Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - New Bike? What criteria should I weigh more heavily? (No Pun Intended!)

If you share my approximate size - 6'4'', mid-240's, please read on and help me out!

I began riding three years ago to rehab a knee injury, and I really began to enjoy it. I have been researching bikes for over two years, and it's gotten to the point where the employees at a local bike shop openly mock my indecision. I have an excel spreadsheet that details the specs of every entry-level and intermediate road bike for every conceivable brand. My wife dubbed it "the threat matrix." I rationalized my indecision as long as I was shy of certain savings and fitness goals. Now that I have met those goals, it's time to lay some money down. But I have one final hang-up that I can't seem to get a reasonable answer to:

What special considerations should I weigh more heavily as a larger rider?

(Please forgive the double-pun)

I have heard too much contradictory advice to make any sense of. On a recent bike shop visit, I had one sales person push an aluminum endurance road bike (a Z85 by Felt) with skinny tires, and another sales person interject that a steel framed cyclo-cross bike (Crosscheck by Surly) with slightly larger road tires was best suited for my size. The two sales people would were so insistent on their respective positions that I thought they were going to come to blows. That would have been fun to watch, but it didn't help my indecision.

Can you help elleviate the confusion? What do I really need to know as a large guy on a road bike? If you share my approximate height and weight (again, 6'4'' mid 240's), can you provide some insights? What do you ride? How do like like it? How does it hold up?



Here's a little more backgroiund info on me:

I am in my mid 30's
I stand 6'4'' and my weight hovers in the mid-240's
I got back into cycling at the gym while rehabbing after knee surgery
My overall fitness level is reasonable - I lift weights 2-3 times per week in addition to rides 2-3 times per week.
I have borrowed and rented a number of bikes ranging from hybrids to road bikes, and I prefer the drop handlebars and overall feel of road bikes
I currently ride a single gear steel framed Schwinn Le Tour around town, which was worth every penny of the $75 I paid for it, but it's time to invest in a bike that I can take out on the road for extended rides of 20+ miles 3-4 times per week.
I am signed up for a relay ride with friends late this summer (my leg will be 30-40 miles), which is the short term goal
My ultimate goal is to finish one of the many local century rides at some point next summer.
I am paralyzed by fears of Buyer's Remorse. I don't want to buy a bike that can't sustain my size without constant repair.

Given the profile above, can you give me some buying tips? Thanks for your help!

First of all, as long as you take test rides of what you buy, don't worry about buyers remorse. No matter what, there will be some thoughts after your purchase of what else you might have bought. And after 6 months you may want to upgrade anyway. But if the fit is right you should be able to ride it for a few years and then you'll know more about what you want in a bike. Aside from that, I won't give any advice because I'm not pushing quite as much weight around; others will be able to make better recommendations about wheels, etc., which is a concern with your weight. (Normal/stock wheels would be okay for very placid riding but if you really hop on the bike and either push hard or hit some rough road surfaces, you'll start popping spokes.)

I'm 6'3 and about 270 and I just got a Raleigh Sport road bike and I love it. I haven't noticed any problems with it yet because of my weight. The guys (and gals) at the bike shop said my weight wouldn't be an issue with the bike (the guy is large, so I'll take his word on it). My brother, who is slightly shorter and a little heavier than me bough a Fuji Newest 4.0 road bike and he loves it as well. No problems so far for him either.
What bikes are you looking at and what are you looking to spend? There are so many choices out there that is can be very overwhelming. I just went to the bike shops, found one I liked that was in my price range, and pulled the trigger. Couldn't be happier. It's an entry level bike, but I figure it will last me ~5 years or so, and hopefully by then I'll be down a good amount of weight and ready to upgrade to something a little fancier.

Why is your Le Tour unsuitable? Without being able to point out what is wrong with it, I don't really see why you want a new bike.

I'm also 6'4" and 240. Any stock wheels you get will be fine initially, likely for 2-3000 miles as long as you keep them trued. I would however factor in $2-300 on top of the purchase price to put in savings for new wheels once the stock ones start clicking. And you might consider carrying a "kevlar spoke" just in case.

Regarding choice of bike, if it were me I would test ride the bikes and see which one feels the best. That's the bike for you.

buy 3 different bikes used and ride the heck out of them. after 1 year - then you decide what new bike to buy. hope that helps! :-)

I'm not that much lighter, I have 9 bikes I rotate through different rides. Weight is not an issue. Sure, I avoid 23Cs, and all of my bikes have at least 32h hubs, but weight is just not that much of an issue. It' about fit first and foremost - get a bike that fits the best, feels the best. Your concern about repairs to entirely unfounded in my experience.

Why is your Le Tour unsuitable? Without being able to point out what is wrong with it, I don't really see why you want a new bike.




I currently ride a single gear steel framed Schwinn Le Tour around town, !


My ultimate goal is to finish one of the many local century rides at some point next summer.!

Sounds pretty reasonalbe to me!;)

Your profile isn't anything different from anybody else that rides a bike. You're overthinking this! All brands are good and with major mfrgr's like Trek and several others, if something happens to the frame, they replace it!

You like drop bars, get a roadbike. Cyclo or race tyep bikes will both be more than sufficient. But in my case, I find that i want to further and further so I got the bike desigend for my style. A road bike. Cylco bike is designed for the pavement/offroad combo. A mtn bike is designed for the dirt. A road bike is desgined for distance and speed on the road. Not that I couldn't do a century on a mountain bike but why when the roadbike suits me and my 240'ish body more than fine.

I would plan investing ona more durable wheel sometime down the road though. Stock wheel should be fine for some time if it's maintained properly.

Thanks for all the replies. Keep them comin'!

As for the LeTour... I absolutely love the thing. It was a scrap heap save by the Milwaukee Bike Co-op, and its gotten me up and down every urban street and bike path in town. However, the single gear limits my ability to relay rides, group rides, and ultimately a century ride. I will keep it to get around town as long as it lasts, but I want a bike that I can take on the hills with. I love urban riding, but I want to hit the road.

As for the questions on budget...my indecision has resulted in some savings...about $1,000 at present. I'll have $1,200 saved by April 1.

As for the bikes I am looking at...primarily road bikes that fall in the "Endurance" or "Plush" category (meant for all-day rides, relaxed geometry, etc). They include the Felt Z85 & Z100, the Specialied Seceuter (sp?), the Trek Pilot 2.1, Kona Zing, Fuji Newest,etc.

I also plan to test ride a few race bikes if only as a basis of comparison (Trek 1.2 & 1.5, Felt F75 or 95, etc)

The wildcard was just recently introduced to me... steel frame road bikes that can take slightly larger tires than the standard road bike (Surly Pacer, Kona ***** Tonk, etc). A fellow clydesdale pointed me in that direction.

I have been hung up on tire size, but it sounds like spokes/wheels warrant more consideration? Keep the feedback comin'.

I'm 6'4" aprox 280lbs and if I were you I'd look at a rebuild/upgrade for your current LeTour wheels. Snap up an old basket case 10-speed and move the deraillers etc. over to the letour. Then keep looking for 'THE BIKE' you know, the one that you see and try out and can't stop thinking about. In the meanwhile ride the heck out of that LeTour, it wants to go for a long ride and be the bike it once was.

Myth one...Clydes must ride wider tires. I'm 5' 11" and now 225. I started at 260. Soon after using 25c tires I moved to 23c tires and have had no problems. Just buy quality.

Myth two...Clydes must have heavy duty rims and spokes. My Felt F80 came with cheap Alex rims and have been fine. In fact I've never broken a spoke and have trued the wheels only twice in 5000 +/- miles. It's curious that fellow riders with expensive and fancy wheels break spokes frequently while I just truck along.

Myth three...Clydes can't ride carbon. Maybe we can't use carbon cranks or certain pedals or seats but for the frame and forks, carbon will hold a clyde without trouble. A friend rides a carbon frame and he's at least 260 with tree trunk thighs and calves. He'll snap chains but he's never destroyed his frame, crank or pedals.

You're over thinking everything (I tend to do the same thing and research things to death...paralysis by analysis). Think about what you want to be doing in two or three years, not just next month. When I got back into riding I bought a nice hybrid which I now hardly ride. I figured that a "do everything" bike would be perfect. Well, it does everything but nothing very well. Soon after starting I joined a club and enjoyed club rides which I found I couldn't keep up with. Two years later I bought my road bike which I love to ride. As an enty level bike it's a bit heavy (25 lbs) and has basic components. Low and behold I've ridden it in BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) twice and a number of one and two day excursions. (When I bought my hybrid I would have laughed at the thought of 450 miles in six days of riding.) My 105s shift fine and while Ultegra and Dura-Ace are smoother and lighter I have no problem.

The biggest problem is that whatever you buy there will always be something out there that's better or more desireable. Test ride a bunch, see what feels right and pull the trigger.

MAK - thanks for the great feedback. Agreed - I am overthinking my decision. I know it. That's why my wife and friends bust my chops over it. No doubt about that.

And yes, I want to buy a bike that will suit my long term 'vision' so to speak, but I had a hard time reconciling the 'future state' to my 'current state.' Your myths provide assurance that I can buy a bike for the cyclist that I want to be without worrying so much about the wear and tear factor.

As for the LeTour... I absolutely love the thing. It was a scrap heap save by the Milwaukee Bike Co-op, and its gotten me up and down every urban street and bike path in town. However, the single gear limits my ability to relay rides, group rides, and ultimately a century ride. I will keep it to get around town as long as it lasts, but I want a bike that I can take on the hills with. I love urban riding, but I want to hit the road.

Ok. I've only been to Milwaukee once, so I dunno the terrain over your way well. Around here, I can (and do!) get by with about 3-5 gears worth of range for "hill" climbing. Madison is blessedly blessedly flat. From what I've seen of Milwaukee, it's not got anything terribly serious for hills... but I'm a native of PA, and grew up riding with every trip home involving a grind up a 15% grade. It takes around a 5% grade to really get my attention. You *can* get up anything on a singlespeed, if you're willing to just keep trying. (whether you should... whole 'nother question. hill climbing makes you stronger, but pushing til the blackout or barfing stage isn't the brightest idea)

It sounds like your main criteria is "has gears". I wouldn't really overthink it... you've got a bike that is mostly limiting you because you're not as strong as you'd like. So something pretty similar that lets you work a little more at your fitness level won't hurt you any. Most 700c rims can take a fairly wide range of tire sizes. Since you're not shifting right now, the exact shifting system isn't a big deal. You'll end up learning something new no matter what. Saddle choice is pretty personal. Wheels do kinda matter, but right now it sounds like the big factor is "reasonably strong", not going all weight weenie :). Pretty much any bike that fits you well will do the job... since you love the LeTour to death, I'd just focus on steel and look for a close geometry match.

The big thing I would watch for is because you're used to singlespeed, you've got a "cruising gear". Figure out about how many gear inches it is, and make sure whatever bike you go with has a few choices below your usual cruising gear for hill climbing. Most bikes should, but you'll adjust faster when you know where "cruising speed" is.

Thanks for all the replies. Keep them comin'!

As for the LeTour... I absolutely love the thing. It was a scrap heap save by the Milwaukee Bike Co-op, and its gotten me up and down every urban street and bike path in town. However, the single gear limits my ability to relay rides, group rides, and ultimately a century ride. I will keep it to get around town as long as it lasts, but I want a bike that I can take on the hills with. I love urban riding, but I want to hit the road.

As for the questions on budget...my indecision has resulted in some savings...about $1,000 at present. I'll have $1,200 saved by April 1.

As for the bikes I am looking at...primarily road bikes that fall in the "Endurance" or "Plush" category (meant for all-day rides, relaxed geometry, etc). They include the Felt Z85 & Z100, the Specialied Seceuter (sp?), the Trek Pilot 2.1, Kona Zing, Fuji Newest,etc.

I also plan to test ride a few race bikes if only as a basis of comparison (Trek 1.2 & 1.5, Felt F75 or 95, etc)

The wildcard was just recently introduced to me... steel frame road bikes that can take slightly larger tires than the standard road bike (Surly Pacer, Kona ***** Tonk, etc). A fellow clydesdale pointed me in that direction.

I have been hung up on tire size, but it sounds like spokes/wheels warrant more consideration? Keep the feedback comin'.

I started riding at near your weight / height and have a grown a bit of a stable of bikes for different purposes. I don't think your size and weight limit your choices, other than maybe make sure you get a decent set of wheels or save a few bucks to replace the OEM ones later. More a decision of what you want to accomplish / do.

The endurance type roadbikes sound like a very good fit for distance and fitness riding you seem to be planning. If you're reasonably flexible and you plan to stick with cycling for awhile, you may decide that the more aggressive position of a race bike is the thing. Good that you are trying the race bikes now, but I bet you like the endurance type geometry better (at least for now).

Best thing I can tell you is to get the one that you will be happiest riding and ride it a lot.

edit PS - my interpretation of endurance road bike, is longer headtube maybe shorter toptube for a given size with drop bars

Test ride them all and see what feels right. If you find two you like equally, go by quality of components. If they are comparable, get the cooler looking one. There really is no wrong choice other than getting a bike that doesn't fit you.

I think you are on the right path MUMBA. Get the bike that will suit the needs you have now, but also keep in mind your needs in the future. Just keep narrowing down from the six you have listed.

When I was in the market to uprgade my bike I started looking/researching around August, and ending up purchasing in December. I based my criteria on a number of factors (i.e. bike style, price, ability to accept racks/fenders, frame material, etc.). I also took notes about the bikes I test rode and what I thought about it (i.e. comfortable, fast handling, heavy, smooth, etc.).

After a while the answer became clear to me as to which bike I liked the best. Believe me compromises will be made, Just keep in mind exactly what is most important to you. Rank whatever priorities you want your new bike to have. Mine was 1) Comfortable, 2) Smooth, 3) Accept racks/fenders, 4) Frame material, 5) Weight, 6) Speed, etc. Your criteria will be different MUMBA. I didn't buy the bike that was the most comfortable. I instead bought the bike that was 2nd in Comfortability, 1st in Smooth, 1st in accepting racks in fenders, last in weight, close to last in speed, etc.

Satisfy your top priorities and sometimes the bottom ones don't seem to matter as much. Just remember you are the one riding. I hope this helps MUMBA.

I am 6-3 and weigh in the 230-240 range. I have 8.5 bikes but I favor road bikes. I have steel, aluminum and carbon bikes. I have alloy and carbon cranks and never any real big problems. I think that for your size you can buy any bike and it will be fine. I just wouldn't try to get wheel with 8 or 10 spokes.

It sounds like you want a good road bike. Do you ever intend to go off road?, if yes then you want at least a cyclecross bike, if no then you want a road bike. After riding for 40 years I decided that I liked eyelets for a rear rack.

Thanks again to everyone for the tips. I appreciate the reassurances that road bike wheels and tires will not crumble into the ground after the first mile. This is consistent with what most bike shop salespeople have said to me. Now their advice is vetted with people who know. I think my hesitancy was due in part to placing a bit too much weight on a couple of outlier opinions that predicted doomsday (come to think of it, those oppinions came from people who tend to have a dour outlook on most things.)

With your insights in mind, I visited two bike shops yesterday, and I even drove an hour to the Madison, WI Bike-O-Rama event. I had some funny experiences. A dealer was about to call the cops on me after I disappeared from view on an extended test ride. I also tested a 63cm Trek Pilot, and I swear that I have mounted horses that were shorter. I crossed that one off the list, and began honing in on 60-61cm bikes with a little more sportiness.

For the most part I alternated test rides between endurance bikes (longer head tube, relaxed geometry, etc) and race bikes (aggresive geometry) simply for a basis of comparison. The 'edurance' category has a lot of variability from what I can tell, which makes test rides even more important.

Thanks again for all the insights. Keep them coming. I have more test rides planned for today. So if you are of similar size and you have a bike that you swear by, please let me know.

MAK is correct that it's not necessary for us big guys to ride wider tires. But you will notice a comfort difference in moving to a wider tire.

I'm 6'6" and 230 pounds. I started riding LD road events a couple years ago on a Cross Check with 28mm high pressure tires. It was a reasonably fast ride, but when the road got rough, it was a strain on my wrists and arms even with good bartape and gel gloves. After reading some reviews of wider tires (up to 42mm) and differences in rolling resistance vs. percieved comfort levels, I opted for a 32mm tire this season.

I've put in almost 1300 miles this year on these tires, and I've gotta say they are (for lack of a better description) da bomb. They aren't any slower than rolling a narrow, super-high-pressure tire like a 23mm at 130psi; even though they're 30.6mm (actual measurement) at only 95psi. If you're looking to do longer distances, I suggest going with a frame capable of handling a larger tire like a 32mm, just for the comfort factor.
I won't suggest any one frame over another, but there are plenty which fit the bill.
- Surly Cross Check (swap out the CX tires on the complete build, or build up from a bare frame)
- Surly Pacer (32mm w/o fenders)
- Salsa Casseroll
- Felt FX 95 (has fender eyelets, and the stock tires aren't bad for road riding, even if they're not my favourites)
- Fuji Touring
- Novara Randonnee
- Specialized Tri-Cross (swap out the CX tires)

Myth one...Clydes must ride wider tires. I'm 5' 11" and now 225. I started at 260. Soon after using 25c tires I moved to 23c tires and have had no problems. Just buy quality.

Myth two...Clydes must have heavy duty rims and spokes. My Felt F80 came with cheap Alex rims and have been fine. In fact I've never broken a spoke and have trued the wheels only twice in 5000 +/- miles. It's curious that fellow riders with expensive and fancy wheels break spokes frequently while I just truck along.

Myth three...Clydes can't ride carbon. Maybe we can't use carbon cranks or certain pedals or seats but for the frame and forks, carbon will hold a clyde without trouble. A friend rides a carbon frame and he's at least 260 with tree trunk thighs and calves. He'll snap chains but he's never destroyed his frame, crank or pedals.

You're over thinking everything (I tend to do the same thing and research things to death...paralysis by analysis). Think about what you want to be doing in two or three years, not just next month. When I got back into riding I bought a nice hybrid which I now hardly ride. I figured that a "do everything" bike would be perfect. Well, it does everything but nothing very well. Soon after starting I joined a club and enjoyed club rides which I found I couldn't keep up with. Two years later I bought my road bike which I love to ride. As an enty level bike it's a bit heavy (25 lbs) and has basic components. Low and behold I've ridden it in BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) twice and a number of one and two day excursions. (When I bought my hybrid I would have laughed at the thought of 450 miles in six days of riding.) My 105s shift fine and while Ultegra and Dura-Ace are smoother and lighter I have no problem.

The biggest problem is that whatever you buy there will always be something out there that's better or more desireable. Test ride a bunch, see what feels right and pull the trigger.


Great post.

I've ridden old steel and campy nuovo record and mavics that flexed under my humble then-219 lbs.

I've ridden 23c no problem, but I prefer 25c, and dislike 28c (except for commuting with gatorskins when flat resistance is huge).

I've loved, loved, loved stiff carbon campy cranks and 28h/32h stiff custom wheels.

Carbon is fine -- just know yourself -- are you hard on your gear, are you going to bang it about against sharp objects/other sharp sports gear in your van/garage/etc., or are you going to treat it nice? That might answer that question.

I keep my old steel bike for rain, van and rough or flat stuff. My nice bike for the weekend rides gets first class treatment, relatively speaking, but it does have a few scratches from heaven knows what -- jealous mountain bikes? golf clubs? the kids? other sports stuff that has shared the same space.

Get a bike that fits, get it professionally adjusted/fitted, with adequate quality parts. Everything else, for most of us, is noise. The weight of the bike doesn't matter much for normal rides, aerodynamics are irrelevant for those of us with a bit of an, err, "teardrop torso shape" shall we say. Fit means comfort, ease, and speed. It makes you ride more, and ride better.

You will likely end up needing a new rear wheel after a few thousand miles. Not a big deal, give the bike a few thousand miles and you're actually riding, in a position to make informed decisions. Make sure they tension your wheel properly when they sell you the bike and the wheel will go much further.

Don't stress anything other than getting a bike of sufficient quality and getting it PROPERLY fitted when you buy. Seriously, if your bike fits right, you will ride it. If it doesn't, you will store it. Forget the shiny bits, they aren't very exciting once you start going.

Years back I did tons of research and got some bike or other (sold it), got another bike after research (sold it), bought another bike with a proper fitting. The two well-fitting bikes I have now have collectively upwards of 15k miles on them (owned them for about 2 years).

Just get a bike and ride the damn thing... as long as it fits. Understand that you may wear some parts out and will need to replace them. I used to ride 19s when I was a skosh lighter (220s) and it didn't seem to matter. Just keep your wheels trued and enjoy.

I'm 6'00", 255 lbs and ride a 2008 Felt F85 58cm. The gruppo is 105/ultegra mix with Mavic CXP22 rims and i've upgraded the saddle (selle royal respiro) and the tires (Conti GP 4 seasons). This thing has been bomb-proof on the Western New York state roads I have to suffer through. Felt doesn't make the F85 in 2010, but the F75 model is available. Hope you find yourself a trusty sleigh and enjoy the ride!

I suggest that you check out a cannondale synapse or specialized roubaix. The geometry on these frames are ideal for longer distance rides that allow you to stay on the bike for hours. Don't be fooled though... these are legitimate road bikes and will come with drop bars, sti shifting, and most likely narrow (23's) road tires. I know that Team Liquigas has ridden the synapse frame in the Paris-Roubaix bicycle race. I've ridden the synapse and the roubaix - both excellent bikes. I purchased a carbon synapse and I have never looked back or had any remorse. I believe that the alloy frame bikes start at $1299. You'll pay more for carbon (I did) and higher quality components and wheels. However, at your weight, you don't have a thing to worry about as far as the frame and wheels are concerned. A bike shop wouldn't sell you a bike if they didn't think it could handle your weight. 240 lbs isn't even a concern for most entry level to intermediate road bikes.

I'm 6'4" and around 260lbs (275 when I bought the road bike) I ride a Lemond Buenos Aires with 23/700 tires. I did have to change the wheels to something with more spokes (now go several thousand miles without truing) but my CF frame is no problem in 5000 miles and I completed my first and my second century in December going for a third next weekend to celebrate my riding buddy's birthday (he's had fewer than half the number I've had. I was planning on a Trek 1.5 or 2.1 when a guy talked me into the Lemond at a closeout price. My only regret is the time I don't get to ride.

Hello - I am not your size at all - 6'0" at 344 - with a new knee.

I too am the guy that will research "winter-only" tires for a car for eight months before buying them, or, read "Consumer Reports" cover-to-cover every month...

What I decided to do was to buy the bike that made the most sense to me now, realizing that there IS a risk of out-growing it! Now, you are in much better shape than I, and this will be your second Bike. BUT, I believe the same concept applies here as well!

You are ready for a "road Bike" - so buy the one with the best fit, in your budget NOW.

3 months, or 3 years from now, you may get into "Touring", and want/need another new bike then... enter the equation of "N+1" to formulate the answer to "how many Bikes is enough?"

N=current Number owned

Fit is what you "weigh" most, looks come second (if you don't drool, you won't ride as much) - everything else is tied - just my $0.02 worth!

Try out a Giant Defy. They were created for the plush category. Has rack mounts in case you decide to commute or do some light touring.