I recently visited a bike store which told me that I will need to get a mountain bike for my weight (5'8 260lbs/118kgs) I asked if any road bikes are suitable for me, but got told that I'll bend the wheels.

Do you guys have any recommendations for my size? Ill be commuting to the city when i start school next semester, about 12 miles. Thank you

the lbs full of it. There are plenty of road bikes out there, I weigh 330 and have a road bike, the only thing I did was have a 36 spoke deep v wheel built for it so it would support my weight. Trek claims that their road bikes right off the floor do not have a weight limit. Find another bike shop

I recently visited a bike store which told me that I will need to get a mountain bike for my weight (5'8 260lbs/118kgs) I asked if any road bikes are suitable for me, but got told that I'll bend the wheels.

Do you guys have any recommendations for my size? Ill be commuting to the city when i start school next semester, about 12 miles. Thank you

Never go back to that bike shop. They are idiots and unhelpful. At your weight you will need to make sure wheels are adequately tensioned, but you are hardly close to above the manageable weight for decent road wheels. It may be that in a few months, you'll bend the cheapest wheels available and need to buy a new pair, or not.

I'll back up what everyone else has been saying. You really have nothing to worry about when it comes to wheels. A pair of $2000 wheels might not support you, but a 'normal' set certainly will. I'm currently 250 and have no worries whatsoever about my wheels.

Agreed with above. Find another shop. I have a Kuota Kharma that I have been riding for over a year without any issues and I weigh 15 more pounds then you and have lost about 35 since Feb. I only put 200miles on it last year but got about 1000 on it this year so far. It has the Fulcrum Racing 7's on it and I figured I would have to replace them at some point but I am still waiting for that point to happen.

the lbs full of it. There are plenty of road bikes out there, I weigh 330 and have a road bike, the only thing I did was have a 36 spoke deep v wheel built for it so it would support my weight. Trek claims that their road bikes right off the floor do not have a weight limit. Find another bike shop

Funny... I thought at least the bike shop was honest and didn't sell the guy some lightweight weinie bike that would fall apart on the first long ride.

330 is big. Face it. Road bikes are relly design for such big people although, if you buy a nice steel or Ti frame and have wheels built, you should be OK provided you are fairly conservative with your riding.

The shop was smart. They didn't want you tweaking and torquing the bike and then bringing it back complaining it didn't up.

Listen most manufacturers (especially) Trek says no limit but ask any structural engineer... Also what ever you get start with wider tires, at lest 28 but 32s will be better. As you lose weight you can reduce the tire size.

Edited to add: As to a wheel set... a good pair will run you between $400 - 600. You aren't looking for the lightest weight, thus expensive wheels. Recommend Mavic Cosmos if you don't a custom pair.

I have an AL frame built up with ultegra parts and I ride pretty hard, no problems so far

The OP is actually only 260 according to his post. I got my first road bike 5 weeks ago at 280 pounds. 325 miles later, I am now down to 269 with no problems from the bike. The wheels made me a little nervous at first, but the stock rims with 28h front and 32h rear and with 700x23 tires have worked perfectly.

I'm 6'2", 260, I road over 600 miles last summer and have done about 400 this summer. All on a stock Allez with alexrims. I am buying a new wheelset soon but i haven't bent or broken anything, I even bunny hop big cracks and bridge ramps and stuff. If you don't want to spend much money, a "vintage" 80's steel schwinn will hold you, I have had a World Sport for several years, bought it for $80, haven't put any money into it, and it's riding just fine, I commute to work on it every day.
Good luck, don't take any flak from those lbs pigs.

SORRY! confused the second post with the first but 260 is still big.

One reason why there are Clyde forums is so these issues can be addressed as they are unique to us people of size...

more spokes are your friend on road wheelsets. 28 or more is a must with your size.

Consider a touring bike. There aren't as many out there as once upon a time, but the Novarra Safari, Trek 520, and Raleigh Sojourner are three that come to mind. Basically, a touring bike is a road bike with a bit longer wheel base and more relaxed geometry. Unless you are a fairly experienced cyclist, most won't notice that great of a difference between a tourer and a spandex road bike. And, the wheels should be sufficient to support your weight. At least they do mine at 5'9" and 240 lbs.

As others have said 260 isn't that much. I weigh a bit more then that and have ridden 3600 miles this year split between 2 road bikes. And it doesn't cost $400 for a decent set of wheels. I've been riding Mavic OP/Ultegra from Colorado Cyclist for over 9k miles with no problems.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/kit/SSFCEU32

You could just ride the stock wheels until you have problems, and then just replace the rear if you don't mind mismatched wheels. They will sell you a rear for $150 or a set for under $300. A stock front wheel will probably be OK unless you try to ride off of curbs or such.

i got a set of 36h mavic open pros with ultegra hubs for $200 from performance. they're on my steel roadie. i also have a full carbon roadie with 20h and 24h shimano 105 wheels. actually, the 105 set has stayed truer longer than the open pro/ultegras.

i weigh 225.

Started on my road bike near that weight (scale broke somewhere around 250) and haven't had a single problem

245 here! Thanks Pam!:D...I'd go with a large diameter tubing if you can. I have large tubes on my Cannondale with no problems. My Lemond had smaller tubing and looky what happened after 12,000 miles.:eek:

As far as wheels, I have 14,000 on my Deep V's. 32 spoke in the rear and 28 upfront, no problems. Outlasted the frame!:thumb:

Flexy small aluminum tubing
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/broke.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/broke2.jpg

ouch on the frame.

did they replace it?

or at least give you credit twoards a newer model?

Its hard to find a good LBS. Go somewhere else. You should be fine on anything but the carbon stuff. I don't trust it. :-)

John

im 220lbs, and in 600 miles on my 2006 specialized Allez triple ive yet to had a wheel go much out of true...front wheel (radial spoking) was very low tensioned, but thats fixed now. I bought a wheel truing stand AND a park tensionometer, which are two things that ALL Clyde's should own. I know most shops near me charge $15/wheel to true. I have 4 wheelsets among 3 bikes, plus my girlfriends bike. I trued/tensioned all 4 of my wheelsets, thats $120 if i payed a shop, I think I paid $100 for my set up :)

and yes, a road bike will be fine, Id stay away from the real light bikes, and to be honest the touring bike recommendation is a very good idea, especially if it is a steel frame. Steel flexes more than aluminum, and should last a very very long time. Keep everything tightened properly too. headset, crankset, bolts, etc. Ive cracked a frame from improper headset adjustment, although I think it is weldable :) Who makes plastic top caps for headsets anyways??? lol

260 is NOT that big for a non carbon road bike. And nowhwere near the limit for Steel. Hummmm why do i think that dealership is not a Surly dealer?

+1 LBS be gone. They are idiots. Find a new shop.

im 220lbs, and in 600 miles on my 2006 specialized Allez triple ive yet to had a wheel go much out of true...

Honestly, 600 mile isn't enough to review wheel durability, not even a thought till over 4,000.:)

ouch on the frame.

did they replace it?

or at least give you credit twoards a newer model?

Yup, they upgraded from the aluminum Tourmalet to the CF/Alum mix Chambery!:thumb:...Only paid $50 for the component switch.:D

i got a set of 36h mavic open pros with ultegra hubs for $200 from performance. they're on my steel roadie. i also have a full carbon roadie with 20h and 24h shimano 105 wheels. actually, the 105 set has stayed truer longer than the open pro/ultegras.

Yea, because machine built openpros from performance are awful. I know, I had a pair. Also, they are probably undertensioned.

im 220lbs, and in 600 miles on my 2006 specialized Allez triple ive yet to had a wheel go much out of true...front wheel (radial spoking) was very low tensioned, but thats fixed now. I bought a wheel truing stand AND a park tensionometer, which are two things that ALL Clyde's should own. I know most shops near me charge $15/wheel to true. I have 4 wheelsets among 3 bikes, plus my girlfriends bike. I trued/tensioned all 4 of my wheelsets, thats $120 if i payed a shop, I think I paid $100 for my set up :)

and yes, a road bike will be fine, Id stay away from the real light bikes, and to be honest the touring bike recommendation is a very good idea, especially if it is a steel frame. Steel flexes more than aluminum, and should last a very very long time. Keep everything tightened properly too. headset, crankset, bolts, etc. Ive cracked a frame from improper headset adjustment, although I think it is weldable :) Who makes plastic top caps for headsets anyways??? lolThe wheels on my 2005 Allez Sport Triple lasted 400 miles so yours are doing better then mine. Also, watch the top of the head tube for cracks. My 2005 is in for frame and fork replacement due to a major crack. The bike has never been crashed so I am not sure what caused it to crack. The good news is I am getting a 2009 Allez frame and fork which has been redesigned with the curved top tube. Looks pretty sweet.

I weighed a little over 300 when I first got my long haul trucker. I haven't lost much weight yet, but I've gone over railroad tracks at 25 mph with no damage. A touring bike can take it.

I weighed a little over 300 when I first got my long haul trucker. I haven't lost much weight yet, but I've gone over railroad tracks at 25 mph with no damage. A touring bike can take it.

:thumb::thumb::thumb:

Your LBS is full of sh#%@T. There are lots of people on this site that are well over 200 pounds, including me at 240 pounds, and i ride the crap out of my full carbon bike, with no problems.

I am glad this thread got posted. I was talking to a coworker the other day about cycling, he was pretty impressed with how much i have been doing. He informed me that he has a full CF road/race bike that has been sitting in his garage for a few years. He alluded to the possibilty of me acquiring it very cheap (possibly free) as long as it gets used and out of his garage. At 260 i am bit leary about Carbon Fiber. He wants to bring it to for me to take home for a few days and test it out and if it works out i absolutely would love to ride it, seeing that there are other big guys riding carbon is pretty encuraging. I am unsure of the model # of it but he did say it was a Trek. Obviously i would still be extremely cautious with a bike thats worth more then my car, and the crash post earlier with the cracked top tube is painful to see but i still think it would be a great acqusition for me.

I'll agree with the others above that the OP shouldn't go back to that bike shop. The only bikes I know that are weight specific are folding bikes, and that's usuallyaround 230-260 lbs. Yes, some road bikes are so uber-designed to cut weight that they can't support 'clydes', but the bike shop should be able to give you quite a few options besides a mountain bike.

Example: I've had a Trek FX 7.3 (Al frame with cromoly fork) that I've ridden the crap out of the last 3 years with no problems, and I've never changed any of the significant components (its got the original wheels, too!). It isn't a road bike, but it makes a great communter bike for around $500-$600. And the frame has plenty of braze-ons for racks, fenders, etc. Most all bike companies make bikes similar to my Trek, so you should find one that works for you.

I weigh 240 and ride a Trek Madone with no worries at all. There are plenty of road bikes you can ride that will support your weight, and if you ride often, your weight will come down.

(unfortunately, my weight tends to yo-yo.)

I recently visited a bike store which told me that I will need to get a mountain bike for my weight (5'8 260lbs/118kgs) I asked if any road bikes are suitable for me, but got told that I'll bend the wheels.

Do you guys have any recommendations for my size? Ill be commuting to the city when i start school next semester, about 12 miles. Thank you

If you bend a wheel, it's probably because there are not enough spokes and the assembler at the bike shop didn't make sure there was adequate spoke tension.

It's a common misconception that MTBs are stronger then road bikes, this is because often MTBs are aluminum frames, and AL frames need to be very stiff -- due to properties of the material -- the way to make a frame stiffer is to increase the outside diameter of the tubing. Road bikes tend to be steel, Ti or CF, and don't require the same amount of stiffness so have smaller tubes, although I have seen AL framed road bikes, and the tubes are just as big as on MTBs.

It's also a common fallacy that all road bikes must be made for racing, there are also touring style road bikes, and they are designed for a rider with a big pile of camping gear, gear that often adds 40-50lbs to the rider weight. One thing you will notice on touring bikes, wheels usually have 36 or 40 spokes, and heavy duty rims, this is what you want. Put on a rear rack, fenders, and a set of lights, and your all set, if cost is an issue, then
look for an experienced touring bicycle.

I'd recommend either a touring bike or a cyclocross bike. I have a Giant TCX1. I got 150 miles out of the pansy 24 paired spoke rear wheel. It left me stranded 2 miles away from my car. At least it wasn't 10 miles. :-)

I'm now running Mavic Open Pros on Ultegra hubs with 35c tires. I did have the problem that a previous poster mentioned about spoke tension. Us big guys are going to have spoke issues. I have the stand, the wrench and the tension gauge and I just check my wheels ever once and awhile. Btw I'm 311lbs down from 325 when I got the bike.

John

No problem at your weight just get stronger wheels as has been mentioned numerous times. If this is your first drop handlebar bike I strongly recommend a cyclocross bike. They have a more comfortable riding position and can run wider tires. I think a steel cyclocross bike is the ideal commuter, it is for me anyway.

I tip the scales at just under 340 now. My '07 Fuji Newest 3.0 hold up to my punishment (sitting on it) just fine. Yes it has a carbon fork that I will use until it snaps and I fly over the bars onto my head.

There's a big difference between 260 and 330. I rode tens of thousands of miles on low-end road bikes at weights between 240 and 265 before I got my Atlantis, and the only time I had trouble was when I used skinny tires on wheels with fewer than 32 spokes. I'm sure the story would be different at 330--it's about a 25 percent increase over 260.
Depending on your riding habits, the condition of the roads and your mileage, you may break some spokes if you're using an off-the-rack machine-built lightweight wheel with a low (below 32) spoke count. A well-built 32 will probably stand up, and I have 12,000 miles on a set of 36-spokers a local shop laced for me for about $270. Don't waste time and money on 23mm tires, either. Use at least 28s, preferably 32s, and I'd advise against buying a bike that doesn't have room for them.
But I agree you need to find a new shop. Those guys sound like they're just rolling out what's in stock, not trying to suit their customers.
Funny... I thought at least the bike shop was honest and didn't sell the guy some lightweight weinie bike that would fall apart on the first long ride.

330 is big. Face it. Road bikes are relly design for such big people although, if you buy a nice steel or Ti frame and have wheels built, you should be OK provided you are fairly conservative with your riding.

The shop was smart. They didn't want you tweaking and torquing the bike and then bringing it back complaining it didn't up.

Listen most manufacturers (especially) Trek says no limit but ask any structural engineer... Also what ever you get start with wider tires, at lest 28 but 32s will be better. As you lose weight you can reduce the tire size.

Edited to add: As to a wheel set... a good pair will run you between $400 - 600. You aren't looking for the lightest weight, thus expensive wheels. Recommend Mavic Cosmos if you don't a custom pair.

number of spokes isn't the only measure of durablity...you get what you pay for. IMO a 36 spoke $100 wheel will go out of ture before a 24 spoke $300 wheel.

Someone also mentioned MTB vs Road... I am sure the LBS was probably alluding to the wheels. For a given amount of money, say $700, a mtb will come with more durable wheels. So the LBS was trying to sell you the bike that would cause you the least amount of problems, more than likely.

This doesn't mean they should have steered you away from the roadie (260 isn't that bad) they should have just informed you about the possible problems that you might encounter, should yougo that route.

(go ti :) )
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3741362681682291899

number of spokes isn't the only measure of durablity...you get what you pay for. IMO a 36 spoke $100 wheel will go out of ture before a 24 spoke $300 wheel.


Not always, a $1,000 wheel that is not properly tensioned and trued, will go out of true before a $100 wheel that has been properly tensioned and trued......

Not always, a $1,000 wheel that is not properly tensioned and trued, will go out of true before a $100 wheel that has been properly tensioned and trued......

i am assuming proper tensions :notamused:;)

but yes clearly if you have loose spokes you will break them, and if you break spokes suddenly more spokes is hands down better...

ie a $100 36 spoke wheel down to 35 is probably better than a $400 20 spoke wheel down to 19 (esp paired).

The owner at my local bike shop told me he sold his son a Giant full carbon bike with Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels. He said his son was over 300 when he first started riding again after gaining loads of weight. He says the carbon frame is no problem and the wheels are fine too if they're hand built and checked often.

He told me this after I told him I was worried about finding a bike that I wouldn't break at my weight. When I get ready to build a Pacer he'll be building my wheels. :p

When I was 300 pounds I was riding hard on a set of Bontrager Race wheels. Never a problem.

I've been riding a road bike since I weighed in at a svelt :lol: 345. Wheels were a concern, but I have been riding a set of Deeps V's 36/36 and nary a problem. My first set of road wheels were Mavic Reflect and they held up well. I would not darken the door of that LBS again.

Tell em to stick it
I started riding at 116kg now 105kg and its fine
Have I had to wheels trued b4 ?? Yes but then again Ive hit some pretty rough terrain to

310lbs+here: Didn't want any hassle and fuss, so when it came to a choice between spending money restoring my rusting Road Bike with 700/23mm wheels (weight limit 185lbs) or getting a new bike with 26" wheels, bigger tyres, I went for the latter.