# Looking for bike for an overweight rider



## supermatt9 (Jun 7, 2009)

I've done a lot of looking around here trying to find an answer to this question but haven't seem to find it. I have seen the same questions asked over and over a lot so I'll try to answer your questions before you ask them.

I'm 6' 1" and weigh 290 pounds. I'm looking to use cycling as a weigh to lose weight and get in better shape. Do I need to look for anything special in a bike because I am heavier than the average guy? or will most bikes work just fine for me?

I plan on doing recreational riding. Obviously not a lot of big hills!! Right now 7-10 miles on my old heavy mountain bike wears me out pretty good.

My budget is small. Around $700 including accessories, so I probably need a bike in the $550 - $600 range.

If you have any specific recommendations I'll take them, but really what I need to know is if what I need to look out for since I'm a big guy.

There are a couple nice LBS in my area that I'll hit up but I'd like to go in educated.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Matt


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## Zak (Mar 23, 2009)

supermatt9 said:


> I've done a lot of looking around here trying to find an answer to this question but haven't seem to find it. I have seen the same questions asked over and over a lot so I'll try to answer your questions before you ask them.
> 
> I'm 6' 1" and weigh 290 pounds. I'm looking to use cycling as a weigh to lose weight and get in better shape. Do I need to look for anything special in a bike because I am heavier than the average guy? or will most bikes work just fine for me?
> 
> ...


Matt,

I was/am in a similiar boat. I'm 6', 260lbs and picked up road biking to get in shape/lose weight. One downside to riding a lot is that it boost your metabolism and makes you hungry all the time! I've been riding for a few months now and find that I have barely lost weight but am in much better shape. Hey, i'll take the better shape. 

Anyway, for biking recommendations in tha price range you might want to look used. Search around on your local Craigslist. I found a few VERY nice deals on mine as there are areas not to far from me that have money to burn and people love upgrading bikes. I picked up a 2007 (Or 2006, cant remember) Cannondale Synapse Sport for $400. Bike is in near perfect condition and the previous owner replaced the rear wheel with an upgraded one, as well as putting on a new pair of tires/tubes for me. He upgraded to a Trek Madone and let me have this bike for a great price.

I found quite a few good deals on used bikes, so see what you can find. My total out of pocket so far for all my gear is about $550-575. $400 for the bike, $50 for pedals, $75 fo shoes and another $50 for bibs. Love bibs as it holds my gut in for me. Makes it easier to ride. 

New bikes in that price range I really dont know as I was looking at new Cannondale's CAAD's and Synapses but loved the Synapses because they are geared towards recreation riders and have a more relaxed position. It is a million times easier to ride than my older Haro MTN bike. Now if I can get my shoes adjusted so my toes do not keep getting numb i'd be set.


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## djetelina (Oct 9, 2007)

Keep up the good work! One idea is Trek, their bikes come with a really super unconditional five (5) year warranty on their standard Bontrager wellsets. Had one of their wheels crater on my recently; simply took it down to the LBS and it was swapped out in a jif, no questions asked. I weigh in at 220#.


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## supermatt9 (Jun 7, 2009)

So the moral of the story is that I don't need to worry about getting the "fat guy" version of whatever bike model I choose? A bike will work for me if I weight 190 or 290? Is that a correct assumption?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Considering your goals and intended purposes, I think (along with a drop bar bike) you should consider a fitness (flat bar) type bike. The advantages to the fitness bike is that they are _generally_ cheaper, have a more upright/ relaxed riding position and accomodate larger tires than most drop bar bikes, not to mention wider gearing. 

But no matter what type bike you decide on, two essentials are that you get a bike that fits and a solid wheelset with preferably a 36h rim/hub. It's fine that the Bonty's mentioned by another poster have a good warranty, but (IMO) they aren't going to service your needs very well.


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## djetelina (Oct 9, 2007)

supermatt9 said:


> So the moral of the story is that I don't need to worry about getting the "fat guy" version of whatever bike model I choose? A bike will work for me if I weight 190 or 290? Is that a correct assumption?


YES. After striking the Enter key I realized that comment should have been included. With some effort you will be on the road to dropping some serious pounds. For that reason I would avoid spending the xtra bucks on a super-heavy-duty model. When you think about it, a 150# rider exacts some serious g-loads on their bike/frame when pushing it hard off-road. Your equipment will hold up fine when taking it a bit easier....


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Most any bike will hold up just fine.
I would avoid any bike with Bontrager wheels. While they replace them if needed, it's much better to not need to have them replaced. Considering the number of them I see come through the shop with splits at the nipple holes in the rims, I'd just avoid them all together.

In your price range, check out Raleigh, Fuji, Jamis (maybe?), or the evil empire (aka: bikesdirect).

Honestly, $600 is kind of a no-man's land for road bikes. With a new bike, you're going to be getting low-low end components (without hitting the Wal-Mart category). $900 is a better entry-level point. For $900, you can get the Masi Alare with Sora/Tiagra, or a ton of other good bikes. (Oh how I wish we could carry Masi!)


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Good advice above. The only thing I would add concerns wheels. At your current weight I'd be surprised if you didn't have trouble breaking spokes and/or keeping wheels in true. I'd suggest spending extra money and having your local bike shop replace your rims with Velocity Deep V rims. They are absolutely bomb proof. Your shop is likely to tell you that you don't need them, the wheels that come with the bike are plenty strong, they're guaranteed and if you have any problems, just bring them in & we'll fix them free. Baloney! They're fine for riders of 200-215 or less, but you'll need some heavy duty ones. The Velocity rims will cost you around $110 for a pair + labor to have the shop change them. If the bike you buy is new, I'd ask the shop to give you credit for the original rims they take off the bike.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Recommending stronger wheels is good general advice, but doesn't apply to everyone.

Me, I weigh 305. I've ridden Reynolds Altas, Xero, Torelli carbons, and assorted other low-spoke-count, lightweight wheels. I've never broken a spoke in my life, even when I was at 330.

More important than having a super-strong, 36 spoke wheel is riding "light". This means unweighting the saddle over rough stuff, moving around on the bike - not just being an inactive lump with your arse plopped permanently on the saddle.

When someone comes into my shop with more than one broken spoke, I fix it and then ask them to ride around the rough area behind our shop. Usually, they ride over the bumps and potholes while sitting on the saddle. I then give them a short course on riding a road bike like it was a mountain bike. Sure, I'll build them stronger wheels if they want, but they'd be better served to not need them.

My opinion only, of course.


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## bikesdirect (Sep 9, 2006)

PlatyPius said:


> Recommending stronger wheels is good general advice.



We have had lots of experience with wheel durability
and we find Vuelta's hand-built models hold up better than most

And their Tourist wheelset is about bullet-proof
Precision Bearing, plenty of spokes, super strong rims, and hand built


http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=1235

So buying a $400 or $450 new road bike and then adding Tourist wheelset would work well in this case [and the extra wheels could be saved or sold]


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

bikesdirect said:


> We have had lots of experience with wheel durability
> and we find Vuelta's hand-built models hold up better than most
> 
> And their Tourist wheelset is about bullet-proof
> ...


Maybe, but for $40 more these are much better quality with Ultegra hubs.
http://bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=37


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## supermatt9 (Jun 7, 2009)

thanks everyone for the replies. I definitely feel better about heading into my LBS.

I think since this will be my first bike I'll probably get it from an LBS so that I make sure I get a bike that fits me and works for me. Otherwise, if it doesn't fit/ride right I probably won't stick with it.

Thanks again!

Matt


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

I'm just wondering.... how exactly does one get the ability to shill ones own products on RBR?


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

supermatt9 said:


> thanks everyone for the replies. I definitely feel better about heading into my LBS.
> 
> I think since this will be my first bike I'll probably get it from an LBS so that I make sure I get a bike that fits me and works for me. Otherwise, if it doesn't fit/ride right I probably won't stick with it.
> 
> ...



You have a good plan.

I'm a big guy. I have two bikes, one steel, one aluminum. Don't worry about frame material, but do worry about weight. You can't ride the latest and lightest frame or wheelset. Worry about strength, and taking weight off you, not the bike. Get 36 spokes in the rear. I really, really, really like Velocity rims. I've had Dayad, Deep-V, and Fusion rims that held up great. The others I tried (Mavic and Salsa) didn't hold up at all, even with 36 spokes. I won't buy anything but Velocity rims at this point.

By the way, I had a pair of Vuelta wheels (came on one of my bikes) and they suck. I didn't get 300 miles out of them.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

My Own Private Idaho said:


> You have a good plan.
> 
> I'm a big guy. I have two bikes, one steel, one aluminum. Don't worry about frame material, but do worry about weight. You can't ride the latest and lightest frame or wheelset. Worry about strength, and taking weight off you, not the bike. Get 36 spokes in the rear. I really, really, really like Velocity rims. I've had Dayad, Deep-V, and Fusion rims that held up great. The others I tried (Mavic and Salsa) didn't hold up at all, even with 36 spokes. I won't buy anything but Velocity rims at this point.
> 
> By the way, I had a pair of Vuelta wheels (came on one of my bikes) and they suck. I didn't get 300 miles out of them.


I agree with you on the Vuelta wheels. I've seen 160 pound guys trash them in a summer.


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## ColoradoVeloDude (Oct 7, 2005)

supermatt9 said:


> I've done a lot of looking around here trying to find an answer to this question but haven't seem to find it. I have seen the same questions asked over and over a lot so I'll try to answer your questions before you ask them.
> 
> I'm 6' 1" and weigh 290 pounds. I'm looking to use cycling as a weigh to lose weight and get in better shape. Do I need to look for anything special in a bike because I am heavier than the average guy? or will most bikes work just fine for me?
> 
> ...





Great job in investing in the latest technology in heart disease prevention and weight management!

Your first few rides are going to be, well, not so nice. But stick with it and you’ll be doing record amounts of distance and feats of distance cycling that will make most people outside The Guild winch. Plus, you’re going to be amazed on how much weight you will drop just by keeping up with the cycling. 

First, most frames will carry a good amount of weight. Certainly within your weight range now. There are going to be some frames that just won’t work out for you. The LBS should be able to help.

Next, Bontrager wheels – steer clear of them. I bought a new Trek that had them on it and they failed about nine months later – cracked along the rim where the spokes meet the rim. Funny thing is that you call up Bontrager (Trek) and they say their wheels have no weight limit, but won’t send you a new pair. 

You might have to have some wheels built special for you. I got my 36 spoke wheels from The Colorado Cyclist (www.coloradocyclist.com). They have 14/15 gauge double butt spokes with alloy nipples and Mavic Open Pro rims. The hubs are DT Swiss 240. If I have to do it over again, I would get the same wheel but with the Chris King hubs. The way they are they are dynamite wheels and have only needed a small tweak to bring back to true in 2 years of riding on them (three times a week).

The other thing to watch out for are pedals. Some of them have a weight limit. You can’t go wrong to start out with SPD cleats and mountain bike shoes (there is a recess for the cleat in the shoe and the tread is more like a tennis shoe to facilitate walking). Have the LBS show you the difference between a MTB and roadie shoe. You’ll see what I mean.

You probably want to start with a road bike that is not really expensive and see what you think of it after a year. After then, you’ll be able to ascertain what you want in a bike and go for a more expensive (and nicer!) model after you are hooked.


I am 6’ 2” and weighed 260 when I started cycling in 204 (also was 47 years old). I lost 20 pounds so far just cycling. Hopefully, improvements to the diet will take me down to my first target weight of 230, then down to 200-ish. 

One thing you’ll want to do is to get yourself on a training schedule. Here is one that I recommend because it’s not too punishing:

http://www.ridetherockies.com/rider-area/training/ 

If you can’t keep up with the schedule, or find that your body just can’t provide the oomph yet to get to the next week, try dialing down the weeks by one-half and extending the training to double the number of weeks. Once you start riding regularly, you’ll find that the miles will come easier and easier. Or, just spend two weeks, repeating each week twice, until you get comfortable with the miles. 

The biggest problem for me was getting the butt-saddle interface built up. You’ll know real quick if your are getting used to the saddle or need another type of saddle. Once you get the saddle figured out, then it just becomes a matter of seat time. Do a search of saddles here – you’ll find horror stories as well as “I found the perfect fit.” And, GET A BIKE FIT when you purchase your bike. Minor adjustments mean the difference between a great ride and a torture device.

The next thing after this is to set a challenge later this summer for yourself: A century or metric century. We all remember riding 100 miles in one sitting. Right now, this probably seems like an impossible goal. The truth is that with a decent bike and some training, you will be ready by August. Then in 2010, come to Colorado and really challenge yourself: www.ridetherockies.com, www.bicycletourcolorado.com Nothing will be more challenging and nothing will be more satisfying to finish.

Best advice I can offer:

1)	Do some research on the internet – you did good coming here.
2)	Buy a cycling magazine or two and read them to get the feel of the sport
3)	Take a morning off work – weekday – and go there and talk the LBS guys when they are not busy so you get some quality time. I’d recommend a gear-head shop where there are serious cyclists. Plus, they’ll love to tell you all about it, what to watch out for and what to focus on.
4)	More internet research.
5)	When ready to buy, try a bunch of bikes out. Once again, a weekday morning. Some will be great, some will really suck. It’s all unique to evceryone and they all fit different.
6)	Stuff to look for (My opinion)
a.	Triple front chain ring for the hills. Doubles are OK IMO, but I think there are more gear selections available to you in this set up
b.	Carbon fiber forks – to keep the road vibration down
c.	Carbon fiber seat post – once again, to keep the road vibration down (but, this is easy to replace later if you want to)
7)	Stuff you need to get to start the sport
a.	Helmet
b.	Gloves (long and short finger)
c.	Cycle shorts and jersey – yeah, it looks dorky, but one ride in this stuff and you’ll find out that it’s highly technical and really works to help you ride
d.	Shoes, pedals, and a clipless system that works for you
e.	Cycle computer that does at least speed, distance, and cadence. Heart rate is a good “extra”
f.	Cool shades and water bottles


Good luck and welcome!

ColoradoVeloDude
Colorado Springs, Colorado


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## Kicksome123 (Aug 7, 2008)

Im 6'2"ish and around 270-280lbs. Was in the same boat you are in now but just a year ago. The wonderful sport of cycling keeps a nice big hole that keeps on burning in my pocket xD. Cant love it more though. I know you want to keep the budget small as I did but trust me when I say this, you want a better road bike than a $700 dollar one. I started out with a Trek 1.2, Full sora, Alex wheels, just not that great of a package. Loved the bike at first but then noticed the wheels that came with the bike would not stay in true at all, never broke a spoke on the wheelset but they just wouldnt stay true. So after alot of research and good comments on bicyclewheelwarehouse.com I decided to send them an email. Chris the owner though the 32 spoke DT Swiss RR1.2 wheelset would be more than enough wheel than I would ever need. Same general specs as the 30mm deep V section wheels that all the other manufacturers make just maybe better build quality. I really like the wheelset but its the same deal with these wheels as the other set, they wont stay in true. The customer service from bww is wonderful but its just my problem. So my advice to you is to get something with a few more spokes than 32, 36 is probably as low as I would go with spoke count if I could do everything over again. 


Look at me, started out with a trek 1.2. Now a Specialized lover. Now upgraded to 105 and a better wheelset. Try out a higher end bike with at least Tiagra. You wont be disappointed. Stray away from Sora. 

Good luck!!


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## Jesse D Smith (Jun 11, 2005)

PlatyPius said:


> I'm just wondering.... how exactly does one get the ability to shill ones own products on RBR?


As long as the shill is accompanied by honest, solid advice, I'm not offended.


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## justdonating (Jun 13, 2009)

I'm 6'2 about 295lbs. I started cycling a few weeks ago. I did some research on the internet and finally made my way into a LBS. I wanted to stay under $1k. After spending an hour talking to the LBS, we narrowed things down to a Trek 1.2 and a Raleigh Grand Sport. From an entry level standpoint, both bikes were sufficient for my needs. Given my goals and budget, the LBS recommended the Raleigh Grand Sport. I bought it along with a few accessories and off I went. So far so good, I'm riding 50-100 miles a week and things are good. The only thing I've added so far is new tires. I switched to the Continental Ultra Gatorskins, as I go through some rough areas.

Starting out, I'd suggest getting something your comfortable with. Don't worry about how fast you're going, focus on a nice steady pace. The more comfortable you get, you'll look at upgrading somewhere down the road. Also, check out Craigslist. From time to time there are some really good deals on bikes. Good luck!


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

justdonating said:


> I'm 6'2 about 295lbs. I started cycling a few weeks ago. I did some research on the internet and finally made my way into a LBS. I wanted to stay under $1k. After spending an hour talking to the LBS, we narrowed things down to a Trek 1.2 and a Raleigh Grand Sport. From an entry level standpoint, both bikes were sufficient for my needs. Given my goals and budget, the LBS recommended the Raleigh Grand Sport. I bought it along with a few accessories and off I went. So far so good, I'm riding 50-100 miles a week and things are good. The only thing I've added so far is new tires. I switched to the Continental Ultra Gatorskins, as I go through some rough areas.
> 
> Starting out, I'd suggest getting something your comfortable with. Don't worry about how fast you're going, focus on a nice steady pace. The more comfortable you get, you'll look at upgrading somewhere down the road. Also, check out Craigslist. From time to time there are some really good deals on bikes. Good luck!


One of the first things we did when we bought the shop was pick up Raleigh. We're in the process of phasing Fuji out, and replacing them with Raleigh (local competition thing, as well as the selling to bikesdirect thing). We got in an order of Raleigh Sports and Grand Sports Friday afternoon. As of 5pm Saturday, there isn't a single one left. Meanwhile, the Fujis we still have in stock have been sitting there for months, and probably will remain so until we sell them for cost.

I've been really impressed with Raleigh for 2009. They had some issues in past, during their "Who owns us now?" years. But now the bikes are of good quality, are actually attractive, and are a good value for the money. I see us selling a lot of them this year.


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## B15serv (Apr 27, 2008)

FWIW I saw a guy last month that was about 350lbs.+ riding a giant OCR. Stock wheelset too, seemed fine. I think its awesome that you are going to start riding. It really is the perfect way for bigger guys to lose weight because there isnt really any impact but you can work out for hours. +1 to everybody that said to steer clear of Sora btw


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