Can my bike hold up under a fat kid?
 

I'm completely new to this. I used to do a lot of BMX but that was 15 years ago. I recently bought a 2008 Redline R550 and I don't know if it the components are ok for a fat kid or not. I'm 5'10, 279lbs. I honestly don't know what a lot of this means yet. I can tell you that I don't like the cages on the pedals, I want to look into clipons, or clipins or whatever they're called. So far the saddle isn't very comfortable, but I have only ridden about 20miles on it, so I'm hoping it brakes in some.

Here are the specs on the bike

FRAME 6061 alloy double butted 130mm
spacing

FORK Carbon fiber with eyelets

HEADSET FSA Intergrated

F.DERAIL Shimano 31.8mm

R.DERAIL Shimano Sora 9sp

SHIFTERS Shimano trigger 9sp

CRANKSET FSA 30/39/50T

BB FSA square taper 68 x 116mm

CASSETTE SRAM 950 11-26T 9sp

PEDALS Alloy road

WHEELSET Alex AKX- R1 28H, 32H

TIRES Kenda Kwest 700 x 25

BRAKE Tektro 730 Dual Pivot caliper

BRAKE LVR Tektro

BAR Redline Flat 31.8mm

STEM Redline alloy 31.8mm

SADDLE Velo plush

POST Redline alloy 27.2 x 350mm

everything but the wheels. Alex "A" wheels tend to suddenly fail with no warning. The only thing I'd chance would be to lace on a pair of velocity Deep V''s or equivalent rims to your hubs.

I have that exact wheelset on my Jamis Allegro, and I was a little heavier than you when I bought it. I broke spokes on the rear wheel a number of times until the dealer who sold it to me stripped it and rebuilt the whole wheel by hand with new, better spokes. Since then I have had zero trouble with it. You might be able to use what you've got.

I agree with Tom that the rest of your bike should be fine. If you decide you want a stronger set of wheels, the Deep V's are a great way to go. Consider getting a new rear wheel. The price probably won't be much different once you've paid for spokes and labor, and you'll have a spare in the closet.

Keep asking questions here, listen to Tom, and ride that bike!

At 300lbs I'd look to something a little more stout than the Deep-V.

You're going to run at least 700x28 tires due to your weight. I'd recommend Continental TopContact tires. They'll wear like iron, otherwise you'll be going through tires like you wouldn't believe. Its not even tread wear, but with weight you'll wear out the casing before the actual tread. Also make sure you get the wire bead. No real Clydesdale (I'm not talking those of you hovering around 200lbs) should be running folding tires, but using a good solid wire bead. A folding tire can come completely off the clincher rim and get you killed.

The Deep-V is just too narrow to mount anything wider than a 700x25 on. Instead look to build your rear wheel out of a Chukker instead. Its 5mm wider and has an additional 2mm of deep section wall. You'll probably want to get a 48h rear hub, or at least a 40h.

At that weight the real problem isn't the rim not being strong enough, but the spokes being inadequate. With inadequate spoke bracing the wheel compresses and on each revolution the spokes lose tension and overtension. There are varying opinions about whether to use straight 14g spokes, or even to use 14/15g with heavier riders. Brandt believed that the double butted spokes helped to avoid spoke breakage and was a good solution. However, in my experience heavier riders need their wheels to be tensioned properly to high tension. Double butted spokes allow the wheel to lose tension as the rim deforms above the contact patch of the tire.

Otherwise, 300lbs isn't outrageous for your equipment. However, keep a close eye on your bars and your front fork. Pull the steerer on your fork and inspect it at least once a season. Lightweight handlebars should be replaced, without exception, if the bike is ever crashed, or even falls over onto the bars, with a heavy rider.

I can't add any advice about your bike or rims, but.....hello from Springtown! You tried the South Creek or Galloway Trails yet?

Tom

See this ^^^^ Ignore it. What a complete and utter load of fear mongering mixed with bull honkey.

Seriously...a 48 rear wheel with 15ga spokes? Maybe if he was closer to 500lbs. That wheel would cost almost as much as he spent on his bike altogether. OP: Pay close attention to your wheels. After 300 miles take your bike into a shop to have the wheels retrued and retentioned. If you take care to avoid potholes and other debris you should be ok for quite some time. Ride the wheels you have until they are no longer serviceable then look into an upgrade. It's foolish to throw money at a problem that "may" arise.

700 x 25s and even 23's (gasp) will be just fine. Make sure your tires are properly inflated before each ride and you won't have an issue. Just ask the plethora of clydes around here (even the ones over 300lbs) who run 23's.

A tire coming off the bead is no different than having a flat. Show of hands, who has ever had a flat while riding? Ok, who died as a result of it? BTW, if a tire is going to hop off the bead it will be when you inflate it, usually after changing a tube.

I started riding at 309 lbs and had 2 alex ALX200 wheels on my bike. In the 300-400 miles I have put on it I have had no busted spokes (fingers crossed I dont jinx myself). I am now 260ish and keeping my eyes open to avoid pot holes etc. The only wheel issue I have had was the rear wheel having to be replaced (under warranty and for a shimano R500) bue to the free wheel/hub being messed up and needing replaced.

Tom, I'm in Joplin. I haven't tried any trails yet. I've been staying to streets, mostly in my neighborhood, today I actually ventured out onto the city streets. The 7.3 miles I rode today has been my longest ride yet.

At over 300lbs if you try to ride with 23s you'll have constant flats and go through tires faster than your walllet will allow. Ignore the advice of Clydesdale groupies. Around here they get the title Clydesdale if they are over 200lbs.

Heck at 205lbs I used to have a 36 inch vertical and could dunk flat footed. I Clydesdale I wasn't...

I've been having problems with a Velocity Dyad with 48 drill on 14/15 spokes at 375lbs.

Again, there are Clydesdales and groupies. Being a fat cyclist does not a Clydesdale make. A Clydesdale is a big, powerful workhorse animal, not a fat little pony.

I don't like the words; carbon fiber, clyde and BMX used in a sentence.

+1.
I'm 5'10" and 250 ish. At 279# you aren't much bigger than me. I ride a carbon frame with 20/24 spoke wheels. Yes, I also have 23s on those low spoke wheels.
From my experience I heartily agree with bautieri. Getting the wheels trued and retensioned by a competent wheelbuilder after a few hundred miles will go a long way in preventing wheel problems.

See this ^^^^ Ignore it. What a complete and utter load of fear mongering mixed with bull honkey.
Be honest tell us what you feel!

I have a wee bit of an idea as to how to build a wheel for a Clyde, considering that 4 years back, I was 581 lbs and riding with oxygen. The main issue is to keep the spokes tensioned properly, and don't rely on machine tensioning. jaxgtr has been running Deep V's for 2 years and just finally lost a spoke. He spent most of that time over 300. mazama is running deep v's and is over 300, and also is just a short little feller at 7 feet.

I started my deep v's at over 300 pounds, and have two years into them, losing down to 199, by the way. My wheels are still true and strong after 3300 miles.

As to the tires, look at Soma Everwears in 700X26. 5 mm extra rubber in the tread area, and very flat resistant. I have yet to flat on them, and I ride some fairly rough chipseal roads, primarily. You'll find they wear like iron, and are still good at cornering and a bit o snap. :D

Got a citation for this one or are we busy pulling crap numbers? Do you have any real world expirience with this or are you spouting off the garbage the salesman told you to upsell you into a Dyad? A Dyad is also a popular 29er rim so if by chance you are running a 29er as your user name implys, please enlighten us on your expirience with 23s. Accelerated wear, hardly. Buy a quality set of rubber and you won't have that issue.

A clydesdale you were. Clydesdale is a classification of riders that traces it's origins to triathlons. It is not fair to put someone who is 150lbs in the same race category as someone who is 250lbs even if both are at 10% body fat. I'm nut sure why they drew in the line in the sand at 200lbs but they did and that is where it stands. Just like it wouldn't be much of a boxing match to have a featherweight fight a heavyweight. So lets let X = your bodyweight. If X > 200lbs then you're a clydesdale regardless of your body fat %. Also clydesdale applys to folks over 6' tall regardless of bodyweight.

Ok, so your pushing 400lbs and having issues with your wheels. When was the last time they were completely de-stressed and retentioned? How many miles are on this wheelset? Who built it? Are your issues with spokes popping or keeping the tire true? A 48 spoke Dyad (are you on a 29er or a road bike?) should have no issue holding up under you provided you are not busy hopping off curbs, bombing across cobbles, riding on the sidewalk, and avoiding as many potholes as possible. If you cannot avoid a pothole make sure you get up out of your saddle and let your knees and arms act like shock absorbers. What is your bike frame made out of? What style of riding do you do? What is the most common trail surface you encounter? If you can answer these questions we might just be able to help you out with your wheel problems.

BTW, I'm 5'8'' 205lbs with 15% body fat down from a high of 250lbs. I can flat foot dunk as well. I'm not sure if that makes me a groupie, a wannabe, fat cyclist, or simply a fat little pony. Please clear this up for me. Inquiring minds and whatnot.

Now remember, you said to be honest.

Right now my briefs are rubbing this nasty little boil I have at the top my thigh in that little seam that runs between my sack and my crack. Right now it's more of a burning than a stinging feeling, it throbs a bit. I'm a little hungry, my new wallet is digging my right butt cheek in a rather unpleasant manor which forces me to shift more of my weight onto my left cheek. Also my tongue is burnt from this mornings coffee.

How you doin ;)?