Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - I Am Back and Bike Build

About a year ago I decided to commute to work, about 20 miles round trip, and did a lot of research and nothing more. Money, sloth, feeling like a fool to be riding old and fat in front of people all colluded to keep me from doing anything. Last week I decided, screw it all; I am tired of being a fat slug. So I ordered my bike.

I ordered a Surly LHT complete. What great excitement I had. That was until they told me I could not get it until late July or early August. I want it now dang it. So I found a shop that had a frame in my size that would build one up for me. The problem is that the parts I wanted, the parts I would eventually buy for the complete bike anyway, would cost me twice as much as the Surly complete. Of course the parts I would use to build up the bike are far better than those on the complete bike I think. Then there is the build price and shipping.

The bike will be used for a 20 mile round trip commute and light tours. It will have to carry a 372 lb rider with gear.

What do you think of the build at a price double that of a complete bike? What would you change?
So here are the parts I would use (48 spoke wheels hand built):
Phil cassette hub
Schmidt hub
E6 light & hbar mount
80 Wheelsmith db spokes
Sun Rhyno rims
Sugino XD300 crank
Shimano BB
MKS pedals
SRAM PC-58 chain
stem and spacers
Albatross bar
cork grips and cloth tape
Shimano BL440 levers
Shimano BR550 cantis
105 f-der
LX r-der
FSA Orbit XLII headset
kalloy seatpost
brooks b17 or b67
Shimano Ultegra bar-end shifters
cassette SRAM 8sp 12-32
tubes and rimstrips
Panaracer Pasela TG tires 700x35
Planet Bike Cascadia fenders
Surly Nice Rack

Sounds llike a great commuter AND touring bike! You've more or less specced a MILSPEC bombproof bike!:D ;)
About a year ago I decided to commute to work, about 20 miles round trip, and did a lot of research and nothing more. Money, sloth, feeling like a fool to be riding old and fat in front of people all colluded to keep me from doing anything. Last week I decided, screw it all; I am tired of being a fat slug. So I ordered my bike.

I ordered a Surly LHT complete. What great excitement I had. That was until they told me I could not get it until late July or early August. I want it now dang it. So I found a shop that had a frame in my size that would build one up for me. The problem is that the parts I wanted, the parts I would eventually buy for the complete bike anyway, would cost me twice as much as the Surly complete. Of course the parts I would use to build up the bike are far better than those on the complete bike I think. Then there is the build price and shipping.

The bike will be used for a 20 mile round trip commute and light tours. It will have to carry a 372 lb rider with gear.

What do you think of the build at a price double that of a complete bike? What would you change?
So here are the parts I would use (48 spoke wheels hand built):
Phil cassette hub
Schmidt hub
E6 light & hbar mount
80 Wheelsmith db spokes
Sun Rhyno rims
Sugino XD300 crank
Shimano BB
MKS pedals
SRAM PC-58 chain
stem and spacers
Albatross bar
cork grips and cloth tape
Shimano BL440 levers
Shimano BR550 cantis
105 f-der
LX r-der
FSA Orbit XLII headset
kalloy seatpost
brooks b17 or b67
Shimano Ultegra bar-end shifters
cassette SRAM 8sp 12-32
tubes and rimstrips
Panaracer Pasela TG tires 700x35
Planet Bike Cascadia fenders
Surly Nice Rack

48 spoke wheels? @_@ Sounds BOMBPROOF to me! How much did you end up spending?

I have not pulled the trigger yet. I wanted some input from those with experience. Sounds like it is ok though. I consider Storm an expert on strong bikes. It will come to about 2,500 us built and delivered.

If you have the change, I bet that build would never, ever, ever have a problem. I mean you might have to replace a chain or tire every once in awile, but if you ever have to true a wheel... I'm going to be blown away!

However, that being said, I started riding a bone stock Specialized hardrock at 420lbs last summer. Almost 800 miles on it, much of them VERY abusive and I've not had a single problem. I think the BB is starting to want replacement, but I haven't had a single wheel problem. Stock 36h Alex cheapies.

I also have a Trek 7.3FX that I pretty much had constant rear wheel problems with. The LBS built me a 32h (at their suggestion) Sun RhynoLite with DT spokes and a Deore hub, about 140 miles on it with 0 problems so far, and I'm at 390. I don't think I'll have any problems with this one, I was even worried about it :D

I think if you want to save money, jumping down to 36h Rhynolites with XT hubs and DT spokes would do you just fine. However, if you have the cash, this build would be.... awesome.

FYI please post pics :D

I have not pulled the trigger yet. I wanted some input from those with experience. Sounds like it is ok though. I consider Storm an expert on strong bikes. It will come to about 2,500 us built and delivered.
That's actually not a bad price!:D As to OK, no....not ok, instead, excellent!:D

Well, as the song goes, "Bang, Bang". I pulled the trigger. The wife said ok. The wallet said hell no. But what the hey. With gas at 3 buckss a gallon and only going up, the bike will pay for itself eventually.

I did forget to ask. Should I go with the sprung Brooks B67 or the unsprung B17? I see more B17's on Ebay so I think I will go with the B67 first, but could be persuaded to change my mind. I don't think the B17's are on Ebay because people don't like them. Unfortunetly I would guess that so many people use them that they get stolen often.

Well, as the song goes, "Bang, Bang". I pulled the trigger. The wife said ok. The wallet said hell no. But what the hey. With gas at 3 buckss a gallon and only going up, the bike will pay for itself eventually.

I did forget to ask. Should I go with the sprung Brooks B67 or the unsprung B17? I see more B17's on Ebay so I think I will go with the B67 first, but could be persuaded to change my mind. I don't think the B17's are on Ebay because people don't like them. Unfortunetly I would guess that so many people use them that they get stolen often.
B67 is for more of an upright riding position vs the B17 (even or slightly above the saddle on the bars), for a slightly forward position (Lower than the saddle on the bars). It will depend on your setup for whether you ride in a more relaxed touring set up or ride in the "Eddie Merxx tuck".

No tuck for this mega clyde.

No tuck for this mega clyde.
B67 then.:D

Here's what I ride in a saddle. It's a low cost Brooks Conquest clone, which is a sprung copy of the Pro.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/Setuptotour010.jpg

I was looking at your bike earlier...very sweet.

Well, as the song goes, "Bang, Bang". I pulled the trigger. The wife said ok.

I did forget to ask. Should I go with the sprung Brooks B67 or the unsprung B17?

Getting your wife to OK it is 90% of the battle. I'm still trying to convince mine I need one. What line did you use? :D

I have a sprung B67 and I like it!

My lines, plural.

First I told her that I would need to make lots of upgrades to the complete bike. So it was like I was saving money.

If I don't get my weight down I will die..halving your anual income...
this works well.

I will be commuting. At 3 bucks a gal I will pay for it in no time.

My old bike is a MTB. I could fix it with good parts, but then I would have a fairly expensive bike that I am uncomfortable riding. I really need a road bike for commuting.

If you don't let me get one I will hold my breath until I die....kinda.

You know honey, I let you buy things all the time. Just look at all the garage saling you do. Be careful here. If she realizes that the dollar spending is 1,000 to 1 in your favor this can backfire.

You know, I am getting so burned out at work. You know, a commute by bike would do alot to relieve my stress. Heck, you know how I don't do anything around the house because I am so exhausted from work? Well I think that is from all the stress, so riding to work will help me do more work around the house.

In reality I have been looking into this bike thing for a couple of years. She knows that I am worried about my size breaking a bike and understands my desire for premium parts and their cost.

Mein Gott! I had the same conversation with MY wife!

By the way, try to get your wife into riding as well! That way, when you still don't do any housework because you are now out riding centuries, etc, you can get her to go along with you and it'll be a mutual thing!:p

We will be riding together, and eventually I hope to get her to comute too.

Getting your wife to OK it is 90% of the battle. I'm still trying to convince mine I need one. What line did you use? :D

I have a sprung B67 and I like it!

I've found that the "honey, I lost five pounds last week!" line works wonders for new bike or bike-related purchases :D

Mein Gott! I had the same conversation with MY wife!

By the way, try to get your wife into riding as well! That way, when you still don't do any housework because you are now out riding centuries, etc, you can get her to go along with you and it'll be a mutual thing!:p

I wish I could get my wife onto a bike, any good tips on how?

Other then maybe with gas at $1.13/L (for you Americans, that's $4.351 per US Gallon, for comparison :eek: ), for the "cheap" stuff, it's over $50 to fill the tank on the old money pit, biking instead of driving would be a good idea......

I wish I could get my wife onto a bike, any good tips on how?

Other then maybe with gas at $1.13/L (for you Americans, that's $4.351 per US Gallon, for comparison :eek: ), for the "cheap" stuff, it's over $50 to fill the tank on the old money pit, biking instead of driving would be a good idea......
Well, there's always the carrot on a stick.......just substitute a diamond ring:D ;)

Actually, does she have a decent bike? If so, get her out and let her set the pace, and maybe find some "Family" rides through the local Bike Club. Get her into the social aspect. That's the key to a cycling wife.....make it fun!

Well, even though I fell off the wagon, I have always loved riding a bike. I never recieved a runners 'high', but a good ride on a sweet bike is heaven. So some of my day-dreaming has rubbed off I think.

I think bike riding is a great couples time thing at its best. Your able to hold a conversation, view the sights, share in new sights, and stop anytime the mood hits yeah. It is not such a big deal right now, because of my physical ability, but early in our marriage I always made things competitive. It would be a hard ride, long or fast, and I made it not fun for her. This time God has slowed me down and I am just hoping she doesn't pay me back by riding to long or fast for me.

Right now my wife would not consider commuting in or through traffic to work. So I start commuting and show that I can make it home with out getting splatted. We ride fun rides on trails and bike paths on weekends. Then i will slowly introduce short runs on roads with light traffic. I will be upfront about our route change with her. Then I will use google to identify the best route from our house to her work. I will travel it at the same time of days she would have to travel it. Her shift starts and six am and ends between three and five pm. Then I will ride with her for the first few days she will comute even if I need to take off work to do it. Then I will leave it up to her.

**edit**
We have a very calm, in traffic, ride to the grocery store. We will be doing our shopping on bike as soon as I get my bike, and she will join me.

That is my plan anyway.

Well, there's always the carrot on a stick.......just substitute a diamond ring:D ;)

Actually, does she have a decent bike? If so, get her out and let her set the pace, and maybe find some "Family" rides through the local Bike Club. Get her into the social aspect. That's the key to a cycling wife.....make it fun!

She doesn't have a bike at the moment, so that is the first problem...

Ah. Maybe plan a bike vacation together and get her a present with two wheels.

Ah. Maybe plan a bike vacation together and get her a present with two wheels.
Actually, I'd rent a bike for the first time.

Take her off to a beach weekend and rent a bike for her, Wogster, and let her have some fun!

Actually, I'd rent a bike for the first time.

Take her off to a beach weekend and rent a bike for her, Wogster, and let her have some fun!

Definitely thinking in that direction, actually we have the perfect place for a one day trip, the Toronto Islands, pick up an extra bike on the way down, lash the camera bag to the rear rack on my beast, and spend the day..... Nice thing about the Islands, is no cars, although plenty of "meat" pylons along the way..... Maybe get her Brother (another bike nut) to co-conspire:D

We live next to a rails-to-trails path. Have a 20 mile ride to a B&B set up for late June. After that we will increase the rides to whatever is comfortable. There is a B&B or camping every 10 miles or so down the trail. The trail length is 225 miles or so.

We live next to a rails-to-trails path. Have a 20 mile ride to a B&B set up for late June. After that we will increase the rides to whatever is comfortable. There is a B&B or camping every 10 miles or so down the trail. The trail length is 225 miles or so.
What trail is this?

Katy in Mo.

Definitely thinking in that direction, actually we have the perfect place for a one day trip, the Toronto Islands, pick up an extra bike on the way down, lash the camera bag to the rear rack on my beast, and spend the day..... Nice thing about the Islands, is no cars, although plenty of "meat" pylons along the way..... Maybe get her Brother (another bike nut) to co-conspire:D
Cool! Carry a bit of bag space for souvenirs, by the way......you know women and shopping!;) When Earlena and I tour, I wind up mailing home at least 85 pounds of figurines and nicknacks and stuffed animals!:D

Katy in Mo.
OK, cool! I'm kinda looking in to a ride on the Katy. I'll let you know when we do it. It sounds like a nice trip.:D

It would be great to meet you.

This would make a great Clyde Ride!

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/cities.asp

Yep, I will have to build up to it, but I am hoping next year to do a round tripper. I would be starting just outside St. Charles. Maybe we could form the first annual Mo. Clyde Ride 2008.

The Trail takes you past Daniel Boon's home and Herman, the birth place of Mark Twain...AKA Sam (the man) Clemens.

Yep, I will have to build up to it, but I am hoping next year to do a round tripper. I would be starting just outside St. Charles. Maybe we could form the first annual Mo. Clyde Ride 2008.
Sounds doable!:D

Yep, I will have to build up to it, but I am hoping next year to do a round tripper. I would be starting just outside St. Charles. Maybe we could form the first annual Mo. Clyde Ride 2008.

That's close to my neck of the woods. I could definitely throw the bike in the back of the pickup and head down for a day or two, I think :)

Cool! Carry a bit of bag space for souvenirs, by the way......you know women and shopping!;) When Earlena and I tour, I wind up mailing home at least 85 pounds of figurines and nicknacks and stuffed animals!:D

Actually there isn't much to buy on the Islands souvenir wise, but there is downtown :rolleyes:

A nice ride would be to bike from home to the Top of Bike Route (BR) 35 take that downtown, then take Blue Jay way down to Lakeshore Blvd, scoot over to Queen's Quay (pronouced Key), to the Ferry docks, take the Ferry to Hanlans Point, bike over to Wards Island, take the ferry back to the Ferry Docks, bike East to Lower Sherbourne, go up Sherbourne (BR39) to Elm (BR 41 ), take that to Mount Pleasent Cemetery -- doff your Helmet while visiting Late Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King (wonder why the Flag there is the Maple Leaf, instead of the Royal Union which was our flag at the time King was PM -- cut across the Beltline Bridge over the Davisville Subway yard - good place for um train spotting:rolleyes:, catch BR 35 at Oriole Park, and follow that home, probably about 60K total..... This is a ride I would like to Personally do this summer. Your probably wondering, why not go back the way I came, well Northbound (heading home) BR35, goes along Poplar Plains Rd, which goes up Russell Hill, yup, a hill so big, they named it, and steep too.... Mind you going down that Hill a block West, I hit 45km/h in a 30km/h zone:D Going East to Sherburne avoids Russell Hill completely.

However for a test ride, this would be a little far, rentals are available from Psycho.... er Cyclepath but they do rent hybrids for around $25/day or $40/weekend, which is probably a good start, although with Hybrids from the LBS starting at $399 I wonder if it's worth renting....

For a day, yes, long term goal is to get the hook in after all. The Mrs and I would meet ya both if we lived a bit closer!:D


Actually there isn't much to buy on the Islands souvenir wise, but there is downtown :rolleyes:

A nice ride would be to bike from home to the Top of Bike Route (BR) 35 take that downtown, then take Blue Jay way down to Lakeshore Blvd, scoot over to Queen's Quay (pronouced Key), to the Ferry docks, take the Ferry to Hanlans Point, bike over to Wards Island, take the ferry back to the Ferry Docks, bike East to Lower Sherbourne, go up Sherbourne (BR39) to Elm (BR 41 ), take that to Mount Pleasent Cemetery -- doff your Helmet while visiting Late Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King (wonder why the Flag there is the Maple Leaf, instead of the Royal Union which was our flag at the time King was PM -- cut across the Beltline Bridge over the Davisville Subway yard - good place for um train spotting:rolleyes:, catch BR 35 at Oriole Park, and follow that home, probably about 60K total..... This is a ride I would like to Personally do this summer. Your probably wondering, why not go back the way I came, well Northbound (heading home) BR35, goes along Poplar Plains Rd, which goes up Russell Hill, yup, a hill so big, they named it, and steep too.... Mind you going down that Hill a block West, I hit 45km/h in a 30km/h zone:D Going East to Sherburne avoids Russell Hill completely.

However for a test ride, this would be a little far, rentals are available from Psycho.... er Cyclepath but they do rent hybrids for around $25/day or $40/weekend, which is probably a good start, although with Hybrids from the LBS starting at $399 I wonder if it's worth renting....

For a day, yes, long term goal is to get the hook in after all. The Mrs and I would meet ya both if we lived a bit closer!:D

Well, if you have never Visited Toronto, you should give us a try sometime, gas is a little expensive, but then who needs gas, when you have bike:D

Well, if you have never Visited Toronto, you should give us a try sometime, gas is a little expensive, but then who needs gas, when you have bike:D
Yep, spent a bit of time around Streetville, Missasauga and T.O. itself.....I love the town!:D