Originally Posted by
boss_hogg01
Hi there, guys--
My first post! Exciting!
Anyhow, I'm posting here on this wonderful forum because I'm sort of in a dilemma. I'm 6'8" (38" inseam), 300+ pounds, and I need to find a road bike.
For the last year or so, I've been using a Giant Revive (semi-recumbent). It's worked out great (especially to lose some of those football pounds), but now I sort of feel like I really want to move fast. My goal is to eventually do RAGBRAI next year, and tear across my home state of Iowa, so I feel like I need a road bike.
Obviously, I won't be at 300ish forever. But, even if I got as skinny as I possibly could (i.e. 0% body fat without losing any muscle) I'd still weigh 250 pounds. No matter what I do, I'll probably need a strong bike, right? What am I to do? Do you guys have any recommendations on:
Bikes (there's a Trek Pilot 1.0 63cm in my local craigslist......big enough?)
Tires
Frame sizes
Anything else I should consider
Thanks a bunch, guys, and any guidance is appreciated. I'm a total roadbike novice.
--E
Welcome! Don't be afraid of your weight... we've had some folks around here that tipped the scales at 400+lbs at one point. Most road bikes are designed to be SUPER strong in supporting heavy riders like us.
With that said, the weakest link in the bike is USUALLY the wheels, particularly the spokes. If you purchase a bike with 16 spokes on the wheels you more than likely will run into problems, however this doesnt mean you need to go overkill with MTB wheels with 48 spokes. You can get away with wheels with 32 spokes which are properly/evenly tensioned. The rule of thumb is that machined wheels are not as safe as hand-built wheels, but then again hand built wheels can cost you a small fortune.
I am 245lbs and I currently (well not CURRENTLY, but previously) ride a Trek Madone 5.2 which is a full carbon bike with 24 spoke wheels. I have not had any problems with my weight on that bike and according to Trek the bike has no weight limit, assuming it's properly assembled and tuned.
As far as frame size goes, it is hard for anyone to tell you your frame size without seeing you on a bike. You should take yourself down to a Local Bike Shop (LBS) and have them size you on a road bike frame, geometries might differ slightly between brands however size should remain relatively constant. The LBS will guestimate a frame size for you and put it on a trainer and have you ride it while making some adjustments to seat height and some other things. That will tell you what frame size you are. Also when buying a bike if your frame size is not available do NOT let the bike shop or anyone else tell you a larger size will work fine. If anything opt for a smaller size as you can always get a longer seat post or longer stem... you can't do anything for a bike too large for you.
With all that said, good luck on your quest for a Road bike... remember the only way to tell a bike is right for you is to ride it. A parking lot ride will not suffice, opt for a longer maybe 2-4 mile ride on a MUP or a light traffic roadway.