Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - is this a good deal?

Hi everyone, i am riding a schwinn le tour bike right now, but i wanna change to a lighter bike and i found a Fuji Roubaix PRO frame for $250, so wondering if this would fit me (220lb) and would this be good deal?
thanks!

With the right wheels and assuming the frame is the correct size, it'll work fine. Are we talking a bare frame only, or frame/fork or a complete bike?

A Year would be nice as well for us to answer.

For wheels, I'd look at the Velocity Deep V, by the way. It's kind of the "House Wheel", in that it's strong! I use the 36 spoke 3X setup and 14 gage spokes, but you could use a 32 or 36 spoke setup, if you wanted.

oh sorry for not mentioning that, it's a 2006 model and has gone for 600 miles

i am 5'11 and it's 54cm with stock fork, handlebar and stem, stock crankset and seatpost only. by the way, i don't have a large budget, so i am trying to minimize the cost as much as i can

OK, then a good set of Velocity Deep V's, hand built with Tiagra Hubs, will set you back another $350 or so, then you need to get dérailleurs, shifters or brifters, saddle, but you could transfer SOME of that from your Schwinn.

If you build from scratch with new parts from this frame, you'll be up around the $800.00 mark for a 2006 model.

Take a look at Craigs List (http://www.craigslist.org) for your area, you can likely find a better deal.

EDIT: Take note: I found a 06 Fuji Roubaix Pro that sold on Ebay for $1025.00, FWIW.

thanks tom!
actually i found the frame from craigs list but i am just wondering if this would be a good deal, 800 sounds a lot to me...is there any cheaper alternative for the wheels?

Well, I look at it as true economy. If you go with a budget set of machine built wheels, they might or might not hold up. If you spec your wheels for your weight and spend the money where appropriate, you'll have no trouble out of the wheels, and with a Clyde, the wheels are the weakest link in the bike. Skimping on wheels is false economy if the wheels you put on are constantly failing, as is skimping on saddle or cycling shorts. ;)

For the wheels, get the best hand builds you can possibly afford. Air can chime in here....he's known around these parts as the "Destroyer of Wheels". I'll send him a PM to drop in.

Here's Velocity's USA Site
http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=537

What year Le Tour?

hey, tom really appreciated...have you ever heard of this site,
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/velocity.asp
coz i wanna save some money, so i may build everything on myself to save the laboring cost...

i am not sure but it's really old, so i would say it prolly came from the early 80's...

Heck yeah! Peter White hubs are among the best on the planet :D

If you can build wheels, then your costs will drop significantly. :D


hey, tom really appreciated...have you ever heard of this site,
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/velocity.asp
coz i wanna save some money, so i may build everything on myself to save the laboring cost...

i haven't built any, but everything has it's first time...

OK, find some junk wheels and do a relace for the learning experience then :D There are a lot of resources online to help you out as well.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

http://www.bikewebsite.com/build.htm

i will prolly relace my schwinn first...so you would say the fuji frame is worth investing?

Judging by the resale on the example I found, yeah.It could be a reasonable investment. :D If you build it up, it'll be YOUR bike completely as well. :D

Judging from how the bike speced out it look like a good bike. But you are still going to need a lot of parts to get it ridable. Fit is going to be the mail part. You're probably going to want to get on a complete bike and make sure a 54 is right. You may need a 56, but every manufacturer is a little different so it's hard to say about Fuji.


Roubaix PRO http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif


WHEELSET: New Alex (A-Class) ALX-220
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
FRAMESET: Fuji Altair 2 custom butted aluminum with Power Diamond downtube
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
FORK: FC-770 Fuji Bonded Carbon, integrated 1 1/8" alloy steerer
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
DRIVETRAIN: New TruVativ Elita GXP Compact 36/50 w/ integrated spindle, New Shimano 105 & Ultegra mix
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
HANDELBAR, STEM, SEATPOST: Fuji UltraLite, Comp and PRO series alloy
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
SIZES: 49cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 61cm
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
COLOR: Fuji Red / Gloss Black
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
WEIGHT: 18.8 lbs / 8.53 kg
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif
MSRP (USD) $1,540.00
http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/images/spacer.gif

thanks everyone,
yea size is my concern, i checked fuji's website it suggests a 56 or 58 would be better, that's why i am not sure...

Hi walter221. I just purchased a 2007 Fuji Roubaix RC in 56cm size. I'm 5'10", 260lbs. and so far it's working great for me. I did replace the San Marco Ponza saddle with a Specialized Avatar Gel body geometry saddle. I also changed out the 24-spoke Alex wheels with 32-spoke Shimano Ultegra/Mavic Open Pros - much more durable. Good luck!

thanks for the info, MMPC. what do you think about the size? coz i am 5'11 and the frame i am looking at is 54mm.

thanks for the info, MMPC. what do you think about the size? coz i am 5'11 and the frame i am looking at is 54mm.

A 54 is going to be way small for you more likely than not. I would think a 56-60 depending on your proportions and more importantly what felt good to you on a test ride. If you're not experienced with this stuff you really should test ride as many bikes as you reasonably can to figure out what frame size feels the most comfortable for the type of riding you'll be doing. Good luck!

I'd agree with BikEthan - a 54cm seems like it would be small for you - but it ultimately all comes down to the particular bike, its geometry and how you fit on it that's most important. Whatever you choose, make sure to have a professional bike fitting to make certain everything gets setup correctly! :)

thanks for the advice!!
i think i'd better got some test rides then...coz i don't really have the chance to bike in Hong Kong, yea i am chinese and living in boston right now...
btw, do you know where can i get some test rides in boston area?

and i think i will try to upgrade my schwinn at this moment and familiarize myself with repairing and building a bike.

Well, there's Harris Cyclery out in West Newton....

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=harris+cyclery&near=Newton,+MA&fb=1&cid=0,0,2246588552373105792&ll=42.370086,-71.228313&spn=0.177554,0.461426&z=11.


thanks for the advice!!
i think i'd better got some test rides then...coz i don't really have the chance to bike in Hong Kong, yea i am chinese and living in boston right now...
btw, do you know where can i get some test rides in boston area?

I built up three bikes from frames last year and it was expensive. My problem was that I didn't want to settle for components that might be problematic, and I didn't have the patience to wait for really good deals, so I bought a lot of the components new. In my case, if I had waited and bought a suitable complete bike I would have come out ahead.

On a positive note, I learned a lot on all three builds, enjoyed the process, and gained some personal satisfaction. I'm a lot better mechanic now. (And I have more tools!)

i haven't built any, but everything has it's first time...

I built a set of touring wheels using Sheldon Brown's website. They have held up well. Of course, besides the rims, hubs, and spokes, I bought a professional truing stand, a tension meter, and a dishing tool. :o

um...i'll see if i can go there...thanks tom
BigBlueToe, can you tell me what frame did you build and what components did you use? and how much's it? coz i wanna compare the price of building the whole thing up myself and buying a new one...

found this, can anyone pleas comment on them, will a 28 hole stand for my weight 220?
http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/bik/599109030.html

anyone knows?

found this, can anyone pleas comment on them, will a 28 hole stand for my weight 220?
http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/bik/599109030.html

The rear wheel has no cassette attached, BTW. You would need to get the front wheel respoked as a 3 cross, and both tensioned and trued by a competent wheel builder. Figure it might cost you $50 - $100 to get them clyde ready, and $50 more to get a cassette (including installation, maybe more if you want 10 speed), so the question is, are the wheels worth $300???

Hey walter - sorry for being late to the game :D

28 holes would be iffy. What kind of riding do you do? If your roads are icy smooth I'd say the 28 hole *should* be OK. If there are any bumps IMHO I wouldn't trust anything lower than 32 for your weight (which is just at that gray area where you have to think about weight limits but can usually stretch other parts out just fine). Also I immediately question someone that gets a handbuilt set and then says they were never ridden - sounds fishy to me.

As Tom said I had a lot of problems with wheels (check out my sig, go to 'De-evolution of a Wheel' section to read how I got to the advice I'm about to give).

When I went the cheap route I wound up spending more on it than if I bit the bullet in the first place and was left with a really shiny dust collector. You spend a bit here, that doesn't work, you spend a bit there, that doesn't work. Say you bought that set, one of the wheels doesn't hold up and you have to buy a new one - now you're above the cost of a brand new handbuild set that you won't have to worry about.

Some people may disagree with me but if you really want to go the cheap route I'd say have the REAR built up from Harris or Peter White (tell them the kind of riding you do and your weight and they'll know what will hold up) and buy a cheap front from your lbs or Performance/Nashbar and then have it tensioned. The front doesn't hold as much of the weight so you could probably get a machined wheel for $75 and a rear wheel for about $150 that's bombproof and can upgrade when you can. Even cheaper you could probably just do the rear wheel and then search CL for parts that people are dumping for the front.

Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick any two.

Incidentally, someone over in the Mechanics section (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=395406) just asked about Deep Vs, someone who's your weight was riding 20/28's.

I wouldn't buy a set off of someone without knowing the history (and not by what they say either). My teeth and face are a bit too precious to me :D

thanks Air! that's really helpful.
actually i use my schwinn for commuting mostly, but i really wanna get in shape, so i am thinking to get a lighter and nicer bike for that purpose. i am planning to ride at least 100 miles a week in the summer, and basically i will ride on bikepaths but i am pretty sure they'd be a little bumpy esp in boston.

as for the rims, if i can check them out before buying, do you think it's safer and if so, what should i look at?

actually after reading so many posts, i am kinda confused. on one hand, i wanna build it myself (to lower the cost), but seems getting a complete is cheaper and easier...

so can you guys suggest what i should do or get? my budget'd be around $500, and i don't mind using 2nd hand stuff.

Thanks!

If you don't know how to build wheels it's a great experience but I wouldn't make your first your immediate need ones. There's an art to it. Get them done professionally, then build up a spare in case something happens. Also building your own wheels will be more expensive the first few times. You'll need a good stand ($75), a tensionmeter ($55), a dishing tool ($25), hub ($30-$100), spokes ($1 per * 64 minimum but they come in boxes), and rims (2 * $50). $325 or so for your first set. The labor on a handbuilt wheel for Peter White or Harris is only $40 - the rest are parts and their prices aren't that off from industry. In fact some of the parts are cheaper. Now if you want to build 20 sets you'll see that $40 compound and you can buy spokes in bulk.

As for the rims - no you won't know if they're bent but trued to take the bend out (you'll know after a hundred miles though - just like the one I had done :( ).

As for what you should do or get - I still stand by what I said above. Pay good money for a rear wheel (talk to them, take their suggestions) and pick up a front wheel off CL from someone dumping parts until you can match the set.

I'd agree with BikEthan - a 54cm seems like it would be small for you - but it ultimately all comes down to the particular bike, its geometry and how you fit on it that's most important. Whatever you choose, make sure to have a professional bike fitting to make certain everything gets setup correctly! :)

Nice avatar! :D:D:D

[/HIJACKING]

Actualy, if he didn't mind shipping them out to Pasadena, Ca, urbanknight does wheelbuilding out there. See his thread in Services Subforum. I've never had a wheel built by him, but he does know the needs of a Clyde, as far as I could see in discussion in PM with him about adding him to the regional wheelbuilder database I'm building.


The rear wheel has no cassette attached, BTW. You would need to get the front wheel respoked as a 3 cross, and both tensioned and trued by a competent wheel builder. Figure it might cost you $50 - $100 to get them clyde ready, and $50 more to get a cassette (including installation, maybe more if you want 10 speed), so the question is, are the wheels worth $300???

Weight shouldn't be a huge issue for most well tensioned wheels w/ 20+ spokes for someone at 220 w/ 20+mm deep wheels. Even back a few years ago when I was still over 200 I never had problems with wheel w 20 or more spokes. That said, I never ride my wheels fresh out of the box with out having my bike shop make sure they are tensioned right first. Also, I don't ride wheels that have spokes that aren't offset.

I've got 200 miles on my Areo/alta-race Reynolds wheels (the model was replaced with Solitudes). They are 30 mm deep rims, 20 spokes in the front, and 24 on the back. My roads are rough around here and I've been 227-217 lbs while riding them. Still perfectly true so far. You can find them on ebay for ~$200 a set. I'm still waiting for my Solitudes to have the free hub switch so I can't tell you how they are, but they has a 31 mm deep rim w/ slightly nicer spokes, same number and pattern of spokes and a similar hub. So they should be good too. Both sets are less than 1600 grams according to my shop's scale.

Nathan

On frame size, I am 5' 11" and ride a 54cm framed bike. But I have a very short inseam for my height (30 inches). You might be better off looking for a complete bike, rather than a frame, and then you can much better judge size (like take it for a ride). Unless you are inseam challenged like me, you are probably more like a 56 or even larger. And remember, bikes are proportionally sized. So a smaller bike is smaller in all directions. So someone like myself with short legs and long arms and torso ends up with a compromise. I could probably end up on a 56cm bike to better fit everything but my legs. Bikes are proportioned for "average" people, have you ever seen someone that is average?

On frame size, I am 5' 11" and ride a 54cm framed bike. But I have a very short inseam for my height (30 inches). You might be better off looking for a complete bike, rather than a frame, and then you can much better judge size (like take it for a ride). Unless you are inseam challenged like me, you are probably more like a 56 or even larger. And remember, bikes are proportionally sized. So a smaller bike is smaller in all directions. So someone like myself with short legs and long arms and torso ends up with a compromise. I could probably end up on a 56cm bike to better fit everything but my legs. Bikes are proportioned for "average" people, have you ever seen someone that is average?

For someone like yourself, the newer compact geometry bikes might help, the ones with the sloping top tube, where the top tube at the seat tube joint is several cm closer to the ground, then at the head tube joint. Because the pedals are off the ground, typically by about 25-30 cm, Compact geometry allows you to have a lower stand over height, but still have a proper pedaling height, although for riders with a taller inseam, they need more seat post out.

Personally I think that seat tube height no longer makes sense as a bicycle measurement, as it's too confusing these days. Some bicycles have traditional road geometry, where the top tube is parallel with the ground, others have it sloping, it's the sloping ones that cause confusion, some are measured for the actual length, others are measured for theoretical (as if it was parallel) length. So let me propose a new measurement, we just need to write up a 10,000 page specification document, and submit to ISO......

This new measurement is based on reach, rather then height, as height can be adjusted, via the seat post. Take bicycle frame, insert stem and seat post, adjust stem to be 10cm above the top of the headset lock ring, adjust seat post so the top of the post is level with the top of the stem. Measure from the centre of the post to the centre of the stem, in cm. This would take all the variables out of the measurement, but would still allow the bicycle fitter to play with the actual fit, a longer or shorter stem, a different seat post. It would also allow for two bicycles with completely different geometry to have identical measurements (for example a conventional road bike and a step through design), and mens and womens designs to use the same system, although womens designs would typically have longer seat posts for the same measurement.

hey thanks everyone, but sorry for all these questions...
i totally understand the importance of size, but just that i found there're only a few LBS offer test rides and they are all really far from where i live...so prolly i will follow the measurements online...
apparently i have a 33" inseam, 26.5" arm length and 29" torso, that means i will need a 56cm in most bike brands but if the top tube is a little bit too long say 2cm, will this be adjustable by the position of saddle and the length of stem?
and 1 more question, if i have a budget around $500, what would you recommend me to get?
thanks!

Go try this out walter http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/bik/603175541.html

hey, thanks!
let me contact the seller to see if i can try that out...

how about this one, http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/bik/603758172.html

and 1 more question, if i have a budget around $500, what would you recommend me to get?
thanks!

Knock yourself out :D (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=69273)

I'd say go to a bike shop, tell them your budget, have them measure you and present you with some options. A poorly fit bike will make for a great wall decoration in the garage.

That Bianci is nice though - if it fits it may work for ya.

Go try this out walter http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/bik/603175541.html

Did you get a chance to check this out? I see it's still posted.

it's just too big for me...the size is more or less the same as my schwinn right now, which is kinda uncomfortable for a long or harsh ride, but it's great.
i am still looking for another one...

hi everybody! i finally got my new bike and it feels so great to ride on!
thanks for everyone's advise!