Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Help Picking a Bike

I've been reading these threads for a few weeks now. I'm looking to get a bike on a budget. I weigh about 350lb maybe a little more. I need exercise and detest walking for fitness it's god aweful boring. As a kid I always rode a bike, after having my son ten years ago I rode for a while then gave up.

First I should say thank you, this forum has both motivated me and given me hope.

Second, would this bike work for someone my size... it's a Specialized Expedition I found on CL .. Thanks in advance.

219635

219636

crzycrzyluv, That looks like an awfully small frame, how tall are you?

Brad

So what happened to the bike your rode around 10 years ago? Is that still viable? Or was it the reason you gave up?

Some constraints that would help narrow your choices:

1. What kind of riding do you do? Casual/Comfort-type? Likes to ride fast? Paved roads/bike paths? Trails w/ some on/off road?

2. What kind of rider are you? Competitive? Push yourself to new limits and want to exceed and improve? A "Fred" who just likes to take it easy?

3. What do you fear most in choosing a bike? Do you fear maintenance and longevity? Do you fear complete/catastrophic failure while riding? Do you fear what others think about the "bling" or lack thereof on the bike?

4. What hurts most when you finish a strenuous ride? Legs? Arms? Hands? Feet? Neck? Shoulders? Bottom? Lungs?

5. As Bradtx points out, perhaps height/gender/general proportions can be helpful in specific frame size selection.

I no longer have the bicycle I rode 10 years ago.

I don't know what type of riding I like to do, it's all a new to me for the most part.

I can definatly say I'm not a Fred, I am ambitious and focused. I fear maintenance. I don't know that I care what others think about the bike. I do feel a bit vunerable getting on a bike at the size I'm currently at, but if I don't I'm going to remain this size.

I'm am a female about 5'4 1/2, I'm pretty equally proportioned.

Does that help?

It'll be a good start. It is a small frame, but probably close to your size. At your weight, you may have issues with the rear wheel down the road, but that is a possibility with any bike.

You say you fear maintenance, but it is best to at least learn to change inner tubes on your own because you will get a flat at some point on the road. I know people that claim to enjoy riding, but are afraid to leave their neighborhood on their own because they might get a flat.

Should I go for it? What size frame would be a good fit

Should I go for it? What size frame would be a good fit
Take a few hours and visit one or two local bike shops and see what size would be appropriate for you. It doesn't cost to look and maybe try out a few to see what you think, regarding the type of bike etc. You don't have to buy, but it will give you a reliable yardstick so you can better asses the ones you find on CL etc.

That looks like about a 13 inch frame. My wife is 5'5" and her bike is a 13" Trek 820. I thought it was a little small for her, but color was the most important thing in her decision. If the price is good I would go for it, you didn't mention how old the bike is. I wouldn't spend more than half of what a new equivalant model would cost because the tires/tubes may need replacing along with a basic tune up.

I'm 5'4" and started riding at 360 lbs. What I found was that I had gotten too short since the last time I rode (about 12 years ago) for just about any department store bike with a 26" wheel, but the bikes with 24" wheel were too short from handlebars to seat to accomodate my stomach and leave room for my knees to move as I pedaled. I bought the only bike with 26" wheels that I could sit on and touch my big toes to the ground. It's a cheap Huffy with nice fat tires. After I had been riding about a month, I had to raise the seat a couple of inches, and I've raised it a couple of times since then. It wasn't really that I had gotten too short, it was that my butt extended further down from the top of my leg than it used to. This isn't something you can really calculate from a chart on the computer, so the frame size charts may not be much help at first.

Something else to consider is how you're going to get on the bike. Can you swing a leg over? or do you need a step over frame?

You mentioned feeling vulnerable about getting on a bike at your weight...it will be scary at first but it's amazing how the skill comes right back and your body adapts what it remembers from riding in the past to your current size.

I no longer have the bicycle I rode 10 years ago.

I don't know what type of riding I like to do, it's all a new to me for the most part.

I can definatly say I'm not a Fred, I am ambitious and focused. I fear maintenance. I don't know that I care what others think about the bike. I do feel a bit vunerable getting on a bike at the size I'm currently at, but if I don't I'm going to remain this size.

I'm am a female about 5'4 1/2, I'm pretty equally proportioned.

Does that help?

Yes it does, thanks. Bicycles are like shoes, they have to fit and that's why I asked.

Everyone here is overweight or has been overweight, a cyclist and willing to help. I write this because you answered my question last. Wheel strength, in particular the rear wheel is the bane of the overweight cyclist, be prepared for a repair or perhaps a handbuilt wheel. Primarily this is due to the automatic wheel building procedure that has become so common in recent years. The good news is that most frames handle weight fine. The bicycle in the picture has a suspension fork and because of this I suggest overlooking this bike unless it has a 'fork lockout', ask the seller.

Brad

I no longer have the bicycle I rode 10 years ago...
I don't know what type of riding I like to do, it's all a new to me for the most part...
I can definatly say I'm not a Fred, I am ambitious and focused.

That's a great start! IMO, this calls for a bike that can do a wide range of terrain and riding. And that means something that probably has a triple ring crank near the pedals, and something with indexed shifting that will give you a decent range of gear ratios for a variety of rides. And something that gives you a comfortable ride, but capable of touring around town and in hilly country roads. I think your instincts for looking at that Specialized on CL are in the right direction.


I fear maintenance.

I don't fear maintenance. But I loathe having to do it constantly. And having been a big person all my life, I can completely sympathize with the maintenance avoidance. I like the idea of a "bomb-proof" bike. Something durable. Something that stays true. But something that also performs. So when I shop for a bike, I'm mostly on Craigslist or eBay and I look for vintage steel. That's just my preference. But steel fails somewhat gracefully. It gives hints that it's going to fail by creaking, bending, flexing too much. But aluminum and carbon fibre fail catastrophically. And I don't mind the extra 2 or 3 pounds in a steel frame and fork. After all, I just grab a slab of my multiple 6-pack around my gut and that's a lot more than the weight of the metal. But I'm not ever in a hurry to buy anything on CL or eBay. I take my time and wait for a great deal. And then I pounce. If you're wondering if it's a good deal - it might be. But I'm pretty sure you'll know when you see a GREAT deal. I study and do a lot of online shopping and email sellers often to get some details. I'm not shy about that. But my first imperative is getting a decent frame. I'm not against aluminum as an option, but I will scrutinize a bicycle, especially used, far more for small dings, dents, and general rider abuse before buying aluminum framed bikes because there is a finite limit to fatigue cycles on aluminum at all stress levels. With steel, if the rider does not reach the fatigue stress, then the metal deforms elastically in a perfect way and this does not add to the number of fatigue cycles.


I do feel a bit vunerable getting on a bike at the size I'm currently at, but if I don't I'm going to remain this size.

There are different types of frames that can be structurally VERY STRONG but easy to get on/off of. A properly adjusted bicycle often has the seat too high for the rider to touch the ground except on one side with tippy toes. This means that if you buy a bike with a standard triangular frame, even one with a sloping top tube, you're likely to mount/dismount by swinging one leg high over the seat. Mounting is usually easier because you're usually refreshed and just starting to ride. But imagine going uphill and pedaling hard for miles, and stopping and taking a break. You coast, slow down to a near stop, then get up off the saddle just as you come to rest, and take one foot off the pedal (maybe unclip one foot) and lean on that side and step down with that foot to the ground. Now you need to extract the other foot off the pedal on the other side, and then dismount. You're exhausted. And for heavy people, try swinging a leg over and feel the stress on ankles and knees. Because of two pins still in my left ankle and damage due to sports injuries on both knees, it's fairly brutal for me to dismount. And because I have toe clips, I don't coast with one foot clipped and mounted on the pedal while swinging my leg over as the bike is still moving. And furthermore, at 300lbs, I've broken pedal axles, mind you on some of the highest quality pedals money could buy back in the day - serious cr-mo steel axles. A broken pedal axle is not fun. It can cause aortal ruptures if you are heavy and collapse on hard handlebars with brake levers. You can break your jaw as your chest crushes itself against the ground and your head slams down chin-first. You can break collar bone and wrist sticking your hand out trying to break that fall. Nope. For heavy folks - I'm still paranoid. I don't ever dismount with one foot on a pedal and coast and swing my leg over. Lastly, before you buy any bike, check the rear dropouts to make sure they are vertical. You may want to read up on bikes and "dropouts". These are where the wheel axle bolt to the frame. If you have slotted dropouts, it is likely that at our size and weight, if you don't have the highest quality of nuts/bolts and secure the axle tightly, a power stroke using strong legs can pull the rear wheel out of the drop out, and this will cause a fall. Many in the mechanics section of this bike forum will say this is unlikely. And yes, they are correct. A properly secured quick-release lever or lock nut SHOULD prevent any movement of the axle in the dropout. But I've pulled enough axles (and just did 2 weeks ago cranking super hard to accelerate through a left turn) and usually at the worst times when I needed to accelerate, to know that steel nuts and bolts have their limits. So I go with vertical dropouts. It's then impossible to pull the wheel forward. The axle hits solid metal of the chainstay and dropout. And unless the chainstay flexes too much and breaks, the wheel will not come out ever even if properly secured. (note: I have broken more than one STEEL frame on the right chainstay at the bridge near the bottom bracket - so I look at the welding/brazing in that area as well).

All this long response is leading up to a recommendation for frame - you might want to look at a bike with a "mixte" frame. It's a lot like a "woman's" bike frame, only, instead of the sloping top tube terminating where it joins the seat tube, a mixte frame has welded metal that continues to the rear dropout. For example, you might want to search on a "Soma buena viste mixte frame" to see an example of what that looks like. Now dismounting is easy. Stop. Put one foot down on your strong leg side. Just lift the other leg up slightly and push the top of the bike over in one direction, and bring your foot through the center top of the frame. No need to swing one's leg over the saddle.

In terms of the wheel size, you can find a bike that is designed around either a mountain bike philosophy (i.e. 26 inch wheels) or you can get a hybrid/touring bike philosophy (i.e. 700C wheels). The mtn bike will allow you a large choice of 1.25 inch - 2.25 inch tires that varying treads from smooth to knobby for on-road to off-road. Being a slightly smaller diameter wheel, the rims are also usually wider, and spokes are shorter. This means a stronger wheel in most cases, and when properly built, are nearly bomb-proof especially with a nice, fat 1.9 - 2.0 inch tire mounted on the rims. My main commuter bike sports 1.9 inch slick tires and rides very smooth and fast and is really -comfortable-. The only draw back is the rolling resistance of smaller, fatter tires. It's not insignicant. My average speed on my commuter bike is around 16mph. If I ride even my flat-bar single speed with narrower 700x32C (1.25 inch) tires, my average speed is around 18.0 mph on the flats. And today, I rode my beater road bike with 700x28c tires (1 1/8 inch) and my speed was close to 19 mph (and I made my meeting with a few minutes to spare!). But to lose weight and exercise, nothing beats the comfort and workout of my fat tire commuter.

As for durability, as others have pointed out, the rear wheel is the most common part that requires some care in selection and it must be built appropriately. I pretty much build and use my own 36 spoke wheels for all my riding. I know what tension I should apply when tightening spokes. I know many bikes today come with 32 spoked wheels and some even fewer. I avoid those. I also recommend a freehub/cassette as opposed to older hub/freewheel because freehubs place the outer axle bearing further right and avoids bent axles on the rear wheel over traditional older hubs/freewheel. On one hand, most newer bikes use freehubs/cassettes so you avoid the bent axles. But on the other hand, many newer bikes come with 32 or fewer number of spokes on the wheels. So be aware of what you are getting. Some bikes with aero-profile rims and heavy guage spokes are very strong and can withstand a lot of weight even with just 32- or fewer spokes.


...I don't know that I care what others think about the bike. ...I'm am a female about 5'4 1/2, I'm pretty equally proportioned.

Okay, now to specifics on size. If you are average body proportions, then someone your size can get a frame with -effective- seat tube of around 16 - 18 inches for a "road" bike. And 14 - 16 inches for a mtn bike. What I mean by "effective" seat tube length means that we need to imagine the top tube being horizontal and estimate what the seat tube actually would be, and that's because so many bikes these days have sloping top tubes. This is especially true of mixte frames. Another way to measure is what we call stand-over height. It's basically a measurement of inseam clearance while standing stocking-foot over a frame. A sloping top tube can provide better clearance for stand-over height, but what we look for also, as you mentioned earlier, is sufficient top tube length so your knees comfortably avoid the handlebars and you aren't scrunched up. So, just to summarize, you might find a bike with a sloping top tube that has actual seat tube of just 12 - 13 inches. But if the slope of the top tube would raise the tube by 2 inches if level, then the effective seat tube size is more like 14 - 15 inches.

A bike is rarely perfect for fit when it first arrives. And you really won't know what fits you perfectly until you ride quite a bit and then make adjustments. But getting the frame size in the right ball park to start with will help. You can always adjust seats forward or back a little, up and down as well. And the handlebars can be raised a little or lowered, and rotated toward you or away, or you can buy a replacement stem that is longer or shorter depending on your needs.

But take your time. Research it and then take the plunge. You'll enjoy riding even more!

A "Fred" who just likes to take it easy?
Is that what that means? I've seen the term around, but could never tell from context what it meant...

Is that [Fred] what that means? I've seen the term around, but could never tell from context what it meant...

Typically it sort of dates the riders. Back, maybe 20 years ago, we were calling slow cyclists "Fred." But that was not to be confused with riders like world land speed HPV record holder and Olympic medalist "Fast Freddy Markham."...

Thank you guys so much.. SOOOOO INSPIRATIONAL and informative. I'm sooo charged up about getting a bicycle. I found a GIANT 4130W BOULDER on CL I'm going to see and I'm going to check out a bike store. I'm resisting two frequent urges, one is the urge to make an impulse buy, two is to do the procrastinator window shopping never make a purchase move.

I want to ride.. I want to ride NOW..that's what I feel every evening I read your postings.

My daughter's bike is a Giant Boulder. It's really nice. I like everything about it...but the suspension fork feels squishy to me, when I've ridden it briefly, like it wouldn't support my weight. I really like Giant bikes, I've been looking for one on my local CL...but an older one with no suspension.

Maybe this will help, when i started riding in May I was 420lbs. 3 weeks ago i rode in the cowtown classic in ft. worth - The hills almost killed me but i made it through the 48 miles in 3.38 hrs. I ride a Trek pure sport with a hornless seat - bought that at wal-mart. Im down to 368 and iv got goals set to do a 50 mile this upcoming week and next weekend on the same bike. I ride on average 60-70 miles a week on my bike and love it. Everything except the seat is stock and i finally had to take it to the shop bk i hit a curb last week going about 26mph downhill and almost ate it. I payed $475 for my bike new, but i had to order it. I rarely get sore because of the pedal forward design.