Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Clydes and the Paramount

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View Full Version : Clydes and the Paramount


gwhunter
09-27-06, 08:46 PM
Have any of you 260 clydes had any success with a Waterford Paramount ? By this I mean with she hold up for a while ?


big john
09-27-06, 09:24 PM
A friend has a Paramount made from Columbus tubing and has ridden it for years at weights of up to 240. He doesn't ride a lot, but he loves that frame.
I have recently ordered a Gunnar from Waterford and can't wait to get it, but I am only 210.

markw
09-27-06, 09:38 PM
I'm 210 and have no issues with my 1990 Paramount. If you have a line on one, pick it up, they build up pretty light, and it's not too hard to get them below 20lbs. Of course, unless you're 6'6"+ you could remove some weight from yourself like I'm doing. I peaked at 235 and freaked out a few months back. Goal is 180 by January. Oh, the Waterford and 70's and earlier Paramounts are becoming collectors items. Mine's one of Waterford OS bikes.


gwhunter
09-27-06, 10:04 PM
yeah i picked up a 1987 model a couple of months ago, but have ridden it only a couple of times.. I ride the MS 150 ride from Houston to Austin ( 170 miles ) but I do it on my Cannondale, this spring Im planning to use the Paramount, I hope to be down to at least 230 by then.. I just don't want to hurt this nice bike on a trip like that. I'll probably take the Cannondale as a back up on the support truck.

markw
09-27-06, 10:10 PM
I rode mine at around 230. I went from a Cannondale R600 to the Paramount, night and day in the ride department. Keep the steel fork. The serial number will completely decode your bike. It's an OS tubed bike if the seat tube flares about an inch or so from the bottom bracket. Also, the Paramount has more bottom bracket drop than the Cannondales. It will handle completely different, and I felt that mine was way more stable on descents. I've hit 63 on the Paramount coming out of the mountains. That's how much I trust it. I love that bike. Waterford will do restorations on them cheaper in the off season. If you follow my sig, you'll see pictures of before and after on mine. It was an ugly white/red splatter when we found it.

DanteB
09-29-06, 06:19 PM
I have a Waterford 2200. When I ordered it from Waterford they built it for my weight, 230. I ride a 58cm frame and they usually builod it from light weight tubing, but if you let them know they will build it from medium weight tubing. It will increase the stiffness of the bottom bracket and you won't believe the power transfer to the rear wheel. I do centuries, double centuries and even triple centuries on mine. Since I bought it in late 2000 I've put more than 45,000 miles on it. I love my Waterford!!!!!