# Does bike weight matter when your fat



## DazzyBee (Jul 18, 2012)

Does bike weight matter if your obese?

Should a newbie only get a high price bike once they get near to their ideal weight?

Cheers:idea:


----------



## kmak (Sep 5, 2011)

I think that an overweight person should get a bike that they like and is comfortable, that they look forward to riding. The important thing here is sticking with it, and anything that will help towards that is worth it.

One could also decide they are going to reward themselves with a new bike when they reach a weight goal.


----------



## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

Get whatever suits you. A nice bike you like will be ridden lots. With good food choices the weight will get right.


----------



## AlphaDogCycling (Sep 18, 2011)

I go with @kmak -- pick a bike that is comfortable, and that you want to ride. If the bike isn't comfortable, no matter how light / flashy / in it is, you won't look forward to riding it.

Also, if you are new to cycling, your position will change over time as you build up cycling specific muscles and get used to the position. Throw-in losing a lot of weight, and a bike that fits you well today, won't fit you in the future. This is a big reason *NOT* to get a really expensive bike -- what fits today, won't fit well tomorrow.

For example, my current bike was purchased when I was 15 years younger, 15 pounds lighter, and had been riding competitively / seriously for 13 straight years. When I got back on it after not really riding at all for 8 years, the position the bike was set for was not one I was comfortable riding. I had to shorten the stem from a 120 to a 100, the seat came forward about 1cm, and I went from a 40cm (c-c) handlebar to a 42cm (c-c). And I went from a 12-23 cogset with 52-39 chainrings (able to climb Alpe d'Huez in that gearing) to a 12-27 cogset still with the 52-39 chainrings.


----------



## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

I agree about getting a bike that fits you well. Depending on your weight, another consideration is getting a bike (particularly a wheelset) that is also going to comfortably handle your weight.


----------



## Red Brixton (Apr 4, 2012)

People on this forum are so nice and polite.... it's so sweet. Like visiting the South.

Bottom line: if you're a newbie, it really doesn't matter how much you or the bike weigh--you're going to suck until you've trained your legs for a while. So don't waste a $5k bike on $5 legs.

Anyway, your weight will take care of itself if you train hard.


----------



## Mdeth1313 (Nov 1, 2001)

The heavier you are, the less the bike weight will matter. There's also the durability factor. If you weigh 250lbs, a 20/24 spoke count on a wheelset isn't going to hold up very well.


----------



## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

Mdeth1313 said:


> The heavier you are, the less the bike weight will matter. There's also the durability factor. If you weigh 250lbs, a 20/24 spoke count on a wheelset isn't going to hold up very well.


I weigh in at 200, and still find that 20/24 spoked wheels are not enough. A lot has to do with crappy road conditions.


----------



## hmeuleman (Jul 24, 2012)

i always ride on 36 spoked wheels. Those are the strongest and i've never had problems on copple stones! Even when I raced in the past!


----------



## icsloppl (Aug 25, 2009)

DazzyBee said:


> Does bike weight matter if your obese?
> 
> Should a newbie only get a high price bike once they get near to their ideal weight?
> 
> Cheers:idea:


Question 1. Yes it does in most regards. Lighter frames tend to handle and feel different than heavier ones and in most cases "better", though that's obviously subjective to some extent. Rotating parts like wheels and the crank set also don't care how heavy you are as far as their rotating mass is concerned. Where you can't win is going up hills. Gravity overwhelms any bike weight difference.

Q2. I think the answer depends on how light you eventually are going to get. If you're 250lbs now and you go to 225, the nature of the frame and wheels you can use don't change a lot. Whether you get it now or later makes no difference. OTOH if you can go from 225 to 180, your world opens wide to lighter, more aero, generally cooler stuff. How low can you go?


----------



## nightflame159 (Jul 23, 2012)

When you guys speak of low weight, is 190lbs considered low and acceptable to get a light bike or light wheels? Ive never been able to go under 200lbs since high school.


----------



## sgonzo2k (Jul 15, 2012)

I have a similar question. I am 220 and just bought a 2013 Giant Defy 1.(medium size) I'm more concerned about my weight causing damage to the bike. Is it true that more weight on the tires can cause more flats? Should I take it easy on the bike until I lose some more weight. My goal is to be 200 by the end of the summer.


----------



## AlphaDogCycling (Sep 18, 2011)

I haven't seen bike frames with weight limits, but I have for lightweight wheels at the 190 lb rider weight. 

I have a 11 year old 17 lb bike, including pedals, without using any super lightweight items:
* Merlin Extralight custom frame - 50cm seat tube, 54cm top tube
* Enve 1.0 fork
* Zipp Contour SL handlebar
* Dura Ace 7700 
* Mavic Classic Elite wheels - bricks, but very reliable

So it's very possible to get a low weight bike, without going crazy.

Just enjoy the riding.


----------



## icsloppl (Aug 25, 2009)

sgonzo2k said:


> I have a similar question. I am 220 and just bought a 2013 Giant Defy 1.(medium size) I'm more concerned about my weight causing damage to the bike. Is it true that more weight on the tires can cause more flats? Should I take it easy on the bike until I lose some more weight. My goal is to be 200 by the end of the summer.


IMO you're more likely to affect the wheels rather than the frame. You have a 28 hole fairly conventional machine-built rear wheel. If you bought it from a local shop they should give you some series of free inspections and adjustments. Bring it to them after 90 days or so and while you're there perhaps ask them how to inspect the wheels yourself for loose spokes and out-of-true rims. 
At your weight, a small amount of adjustment can quickly degrade into the need for a rebuild.


----------



## bb1857 (May 13, 2012)

As has been stated already I will say buy a bike that fits well, and that you are excited to ride. I have lived this and it cost me some money which kind of sucked. Bought what i thought was a bad ass bike in 2009 as a way to motivate myself to lose weight. After doing more research i found out it wasnt really all that bad ass which disappointed me and they didnt fit for me per se(bad bike shop). I rode it one time for 8 miles and didnt touch it again for 3 years. Got back on it after some weight loss and could never get comfortable and i wasnt really excited about riding it. So i decided to treat myself as a reward for a bunch of weight loss and Bought my new Specialized Tarmac a couple months ago. I absolutely LOVE my new bike and it is more bike than i will ever need but it makes me happy and i am so excited and ride just about everyday!! I am still losing weight and working towards sub 200! Either way good luck and enjoy.


----------



## tlg (May 11, 2011)

In order to have a truely "lightweight" bike you need light weels. No way around that.
Lightweight wheels + obese rider = bad outcome.

I think no matter what bike you get, you might want an extra set of beefy wheels until you get your weight down. You didn't mention your weight, but I'm assuming obese is 300#?


----------



## clydeosaur (Jan 5, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about your Giant coming apart. My main concern would be the wheels, rear in particular. 28 spokes could be enough, but I think 32 would be ideal. The other strike against you is the fact that the wheels are machine built. Ride it for a bit & pay close attention to the wheels. If they start to go out of true, or you pop a spoke, hake the wheels de-stressed, re-tentioned & trued. If that does not work, find a competent wheel builder & have him lace you up a set. I learned this lesson 5 years ago and have not had a problem since.


----------



## sgonzo2k (Jul 15, 2012)

Thanks for your advice guys, I will definitely keep an eye on the wheels. I took out the Giant for it's first ride this morning. I did 18 miles on it and I am loving it. I learned a few things from it and I actually want to go out later today!! This has definitely invigorated my goal to hit 200lbs before the summer ends as I was in a slump for the past 3 weeks.

When you guys say they go "out of true," does that mean the spokes bend or the tire?
Can anyone recommend a good set of 32 wheels for a fair price?

Thanks again guys.


----------



## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

sgonzo2k said:


> Thanks for your advice guys, I will definitely keep an eye on the wheels. I took out the Giant for it's first ride this morning. I did 18 miles on it and I am loving it. I learned a few things from it and I actually want to go out later today!! This has definitely invigorated my goal to hit 200lbs before the summer ends as I was in a slump for the past 3 weeks.
> 
> *When you guys say they go "out of true," does that mean the spokes bend or the tire?*
> Can anyone recommend a good set of 32 wheels for a fair price?
> ...


A true wheel means the spokes are tight and evenly tensioned so that it does not wobble from side to side while riding. When a wheel is not true braking is more difficult as the brake pads make intermittent contact with the rim resulting in a grabby feel.


----------



## sgonzo2k (Jul 15, 2012)

woodys737 said:


> A true wheel means the spokes are tight and evenly tensioned so that it does not wobble from side to side while riding. When a wheel is not true braking is more difficult as the brake pads make intermittent contact with the rim resulting in a grabby feel.


Thanks for the explanation woodys!


----------



## clydeosaur (Jan 5, 2010)

You can get some Mavic CXP 22 or 33's with 105 hubs (32 spoke) for relatively cheap. They are solid daily wheels, especially for the price. Check your shop for a wheel builder to see if he can build them, or search around (bicycle wheel warehouse or other similar sites) for prices. Again though, I prefer handbuilt.


----------



## eo1bart (May 13, 2008)

Get at lean as you can, as strong as you can and as fast as you can. Then start thinking about saving grams of weight on your bike components.


----------



## Andy Pancroft (Jul 15, 2011)

Mdeth1313 said:


> The heavier you are, the less the bike weight will matter. There's also the durability factor. If you weigh 250lbs, a 20/24 spoke count on a wheelset isn't going to hold up very well.


I weight 190 lbs and have 16/21 spoke setup which get 500+ miles a week and they are just fine!!! It's all in the build!!! Love my Racing Zeros!!


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Most bigger riders I know don't seem to like lower spoke counts since they tend to get a little flexy, especially when climbing out of the saddle.


----------



## hotflash (Jul 15, 2012)

Heavier bike-->heavier workout.


----------



## aureliajulia (May 25, 2009)

I have to assume that if a rider is quite heavy, that weight will contribute to a slower speed, so losing grams on the bike may be a moot point. 

A more sturdy bike may make a heavier rider feel more secure, meaning they will ride more often, and lose pounds rather than grams. 

For your original question, get the bike you can afford that is comfortable and that you will ride. 

Just ride.


----------



## Pug (Sep 20, 2011)

Another 2 cents from a certified lard ass here, I mean "clyde": all the advice on wheels is sound. I would also add that I've had weight bearing issues with my saddle clamp and the seatpost clamp. Both of the stock items that came with my Cervelo broke. I've since upgraded to a better saddle (Selle Italia) and a Salsa seatpost clamp - no problems since (and I'm down to 205#).


----------



## hatepavement (Mar 24, 2010)

+1 on the Mavic CXP 33's


----------



## lewdvig (Oct 4, 2004)

I concur with the others. I good solid but light bike will allow you to enjoy your rides. Which will lead to more rides of greater duration. If you were my family I would encourage you to get a new CAAD10 or used CAAD9. Put some 25mm tires on there (Gatorskins are durable). 

Every pound you lose = 3 watts. More riding makes you stronger = more watts. Efficiency and better position come with practice = more speed/watt.

Then have fun with a fru fru bike.


----------

