rgconner

Height has less to do with it as inseam. I am 5'11" with 29" inseam, so I have 4 extra inches of torso from what would be "normal"

So a 54-56 is the usually recommendation based on height, but 50-52 is what is by inseam.

To get a 52 to fit I need a ridiculously long stem, but my nuts are scraping the top tube.

Nowadays I could probably find a drop tube that would be workable if I can get the seat low enough and slam the stem.

longbeachgary

Who was it that said?, "my wife said if I buy one more bike she'd divorce me - I'm sure going to miss her".

kc0bbq

At 6'2" the best feeling bike I ever rode was a 56 (Madone 3.1). I had a really thorough, professional fitting on it and nothing was even changed from stock. If someone shares my body proportions I could see it. My Raleigh is a 59 and it feels enormous, but it has some seriously odd geometry IMO. Kind of like a hybrid frame but with drop bars and skinny tires. Companies did some funky stuff in the early 2000s.

RubeRad

Hey BigWil, welcome to the forums. For sure let us know how the XL Roam 2 feels for you. Note a lot can be done for fit with a longer stem with an up angle, and if necessary a longer seatpost, although the more it is extended and the more the weight (although at 245 you're not all that heavy), the more you'll want a sturdy rather than lightweight seatpost, because it will be bearing sideways load, not just straight down the shaft.

Although your budget is sub C1000 this time around, after you get a bike and ride the crap out of it, you will have 'earned' the right (proved to yourself it's worth the investment) to spend more on a bike. Meanwhile, here's a website to start you dreaming: https://dirtysixer.com/

deaninkl

so... Big Will, how did it turn out?

BigWil

I'm still waiting on my bike to be delivered. The LBS is expecting it in today or tomorrow, but I won't have a chance to pick it up until Monday, thanks to working 12 hour day shifts all weekend. I talked to the employees some more today, because I realized I needed a few more items as part of my initial purchase. The employees are not worried at all about making the Roam 2 fit me, and told me that for anything larger I'm looking at a much larger purchase price, so I'm really hoping it fits.

I ordered the following:

Roam 2
Kickstand
random cheap bell
Bike Guard Rock n Roll lock
Giant Quick Fix kit
Giant Axact 14W wireless computer
Giant Compel helmet
Serfas Scorpius 100 rear light
Serfas USL-850 headlight

Did I end up covering all the essentials? Or is there anything I'm really missing?

MRT2

1. You don't need a kickstand. Just heavy and has the potential to loosen and get caught in your spokes.
2. The quick fix kit is fine (though if it were me, I would just buy the items separately and go with a Topeak saddle bag and road morph frame pump, and Pedro's tire levers rather than the Giant pump, levers and bag the LBS sold you, but that is just my preference. The ones they sold you should be fine),. But you still need a spare tube and a floor pump for pumping up your tires at home. (the frame pump is not practical for every day use and is best reserved for on the road emergencies). As for tubes, I usually replace the tube if I get a flat and try to patch the old tube when I get home.
3. Lock is always a good idea, even if you only leave your bike unattended for a few minutes.
4. Lights make sense if you are planning to ride at night.

Some other things to consider. (you don't need this stuff on day one, but they are nice to have)
-Fenders if you ride in the rain.
-Protective eyewear, to protect your eyes from the sun and from bugs, and debris. If you wear prescription lenses, you are covered. If not, some sort of sport sunglasses is a good idea. I wear Tifosi sunglasses that go from almost clear in overcast conditions to dark on sunny days. Before I had Tifosi, I mostly rode in whatever sunglasses they had on sale at my local Walgreens, and without protective eyewear on cloudy days.
-Good shorts will improve your comfort in the saddle.
-Cycling Gloves - they keep your hands from slipping off the bars, provide some cushion and reducing hand fatigue, and if you fall, protect your palms. Go with short fingered gloves in spring and summer, long fingered gloves for trails and for riding in fall.
-Jersey - I put this towards the end of the list. You can get by with a technical T shirt or sweatshirt, but a good jersey and/or base layer wicks moisture away from the body, while also having a front zipper and back pockets to carry keys, phone, pump, food, or tools.
-Some sort of windproof and/or waterproof layer, such as a rain jacket, windbreaker, or windvest.
- Clipless pedals and shoes. Not just for racers anymore. Most people who go clipless never go back.

BigWil

- Kickstand is so I can throw it in my "office" in my apartment and the dog doesn't knock it over. I plan on keeping a close eye on it. I may end up getting a stand and getting rid of the kickstand.
- I already have Raybans for daytime, and I have good quality clear safety glasses for nighttime. A bug in the eye sucks.
- I'm holding off on the cycling shorts for now, but I've got some fantastic compression underwear that are fantastic at moisture wicking. I'll pair those up with some basic shorts, something a little tighter fitting so I don't have issues.
- I will look at cycling gloves in the near future, but I have a brand new pair of light Mechanix gloves that will work for now.
- I am a MP, so I have underarmour shirts I wear under my uniform, because body armour is terrible for sweating. I'm going to rock that...and if required, I can throw a shirt/sweatshirt/light jacket/rain jacket on top. It's a 7 mile ride to work, so even if I get wet, it's not that long.
- I just started researching clipless shoes and pedals, but don't know enough to make a decision yet. I will be looking at them in more detail, and will make a decision after I've ridden some miles and can make an informed decision.
- Cellphone/keys/wallet etc will go in a very waterproof backpack I have, until I can make the decision as to whether or not I want to buy a better setup for transporting my stuff.
- Fenders are on the want list already, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I have shower facilities at work, so I'm not too concerned.

RubeRad

I'm seeing that as about $85, which is not bad as headlights from cycling brands go, but if that's busting your budget, you could get more light for less dough if you go for a generic light. I have a light like this fixed to my bars with interlocking hose clamps. It is SUPER bright (can ride in total darkness) and the zooming head can get me a beam width I like, not wasting light bouncing off of street signs. The one caveat is that, at that price, the battery will be crap and probably die on you very soon. There are a lot of places to buy good batteries; I bought a pair of these and one on a full charge will last me a week of commutes, and I carry the second to swap in as backup when needed.

RubeRad

You're making some smart decisions there.

For pedals, there's a lot of divided opinion, fanatics on both sides. I'm on the side of good, wide pinned platform pedals. I was influenced by a competitive mtb rider friend of mine who doesn't clip, and this article. So I (and my wife) both ditched clip(less) pedals/shoe systems for pinned platforms and whatever shoes. KISS.

Took a look at the pic of the Roam 2, I'm not a fan of the 'beartrap' pedals that come stock. Two metal blades that will cut into tennis shoe soles and make localized pressure points. I would think of replacing them if they give you a problem. If you ride in MP uniform boots, it may not be a big deal for you. I was able to score Wellgo MG-1 and MG-3 pedals for us for about $20/pr off eBay. They're not hard to find for about $30.

MRT2

If you are worried about your dog knocking your bike over, a kickstand is the last thing you want to use. You would be better off just leaning it up against something, or hanging it from a hook or setting up a stand, as you suggested.

-Compression underwear might work well for cycling. I have some and they work, but I still prefer cycling shorts.
-Underarmour base layers work fairly well. I have one I like a lot as a base layer under my jersey when the temps are in the upper 50s to around 60 degrees. FWIW, I like Craft baselayers as well. Expensive, but sometimes you can find them on sale.
-Clipless shoes/pedals. Shimano SPD is what my whole family uses. It is inexpensive, it works well, and a lot of brands other than Shimano make compatible shoes, cleats, and pedals. I have bought both Shimano and Wellgo brand SPD pedals and none have failed in 12 years of use. I still have the original set of Wellgo SPD pedals I bought 12 years ago on my mountain bike.
- If you are using your bike for commuting, a rack/trunk bag or pannier setup might make sense.

And finally
-If you want to take your bike someplace too far to ride, you might need to consider some way of transporting your bike, assuming you don't already own a van or pickup truck, in which case you don't need to worry about trunk rack or roof rack for your car.

BigWil

Thanks for the heads up. I won't be riding in boots, just because it's not really comfortable. I will be leaving all that stuff at work. I will give the stock pedals a shot, and go from there.

Thanks for the heads up on the shorts and shoes. The research continues.

My commute will be about 40 minutes until I get used to riding, then down to 25 or so. (just estimating based on the 11k distance). Shorts aren't a priority yet. Once I get used to riding and if I'm planning on longer rides, I will be much more inclined to buy shorts.

I'm currently looking at some racks. I have a Jeep Cherokee that I can put the bike inside after I fold the seats flat, I could run a roof rack or I could run a hitch mount. It's not something I'm worried about yet...I have some time before I will be looking at transporting the bike for rides.

BigWil

Picked up my bike today...talked things over with the LBS staff, and we decided to do a quick adjust of the seat, and call it good. I will get some miles on the bike, get comfortable riding, and then go back for some more adjustments, if I need them.


Initial thoughts:


1. this bike rides a little rougher ride than my old mountain bike back in the day.
2. just having a bike set for proper height makes a big difference, top speed today was 28km/h
3. It's true what they say: it's just like riding a bicycle. I jumped on, and felt like I could keep the bike upright. What I do need is some miles to get comfortable...I didn't feel comfortable looking behind me, or taking a hand off the bars.
4. I love the brakes on this thing...felt much better with hydraulic disc brakes than a cheap bicycle with caliper brakes
5. Man, I need to get used to this. It was a 4.4km ride from the store to home...and it was a pretty tough experience. If I didn't have a very comfortable to use shifter setup, I probably wouldn't have made it without a good breather.

RubeRad

talk more about 'rougher'. Is it possible your tire psi is higher than it needs to be? Or maybe just the fact that there is no suspension?

BigWil

I used to run a cheap mountain BSO with tires that were under pressure, so you wouldn't feel any bumps on the road. With this bike, I get a lot more feedback from the road than I remember. It's not necessarily a bad thing.

RubeRad

OK, I'm seeing the Roam 2 has 700x38 tires stock. That's a decent width. You want to run those tires at the lowest possible pressure you can, while not risking pinch flats. Lay a branch or dowel on the ground in a parking lot or something, maybe 1/2" thick, and roll over it carefully, paying attention to the tire deformation. If you can get over it at a reasonable speed without hitting the rims, you're probably good.

Your 245# is about the same as my weight (except you also have an extra 6 inches, so you're not as fat as me!) One of my tires wore out so at the moment while I'm shopping I've got 700x37 on the front and 700x50 in the back. I'm running both of those at I think about 40psi. That gives me a nice soft cush over small rocks and stuff, but I'd have to riding pretty fast and not paying attention to hit something hard enough to pinch flat.

According to the famous "15% drop" chart, if we assume 145lb on the rear and 100lb on the front, it looks like you might want to give 65/45psi a try, and tweak from there:

BigWil

I will definitely give that a try. It will be a day or two before I can get to it, but that makes sense to me.

70vdub

Thanks this post helped me alot... I too am 6'6" but... I am 335 lbs...
guess Ill go to the LBS and see what i can get fitted for.
I was looking at a Trek Marlin 6 for $300... 21"frame and 29 wheels. but now not so sure.

RubeRad

Taking a peek at Trek's webpage for the Marlin 6, I see large sizes of 21.5" and 23". At 6'6", I'd guess you'd want to go all the way up to the 23". I think that could do very well for you. $300, is that used? Seems like a good deal to me, but you should test ride it, make sure the 21" doesn't make you feel cramped.

But MSRP $579 is not bad, as a bigger guy you kind of have to expect to invest a little extra for a quality bike. I'd say go to a shop, floor price may well be a bit less than full MSRP (esp. if you can catch last year's model), and you can try to strike a deal that you'll buy the bike if they have their wheel specialist go over the rear wheel for proper spoke tension.

On a MTB, even 330lb is not too big a deal, the biggest point of failure would be the rear spokes. 32spokes is usually pretty sturdy, if well tensioned. If you ride that wheel long enough and hard enough to destroy it, then congratulations, you've earned the right to get yourself an even sturdier 36- or 40-spoke wheel. Front wheels bear less load, so less to worry about, you'll be fine with the 32 spokes there.

bgraham111

One thing I absolutely love for riding in traffic is a mirror. No need to turn around to look behind you. Of course, it's not essential, but it's cheap and easy to add. I like the helmet mounted mirrors, but I know some people who like glasses mounted or handle bar mounted mirrors. To each their own. (But they are all wrong. Helmet mounted is the best.)