Road Cycling - How to pick a bike?

I really want to get invovled in road biking. I have lots of questions. Im a big guy 6'4 250lbs. what size bike do i need? and will the frame be strong enough for me? I have been looking at Trek bikes basically becuz its the only bike that i know of, I know there are tons others but i dont know what to look for. Lots of people have been telling me that its stupid to buy a bike and no one has really been behind me on this project but im ready to commit to it fully...thanks guys

Screw everyone else!

Let me be the first to say "go to your local bike store, get fitted, and go for some test rides".

Also, just about all frames will support your weight, wheels on the other hand may be a different story. But there are very simple solutions for those of your size and weight.

Also, use the search feature (it is up, I think) as this has been discussed many times in the not so distant past.

Welcome to the forum,

ehenz

The other Ohio guy has it right. SCREW THEM. When I got my bike in July I was 295. I am now down to 250 and cycling away the pounds. Checked with my Dr. and did stress tests every other week for a couple of months. Not only did my weight go down, but my cholesterol and blood pressure dropped too, not to mention the fact that my outlook on life went way up! In the last 3 months I have done 1100 miles and will easily make 2000 by the end of the year. I will be shopping for a new road bike to replace the older 520 in the spring and can't wait!!

Trek's have always been my bike of choice and I have had no problem with the "paired spoke technology" on my new Trek Hybrid, nor have I had any trouble on the Matrix touring rims that came on my 520 back in like 88. It's a touring bike so the rims were a little beeifer to begin with, but they are the original rims and still hold my diminishing 250lbs after all these years.

Go shop for a bike, find something comfortable and ride, ride, ride, it's as simple as that. DO NOT listen to others, but you might want to consult your Dr. just for safety's sake. If you need someone to commiserate with, feel free to PM me. I'd be happy to help convince you the nay-sayers are WRONG! You would be surprised how fast those nay-sayers turn to well wishers once you start to succeed.

Last but not least, pay attention to the folks around here, they really do know what they are saying, even though sometimes they may have to debate it for awhile! I have gotten extremely good advice by listening to these folks.

Thanks, you guys rock!!! i havent gotten this much support ever but of course yall ride lol...Im definetly going to listen to what everyone has to say thats the only way to learn. Im gunna go to the bike shop this weekend!

The most important thing about a bike is fit. Everything else is secondary. If it doesn't fit you, you won't ride it. Then, buy the best you can afford. Test ride as many bikes as possible and find a shop you can trust.

Hi HammerTheHill and welcome to the forums. All good advice above. I suggest finding a bike club, go to a meeting and some rides and get to know other cyclists in your area. You can learn much in a short time and find plenty of support as well. You're in Austin, I'm guessing there are a number of good clubs there, ask around at the bike shops.

Don't worry about what the non-cyclists say, they mostly think bikes are toys and are clueless. All of us are used to the blank stares we get from them.
Have fun.

maybe your freinds and relatives may not support you now, they will be once they see the results.
Since I got back to biking, I felt more energetic, active, etc. I also lost some pounds w/c made my body feel lighter and it feels I can move faster and be a more efficient worker.
After a while, friends have seen the results and are now making plans on getting a bike. I gave my wife a bike, and she loves it and supports my biking hobby.
Still, she gets nervous when I go to the bike shop for repairs -- I always end upo buying something.. lol

Anyway, as others have mentioned, fit is the most important factor when getting a roadbike. many bike shops have fitting tools and give you advice on what bike to get.

There are several frame materials: steel, aluminum, titanium, carbon composites.
Steel -- adv.: comfortable ride, strong, has some flex. disadv: heavy, prone to corrosion
Aluminum -- adv.: light, efficient power transmission. disadv: not so comfortable ride
Titanuim -- adv. light, comfortable ride, very strong. disadv.: price.
Carbon -- adv. light, efficient, comfortable disadv: price

Buying a bike, and riding it is just about the best thing anyone can do.
Pick your bike shop with care. They are the ones who will advise you on fit and features. Dont let them sell you what they happen to have rather than order some properly-fitting bike, this is a bad trick played by bad people. If your fav bike shop sells Trek, then that is a good reason to buy Trek rather than some other make.
There are some well established guidelines on fit, published around the web, but they may confuse the newbie. Tell us your inside leg and we should get into the right ballpark.
The trad racing position is quite low and extended, but many of us ride road bikes in a much more comfortable upright position. Bike shops often assume you want the low competition position if you buy a road bike.
Any of the large manufacturers (trek, Specialized, Canondale, Bianchi etc) make fine bikes, as do the smaller guys.
Al is a good material for big frames (maybe a bit harsh for small frames though), and it is light, strong and good value.
Dont be afraid to get back to us with more Q,

Welcome to the forums Hammer The Hill! It seems your getting great advice from everyone. I am also a tall man at 6'2" and when not in prime racing condition can tip 200LB.

There are a lot of things to consider when buying a bike. What type of riding do you intend to do? What is your plan for riding? Perhaps to get some basic exercise, or someday race.

Not everyone will agree with my viewpoint but for someone new to cycling I am not a firm believer in starting with a road bike. I race road bikes and therefore ride one myself but I have been racing for years. For someone getting into or back into cycling the feel of a road bike may be uncomfortable. If it doesn't feel comfortable you won't ride it. So yes, fit is very importand and well as function. I like the feel of a road bike, but my wife who is a casual rider wouldn't ride one. I bought her a hybred frame and when I ride with her I use my mountian bike.

I agree that one needs to follow the advice of a LBS about different bikes and test ride them. Don't do a "around the block" test ride. Find a shop that will allow you to spend an hour or more on a ride to really get the feel of a bike. Once you decide what your goal is then buy the type of bike that best fits that goal and enjoy it. You can always get other bikes as time goes on and you find yourself enjoying the sport.

Have fun, and follow the advice of many knowledable people on this forum.

I really want to get invovled in road biking. I have lots of questions. Im a big guy 6'4 250lbs. what size bike do i need? and will the frame be strong enough for me? I have been looking at Trek bikes basically becuz its the only bike that i know of, I know there are tons others but i dont know what to look for. Lots of people have been telling me that its stupid to buy a bike and no one has really been behind me on this project but im ready to commit to it fully...thanks guys

Well, you are not that big. A road bike can take your weight easy. I think bikes are overengineered. I rode a number of years with a guy who was 6'6" and 240 and he had no trouble at all on a pretty light racing bike with heavy duty wheels. Now you might want to get sturdy wheels but that depends on your use. I weight 195 but I break wheels up probably because I put a lot of miles on a wheel. So I now use Mavic T519 - but that is probably excessive for most people.

Trek makes a superb bike. But then again nearly every decent manufacturer makes a superb bike. There is no shortage of options.

Lots of people telling you are stupid? That happens to me all the time!!!

For exercise, cycling is great and especially for big guys. Someone of large size would probably get injuries on any impact exercise. Cycling is low impact so you can put in pretty near as many hours as you want. And boy does cycling do your aerobic conditioning all sorts of good. And you get endurance like you would not believe. And you can also burn off fat pretty fast on a bike if you do things right. It is even pretty safe once you learn the tricks of riding on the road. As a side benefit, I usually learn all the strange little byways in my area better then anyone else.

Just remember......

Strong

Light

Cheap

Pick 2.

(I believe this was first said/written by Kieth Bontrager. At least that is what I was told.)

I'm a fairly heavy rider (220) and have never broken a spoke/wheel (hang on a minute while I knock on some wood). But, I've always bought stronger than I thought I needed. :D

I really want a bike for excerise for now but i would love to race one day. In fact i know i want to race one day. Being hunched over on the bike doesnt bother me. I have ridin a friends before and it was real comfortable. Im not sure i understand what you mean by my inside leg. maybe some more explaining...im learning as we go

Inside leg is a tailoring measurement for trousers. Distance from crotch to ground in bare feet. It affects your standover distance for the top tube and the overall size of your bike.
The other critical bike dimension is the length of the top tube. This (together with the stem length) affects the length or reach from bars to saddle.
Since seatposts can be moved up and down with ease, it is more important to get a bike the right length, than the right height.

I really want to get invovled in road biking. I have lots of questions. Im a big guy 6'4 250lbs. what size bike do i need? and will the frame be strong enough for me? I have been looking at Trek bikes basically becuz its the only bike that i know of, I know there are tons others but i dont know what to look for. Lots of people have been telling me that its stupid to buy a bike and no one has really been behind me on this project but im ready to commit to it fully...thanks guys

Hey, I have numerous co-workers that have started road cycling over the last 4 years or so. I hope that in some small way my enthusiasm and support had a positive impact. But, here's the deal. Each of them have shed weight without diet, they can't stop talking about how much they enjoy it, they've done triathalons, centuries, and MS150s. From an article in the local paper a few months ago (which I clipped and kept) here's some comparative calorie burn rates for one hour of excersize (these are all for a person weighing 200lbs.)
Chopping wood 576
Swimming 576
Golf without a cart 528
Brisk walking 480
Running 7.5 mph 1200
Vigorous Cycling 1152 (approximately 17miles in 1 hour)

The data source was: Fitresource.com