame touring bikes (Trek 520, Fuji Touring, Bianchi Volpe, Jamis ???) that come stock in large enough frames for you (probably 63-64 cm size) and give you a variety of price points.

Someone else suggested going to a local shop and getting their input - I agree with that too. Actually, I'd suggest that you start with a Fuji dealer if possible simply because the Fuji is one of the more inexpensive models.

However, be careful who you talk to. Many shops have inexperienced workers who will size you on a bike too small. With variations on compact frame design, sizes below the 63-64 cm range might work fine as long as the handlebars can be set high enough and the top tube gives you proper position. If you feel like a shop employee is pushing you into something small that happens to already be in stock, either go back at a different time and find a more experienced employee or find a different shop - there are some really good shops out there that more than earn their price difference over on-line, especially for beginners.

As for working up the the 17-mile commute, I'll often drive part way and leave my truck at a park or shopping mall and ride the rest. I've got partial ride options ranging from 4 to 10 miles each way.

Tom

thats a good point. i hadnt thought of driving half way.. a couple of you guys have mentioned fuji because they are inexpensive. Is their quality still good or does it kinda lack? also if i have to go up any hills am i going to hear any weird noises from the gears. the last bike i had made some clanging noises and i could feel the bike sort of pop and skip when i had to stand up to go up a hill. is this normal? i tried different gears with it as well so maybe i had the wrong one... either way fuji looks like a promising start.

also do they make folding bikes in 64cm frames and would this be an ok option??

For such a long commute a touring style bike would be ideal.
The frames are quite strong to carry a heavy load.
You usually get strong 36 spoke wheels and room for 32mm tyres + fenders.
They come with proper rack and fender threaded eyelets.
The drop bars will give you a variety of handholds.

Cannondale (http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/cusa/model-5TR8.html)tourers are very strong and stiff so ideal for larger riders. They do a 63.5 size.
Kona sometimes make big guy's bikes.
If you want anything much bigger then it will probably be a custom of speciality maker such as comotion (http://www.co-motion.com/mazama.html)or zinn (www.zinncycles.com/)
S

36 spoke rear wheels are a must if your over 220. Otherwise the probability of having issues with the spokes is very high.

thats a good point. i hadnt thought of driving half way.. a couple of you guys have mentioned fuji because they are inexpensive. Is their quality still good or does it kinda lack? also if i have to go up any hills am i going to hear any weird noises from the gears. the last bike i had made some clanging noises and i could feel the bike sort of pop and skip when i had to stand up to go up a hill. is this normal? i tried different gears with it as well so maybe i had the wrong one... either way fuji looks like a promising start.

also do they make folding bikes in 64cm frames and would this be an ok option??
Your drive train should not be poping, clanging or skiping under any kind of load. Although I have seen this on cheap Walmart bikes. I wouldn't stray too far from home on your current bike.
The Fuji tourer is a good bike as is the Jamis Aurora. The Fuji comes in a 64cm and the Jamis a 62cm but the Jamis will actually fit bigger than the Fuji according to the geometries posted on thier websites. Anything in the touring category that fits will do fine with your weight, though you may want to have the LBS retension/retrue your wheels after the first 100 miles or so.
A folding bike is probably not going to work for you. Most folding bikes come in limited sizes, are more flexible and more expensive than equivalent traditional bikes. They are good if you really don't have the room to store a fullsized bike or your commute includes a train/bus.

Craig

A point to consider is also that 2 bikes could have the same perfect-for-you standover height but when you actually stretch your torso out to ride them, you realize the top-tube is just too short or too long. I bought an older bike for cheap because it fit my inseam but it wasn't until I got it up and running that I realized I'm going to need a longer stem (which on an old american bike with a quill type stem and threaded headset of probably nonstandard sizing means much money and trouble)

I've spent the past 15 months re-sizing my '02 Giant MTB steelframe Boulder SE to 'fit' me. I'm 6'5", 220 lbs. Have put stem extension, different seat post, barends, etc. etc. It rides pretty comfortably altho looks like it is something out of 1940's France (see BF 50+ Rogues Gallery centexwoody on pg. 8).

I relate all this to say that once I got 'sized' for a bike at my LBS, I realized that I need a 64 cm frame so I've reached the limit to the Boulder SE in terms of re-sizing / re-fitting for road/recreational/commuting. Now I'm saving for a new bike, don't know what it's be but do know that I'll get one big enough for my frame. The issues I've had with shoulder pain, neck cramps, etc. have to do with improper sizing and not the bike's integrity itself. I've gotten about all the good experience I'm going to get out of my Giant MTB but wouldn't trade the past year's experience with it for anything.

When I bought my bike I was 6'2" and 230lbs. I went with a 63cm trek 1200. I tried a 61 and a 63 and the 63 just seemed to fit better. I did have to get a different stem because the stock 13cm stem was making me reach too far.

im getting alot of good advice here! thanks very much. what i seem to have taken from all of your knowledgable opinions is that i should go and be properly sized before i buy anything. my question is how will i know if i was sized right and the bike just didnt feel right while i was there at the store??

If you want to try a hybrid, Trek makes a 25" model. It is the largest stock model that I know of. I have put 2,000 miles on mine (7200) and just recently popped one spoke. BTW, I weigh more than you do;)

ok how will you know, good question! its easy, really. if the bars are level or close to it, with the saddle, and you are sitting with about a third your weight on your hands, and dont feel too stretched out, ie your neck isnt tilted way back so you can see whats in front of you, its a good fit. i would do the pubic bone height test at home, and plug that data in the rivendell chart, to get a loose idea before you even step into a bike shop.

I'm 6'4", 220-240 depending on my recent eating habits :-).I would definitely reinforce what others have said about sturdy equipment. I bought a new 62 CM Raleigh last year and am already on my 4th rim and second seat post. I like the sizing of the Raleigh though because it has a longer top tube than most other manufacturers, so fits me really well. Get something sturdy, steel, made for touring and forget about all the light weight high speed carbon fiber stuff (which costs more too) . My older ride is a '97 Fuji Roubaix, the last year they made them out of steel, it has served me really well, despite being a tad too small at 61cm. It has well over 25,000 miles on it and is still going strong.

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