Road Cycling - Bike suggestions for heavy rider

I currently weigh 295 and I use a Mongoose mountain/hybrid department store bike. I am looking ahead and want to start doing some major riding. I currently do 24 miles on Saturdays but I would like to do a Metric Century before the year ends. I have told everyone in my family and my friends that for Christmas I want a road bike so not to buy anything else. What suggestions would you give for a heavy dude looking for his first road bike? I am looking in the 500 to 700 range.

As a heavy dude myself, I had the same problem when chosing my road bike.

I ended up with a second hand Colnago Masterlight Frame and fork. (Steel frames= very comfortable and forgiving) and a dependable wheelset. Mavic Ceramic open pro rims. (Get wheels with a full spoke count, not as sexy but sturdier IMO). Also I made sure I got an excellent seat post (The Dura-Ace Easton seatpost) and a sturdy seat (Just my advice but you may want a wider seat and/or a hollow penurial canal, you rear will thank you after 25kms).

Sacrifice bike weight for durabilty and build quality. When in doubt check with the manufacturer regarding the load tolerances of their equipment.

I bought most of my parts second hand and ended up with a quality bike for about $800.

Hope this helps.

Take a look at the Specialized Seqouia.

It's impossible to specify a single bike or a couple of bikes. But at 295, you'll probably want a bike with a steel frame. If you're getting started, think comfort not speed or zoot (fancy looking components).

Bikes designed for cyclocross, touring, and commuting would probably suit you. These are also known as hybrids. I have a Bianchi Volpe, and the only thing I wouldn't do with it is race.

These companies seem to have pretty good bang for your buck and may have something you're looking for: Raleigh, Fuji, Bianchi, Jamis. There are many others.

I think this is where eBay can be your friend. Don't get too loose with the cash just to score a bike, but if you can find a good deal, there are scads of older (mid to late 90's or even younger) steel bikes. I scored my '99 Volpe for $360, and it's a pleasure to ride.

Get to know cycling first, save your $, then once you have things figured out, go after the bike you really want.

For that weight class I wouldn't have picked anything but large-tube aluminum, specifically a Cannondale. There might be some difficulty in meeting your price range, but asking is free. How tall are you? Have a weight goal? Going to ride more?

My 240 lb high-mileage friends are reporting very good results with the Shimano 540 paired-spoke wheels: no truing at two years, and they don't break. Those likely are out of your price range for a whole bike, but their success suggests to me that you do not have to get wheels of conventional construction when others are doing better.

I was at a bike shop the other day, and they were searching high and low for a seat that would accomodate a rider 350lb+ Without much luck.

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it. I actually test rode a Trek 1000 and I was quite impressed with the ride and comfortable feel. I still want to try out a few others including the Giant OCR 3 and the Cannondale. I also tried out a Specialized not sure which model but I didn't like the feel. I felt too streched out. They were both in the 500 to 570 range so that was good. I'll keep searching. Thanks for the great advice.