bonejockey43

Greetings. I am presently in the market for a cyclocross bike, and I was wondering if there are any other large mammals who could offer me some insight as to which bikes may serve me well. I am 6'1", and I weigh 250 lbs. My intended use of the bike will fall into the following categories: 65% use for pulling a Chariot CX2 trailer on paved, dirt, and gravel trails, and 35% for road training - after a few years, when the kids have their own bikes, I will probably get a dedicated road bike. Additionally, I plan on having two sets of tires - one for trails, and one for the road. My price range (excluding the second set of tires) will be around $1500, but I could go a little higher if convinced that it was a worthwhile investment.

My questions are as follows:

1. Are there certain bikes that anyone has experience with that are more tailored for for individuals of larger size?

2. What type of frame material would be best suited for my intended usage? Steel or aluminum (or carbon if in the unlikely event a carbon bicycle falls in my price range)? Would carbon forks and a carbon seatpost be beneficial?

3. Would the increased braking power of disc brakes provide additional safety for my "cargo" when pulling my trailer?

If anyone has any insight into these questions, and would like to share their expertise or insight with me, I would be greatly appreciative. Thank you for your help.

ldesfor1@ithaca

i am 6'3" 220ish. i have been riding a Surly Crosscheck for 5 months using it mainly for commuting and long winter rides (20-50 miles). You could get an awesome bulid done on this bike for 1500. I would recomend handbuild, 36 spoke wheels and touring gearing (mountain cassette with a sugino xd600 crankset).
I am using a flatbar w/barends on mine with v-brakes and really appreciate the stopping power. I have no need for discs even in the wet/snow, any more braking power and i skid. This bike feels indestructable.

norse rider

I roll on a JTS 05 and come in at a cozy 240lbs. I have had narry a problem and commute four to five days a week in whatever mother nature has to offer. I would go with 28's for your tires and goof around with getting a good fit for whatever bike you choose. I think a good fitting bike is IMHO more important then brand. Ride hard and be safe.

socalrider

+1 on the Surly Crosscheck.. 6'3 - 240lbs and the bike feels real solid.. I have Ultegra triple on mine.. I can climb any roads or trails.. It is just a fun bike to have..

charlisity

200 here and I researched this issue too and it seems that all that really mattered was 32 spoke wheels for the weight capacity. Besides that, its all personal preference, or as I like to call it, icing on the cake.

Get some strong wheels and have at it.

adrien

+ 1 on JTS....and on the "make sure it fits" point.

Aluminum can feel a bit stiffer, and be less comfy for very long rides. Trade off is they can feel snappier, like all the pedal energy is going towards acceleration. Longest ride I've had is about 65 miles, and i was hurting. But I'm not sure it would hurt less with a different frame material. And, to confuse matters, it's not like there's one kind of aluminum and one kind of steel. They can vary quite a bit in quality, weight, feel, flexibility from one "alu" bike to another.

Cross bikes are overbuilt to deal with the rough stuff, and a little more "compact" than roadies (as in the top tube tends to be shorter, so you sit more upright).

I tow a burley, but have never tried it with the JTS (i reserve it for commuting, winter fun and long summer rides (with a second wheelset and roady tires). I come in around 230, and have done the commute with 20 pounds of laptop etc.

Re carbon...I chose not to. The way it fails on the occassions when it does frankly scares the !@^$!#% out of me. Catastophic fork failure? Because I nicked it a month ahead and weakened it without realizing? Not for me. But, I'm weird that way, and if you're careful with your bike and inspect it carefully, go for it. I'm just weary of major manfacturers telling you to swap out carbon parts after X years, regardless....I keep thinking there must be a reason.

As long as the wheels are good (32 spoke minimum, tough hubs, etc. -- stock on JTS is Mavic open sport, which are among the toughest) and the bike is comfy, cross would be a good choice for what you describe.

Zonker

Just wondering, what the difference is, if any, in the ride between the Crosscheck and the LHT. I too have a LHT, but since me and my gal bought a tandem, I don't forsee doing any solo tours. I was thinking of buying a Crosscheck (or SOMA) cross frame, and moving all the parts over, as a spare/weather bike, and selling the LHT frame. I would assume the cross frame/fork could take the 37cm Continental Top touring tires? I'm a big guy also, 6'2", 228 pounds.

ldesfor1@ithaca

hey Zonker, i was in the same boat as you, i toured this summer on a lht and it did great. But, i was really not enjoying it as an unloaded commuter, it was slow feeling and the long chainstays made lifting the front wheel a chore. I got a crosscheck in a size 60 (LHT was a 62) and it has been much more fun to ride, it is quicker feeling and feels like a bike, not a tank. The difference was NOT night and day, but significant enough that i would reply to your question. It will take huge tires, ive seen one with 50mm big apple tires on it. It will also go fixed or singlespeed or internal gear hub smoothly.
The thing is still heavy though, but i never worry about denting it or treating it like an antique. it does its work, just like the LHT has probably done for you, but has more fun doing it.

If you want to race cross, maybe look at a lighter frameset/fork, otherwise the weight isnt too bad.
I cant speak for the soma, but it looks cool too.