# Fatty needs some bike advice.



## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Hey there everyone, awhile back I sold my 2009 GT GTR I liked the bike but was a tad uncomfortable. I am a fat guy (350lbs) and obviously must get into shape. I want a bike that will hold my excess baggage and when I get down in the pounds I want to be able to rack up miles. I prefer to not get a hybrid. Are there any suggestions? Obviously no carbon. Should I do roadie or a tri type bike? I have a budget of only about $800. Thanks for any help.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

clyderide said:


> Hey there everyone, awhile back I sold my 2009 GT GTR I liked the bike but was a tad uncomfortable. I am a fat guy (350lbs) and obviously must get into shape. I want a bike that will hold my excess baggage and when I get down in the pounds I want to be able to rack up miles. I prefer to not get a hybrid. Are there any suggestions? Obviously no carbon. Should I do roadie or a tri type bike? I have a budget of only about $800. Thanks for any help.


Given your (general) intended uses and price range, there are obviously more than a couple of good choices for you, but as I was reading your thread the Specialized Secteur came to mind. Slightly over your budget, but worth a look (IMO), but as mentioned there are other equally good candidates.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52886&scid=1001&scname=Road

Or the Giant Defy 3:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/model/defy.3/7307/44049/

Because fit is so important, be sure to work with reputable LBS's on sizing/ fit (then test rides) of any bikes under consideration.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Also take a look at the Giant Defy line. Their geometry is very comfortable. Specialized Roubaix is also a great choice. I think any anticipated problems would come from wheels, e.g., broken spokes, out of true rims, frequent flats. To avoid this I'll make some suggestions.
1. wheels with 32 or more spokes are a must
2. Rims should be strong. Velocity Deep Vs are the strongest rim you can buy. You can Google Velocity Rims.
3. Larger tires. Many road bikes come with 23mm tires. I'd suggest 28mm if they'll fit on your bike. If not 25mm will work.

When purchasing the bike mention this to the bike shop. See if you can work out a deal where the owner keeps the wheels that come on your bike, then makes wheels like the ones I specified above. That'll cost you more $$ but, IMO, will save you a lot of heartache.

One more extremely important thing - kudos to you for having the courage and will power to add exercise to your life style. Don't let nay sayers get to you. Just keep on keepin' on.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Surly Crosscheck. That is one hell of a bike.


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## scottzj (Oct 4, 2010)

I agree with all said above! Keep your geometry at a very comfortable level for awhile. Get the bike fitted regularly as you loose weight...as there are changes that could help you enjoy your rides. I know there are those pro shaped doods out there gawkin at larger people, but you know, atleast you are trying to change that. To this date, I have lost over 98 lbs in the past year and half and feel great now. I am 6'3 and 195 or so and wouldnt mind a few more off. So get you a nice bike that you can enjoy and ride it. Just spin a few miles and set goals for yourself to meet. Then you should slowly progress more and more and before you know it, you are like me and down to 34/34 pants! haha Good luck bra!


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## jswilson64 (May 20, 2008)

tihsepa said:


> Surly Crosscheck. That is one hell of a bike.


It's also about $300 more than his stated budget...


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## Ryder321 (Sep 8, 2009)

clyderide said:


> I liked the bike but was a tad uncomfortable. I am a fat guy (350lbs)


 <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Here's an alternative viewpoint. It's merely a suggestion; I'm not presuming to tell you or anyone what they _should_ do. You should do what _you decide_ to do.

As I consider your situation, I see your current body weight as the biggest issue. If I assume that your goal weight for your weight loss program is 200 pounds at most, and probably less, then 350-200=150 pounds to lose. Now, if you lose an average of two pounds per week, which is feasible and safe, you will take 525 days to reach 200 pounds. Say you "fall off the dieting wagon" a few times and we're talking a good 1.5 years here.

At 350 pounds, currently, I suspect a big issue is comfort on a bike. Most people would decline to even consider riding a bike at your weight, and I applaud you for getting out there. Cycling is a wonderful means to gain the benefits of exercise, and it's one that can be sustained for prolonged times of an hour and more since the bike carries your weight. I always give a big cheery smile and "Hello!" to the really heavy riders when I occasionally see them out on the roads.

I respect such people. (The white trash, though, love to sneer at fat cyclists. I once knew someone who was massively overweight, and he had to endure such unpleasantness when out riding the Paramount I helped him buy. I had to custom build him a set of wheels that would not keep breaking spokes on every ride.) Stick with your program, and you'll make it eventually.

At 350 pounds, I suspect it's hard to breathe when bent over. The excess fat presses on the diaphragm, inhibiting breathing. Moving 150 pounds and more of extra weight up even the slightest grade is hard work and needs lots of oxygen. I suggest that such a rider needs to sit up; a more upright riding posture will open the diaphragm and permit better oxygen intake. I think you'll be more comfortable on a bike that allows a more upright riding position, one that offers tough-as-nails wheels with strong rims, hubs and a high spoke count designed for severe stress.

Perhaps you might wish to reflect, reconsider ... and look at mountain bikes. 

At 350 pounds, you may be too heavy for a rear shock, so perhaps look at a good quality, used hardtail, with or without a suspension fork. Install quality, fat, mtb tires, a saddle that fits, some Ergon grips (they're fantastic), and you'll have a bike that will permit you to ride for a long time in comfort.

Time in the saddle is what you need to burn off those calories. A few miles around the neighborhood is inadequate on a bike; you'd burn more calories walking those miles. You need a bike that will allow you to ride, say, an hour at a time. It may take a while to build to that, but it's feasible on a bike. If you're not comfortable, though... At 350 pounds, it's tough to find any physical activity that your stressed-out feet, ankles, knees and hips can manage for more than a few minutes. Not to mention your struggling heart.

Thin people who've never been overweight fail to grasp how difficult it can be for the seriously overweight. I suggest to people that they consider just how well they might fare if we were to burden them with a 150 pound pack; they'll be on their knees, gasping, in short order. In addition, they are not suffering all the internal circulatory problems that all that adipose tissue brings... 

That's what you're doing. You're carrying that pack and so much more... while walking, cycling, whatever.

You have my respect.

In one or two years, when you're near your goal weight, you can resume your search for a fine road bike. You may even decide to hang on to your trusty mountain bike.

I'd think a used Specialized Stumpjumper hardtail would be a great bike for you. At your weight wheels are the biggest concern to me, so make certain whatever you get has quality wheels that are true and have very tight spokes.

A tip 'o the hat to you, lad! :thumbsup:


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## phade2 (Feb 22, 2010)

Check out the Felt Z100...the z series has a bigger headtube that allows for a more upright (relaxed) riding position. Also, it has a triple chain ring upfront and 32h wheels.
It retails for $849...but I bet you can find it cheaper.


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## hopsBB (Mar 12, 2011)

Stick with it.I started off riding about 4 yrs ago then I quit.During that time I ballooned up at about 280lbs.I just started back this year and I'm already down to about 248lbs(I started dieting well before Thanksgiving too so its not just from cycling)I love it now and with each week that goes by I feel better and look better.

I started off riding a cheapo Wal-mart mountain bike 4 yrs ago with full suspension and I didn't stick with it long.The bike was about 40-45lbs and all I could ride was maybe 5 miles or so and really didn't do much good other than giving me the bike riding bug.I stopped riding for a few months and then I bought a cheap BD bike off ebay cause I didn't really want to spend alot on something that I didn't know if I was gonna stick with,which I didn't.I got a Dawes steel frame rd bike with 36 spoke rims.It weighs about 21-24lbs.Its not the best bike but so far its held up well.

This yr I just couldn't take it anymore.I was tired of being fat and tired of being tired all the time.So I started riding again.So far since the end of Febuary I've ridin about 200 miles or so.Not alot but enough to tell a difference.

Which ever bike you decide to go with just stick with it and the weight will come off.


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the advice. I actually have a few mt. Bikes and even for a fat guy I can ride it pretty dang good. I am selling my freeride since I am having rear spring issues. I loved my GT GTR but couldn't rack up miles do to being uncomfortable. The breathing actually wasn't much of an issue. I put cheap vuelta wheels on it and had no issues. It just seemed to have a tad too much of a racing position (well for a fat guy it did) I also was worried she would break at any time. People have also told me to check out cx bikes. So while fat I am not a noob to bikes just kinda stumped on my best choice here. Again thanks everyone.


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Oh and by the way I am down from a max of 552lbs.


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## Ryder321 (Sep 8, 2009)

clyderide said:


> Oh and by the way I am down from a max of 552lbs.


Oh, my goodness!

I just had to sign in to say, "Congratulations!" :thumbsup:

Losing 200 pounds is no small matter. Wow...

Keep this up and you're going to need to change your screen name. I've never had to lose as much as you're facing, but enough, and it's the most difficult thing I've ever done, much more difficult than quitting smoking ages ago in my twenties when I was still just a kid.

Losing that much is quite an achievement. All credit to you and your determination. Keep going, Clyde. I'm more impressed than ever. 

P.S. The CX bikes tend to lean towards racing geometry with short headtubes, but offer the advantage of accommodating wide tires. Otherwise, look for tall head tubes, mated to the largest frame you can stand over, maybe even bigger in order to get those handlebars up. Never mind "fashion" and those who sneer at bars higher than saddles. Visit the Rivendell website and read their philosophy.


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Thanks I really appreciate the kudos. I hope to have my bike soon. I hope that one day I will be in the shape to complete a triathlon (at least in a perfect world)


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

By the way thanks to all of you, you have been very supportive.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Ryder321 said:


> The CX bikes tend to lean towards racing geometry with short headtubes, but offer the advantage of accommodating wide tires. Otherwise, *look for tall head tubes, mated to the largest frame you can stand over, maybe even bigger in order to get those handlebars up. *Never mind "fashion" and those who sneer at bars higher than saddles. Visit the Rivendell website and read their philosophy.


I disagree. A frame should be correctly sized for the rider based primarily on reach, standover and bar drop requirements, not sized up because of a taller head tube. 

Accommodating a riders saddle to bar drop requirements is better met by changing spacer/ stem angle set up _on a properly sized bike_, thus avoiding making unnecessary compromises for reach (ex: employing short stems) and maintaining proper f/r weight distribution.


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Oh and another thing while I am fat I am still good for a 15-20 mile mountain bike ride with hills and all. (although at times i would like to die) but sadly when i had my roadie last year i was just too uncomfortable and couldnt even ride as many miles on that as i would on a mt. bike ride. which i know is crazy. so hence the reason why i am on the hunt for an ideal bike that i can ride to town (i live 5 miles outside of town in the country). i want a bike that i can ride anywhere and be somewhat comfy.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

clyderide said:


> Oh and another thing while I am fat I am still good for a 15-20 mile mountain bike ride with hills and all. (although at times i would like to die) but sadly *when i had my roadie last year i was just too uncomfortable and couldnt even ride as many miles on that as i would on a mt. bike ride. which i know is crazy.* so hence the reason why i am on the hunt for an ideal bike that i can ride to town (i live 5 miles outside of town in the country). i want a bike that i can ride anywhere and be somewhat comfy.


I don't think this is crazy at all. If anything, it points up two things: 1) mtn biking is different enough from road riding that parallels can't always be made and 2) that it's important to get sizing/ fit right, because if you're uncomfortable it's unlikely you'll put in much saddle time. 

In your initial post, you mentioned a preference for a road bike versus hybrid, but most everything you've offered points to a hybrid being the better choice - at least for now. You're riding short distances, stress comfort and want to ride the bike 'anywhere'. Taken literally, that would be a stretch for a hybrid, but it comes closer than a bike that specializes in traversing paved roads.

A CX bike might also suite your _purposes_, but (as has been mentioned) the geometry also needs to suite _you_. While I think it's a viable option, it might take some time and effort to find that 'right CX bike'.

I think it's important for you to visit some reputable LBS's and discuss the things you've shared here. The better shops will pick up on some of the key points, assess your physical needs/ abilities and hopefully present some decent choices, whether they be hybrid, CX, or 'race'. You may find that (at least for now) installing slicks on your MTB will suffice till you can be relatively certain just what type of bike is 'best'.


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## Ryder321 (Sep 8, 2009)

clyderide said:


> Oh and another thing while I am fat I am still good for a 15-20 mile mountain bike ride with hills and all. (although at times i would like to die)


 I'll bet. 

Have you ever looked at bikecalculator.com? Play with that and examine the differences in power requirements for identical climbing scenarios, altering only the rider weight. I find it fascinating and instructive. You'll probably discover that it provides yet more incentive to stick to your winning weight loss program.



> ...when i had my roadie last year i was just too uncomfortable and couldnt even ride as many miles on that as i would on a mt. bike ride. which i know is crazy...


 Not crazy at all. If it's uncomfortable, then it's uncomfortable for you, and most people would do exactly as you did -- not ride it much. My concern is that you may spend your limited discretionary dollars on yet another road bike that is also uncomfortable. Following the conventional wisdom of "proper frame fit" could very well yield that unhappy result. Your personal requirements, Clyde, are unusual, at least for right now and the foreseeable future, until you lose another 150 pounds, or so. If the bike you purchase now is little more comfortable than your previous road bike, there's no reason to think you'll want to ride it more than the previous one.



> ... i am on the hunt for an ideal bike...


 Well, of course you are. Heh. Aren't we all? Spotted any unicorns, lately? 

If you have a Specialized dealer available, try the Specialized Secteur. This will put you on the right track. There are similar bikes from other manufacturers, but I'll leave it to you to discover them as your interests dictate.

I suspect that you may have made your _current_ requirements impossible to fulfill. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need a more upright riding position, bars higher than saddle, paired with larger volume, lower pressure tires to find the comfort that you seek?

Is this _possible_ ... if we confine our search to "racing-style" frames, as you apparently wish to do? I'm skeptical.

I don't picture a rider being comfortable on a racing style frame when they are 150+ pounds overweight. A tri-bike is inconceivable to me. But, what do I know? It's your body, your bike, your choice.

Go to Rivendell's website and read Grant's philosophy on bicycle fit. I think you'll find it meets your current needs. You'll find the comfort you seek along the road to Rivendell. Understand what Grant has done, and you'll understand what you may wish to look for in a bike.

Alternatively, all you need to do is put faster road tires on your mtb. You're already comfortable, right? Mount a set of Continental Travel Contact tires, 26x1.7, inflate them to 55 psi, rev that baby up, and zoom to town!

Consider postponing this purchase. Save the money you'd spend now, and reward yourself when you're less than 200 pounds. At that point, you will be much better positioned to select a racing-style road bike that will fit you comfortably.


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

The Sectur looks awesome but I think you guys may be right. I may need to put slicks on the mtb or perhaps get a hardtail mtb that is efficient as possible and when I get to a more realistic weight consider a roadie. This makes me think of another question. What do you think of a fixed gear or single I know this sounds goofy but maybe for a fitness tool since they are cheap. My thinking is with a fixed if I am riding I MUST pedal no coasting at all. Just a thought.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

clyderide said:


> The Sectur looks awesome but I think you guys may be right. I may need to put slicks on the mtb or perhaps get a hardtail mtb that is efficient as possible and when I get to a more realistic weight consider a roadie. This makes me think of another question. *What do you think of a fixed gear or single I know this sounds goofy but maybe for a fitness tool since they are cheap. My thinking is with a fixed if I am riding I MUST pedal no coasting at all. *Just a thought.


I'm not a fan of fixies for first road bikes, for reasons mentioned in this recent thread:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=244556

If you're hellbent on buying a bike, my suggestion is to reconsider a moderately priced hybrid or look at relaxed geo bikes like the Secteur. They can be set up very close to a hybrid, but keep in mind that OEM wheelsets may not be up to the task, so there's usually the added expense incurred by swapping them out for a sturdier set. Something to discuss with your LBS's.


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## kykr13 (Apr 12, 2008)

Can't really offer any that hasn't already been said here, but good on ya. :thumbsup:


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## Ryder321 (Sep 8, 2009)

clyderide said:


> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> ...perhaps get a hardtail mtb that is efficient as possible...


<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Check out the Cannondale FLASH CARBON ULTIMATE. That looks like fun. Would you happen to have a spare $9600 to buy that for me? No? Ah, well...



> What do you think of a fixed gear...


I have no experience of such things apart from my old Schwinn exerciser that I configured as a road bike some 40-odd years ago. Do not attempt to stop pedaling suddenly or it can fling you over the bars and into the wall across the room. You won't want to do that twice.

I would be surprised if a fixed-gear bike offered any fitness or calorie-burning benefits to speak of. Try it, though, if you think you might find it to be FUN.

Consider this though: A fixie is one thing for a light, strong rider, but for a rider carrying an extra 150+ pounds of weight, it could be a problem on even moderate grades. The sudden power increase required to lift that extra weight up a hill, the reduced rpms, umm... 

This sounds like a poor strategy for the health of your precious knees if you're planning on a lifetime of cycling enjoyment.

44-17T=65" gear, at 80 rpm = 15.4 mph. Bikecalculator tells us that a 350 pound rider on a 25 pound bike with mtb tires on level ground requires 230 watts to sustain this speed. That may or may not be a lot for you. I'd guess you'd be breathing hard. Now if you encounter a 5% grade, you'd need 834 watts to maintain 15.4 mph. That's unlikely. (1197 watts on an 8% grade at 15.4 mph! Can Lance do that?)

So, let's drop the cadence to 60 rpm. Now what do we have? We have 11.6 mph @ 60 rpm in our 65" gear, which still requires 601 watts to climb that 5% grade. Oy!

Can you do that? Not me, mon.

Drop much below 60 rpm and you're really stressing your knees at high power outputs.

The prudent thing to do here to preserve your knees? Dismount and walk up the hill.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->(A reference point for riders unfamiliar with watts and power: Given a 150 lb. rider, 20 lb. bike including clothes, water, etc., riding on clinchers, in the drops, on a level road, with no wind, 601 watts of power would yield 31.92 mph on a conventional road bike. That's faster than the World Hour Record set by Merckx on a conventional bike. Computed on BikeCalculator.com.)

Can we gear our bike lower? Sure, let's try one that gives us a manageable (for some) 246 watts at 5 mph up a 5% grade at 60 rpm. We'll need a 28" gear; a 22-20T will give us that with an effective tire circumference of 2000 mm, which is what my Conti Contact measures on my mtb. By the way, you probably already know this, but a 350 pound rider wobbling up a 5% grade at a mere 5 mph is likely to be struggling to maintain balance. There's a tendency for heavy riders to fall over onto their ear when struggling up grades at such low speeds.

So, what will that 28" gear do on the flats? Well, at 100 rpm (gettin' tired, now) you'll be zooming down the road at a blistering 8.3 mph. 

Do you see the problem here?

How hilly is your "neighborhood?" How often do you want to walk? 

Gear your fixed gear bike low enough to safely climb your hills and preserve your knees to ride another day, and you may find it is far too low a gear ratio to be practical on the flats -- you'd be crawling. I think maybe the clydes need their multiple gears even more than others. Unless maybe you're Superman, fixed gear bikes look wildly impractical for the really heavy rider, except on very flat terrain.

Last but not least, you're still likely to encounter the very same fit issues ... and that's where this movie began. 

What do you think?

If I've made any calculation errors, others will chime in to correct me. Better still, you do the calculations, Clyde. It's a useful exercise and what you learn will serve you well in your future cycling endeavors.

You really want another bike, though, don't you?

I understand, and I apologize.


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## lumber825 (Jun 28, 2009)

I'm about your size and this will be my third year on a stock Defy 3. One broken spoke and a few tune ups and it has been a great bike for me. I paid $800 for it on sales (three years ago).


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Wow thanks for the info that was informative. The Defy sounds pretty impressive. I will see how it feels.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*try this*



clyderide said:


> Wow thanks for the info that was informative. The Defy sounds pretty impressive. I will see how it feels.


I started at 310+ and reached about 187 but I am now back to getting to 195 and am ar ~230. Health issues stopped me for 2 years.

Have you thought about getting a MTB with slicks? The geometry tends to be a tad more forgiving. IMO, that is.

Otherwise, lots of folks here have goven excellent advice. Just get out there and ride


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

I have done mt bikes with hookworms they are 25x2.5 they have tiny knobs but worked good. I think you al might be onto something about running slicks on the mtb.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

clyderide said:


> Wow thanks for the info that was informative. The Defy sounds pretty impressive. I will see how it feels.


It is.


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## clyderide (Dec 29, 2009)

Yeah I am considering a mtb with slicks. I have an mtb now but it is a single front ring and set up for dual slalom, 4x riding. So I think I may buy another mtb and do the slick thing or maybe even getting a fitness bike that appears to be roadies with fatter tires and a flat bars.


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## dgeesaman (Jun 9, 2010)

clyderide said:


> Oh and by the way I am down from a max of 552lbs.


I'm looking for the "like" button but this isn't Facebook.

In any case good luck with the bike search. I don't have great advice but what's been said already is good info.


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## bigddy (May 4, 2011)

I know I am late to this party, but I had to weigh in as well. @cycleride, it is awesome that you are on this journey. I am actually at 268lbs, down from 325lbs...and I have now been riding my 2010 Specialized Secteur Sport Comp (61cm) since October (...when I was still over 310lbs). I have had absolutely no issues except for a few minor adjustments, and one flat that had nothing to do with my weight 

I would highly recommend getting a roadie...I am hooked and have found a new hobby for life. Keep up the great work!!


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