Rons

When I retired from cycling the first time Carbon was just coming out. It was definitely not Clyde friendly. From what I can gather from the forum Carbon seems to be plenty strong. I weigh 230. I'm curious how many Clydes are riding Carbon frames.

Beachgrad05

I'm an Athena that is also currently over 220 lbs and I ride a 4.5 Madone

jsigone

carbon frame and full carbon wheels

RobertL

I'm happily riding a carbon fiber Madone.

Homeyba

Carbon can definitely handle your weight. My current carbon bike (Colnago C-50) I've had since 2005 and put 6,000-10,000 miles a year on it all over the US (and sometimes in Europe) and in all kinds of weather. I also ride on carbon wheels, Zipp 404's.

volosong

I also ride a Madone 4.5 and a Pinarello FP-6. Both are carbon. My wheelsets are carbon with an aluminum braking surface.

TrojanHorse

Carbon Roubaix here. And it's old too! 2007 frame.

vesteroid

Carbon frame and wheels and I weighed more than you when I started.

FrenchFit 

Roubaix Comp, 20h/16h wheels.

But you didn't ask if we prefer carbon...

eja_ bottecchia

I own 2 CF bikes and one steel bike (look at my signature). They are all fine bikes and never had a problem with the CF frames.

phread59

'05 Fuji professional with 16 spoke Gipiemme(Italian) wheels. I'm under the Clyde status now at 185. But I started at 225. I do prefer the feel of carbon. It takes a lot of the roughness of the poor roads round here out. Although a well designed aluminum frame with carbon fork is also nice.

Mark Shuman

Acquaspin

I rode carbon when i was a legal clyde, now that I'm a clyde at heart only I ride Ti.

I think design, manufacturing of carbon has been de-mistifyed, being more available research and development accelerates resulting in better products, more options and much better pricing.

Clydes on carbon 10 years ago were early adopter guinea pigs (absolutely no pun intended), borderline daring; today, almost mainstream.

From the material standpoint, Carbon/alu/Ti/steel will work fine for your weight. It then becomes a matter of preference/budget/availability. Bike that fits better wins the draw.

GROWLR

I've had this same concern as I've been thinking about getting a road bike. I'm at 265 (down from 350 at the start) and worry that a CF bike will not support me. I've been looking at the Specialized Roubaix and Secteurs, and I'd rather buy something nice to start with rather than getting something more entry level that I'll want to upgrade in a short time. But I don't want to get a nice CF that I'll end up breaking either.

So, would a Roubaix be able to hold up under my big clyde butt?

Homeyba

As a clyde, the frame is the last thing you need to be worrying about, strength wise. I'd be using those worry muscles to find be a good wheel builder. That's going to be your week spot.

kato12

Carbon rider here.Madone 5.9

mymojo

I'm about 280# and not only am I riding carbon, its generic Chinese carbon. Scary, huh? She rides smoooooooth.



Although, to be fair, I like my aluminum bikes plenty (although the dont get nearly the saddle time) and Im building a steel bike right now.

Cychologist

My main ride is a Madone 6.9. Have ridden carbon since Trek started selling them. During that time I have been as heavy as 235 and currently weigh 215.

ChargerDawg

Madone 5.9 here... No problems.

fietsbob 

My Steel Pinarello Cross bike got some Carbon fiber cantilevers from Spooky,
a close out , and a modest improvement over the Modolo Cross calipers
I got in the 80's, when I first Built up an AlAn cross super..
since resold as overbling, and I was realistic about my abilities .

more of a touring rider so the uber light stuff was ignored..
for the next decade or 2.
as My mass increased , with age..

Jeff Pedals

Have not had a problem to date.. I started out on a used trek carbon 5200 & have recently upgraded to a felt Z4 during all of this time I estimate that I have been anywhere from 202-245+

GROWLR

Thanks for the feedback, I've heard the same from (some) others as well. I always knew that I'd be needing to upgrade the wheels anyway.

Any suggestions?

squatchy

I have a suggestion for a wheel set as I just purchased a new set a few weeks ago. I ride a S-Works Roubaix and I just bought some Hed Belgiums. I can't imagine a better set of wheels. I weight 250 and have no problems at all with my plastic bike and my wheelset gives me all the support I could ever want.

libero

So I'm just around 200, a little under when things are going well. I've never ridden a carbon frame for various reasons. One thing I always ask is what happens when I crash? My aluminum frames have a good record of surviving these occasional events. It's one thing to have this carbon frame be strong enough for me to sit on and go through some turns, spin the pedals. The strength to survive some major impacts that I've been involved in - that's something quite different. The average 160lb guy crashing his carbon isn't quite the same as one I could produce.

Knock on wood, maybe I don't crash again. Woohoo! But I'm still taking a bit of insurance just in case I do. A helmet being the first one. Less carbon on the machine is another.

bulldogs2k

Fuji SST 3.0, it was designed for a heavier, power rider/sprinter. They are pressure tested, if I remember correctly, they can withstand weight in the upper 300's.

After owning an aluminum bike, I will never go back....

It's steel or carbon from now on. Ti too

Homeyba

Carbon isn't that fragile. I'm bigger than you and have crashed my Colnago more times than can remember right now and it's just fine. In fact I t-boned a van at 40mph. The impact was hard enough to snap off a crank arm and destroy a wheel (not to mention the damage to me and the van) but the frame was just fine. A steel, aluminum or Ti frame can be destroyed just as easily as a carbon frame in a crash.