Road Cycling - Robust man found new bike!

Robust man found new bike!

After all your input from my “Robust man seeks new bike” post I ended up with something else. Trek 2200, I hope I don’t bend the wheels! It has Bontrager Race Wheels I was told they should handle my 250 lbs. :eek:

I was looking at the LeMond Tourmalet with the steal frame and strong wheels but then I rode something that was all Shimano Ultegra. Peddling an all Ultegra felt so smooth And the derailleurs and shifters are so snappy I just had to go Ultegra (Except the front derailleur is a Shimano 105). The frame is aluminum with carbon seat stays and carbon forks and seat post, it’s a smooth ride :) . The smoothest bike I rode was the Specialized Roubaix but the 2200 came close. I can’t wait to pick it up! :D

I just wanted to say thanks for everyone’s input. This is one of the best forums I’ve joined.

Congrats on the new bike. Forum rules state that when you get it, you must post a photo. :D

Of course you just had to go get the 2200, I'm trying to talk myself out of it. Keep trying to tell myself don't need to spend $1599 on an '03 2200. Just kidding; haven't rode it yet, that would probably be the killer.

I hope I don’t bend the wheels! It has Bontrager Race Wheels I was told they should handle my 250 lbs. :eek:

I have an 04 Zurich that came with the Bontrager Race wheels. When researching bikes and components, I had reservations about the wheels as I am 240lbs.

I happened to be in my LBS when the Trek area rep was there and I asked him. He said that while the Race were good wheels and would "work" for me, he said the Aero X Lites were a stronger wheel. Of course, they cost about $400 more, too! They had a set there and one of the mechanics put it on the floor and stood on the rim and flexed it back and forth, or tried to flex it, several times. He then picked ut up and spun it, and it was still completely true!

So I e-mailed Bontrager customer service and they said that at 240lbs, the Race wheels would support me for a long, long time. After about two weeks and several hundred miles, the rear wheel went seriously out of true. The LBS re-trued it and said that sometimes that happens with new wheels, which is true, so I didn't think too much about it. A few weeks later, it went out of true again. Having quite a bit of experience on my old bike with broken spokes and truing, I trued it myself.

Then, three weeks ago, I broke a drive side spoke. A few days before it broke, the rear reflector just split in two and fell off. So, perhaps something, a stick a rock, or something got kicked into the rear wheel and broke the spoke. I have now been waiting for three weeks to get a new spoke from Bontrager!

In the interim, however, my LBS put in a regular spoke, and 500 miles have passed and no real problems. Until yesterday. At the end of a 50 mile ride, I hit some broken glass and I stopped to check to see if any was embedded in the tire. The rear wheel was out of true again.

Based on my previous experience with spoke problems, I carry a spoke wrench with me. The spoke that was the problem was next to the regular one the LBS put in. That may be the problem. Or maybe not.

Maybe the Race wheelset isn't made for heavy riders. If so, mine are still under warranty and I will try to get Bontrager to give me credit for an upgrade to the Aero X Lites.