Buck Naked

Whats up guys and girls!! I work with a guy who is selling a 2009 GF arc pro
for $850. It has not been ridden much and seems to be in good shape. I am 280lbs so that needs to be considered as well (wheel set). I have not been able to find much info on GF road bikes so I decided to take it to the masses. Any opinions?
thanks Buck

here a link to the bike

https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...pact&Type=bike

sstorkel

Didn't even realize that Gary Fisher still made road bikes! Specs on the bike look decent. Paired-spoke Bontrager wheels don't have the best reputation, even among light guys, so that's the only thing I'd really worry about. Pictures make it look like the wheels have 20 spokes in the front and 24 in the rear. Ideally, you'd probably want 24 front and 28 rear, spaced evenly around the wheel.

gotls1

I bought my husband this exact bike for Christmas this year and he loves it. He hasn't had any issues, but he's only about 175 or so. I'd say get it, ride the stock wheels until you have a problem then look to upgrade.

Buck Naked

So I guess the question is....... how much is a decent wheel set going to cost me?

IAmCosmo

A decent wheelset will cost under $300. I just bought a set of Mavic Aksiums for $169. A set of Neuvation M-28's would do you well too. I've personally never been a fan of Bontrager wheel sets, which is what I assume is on the bike you are looking at buying.

The Fisher bikes look pretty nice. I got an up close look at one last year at a crit here in town. There were several guys sponsored by GF that had their bikes. All of them were aluminum and had DuraAce components and carbon wheels, so they may or may not be a reflection of the bike you are looking at. But from what I saw they appeared to be nice bikes. I talked to a friend who works at the local Trek/GF shop and he said he's thinking about one for his next road bike.

Just went and looked up the Arc Pro. That's the exact same frame the guys here were racing. For $850 I don't think you can go wrong.

DieselDan

You may be able to get away with Mavic Askiums, which are on sale for under $200 a pair on Nashbar.com, but try the wheels on it, as I had a Trek rep once tell me all Bontranger wheels will support a 350 pound rider. Otherwise, look to invest in a well made set of 32 or 36 spoke wheels. Shimano Ultegra hubs with Mavic CXP-33 rims would be a bomb-proof set.

IAmCosmo

You don't need 32 or 36 spoke wheels. Granted, they will be almost indestructible, but they are overkill.

kenrudman

I have the Arc Pro and like it very much. I weighed about 230 when I started riding back in September and am now down to 208, but I don't have the stock wheels. Mine has the Bontrager Aeros, which are 12 paired spoke aero-style rims. Probably not the best for me when I was at my heaviest, but nice wheels for me now. I would say that with the right wheels, the bike will be great for you--assuming it fits you. Have you made sure that the frame is the right size?

LarDasse74

The best wheels are regular spoke 32 or 36 spoke wheels, maybe an Ultegra hub, Mavic Open Pro rim. Affordable, easily servicable. Maybe overkill, but with there are no comprimises.

MNRon

I am riding this exact bike. I bought it last August for $1150 and am very happy with it. I'm in the 270 range and although I had no problems with the stock wheels, I did get a different set from here: https://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/ They seem to be well built and came quickly at a good price. I used the stock wheels to "upgrade" my wife's bike. (I am using some Mavic A319 rims right now, but will go with CX33 this spring and move the A319s to my cross bike.) All in all I am very pleased with this bike.

If it fits, buy it.

DieselDan

Here's some more FYI: if you ride on rough roads, a handbuilt set is the better options. I have seen light and expensive wheels fall apart under a lighter rider but on a rough road that was almost cobblestones. We could hear the broken pieces of asphalt rattling under our wheels. This was during an organized ride, but I didn't know how much this rider had ridden those roads with those wheels.

Bearbig

I was going to suggest a tripple crank then noticed you're in Fl so a compact should be fine. I would suggest
wheels of at least 32 spokes in the rear. Even with 32 spokes I've pulled spokes out of 2 richie rims. I switched to a mavic ( can't remember which) and have been on it for 3 years. BTW I range between 220-260.