Road Cycling - Too big for road bikes??

I am 250 lbs.. Is that too much for those skinny little tires?

Erm, well, maybe. I would consider a cyclocross or touring bike, something that can take slightly wider tires (like 700x28c) with 36-spoke wheels.

RichC

I have 26 on my new bike and no problem as of yet. If I had to choose, I'd probably go 28 and adjust tire pressure accordingly. I'm 260 pounds by the way. Spec Allez Elite steel version. I chose steel over aluminum.

Well I must be tearing up bikes right and left!! NOT!

I ride on 700x23 fortezza tires at 140 psi on an AL frame and haven't broken anything! YET?:rolleyes:

GET on your BIKE and ride!:D

280# (330 when I started)
Mavic CXP-23 32 rear 24 front
700x25's

No problems

There is nothing inherently weak or fragile about a road bike. Some of the stupid-light 14lbs machines need health warnings, but your average, affordable 18-21lbs bike is quite strong enough.
The weakest link is the rear wheel. Big guys should use a (rear) wheel with 36 spokes rather than 32, prefereably handbuilt. You should also go for a larger tyre than smaller guys. 28mm is a nice size.

Are 28mm the thin tires?

compared to mtb tires, the 28 is thin. to me the 28 is rather big. but the 23 is for me, the "thin" one..

If you buy a racing frame you need to be careful that 28c tires will even fit.

That's why I suggest looking at a touring or cyclocross bike, which should be available with the stronger wheels and clearance for wider tires that larger riders may need. It's still a road bike, and while you may not want to do a time trial on one it's also a lot more versatile.

RichC

Shimano make a road caliper brake which has more room for medium sized tyres, like those 28mm. The brake bridge and fork on the frame need to be more generously placed to take advantage of these brakes, you can't just replace the tight-clearance brakes on a std road bike.
There are some light-touring bikes which are designed around these, and I can recomend the design for general purpose road cycling, rather than racing. Light-touring bikes are not designed for hauling heavy luggage like a full touring bike, but for long fast day rides and weekend jaunts.

Originally posted by headliner
Are 28mm the thin tires?

nope the 18's are the thin ones...there getting hard to get so I ride either 20's pumped to 160 or 23's pumped to 130+

You'll be just fine, trust me. I started riding my road bike at over 270lbs. A Lemond Buenos Aires, 700x25 tires and havn't had a single problem at all. I'm down to about 250lbs now and still no problems yet. Don't worry about your size, just don't go for the super ultra light parts and bikes and you'll be fine.

Originally posted by slide13
You'll be just fine, trust me. I started riding my road bike at over 270lbs. A Lemond Buenos Aires, 700x25 tires and havn't had a single problem at all. I'm down to about 250lbs now and still no problems yet. Don't worry about your size, just don't go for the super ultra light parts and bikes and you'll be fine.

My exact story with a Lemond BA, except that I am about 40 pounds less. But never a hitch with the Lemond BA, despite dire predictions from some.

I am a pretty large rider. I am 190 lbs when I am reasonably lean.

I had a friend who was 240 and he might have had a bit of a tummy but not much. He was 6'6" and he was not a bean pole by any stretch of the imagination and he was a pretty fast rider. He did fine on 36 spokes and 25 mm tires.

You'll be fine. My DH has a Trek 1000 (average stock tires) and he weighs around 255. No problems.

I just started getting into triathlons - minis and sprints, I just recently bought a Specialized Allez Elite. I'm 265, I carry a lot of muscle mass, especially in my legs and shoulders, but I could still lose a good 30 of fat. I too was little worried about the high-end rims, skinny tires, etc. It was all completely unfounded however. I ride 3-4 times a week anywhere from 8 to 20 miles and have had absolutely zero problems, nor do I foresee any. In fact, because I'm so much more efficient on a road bike, and I the fact that I love the way my new bike looks with the upgrades I've put on it, I find that I'm riding more often and further, which is helping me lose those extra pounds.