Recumbent - bent for clydesdale

i believe i've read about this before in another thread....but i have a few questions;

clyde - 5'10" 400#....exercise is a matter of life or death for this person...diabetes, family history of heart problems, etc.

i'm thinking cycling could be a labor of love for this person. something he'll look forward to doing everyday.

soooo, the well worn question; what are some options this person should look to? he's looked at comfort/mtb bikes, but they're just not comfortable. i've sent him links to special saddles as an option. i'm thinking i should steer him towards bents. probably even a trike.

i know many clydes are able to get fitted with a road or hybrid that is comfortable for them and they love to ride. i'm thinking this person needs a few thousand miles on his legs before he's ready for that style of cycling.

can you share some personal or 2nd hand experiences and/or give me some sound advice to pass along?

Hello:
look at a Rans V2 with a 48 spoke rear HD wheel and 36 spoke front 20" with Specialized Armadillo 26x1.75 rear tire and Conti 20" Top touring front tire.

You might want look at Lightfoot: http://www.lightfootcycles.com/big_tall.htm

It is a VERY rare bent that will handle 400#. I don't think anything Rans
makes will do it. Lightfoot has some provisos on their web site that suggest
400# is marginal. Any suitable bike will have to have a SWB, really heavy
duty frame and wide tires so CLWB and LWB are out. DF bikes are more
realistic from a weight handling capacity or cargo trikes which in them
selves weigh upwards of 100#.

" DF bikes are more
realistic from a weight handling capacity"

Probably true, but most of the heavier people that I know won't go near an upright. Comfort? appearances? don't know but I do know that activity level is a MUST for losing weight and getting healthy. See if some dealer (or company) won't take the chance of backing a bike with the understanding that photos will be taken and can be used by the dealer/company for advertising when the individual loses his weight......which he will if he remains faithful.

i believe i've read about this before in another thread....but i have a few questions;

clyde - 5'10" 400#....exercise is a matter of life or death for this person...diabetes, family history of heart problems, etc.

i'm thinking cycling could be a labor of love for this person. something he'll look forward to doing everyday....
Not to be rude or anything--but a "clyde" is usually something over 200 lbs. 400 lbs is something else entirely. You're not likely to walk into any bike shop and find a bike built for a single 400-lb rider.

I would second the lightfootcycles recommendation, that's the only place I know of that builds for very heavy riders, but it isn't going to be an inexpensive route.
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I think that recumbents are better for everyone--but especially for overweight people, for two reasons.
....First is that the saddles used on upright bikes tend to be tiny, and the pain they cause rises quickly the heavier the rider is. Padded shorts won't help much, but then again, nobody makes them anywhere near that big anyway.
....Second is the fact that upright bicycles make people lean over forward, and there's not really anyplace that makes clothes for fat people that fit properly in this position. Their shirts slide upwards and their pants fall down while riding, which is embarassing enough to keep them from riding at all. On a recumbent this is not a problem, because they are sitting in a seat, sitting on the shirt and pants, so the clothes stay where they should.

Once he gets down to ~300 lbs, he can start looking at other "regular" 2-wheel recumbents, which would be considerably more agile than a large trike. There's upright bikes would hold a rider that heavy too of course, but at that point he's still going to have the clothing problem. This depends somewhat on how tall the person is, but the largest cycling clothing commonly sold in the US seems to drop off at around 225 lbs.

Recumbents are generally much more comfortable to ride anyway, if the rider is fat or not.
Many recumbent riders are still perfectly capable of riding uprights--we just don't want to anymore.
~

400 lbs is something else entirely



i couldn't find a forum titled "cycling for the morbidly obese"

may want to look at some trikes - greenspeed probably. Less need to balance weight, and the person can simply stop and relax on the bike when they run out of breath.

Also, is this personal medically cleared for biking? At that weight, walking may be the best option.

may want to look at some trikes - greenspeed probably. Less need to balance weight, and the person can simply stop and relax on the bike when they run out of breath.

Also, is this personal medically cleared for biking? At that weight, walking may be the best option.
aikigreg makes some valid points.....he should be medically cleared. I will stand by the assumption that activity must be increased gradually and continually to reap benefits. There will be risk in activity but there is also a risk of doing nothing as you have already alluded to.

Aikigreg also mentions Greenspeed a good suggestion as they make "custom" trikes. Probably not cheap but then what is a life worth. Again, talk to a dealer and if your friend takes before and after pics and meets his obligations of losing weight possibly some kind of "deal" could be worked out that could offset some of the risk and cost. Good luck and don't give up.

Aikigreg also mentions Greenspeed a good suggestion as they make "custom" trikes. Probably not cheap but then what is a life worth. Again, talk to a dealer and if your friend takes before and after pics and meets his obligations of losing weight possibly some kind of "deal" could be worked out that could offset some of the risk and cost. Good luck and don't give up.


Another thing to consider with something like a Greenspeed trike is that getting on and off may be seriously inconvenient if not almost impossible because they are so low. And it may not be large enough for them, but you will have to fill out the form to know for sure.

Perhaps something like the EZ 3 trike should be considered.

Does it have to be a recumbent? The Mazama from Co-Motion is purpose-built for larger people. I (a Clyde myself at 229...down from 244) have a tandem from them, they know a thing or two about weight bearing.

http://www.co-motion.com/mazama.html

Check out Worksman which makes industrial bikes. The PAV-3 3spd has a capacity of 550lbs and looks to be easy to get into and out of.

http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/pav3.html

Mike.

Check out Worksman which makes industrial bikes. The PAV-3 3spd has a capacity of 550lbs and looks to be easy to get into and out of.

http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/pav3.html

Mike.
Well nuts, I forgot about that one totally. It certainly sweeps the price criteria, doesn't it?

It's not hardly a "performance" trike, but someone that heavy isn't likely to be real interested in carving and drifting much anyway.
~

I don't normally recommend Worksman, but they might be a good option in this case. They are strong and the seat is at a good height. EZ-3 is another possibility. Most other trikes are going to be low and hard for a 400-pounder to get in and out of. Also, whether tadpole or delta, someone that heavy might be rubbing body parts against the wheels. I would also consider an EZ-1, if you can get one to fit (x-seam might be a little too much for one at that height and weight.) Heavy, steel, and with small wheels. The seat might need to be rebuilt to handle the weight, but the rest of the bike would probably take the abuse. I would at least contact EasyRacers and ask them.

Check out Worksman which makes industrial bikes. The PAV-3 3spd has a capacity of 550lbs and looks to be easy to get into and out of.

http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/pav3.html

Mike.
Hey, never heard of them but it kinda looks like something that my 78 year young mother is looking for. Heavy looking.....I wonder if they are hard to propel.

I don't normally recommend Worksman, but they might be a good option in this case. They are strong and the seat is at a good height. EZ-3 is another possibility. Most other trikes are going to be low and hard for a 400-pounder to get in and out of. Also, whether tadpole or delta, someone that heavy might be rubbing body parts against the wheels. I would also consider an EZ-1, if you can get one to fit (x-seam might be a little too much for one at that height and weight.) Heavy, steel, and with small wheels. The seat might need to be rebuilt to handle the weight, but the rest of the bike would probably take the abuse. I would at least contact EasyRacers and ask them.


Yes, I was on a ride in Ohio with a couple guys who were 400+ EASY, so they trike seems to work well for them. Of course, one had an electric assist because he couldn't haul himself up the hills, but that may or may not be necessary for your "friend." :)

thanks for the help everyone!

i never questioned if he was medically cleared. he's wondering about how to make his bike more comfortable, so i guess i just assumed so. his actual weight is around 380.

it doesn't have to be a recumbent. i'm just trying to give him ideas or alternatives so that he can find something healthy that he'll love to to do. i think a trike may be his best bet.

I wonder why there aren't many bikes made for people who are simply big. Not fat, but big. I am 6'5 and while I could lose a few pounds(after a nasty winter of staring at my bike then window, then bike again) but I am not fat by any means. I've come back down to my normal weight after being restricted to crutches/wheelchair due to a rugby injury/knee surgery and a lot of that is due to my recumbent(doc won't let me play rugby anymore. lame). But if I had been in my chair/on crutches for another 6 months I probably would have been up to 325'ish.

It seems to me that the bicycle industry could benefit greatly from making bikes that suit bigger(both fat and big people). The fat people might be able to become a bit healthier and the bigger people could have a bike to ride. My brother is 6'8 and can't find a DF roadie that fits for the life of him. If he were a beanstock 6'8 maybe, but he sits at 290 and he is cut(very in shape).
What to do, what to do.

Preach! I'm 6'7, 280 and have a heck of a time finding anything that fits. I've got my BikeE RX which fits pretty decent so I've been sinking cash into it, rejuvenating it somewhat. It's tough finding anything that works for me.

Regarding tall: My 16yo son is 6'7" (200cm) tall with size 17 shoes, skinny like a beanstalk. For a reasonable budget we found him an off-the-shelf regular production 66cm diamond frame, the Soma Smoothie ES (http://somafab.com/extrasmoothie.html), for his intended purpose of long distance touring.

Big bikes aren't common for the same reason big everything-else is uncommon: he's way off the economically attractive hump of the demographic curve. Big bike clothes are available ready-made (check the clyde forum) but hard to find and expensive.

Holland has a lot of very tall people... and it's a bike-friendly country. Maybe it's a good place to start looking?

Preach! I'm 6'7, 280 and have a heck of a time finding anything that fits. I've got my BikeE RX which fits pretty decent so I've been sinking cash into it, rejuvenating it somewhat. It's tough finding anything that works for me.
You might check out the Cycle Genius Raven and Falcon (the same frame and fork is used for both models)--the frames are long, the weight isn't horrible and they don't cost much, $1100-$1300. I am 6'2", I run clipless pedals (so the balls of my feet are on the pedals, not the arches) and there's still 3" of space I could scoot the seat backwards. With the seat all the way back, I can't even keep my feet on the pedals all the way around the crank revolution.
~

I just got an EZ-3 USX for my dad. He's not as big as your friend, but he's pretty big. I tried the trike on for myself, and it seems *very* sturdy. Not as quick or nimble as a greenspeed, but very user-friendly.

http://www.sunbicycles.com/sun/recumbents/ez3USX/ez3USX.htm

I ride both a Tour Easy EX and a Sun Tad, am 6 feet and am down to 265 thanks to a wonderful diabetic medicine called Byetta. The Sun Tad is rated at 300 with the stock (inexpensive) wheels, which are the weak link on any bike for a large person. My first move was to upgrade to Velocity Aeroheat wheels. My Sun Tad is for sale at $1000, cash - I have about $1700 in it. I'm located just South of Chicago, have pics available as well as a vid. E-mail at Tourezrick@yahoo.com

I ride both a Tour Easy EX and a Sun Tad, am 6 feet and am down to 265 thanks to a wonderful diabetic medicine called Byetta. The Sun Tad is rated at 300 with the stock (inexpensive) wheels, which are the weak link on any bike for a large person. My first move was to upgrade to Velocity Aeroheat wheels. My Sun Tad is for sale at $1000, cash - I have about $1700 in it. I'm located just South of Chicago, have pics available as well as a vid. E-mail at Tourezrick@yahoo.com

i'll pass the message along.......my inlaws are in o.p.

You're not likely to walk into any bike shop and find a bike built for a single 400-lb rider.

~


Do a little research. I'm 6'2" and 330#. Rans V2 is a possibility for me but it tops out around 350, so it's too light weight for a 400# person. I recently test rode a used Tour Easy size Medium-Large. It was too short for me but before the test ride, I called Easy Racer and found out that, with the proper wheels, that frame can go to 450#.

As for diamond frame bikes, Trek 7300FX will support 400# off the showroom floor. My LBS sold me one about a year ago and I asked about max loading. He has a 7'2" 400# customer who ISN'T fat. They called Trek before the bike was sold to be sure. I've put a number of miles on mine, and had NO problems when I started at 360#.

Gone

Doug:

Clothing for Clydes: www,aerotechdesigns.com and who cares if it's attractive or not

As to a bike handling the weight, I was 450 pounds when I restarted riding and carried a 20 pound Oxygen tank on my back....on a cheap department store bike, and a bike spec'd for 350 pounds is lawyer spec'd. www.supersizedcycles.com carries a recumbent trike spec'd for 500 pounds. Granted, it's a Workman, but they do state the capacity. The stated capacity of the Sun EZ 3 is about 350 pounds, but will carry more as well and rides better than the Workman (21 gears vs 3).

The main issue is side loading the wheels and worst case, you'll need to true them a bit more often. The frame isn't going to collapse on him. Rather than discouraging someone from riding, you ought to encourage then to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Here are some pics so you can see the progression. Granted I ride a DF bike, but I have researched recumbents fairly thoroughly before I got one for the wife.......
Before and midpoint
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Project1.jpg
First bike back to riding....with oxygen
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Bicycle001.jpg
Current
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Cardinal%20Greenway%20and%20other%20rides/CardinalGreenway005.jpg

Not to be rude or anything--but a "clyde" is usually something over 200 lbs. 400 lbs is something else entirely. You're not likely to walk into any bike shop and find a bike built for a single 400-lb rider.

I would second the lightfootcycles recommendation, that's the only place I know of that builds for very heavy riders, but it isn't going to be an inexpensive route.
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I think that recumbents are better for everyone--but especially for overweight people, for two reasons.
....First is that the saddles used on upright bikes tend to be tiny, and the pain they cause rises quickly the heavier the rider is. Padded shorts won't help much, but then again, nobody makes them anywhere near that big anyway.
....Second is the fact that upright bicycles make people lean over forward, and there's not really anyplace that makes clothes for fat people that fit properly in this position. Their shirts slide upwards and their pants fall down while riding, which is embarassing enough to keep them from riding at all. On a recumbent this is not a problem, because they are sitting in a seat, sitting on the shirt and pants, so the clothes stay where they should.

Once he gets down to ~300 lbs, he can start looking at other "regular" 2-wheel recumbents, which would be considerably more agile than a large trike. There's upright bikes would hold a rider that heavy too of course, but at that point he's still going to have the clothing problem. This depends somewhat on how tall the person is, but the largest cycling clothing commonly sold in the US seems to drop off at around 225 lbs.

Recumbents are generally much more comfortable to ride anyway, if the rider is fat or not.
Many recumbent riders are still perfectly capable of riding uprights--we just don't want to anymore.
~

Doug:
Clothing for Clydes: www.aerotechdesigns.com and who cares if it's attractive or not
-The point is that a recumbent requires no cycling-specific clothing, and that recumbent riders have less incidence of seat-related problems overall.


As to a bike handling the weight, I was 450 pounds when I restarted riding and carried a 20 pound Oxygen tank on my back....on a cheap department store bike, and a bike spec'd for 350 pounds is lawyer spec'd. www.supersizedcycles.com carries a recumbent trike spec'd for 500 pounds. Granted, it's a Workman, but they do state the capacity. The stated capacity of the Sun EZ 3 is about 350 pounds, but will carry more as well and rides better than the Workman (21 gears vs 3).
The Worksman trike was the other one suggested.
I dunno how necessary the 21 speeds would be over a 3-speed, for someone so out of physical shape really.


The main issue is side loading the wheels and worst case, you'll need to true them a bit more often. The frame isn't going to collapse on him. ...
As I've seen and heard it--usually the wheels are the weakest link; bearings fail and spokes break. To avoid these problems, I would ASSUME that (for a bicycle) for someone roughly twice as heavy as normal, you'd at least want tandem-strength wheels. Of the bicycles listed at supersizedcycles, I'd bet that the only one that does is the $1800 "New Leaf" one. Considering the prices (and equipment levels) of all the others, I'd bet that none of them do.

Delta trikes like the Worksman also have a built-in advantage with heavier riders in that most of the weight is carried towards the rear, where there's two wheels to support it.

...Rather than discouraging someone from riding, you ought to encourage then to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Where did I discourage anyone from riding?
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Apology issued! I was tired last night and I reread your post and my tired brain interpreted it differently than my more awake brain cells did today! Sorry!:(


-The point is that a recumbent requires no cycling-specific clothing, and that recumbent riders have less incidence of seat-related problems overall.


The Worksman trike was the other one suggested.
I dunno how necessary the 21 speeds would be over a 3-speed, for someone so out of physical shape really.


As I've seen and heard it--usually the wheels are the weakest link; bearings fail and spokes break. To avoid these problems, I would ASSUME that (for a bicycle) for someone roughly twice as heavy as normal, you'd at least want tandem-strength wheels. Of the bicycles listed at supersizedcycles, I'd bet that the only one that does is the $1800 "New Leaf" one. Considering the prices (and equipment levels) of all the others, I'd bet that none of them do.

Delta trikes like the Worksman also have a built-in advantage with heavier riders in that most of the weight is carried towards the rear, where there's two wheels to support it.

Where did I discourage anyone from riding?
~