Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - New to this, am I going to destroy my bike? And other general questions...

Well I'm new to this whole cycling thing, so I have some general questions about the bike that I recently bought.

Last year a couple of my friends bought Trek 1000's and started getting into cycling a bit, so I recently decided to join them and pick up a bike.

So my first question is did I get a good deal on the bike? I'll list the bike and everything I received with it.

2006 Trek 1200 56cm in like new condition ( I'm about 6' tall so this should be the right size for me )
Bontrager SSR's ( as far as I know, these are upgraded wheels from the original )
Cateye Astrale 8 Computer
Blackburn Quadrant Headlight
Blackburn Mars 3.0 Taillight
Shimano PD-M520 Pedals
Nike shoes that go with the pedals ( that were conveniently my size, and are also in like new conditon )
And 2 additional Bontrager tubes

Here is a blurry cell phone pic I took of it:

http://ahfunaki.com/trek1200.jpg

I ended up getting everything for $575

I thought I got a great deal on everything, but I'd like other opinions on it...

And the other main question I have is, am I too big for this bike?

I never thought about size being a factor in a bicycle except for the frame size until I saw this section on this forum and it kind of worries me cause I'm a pretty big guy.

I'm about 6' tall and weigh about 250-260lbs. I'm just scared now that I'm going to get on this bike when the weather breaks in a couple months and destroy a rim, or crack the carbon forks/seat post on this bike.

Is there anything I should be worried about? Or am I good to go? I plan on going down to my local bike shop in the near future to get the bike checked out and to get it adjusted to fit my size so I'll ask them when that happens, but until then I'd like to get some insight from the people on here.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal. Aslong as you don't ride rough roads and hit pot holes, those wheels should be OK, but you may want to think about going to a heavier-duty wheelset. Most carbon fiber seatposts are pretty strong, but being a big guy myself, I feel better on an aluminum post, I just don't trust my weight on a carbon post. A thomson is the very best, but they are pricey. If you wanted to swap out these items, you could probably buy used on ebay and trun around and sell the current wheels and seatpost on ebay and it probably wouldn't cost you much, in fact you'd undoubtably get more for the carbon post than you would spend for a typical aluminum seatpost. Your bike probably came with 23c tires, swap them for 25c, they will give more support to the wheel and better withstand flats and road shock. All riders over 225 lbs should be on 25c tires, if not 28c.

That's a fair deal. I'd definitely be switching out that carbon seatpost soon. I have ridden a Thomson for a few years now weighing 340#. It is a great seatpost.

It's a steal, even if you have to replace the seatpost. And I'm not saying you need to replace the seatpost.

Are you sure it isn't a carbon wrapped aluminium seatpost?

Great Deal.
Ride it just like it is

...All riders over 225 lbs should be on 25c tires, if not 28c.

Absolute statements are almost always incorrect.

Great Deal.
Ride it just like it is

+1

I might just make sure to take a look at the comfort of the saddle and the durability of the wheels (as already suggested).

In any event, you'll want to make sure and get a pair of padded shorts (bibs rock!), a helmet, a flat repair kit, and a water bottle or two.

It's a steal, even if you have to replace the seatpost. And I'm not saying you need to replace the seatpost.

Yeah, carbon seatposts are fine (unless you just don't trust them--then your riding isn't as fun as it could be). I did break mine (after 14,000 miles or more), but that was because I had over-tightened it, causing it to crumple and eventually fail. It wasn't a catastrophic failure, either. It just slowly bent backwards as I put pressure on it.

You did well. I'd ride the bike just as it is. The one thing to make sure of on the seat post, in addition to not overtightening, is to make sure you don't raise it above the minimum insertion mark. The CF post that came with my new road bike was maxed out once I got everything adjusted the way I wanted it and I wasn't too comfortable being at the limit with no upward adjustment left. I bought a longer CF post and put the original CF post on my wife's road bike in place of her aluminum one.

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal. Aslong as you don't ride rough roads and hit pot holes, those wheels should be OK, but you may want to think about going to a heavier-duty wheelset. Most carbon fiber seatposts are pretty strong, but being a big guy myself, I feel better on an aluminum post, I just don't trust my weight on a carbon post. A thomson is the very best, but they are pricey. If you wanted to swap out these items, you could probably buy used on ebay and trun around and sell the current wheels and seatpost on ebay and it probably wouldn't cost you much, in fact you'd undoubtably get more for the carbon post than you would spend for a typical aluminum seatpost. Your bike probably came with 23c tires, swap them for 25c, they will give more support to the wheel and better withstand flats and road shock. All riders over 225 lbs should be on 25c tires, if not 28c.

Very good. I actually plan on just riding it on my local bike path, so I should be good to go then. This is the news I like to hear, lol...


Are you sure it isn't a carbon wrapped aluminium seatpost?

I'm honestly not sure, I haven't taken it off to find out.


+1

I might just make sure to take a look at the comfort of the saddle and the durability of the wheels (as already suggested).

In any event, you'll want to make sure and get a pair of padded shorts (bibs rock!), a helmet, a flat repair kit, and a water bottle or two.

Yea, I've pretty much already decided that I need to get a different saddle for it. And I've been told padded shorts are your best friend when it comes to these bikes, so I'll definitely be investing in some of that stuff soon.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

Have the LBS check the spoke tension on your wheels to make sure they're ok. Don't worry about crushing the wheels or the seatpost unless a visual inspection shows cracks on either. If I were you, I'd be more interested in bicycle fit. Check Sheldon Brown for articles on bike and frame fit (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frames/index.html).

From the photo, the saddle to bar drop looks fine for a racer, but might be too aggressive if you're just getting back into riding. You can flip the stem to raise the bars a bit or replace the stem entirely if you need more rise. You can also slide the saddle back and forward as needed, or use a setback post if you want to sit further back.

You got a hell of a deal... no worries there. Ride the bike and see what happens. I ride a 700 X 23 tire for commuting I do gravel, path , rad etc.... not the smoothest and I am 275 lbs.. So that aspect you will be fine. If in the future the wheels become trouble I switched to a touring rim and have loved it. That being said I have a 16 spoke rim on the front of my full suspension MTB and do 4' plus drops with it....

Ride it like it is, don't jump to replace anything as long as it's working. Like others mentioned, paying for a bike fit is your best investment of money right now. That should run you somewhere between $80-$120 on average.

im on the same page with him in the concern of wheels. Im on mavic cxp 22s and im right about 200. I am on really bumpy roads some times and i think im gonna break that rim!

[ All riders over 225 lbs should be on 25c tires, if not 28c.[/QUOTE]

I started out over 225lbs on 23c tyres with no issues at all. I think it depends a lot on how you ride and the roads you ride on. Take the bike you bought and ride it, if something fails, replace it, if not you saved money.

Have the LBS check the spoke tension on your wheels to make sure they're ok. Don't worry about crushing the wheels or the seatpost unless a visual inspection shows cracks on either.[/URL].

I'll have to make sure they do that when I take the bike in...

From the photo, the saddle to bar drop looks fine for a racer, but might be too aggressive if you're just getting back into riding. You can flip the stem to raise the bars a bit or replace the stem entirely if you need more rise. You can also slide the saddle back and forward as needed, or use a setback post if you want to sit further back.

Yea, I'll have to look into flipping that. I think I'll just see what they recommend when I get fitted for the bike...


Ride it like it is, don't jump to replace anything as long as it's working. Like others mentioned, paying for a bike fit is your best investment of money right now. That should run you somewhere between $80-$120 on average.

Sounds like a plan to me! I just didn't want to ruin a perfectly good set of wheels if I need to get something more heavy duty...


[ All riders over 225 lbs should be on 25c tires, if not 28c.

I started out over 225lbs on 23c tyres with no issues at all. I think it depends a lot on how you ride and the roads you ride on. Take the bike you bought and ride it, if something fails, replace it, if not you saved money.[/QUOTE]

Very true...

I would take that deal any day.I wouldn't sweat the wheels. Ride'm and if they fail or get to be troublesome then address that. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Same goes for 23 tires. A lot of us ride them, just consider getting a floor pump with a guage on it and make sure your inflation at the upper limit of the tires before riding.As for a carbon seat post, I don't ride one. There is no real reason other than in my mind why I don't though. I would make a habit of regualr inspection. Another thing to be aware of is that CF seat posts will tend to squeak from time to time. Not an issue other than noise.Ride on.......

that's a fair deal. I'd definitely be switching out that carbon seatpost soon. I have ridden a thomson for a few years now weighing 340#. It is a great seatpost.

+1

All riders over 225 lbs should be on 25c tires, if not 28c.


So I've been doing it wrong for the last 12 years?:p

The bike is a Trek, made by the same company as my Lemond. The fork may be the same dimensions as my fork. If so, I don't think there is enough clearance for he 28's. I eperimented with the tire and fork, no way would I ride the 28's. First bump that cause the tire to expand, I'm going over the bars!:eek: