Originally Posted by
homelessjoe
What you want is a chrome moly double butted touring bike.....youre a big guy.....you need a strong and stable frame...... touring bikes have extra strong frames and strong wheels....plus they are more comfortable to ride than bikes with racing geometry......they are more stable at slower speeds.....and the gearing makes them easy to ride.........youll ride longer go farther see more stuff have more fun.........a 61cm Masi or any racing frame with a 225 lb rider will be pretty noodley and unstable....Im a big guy too............check out a Miyata 1000 or a 610............Trek 520 or a 720 if you can find one.............Specialized Expedition from the 80s...........Raleigh Portage........Fuji Grand Tour......Bianchi make a couple of touring bikes.....these are all beautiful highly desirable rides.......you might have to search a bit ..........these models are in pretty. big demand right now......
Everyone seems to leave out the Trek 620. It is more of a touring bike (longer stays) than a large number of 520s which seem to vary between touring and sport touring/sport geometry depending on the year.
The aluminum frame Treks are also an option (1000, 1200, 1220, 1400, 1420). They are generally a more race geometry (short stays). IIRC, the models ending in 20 have a triple chain ring.