Weight Considerations: Road Vs. Mountain

Quoted message said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Touring bikes have stronger wheel bearings and larger tyres tan normal
road bikes so that they can carry heavy panniers and luggage. Something
like a Dawes Galaxy may suit you.

--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
Email: [email hidden], John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web : http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html

There are plenty of folks 240+ who ride road bikes. Heck there is at
least one Tour de France rider at 200+ lbs.

Quoted message said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads,

Depends on the bike. MTB load capacity is often limited by their
shocks.

I was

Quoted message said:

trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

Not at all. The main thing heavier riders need to concertn themselves
with (on any kind of bike) is the wheels. Well-built 36-spoke wheels
will be adequate for riders much heavier than you. On a road bike, I
would recommend looking for one that can accommodate 700x28c tires
(some racing bikes don't have enough clearance for tires that wide).

Quoted message said:

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Many bike tourists put a total load of 300 or more pounds on their
bikes. Tandems support even more. It's all about the wheels and tires.

RichC

rdclark said:

[email hidden] wrote:

I was

Quoted message said:

trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

Not at all. The main thing heavier riders need to concertn themselves
with (on any kind of bike) is the wheels. Well-built 36-spoke wheels
will be adequate for riders much heavier than you. On a road bike, I
would recommend looking for one that can accommodate 700x28c tires
(some racing bikes don't have enough clearance for tires that wide).

Quoted message said:

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

I'm 220lbs and happily ride 32 spoke wheels on my road and mountain
bikes and I have 23mm road tyres that perform quite adequately. So you
don't need anything special for that weight.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

Quoted message said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

It depends entirely on what you want.

I'd suggest visiting the LBSs in your area and trying both types out...
mountain and road.

I'm a big rider as well and like some degree of comfort from a bike so I
like the mountain bike with their larger tires (I don't run knobbies)
and suspension. I run Continental Town & Country tires, have front
suspension and a suspension seat post on my mountain bike this is
primarly used in an urban environment.

<[email hidden]> wrote...

Quoted message said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Road bike frames are more than capable of carrying a 240lb rider, the two
critical issues are going to be tires and wheels. Most road racing bikes
come with 700 x 23C tires (that's ~28 inches diameter x almost 1 inch wide),
which require fairly careful handling by riders much smaller than yourself.
They are very prone to pinch flats (tube is pinched between a hard object
and the rim, as when riding over broken pavement, curbs, potholes) unless
they are kept inflated to a fairly high pressure, and they require fairly
regular reinflating with a floor pump to keep them at that pressure. Touring
bikes and hybrid bikes usually come with wider tires, anywhere from 700x28
to 700x37 or wider (that's ~28" x 1 1/8" to 1 1/2"😉. Careful shopping might
find you a road racing bike that will accommodate tires that wide.

Making a strong, durable bicycle wheel requires, along with good quality
components, a certain amount of skilled hand labor. This is where entry
level mountain and road bikes frequently fall short. A good bike shop can
make up for this by stress relieving and truing the wheels before they sell
you the bike, but this will cost the bike shop money. Expect to pay a little
extra for a bike that is prepared this carefully, but expect to save at
least as much in spoke replacements and general aggravation further down the
road.

More expensive road and mountain bikes can be equipped with low spoke count
(< 28 spokes) wheels, wheels with bladed spokes, etc., etc., for better
aerodynamics and weight savings at a pretty high cost in dependability and
ease of maintenance, but something tells me you're not looking at this price
level anyway.
--
mark

"John Burns" wrote

Quoted message said:

Touring bikes have stronger wheel bearings and larger tyres tan normal
road bikes so that they can carry heavy panniers and luggage. Something
like a Dawes Galaxy may suit you.

Could you direct the OP to a Dawes dealer in Staten Island, N.Y.?
--
mark

Tony Raven said:

rdclark said:

[email hidden] wrote:

I was

Quoted message said:

trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

Not at all. The main thing heavier riders need to concertn themselves
with (on any kind of bike) is the wheels. Well-built 36-spoke wheels
will be adequate for riders much heavier than you. On a road bike, I
would recommend looking for one that can accommodate 700x28c tires
(some racing bikes don't have enough clearance for tires that wide).

Quoted message said:

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

I'm 220lbs and happily ride 32 spoke wheels on my road and mountain
bikes and I have 23mm road tyres that perform quite adequately. So you
don't need anything special for that weight.

I would still recommend buying a bike with sufficient tire clearance
for 28's. To need it and discover you don't have it would be
unpleasant.

As for spoke count, heck, I weigh 215 and have one bike with 24/28
spoke wheels (not the ones I commute on, though). I know it can be
done. But there's a difference between what I'm willing to risk for
myself vs what I'm willing to recommend to a newbie.

RichC

[email hidden said:

"]Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

If you want an upright riding position, I would suggest a hybrid/comfort bike, and most of those would happily hold 240. My Giant Sedona DX carries 300+ and did carry 365 until I lost some weight. 1900 miles with no real mechanical problems. One flat is the only non-scheduled maintenance.

I told someone else about my experience in a forum, and he just bought a Sedona ST which he likes so far, and he weighs about 400. (He kept the cost lower and avoided the front shock and got wheels with a higher spoke count).

My guess is that almost any but the exotic 26" wheels would hold up well for a large rider, due to the smaller diameter and wider tires. Of course, as others have suggested, I would be comfortable with a 700C wheel as long as the spoke count was >= 32 and would handle a wide tire.

I am looking at moving to a pure road bike next season, and I am looking at bikes like have been suggested to you by some, and that is a touring bike. A couple of specific bikes I am looking at are the Cannondale T800 and the Trek 520. Anything with a relaxed geometry lugged for racks (which I will use more as I lose more weight) and capable of nice meaty touring tires is what I am hoping to get into at about the weight you are, and I expect it to hold up just fine. My objective for a road bike is to ride a couple of organized centuries next year...

Bicycling Magazine had a story on large riders in one of the recent issues that you may find interesting.

Even though there are bikes built specifically for larger riders, I find that they are too pricey for my taste.

Searcher7 said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

I shouldn't worry about your weight too much. The quote below refers to
the 30-year-old Magnus Backstedt.

The real question was, however, does he really weigh 98 kilos, or 215 pounds as the media kit reported?

"Yes, now I do, but I slim down to 93 kilos once we get into the season," he said, making him a svelte 205 pounds just in time to pound the cobbles.

Bin

mark said:

Could you direct the OP to a Dawes dealer in Staten Island, N.Y.?

Since he [cross]posted to uk.rec.cycling, a UK-oriented reply seems
perfectly in order. I have no idea what presence (if any) Dawes has
in the .. ahem .. colonies.

--
not me guv

rdclark said:

Tony Raven said:

rdclark said:

[email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was
> trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to
> Road bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

Only for some super-fancy super-light road bikes (and mountain bikes).
Check for a manufacturer's limit, and add a pinch of salt to it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Not at all. The main thing heavier riders need to concertn
themselves with (on any kind of bike) is the wheels. Well-built
36-spoke wheels will be adequate for riders much heavier than you.
On a road bike, I would recommend looking for one that can
accommodate 700x28c tires (some racing bikes don't have enough
clearance for tires that wide).
> This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

I'm 220lbs and happily ride 32 spoke wheels on my road and mountain
bikes and I have 23mm road tyres that perform quite adequately. So
you don't need anything special for that weight.

I would still recommend buying a bike with sufficient tire clearance
for 28's. To need it and discover you don't have it would be
unpleasant.

That will limit choice a lot, though. 25mm should be ok.

Quoted message said:

As for spoke count, heck, I weigh 215 and have one bike with 24/28
spoke wheels (not the ones I commute on, though). I know it can be
done. But there's a difference between what I'm willing to risk for
myself vs what I'm willing to recommend to a newbie.

36-spoke rear wheels are more sensible for general cycling, even for
lighter riders, but again this will limit choice when it comes to bikes
complete with wheels.

~PB

Quoted message said:

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

240 lbs pah! you lightweight!

I have a road bike that survives my 290+ lb carcase. I run it on 700c x 25
tyres and have not had any problems. It has a chrome moly steel frame can't
say if carbon would survive but there again I don't love cycling enough to
raise a mortgage for a state of the art machine.

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

Quoted message said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

Since mountain bikes are better suited for carry heavier loads, I was
trying to get an idea of how heavy is too heavy when it comes to Road
bikes? Is 240lbs too heavy?

This concerns street riding and nothing extreme.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

I've been working my way down from 1/7 of a ton. . .approaching 1/8 ton
again. I like my 'cross bike. . . sort of the best of both worlds. Plenty
of gear to get up hills, lots of room for FAT tires (I ride 35mm Panaracer
Paselas on the road), plus lighter weight and more comfy than a dedicated
mountain bike. I'm on a Bianchi Cross Concept that has served as my
all-around bike for the past 3 years. I've been on wheels that use Mavic
CXP-33 rims (36 spoke rear / 32 spoke front) with the fat 35mm tires. I
just installed a very light (for my largeness) set of wheels with Velocity
AeroHead (OC 36 spoke rear / 32 front) and a combo of Sapim CX-Ray and
Wheelsmith ACE bladed spokes. . . wheel pair was a respectable 1595 grams. .
.. this is a test for a light but durable set for us "Clydesdale" riders. . .
We'll see how they hold up. . .

gds <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> There are plenty of folks 240+ who ride road bikes. Heck there is at
:> least one Tour de France rider at 200+ lbs.

Really? Who was that? Did he finish?

Magnus Backstadt. The TDF website lists him at 198 lbs. but I've heard
he is over 200. 2 lbs. isn't the issue anyway.
I do not believe he finished.

Searcher7 said:

Can I get opinions on what the maximum weight is a person should be
before road bikes become a bad idea?

You can get opinions, but they will vary. A reasonable road bike should
be able to handle Your weight with no problem, though. I would recommend
36-spoke wheels, and a 28-32mm wide tire (and enough clearance for that
32mm tire), and in general you should go for sturdy components (this is
not the situation for carbon bars or seatposts, for example).

I don't believe that mountain bikes are intrinsically more capable of
handling larger riders. The tires and frames look beefier, but that is to
deal with the terrain, not the rider. Mountain-bike wheels have the same
range of spoke-counts as road wheels, and a 24-spoke mountain bike wheel
will be no better for you than a 24-spoke road wheel.

For road riding, I don't believe that suspension will help appreciably.
Bigger tires will help, but those are available on road bikes if they are
designed to allow for them.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Arguing with an engineer is like mud wrestling with a pig... You
_`\(,_ | soon find out the pig likes it!
(_)/ (_) |

rdclark said:

As for spoke count, heck, I weigh 215 and have one bike with 24/28
spoke wheels (not the ones I commute on, though). I know it can be
done. But there's a difference between what I'm willing to risk for
myself vs what I'm willing to recommend to a newbie.

I'm presently 210 and riding on 20/24 spoke wheels on an 05 model bike.
I feel somewhat insecure about them but have had no problems. They
are pretty light wheels compared to my older bike with 36/36s which I
rode when I was 235 and losing. My advice would be to be sure you get
well built wheels and go higher on the spoke count. If I had known
better, I would have swapped out the wheels when I bought the 05 bike,
but I would not feel bad about trading up after a few thousand miles
even if I have no trouble. It would be worth it for my piece of mind.

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

Quoted message said:

mark said:

Could you direct the OP to a Dawes dealer in Staten Island, N.Y.?

Since he [cross]posted to uk.rec.cycling, a UK-oriented reply seems
perfectly in order. I have no idea what presence (if any) Dawes has
in the .. ahem .. colonies.

Yebbut, he put his address on his post and anyway never asked for a specific
bike recommendation.
Nah, nah, nah nah..
--
Pete
http:[email hidden]/P