I am almost the same build and have never used any special heavy weight components. There are some wheelsets out there that have weight restrictions because they are so light, but are still around 175 pounds. I run bontrager race lites on my Trek on pretty rough roads and have never had to true them. If you are looking for a hybrid or commuter I think the size is all you need to look at. This would be more of an issue if he weighed 297 pounds. I think someone is trying to get an additional $175 out of you.