I started riding a 2003 Giant Sedona DX at 365 pounds, so I would have pretty good confidence in the wheels withstanding your friend's weight on the road for long enough that hewill lose some weight.

In general, I think the Sedona is a good bike and wheels for us super-clydesdales.

Let him know to be careful with braking distances, especially if going down hill or in the wet... Otherwise, the normal aches and pains of beginning riders are the only issues I suffered from.

Oh, one other point I did forget, urge him to keep his cadence high... I did mess up my legs a little when I muscled too high a gear... I was regularly riding the highest gear on flats, and it was just too much strain on my muscles to ride 20 miles at a time in such a high gear. I was OK while riding, but when I was off the bike, my muscles were so tight that I had severe pain behind my knees whenever I hit my foot on anything... even a small stick or stone.