Weight and biking

Sidewinder <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic
:> benefits. However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight
:> likely to be a problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the
:> frame, rims and spokes handle that much weight for a time without
:> breaking down? Thank you.

Make sure you get a bike with 36-spoke wheels (for one thing!).

More spokes would be better than less as Roger suggests.

I'm 255lbs, 6'0" and have a 20 inch rear wheel with 32 spokes (folding
bike).
No problems thusfar.

"Sidewinder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic benefits.
However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight likely to be a
problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the frame, rims and
spokes
handle that much weight for a time without breaking down? Thank you.

Sidewinder said:

In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic benefits.
However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight likely to be a
problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the frame, rims and spokes
handle that much weight for a time without breaking down? Thank you.

Check the following web site - go to the "Clydesdale" Forum - it's for
big guys and their special needs in terms of parts and sizing

http://forums.mtbr.com/

Tom

recently asked my local Trek dealer how much is too much for a
bike. He said Trek can haul up to 300 Lbs. I had a Fuji for a
long time, but whenever my wieght fluctuated above 220Lbs, the
left crank arm would unscrew itself!

Good luck.

~Mo Fo

"Sidewinder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
: In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic
benefits.
: However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight
likely to be a
: problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the frame,
rims and spokes
: handle that much weight for a time without breaking down?
Thank you.
:
:

C.J.Patten said:

More spokes would be better than less as Roger suggests.

I'm 255lbs, 6'0" and have a 20 inch rear wheel with 32 spokes (folding
bike).
No problems thusfar.

Structurally speaking, 32 spokes on a 20" wheel is roughly equivalent
to 44 spokes on a 26" wheel. That's in terms of the span length
between spokes. In overall strength, the 20" wheel is probably even
stronger than that because its rim is stiffer to side loads.

(They'd better be strong if you ride a recumbent, because you have to
go over bumps like a sack of potatoes, without being able to "post" up
off the saddle.)

But the same principle applies to the difference between 26" and 700c
wheels. All else equal (spoke count, rim cross section, etc.), the 26"
wheels will be much stronger.

Chalo Colina

6' 6" and 280 lbs:

I'd say get a mountain bike with as large a frame as you can find
and put straight-tread street tires on it for riding on pavement. Tioga
City-slickers are my favorite such tires. You will need a bike with an
extra-long seat stem and you might have to get a handlebar stem extender
to raise it up to match the seat. The cables may have to be replaced
with longer ones if the handlebars are raised very much.
A Cromoly rear axle may be better to support your weight than the
standard one that comes with the bike. I've just described the bike I
rode when I loaded as much as 325 lbs. on it (myself, cargo box, tools,
parts and a huge load of groceries).

Steve McDonald

Sidewinder said:

In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic benefits.
However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight likely to be a
problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the frame, rims and spokes
handle that much weight for a time without breaking down? Thank you.

The thing to be concerned about is wheels. The important thing is to
have them well set up by a good bike shop, if not, you will likely have
lots of problems with loose/broken spokes.

If you get serious about road biking, you might want to think about a
touring bike, they are a good match to the needs of large riders.

Sidewinder said:

In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic benefits.
However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight likely to be a
problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the frame, rims and spokes
handle that much weight for a time without breaking down? Thank you.

You haven't said anything about where and how you plan to ride -- on
the road, off-road, dirt paths, whatever. If, like many returning
riders, you're planning on sticking a toe in the water by buying a
hybrid or "comfort" bike, then you should concern yourself mostly with
the dealer you buy it from.

Buying a name brand bike (Trek, Cannondale, Jamis, Giant, Specialized,
Bianchi, Fuji, etc., etc.) from a reputable dealer (ask around locally)
will get you a a frame and components that will be properly assembled,
something you can't count on from mass-market stores. The frame will
likely have a lifetime guarantee.

Far more importantly, a dealer will help you buy a bike that fits you
properly, and help you get it properly adjusted in all the various ways
that will match your particular body dimensions. Every body is
different, and every bike needs to be custom fit to the rider. (Most
riders end up doing this themselves, through necessity and by default,
because the bike is painful to ride.) It is unlikely that a rider of
your height and weight will find a suitable bike anywhere but at a
dealer.

Finally, a good dealer will properly prepare the wheels. Your concerns
about weight bear mostly on this issue. Wheel failures are most common
on machine-built wheels (ie, most wheels) that were not re-tensioned,
trued, and stress-relieved by hand before being installed on the bike.
When a wheel is properly prepared it should last for thousands of
miles, even if it's an ordinary mass-produced wheel. Any decent
36-spoke wheel should be fine at your weight, assuming it's set up
right.

RichC

Quoted message said:

Sidewinder said:

In my old age I have decided to take up biking for the aerobic benefits.
However, I am 6' 6" tall and weigh 280 lbs. Is my weight likely to be a
problem for most any bicycle? For instance, can the frame, rims and spokes
handle that much weight for a time without breaking down? Thank you.

rdclark said:

Far more importantly, a dealer will help you buy a bike that fits you
properly, and help you get it properly adjusted in all the various ways
that will match your particular body dimensions. Every body is
different, and every bike needs to be custom fit to the rider. (Most
riders end up doing this themselves, through necessity and by default,
because the bike is painful to ride.) It is unlikely that a rider of
your height and weight will find a suitable bike anywhere but at a
dealer.

In addition to wheels and bike fit, you should be wary of bikes with
suspension (assuming you are riding primarily on the road). Most
suspension parts are designed for riders in the 150-180lb weight range.
On most comfort bikes, adjusting the suspension means replacing
elastomers. A good dealer should be willing to readjust the suspension
on the bike for your weight. If this isn't done properly, you will be
bottoming out the suspension on relatively small bumps.

Although none of my current road bikes have suspension, I had to go
through an elastomer/spring swap on the front and spring swap on the
back of my mountain bike. Before that, it was easy to squish the
suspension to its stops just by hopping up and down in the street.

-Buck

"Chalo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Structurally speaking, 32 spokes on a 20" wheel is roughly equivalent
to 44 spokes on a 26" wheel. That's in terms of the span length
between spokes. In overall strength, the 20" wheel is probably even
stronger than that because its rim is stiffer to side loads.

Interesting - good to know.

Quoted message said:

(They'd better be strong if you ride a recumbent, because you have to
go over bumps like a sack of potatoes, without being able to "post" up
off the saddle.)

Folding "wedgie" FWIW.
http://www.ncf.ca/~af895/bike/KHS.html

😉

Buck said:

In addition to wheels and bike fit, you should be wary of bikes with
suspension

Good point. If you insist on (or can't avoid)suspension features (too
common in everything but pure road bikes these days) make sure they can
be locked out or adjusted for someone of your weight. Another reason to
stick with a bike shop.

I tend to not think about suspension because I have none on any of my
own bikes, and wouldn't consider it unless I were actually to
contemplate riding off-road.

RichC

"rdclark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I tend to not think about suspension because I have none on any of my
own bikes, and wouldn't consider it unless I were actually to
contemplate riding off-road.

Very good points.

Not that you're considering one, but I should point out many "small wheel"
folding bikes have suspension to help give them a ride feel more like a full
size bike. (Brompton, KHS, Birdy ... most of them really 🙂

I'm 255lbs and can bottom out the suspension on my KHS 20" wheel folder but
my goal weight is 185ish where I think It'll be fine - so it's more of a
bike to grow (or shrink) in to.

We now return to your regularly scheduled thread... 😉

C.j

C.J.Patten said:

"Chalo" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

(They'd better be strong if you ride a recumbent, because you have to
go over bumps like a sack of potatoes, without being able to "post" up
off the saddle.)

Folding "wedgie" FWIW.
http://www.ncf.ca/~af895/bike/KHS.html

Full suspension and all. Those wheels should be pretty darn durable
then. Keep enough air in the tires (so they don't get flat-spotted)
and they'll probably last until you grind away the sidewalls or wear
out the hubs.

Chalo Colina

First of all, I'd like to thank all you folks for your input, I appreciate
it.

I'm currently looking at a road bike with a stand-over height of 34.5". I
may stand corrected, but doesn't the manufacturer of a bike that is
obviously designed to fit a large rider assume that this rider is probably
heavier than the average person and "beef" up the bike accordingly? I don't
know, just asking.

"C.J.Patten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"rdclark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I tend to not think about suspension because I have none on any of my
own bikes, and wouldn't consider it unless I were actually to
contemplate riding off-road.

Very good points.

Not that you're considering one, but I should point out many "small wheel"
folding bikes have suspension to help give them a ride feel more like a

full

Quoted message said:

size bike. (Brompton, KHS, Birdy ... most of them really 🙂

I'm 255lbs and can bottom out the suspension on my KHS 20" wheel folder

but

Quoted message said:

my goal weight is 185ish where I think It'll be fine - so it's more of a
bike to grow (or shrink) in to.

We now return to your regularly scheduled thread... 😉

C.j

C.J.Patten said:

http://www.ncf.ca/~af895/bike/KHS.html

Did the big rack interfer with the folding process (it appears in photo
one but is replaced by a fender and seatpost rack in the rest)?

Hey Rich!

Here's a link to the "current" configuration of the bike:
http://ca.geocities.com/af895/Westwood_side.jpg
(If the link doesn't work, try again later - Geocities has some questionable
bandwidth limiting function)

I was fortunate with the rack (if the photo doesn't show, it's the one
attached to braze-ons, not the seatpost rack).
It's slim enough and the rear triangle tapers vertically enough it doesn't
interfere with the fold.

I got rid of the seat post rack because it didn't have any side support and
wasn't going to support the weight I wanted to carry.

Cheers,
Chris

"Rich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

C.J.Patten said:

http://www.ncf.ca/~af895/bike/KHS.html

Did the big rack interfer with the folding process (it appears in photo
one but is replaced by a fender and seatpost rack in the rest)?

Sidewinder wrote:
:: First of all, I'd like to thank all you folks for your input, I
:: appreciate it.
::
:: I'm currently looking at a road bike with a stand-over height of
:: 34.5". I may stand corrected, but doesn't the manufacturer of a
:: bike that is obviously designed to fit a large rider assume that
:: this rider is probably heavier than the average person and "beef" up
:: the bike accordingly? I don't know, just asking.

Make sure you get good wheels. The frame should be fine. Some bikes come
with machine-made racing type wheels that won't stand up to your weight if
you start doing significant riding. The spokes will break/pop loose causing
the wheel to go out of true. Personally, I suggest you get hand-made wheels
(32 oto 36 spoke) from a wheelbuilder.

::
::
::
::
:: "C.J.Patten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
:: news:[email hidden]...
:::
::: "rdclark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
::: news:[email hidden]...
:::
:::: I tend to not think about suspension because I have none on any of
:::: my own bikes, and wouldn't consider it unless I were actually to
:::: contemplate riding off-road.
:::
::: Very good points.
:::
::: Not that you're considering one, but I should point out many "small
::: wheel" folding bikes have suspension to help give them a ride feel
::: more like a full size bike. (Brompton, KHS, Birdy ... most of them
::: really 🙂
:::
::: I'm 255lbs and can bottom out the suspension on my KHS 20" wheel
::: folder but my goal weight is 185ish where I think It'll be fine -
::: so it's more of a bike to grow (or shrink) in to.
:::
::: We now return to your regularly scheduled thread... 😉
:::
::: C.j

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 11:04:34 -0400, "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Sidewinder wrote:
:: First of all, I'd like to thank all you folks for your input, I
:: appreciate it.
::
:: I'm currently looking at a road bike with a stand-over height of
:: 34.5". I may stand corrected, but doesn't the manufacturer of a
:: bike that is obviously designed to fit a large rider assume that
:: this rider is probably heavier than the average person and "beef" up
:: the bike accordingly? I don't know, just asking.

Make sure you get good wheels. The frame should be fine. Some bikes come
with machine-made racing type wheels that won't stand up to your weight if
you start doing significant riding. The spokes will break/pop loose causing
the wheel to go out of true. Personally, I suggest you get hand-made wheels
(32 oto 36 spoke) from a wheelbuilder.

Just another viewpoint. I've ridden both Bontrager race-light wheels with
the reduced spoke count and standard Bontrager wheels at a weight of
225-230lbs and have not been gentle with the bike. Never had a bit of
problem with spokes breaking. So ymmv. ;-)

jj

Sidewinder said:

First of all, I'd like to thank all you folks for your input, I appreciate
it.

I'm currently looking at a road bike with a stand-over height of 34.5". I
may stand corrected, but doesn't the manufacturer of a bike that is
obviously designed to fit a large rider assume that this rider is probably
heavier than the average person and "beef" up the bike accordingly? I don't
know, just asking.

No, not usually. Bike components are not changed for larger size bikes
of the same model. Most frames are not re-engineered either, since the
tubing diameter and wall thickness are pretty much standard. The net of
this is that larger frames aren't stronger, and may in fact be too
flexible. A large rider should pick a type of bike that's more suitable.
Bikes not built specifically to be light (racers) are generally better
candidates. These can include bikes like hybrids at lower prices and
tourers at higher. I've heard the opinion that "bikes should weight 12%
of your body weight". I don't know about absolutes, but I think the
claim has merit in that larger riders should expect to be riding a
proportionally stronger (hence heavier) bike.