Recommendations for a big rider

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

Quoted message said:

I am considering a new bike, but was told to avoid a carbon fiber frame

due

Quoted message said:

to my size. I am 6'4" and about 230. I've spoken with some bigger riders
who say that the carbon flexes too much.

Can any of you bigger riders offer advice as to type of material that

might

Quoted message said:

suit me? Sure Titanium would work out great if I had an extra 5000 bones

to

Quoted message said:

spare!

If you want a great ride get an Eddy Merckx. Axel is a little smaller than
you but not much so Eddy has big bikes down pat. I've got two of them, a
steel Eddy and an EX. Both of these bikes are nearly perfect. The latest
one's from Eddy are aluminum. Live and learn.

http://www.zinncycles.com/bikes.aspx Check out this web site. Zinn custom
makes bikes for big guys as his specialty.

Tom

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

Quoted message said:

I am considering a new bike, but was told to avoid a carbon fiber frame due
to my size. I am 6'4" and about 230. I've spoken with some bigger riders
who say that the carbon flexes too much.

Can any of you bigger riders offer advice as to type of material that
might
suit me? Sure Titanium would work out great if I had an extra 5000 bones
to
spare!

Thanks-

An aluminum frame would probably be ok if you get a carbon fork. The
carbon fork would flex a bit and keep some pressure off of the
aluminum, which doesn't flex and could theoretically crack over time
being under someone 230lbs.
You could do a frame like that with a lower end Shimano package and
modest wheels for $700-1200 if you shop around.

Steel frame and carbon fork seems odd to even say but that would also
work.

Either way, spend your money on the frame as you can always build up
from there, replacing things over time.

Musashi

Pete Desautelle said:

I am considering a new bike, but was told to avoid a carbon fiber frame due
to my size. I am 6'4" and about 230. I've spoken with some bigger riders
who say that the carbon flexes too much.

Can any of you bigger riders offer advice as to type of material that might
suit me? Sure Titanium would work out great if I had an extra 5000 bones to
spare!

Thanks-

I don't know what carbon frames they're talking about. I'm 220 and
6'6", ride a Trek OCLV frame, and I've never ridden a bike this stiff
before. I've had it for three years, and have put on 15000 racing and
training miles. There is virtually no bb flex.

chris

Thanks for all the replies.
I am a little skeptical also. Thats why I wanted to hear some opinions. I
think I may need to try a few out and see how they feel.

BTW, I dont *plan* on being 230 after riding. Lost 30 pounds already, would
like to drop another 15. BUt I do have strong legs and dont want to have a
bike that wobbles a lot. I dont think losing 15 pounds changes things mush
though.

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

Quoted message said:

I don't know what carbon frames they're talking about. I'm 220 and
6'6", ride a Trek OCLV frame, and I've never ridden a bike this stiff
before. I've had it for three years, and have put on 15000 racing and
training miles. There is virtually no bb flex.

chris

Pete Desautelle said:

I am considering a new bike, but was told to avoid a carbon fiber frame due
to my size. I am 6'4" and about 230. I've spoken with some bigger riders
who say that the carbon flexes too much.

Can any of you bigger riders offer advice as to type of material that might
suit me? Sure Titanium would work out great if I had an extra 5000 bones to
spare!

Thanks-

Pick up a steel bike for the time it takes you to get down to your
fighting weight. Example: GT Edge, 59 cm frame, full campy record 9spd
(w/carbon shifters) off eBay for $550. Your mileage may vary, but I've
found ebayers avoid steel for some strange reason. This was to be my
rain bike but is so darn comfortable and only a couple pounds heavier
than my Colnago I take it on the same rides. Check around eBay and
http://www.craigslist.org/bik/

Pete Desautelle said:

I am considering a new bike, but was told to avoid a carbon fiber frame due
to my size. I am 6'4" and about 230. I've spoken with some bigger riders
who say that the carbon flexes too much.

Can any of you bigger riders offer advice as to type of material that might
suit me? Sure Titanium would work out great if I had an extra 5000 bones to
spare!

Probably at this point, you just want to go out for a local ride,
going as fast as possible (as opposed to entering competition). That
being the case, you want something durable, because my experience is
that many bike parts are designed for people under 200 pounds and will
break in short order for heavy people, especially stuff designed for
racing (i.e. carbon fiber, though your experience may vary).
Cyclocross framesets are generally strong and on the affordable side.
Gunnar is pretty affordable. Surly is even a little more affordable,
but is a bit heavier. Being over 200 pounds myself, I tend to dispose
of frames. You don't have to be too over-analytical. You ride some
something, learn the good and bad points of the bike, then make a more
educated choice the next time. If its really bad, you just put it up
on EBay and buy what you should have bought, since bike parts are a
commodity. Heck, I've sold even partial headsets on EBay. Having said
all this, I am now riding a Waterford X-11, but I was very impressed
with an aluminum Nashbar touring frame that I had a few years ago.
When you're over 200, ignore all the posters saying that aluminum
frames are too stiff. I do NOT want a frame that is flexy. Aluminum
frames are nice. They are light and often inexpensive. If the ride is
too harsh, put on fatter tires. The bad point is that after a lot of
riding, they will crack, but then I have already cracked my Waterford
X-11 too (fixed under warranty). Being a former BMX racer, I'm trying
to avoid riding my bike hard, treating red to green lights like a gate
start.

Here are some bikes you might want to check out:

http://www.nycbikes.com/
http://www.surlybikes.com/
http://www.gunnarbikes.com/

Don't laugh, this frame is awesome
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=0001&sku=11723&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

In article <[email hidden]>,

(BeeCharmer) said:

I don't know what carbon frames they're talking about. I'm 220 and
6'6", ride a Trek OCLV frame, and I've never ridden a bike this stiff
before. I've had it for three years, and have put on 15000 racing and
training miles. There is virtually no bb flex.

USPS rides them...must be good.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(BeeCharmer) said:

I don't know what carbon frames they're talking about. I'm 220 and
6'6", ride a Trek OCLV frame, and I've never ridden a bike this stiff
before. I've had it for three years, and have put on 15000 racing and
training miles. There is virtually no bb flex.

USPS rides them...must be good.

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

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the replies.
I am a little skeptical also. Thats why I wanted to hear some opinions.

I

Quoted message said:

think I may need to try a few out and see how they feel.

BTW, I dont *plan* on being 230 after riding. Lost 30 pounds already,

would

Quoted message said:

like to drop another 15. BUt I do have strong legs and dont want to have

a

Quoted message said:

bike that wobbles a lot. I dont think losing 15 pounds changes things

mush

Quoted message said:

though.

I was up to 212 for awhile and I've not had any problems with bikes since
they started using oversize tubing.

As Chris said. the Trek OCLV is about as solid a bike as you could find and
if you intend to ride from now on the lifetime warranty on the frame is
nice.

Pete Desautelle wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the replies.
I am a little skeptical also. Thats why I wanted to hear some opinions. I
think I may need to try a few out and see how they feel.

BTW, I dont *plan* on being 230 after riding. Lost 30 pounds already,

would

Quoted message said:

like to drop another 15. BUt I do have strong legs and dont want to have a
bike that wobbles a lot. I dont think losing 15 pounds changes things mush
though.

I had an OCLV and I liked it, but when it got cracked in a crash I had to
ride my old steel bike and I actually preferred it's ride to the OCLV. Then
I got a Trek 2300 aluminum frame and I also like that better than the OCLV.
The OCLVs are fine, but I have no desire to get another one. It just feels
more solid to me. My weight ranges from 165 to 180 in winter, but I've got
heavy legs so I ride like a bigger rider. Go to a bike shop where you can
try out several different bikes, or try riding a friend's.

- Tony

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

I am considering a new bike, but was told to avoid a carbon fiber frame due
to my size.

Probably by someone who does not sell carbon bikes.

Quoted message said:

I am 6'4" and about 230. I've spoken with some bigger riders
who say that the carbon flexes too much.

If poorly designed, possible. If well designed, no it won't.

Quoted message said:

Can any of you bigger riders offer advice as to type of material that might
suit me? Sure Titanium would work out great if I had an extra 5000 bones to
spare!

You are going about buying a bike all wrong. Don't buy a bike based on
material alone. Good, and bad, bikes can be made from all sorts of material.
What you should do is find a reputable brand and find a bike that fits. That
is the most important part. Everything else is secondary.
---------------
Alex