255 lbs a problem for Carbon Frame?

My question is where have you found a carbon bike for 1.5-2K?

L

Okay, say I went to $4,000?

My next question is why you think you NEED a full carbon bike if you are just starting? That's quite an investment. Most likely you won't be able to notice the benefits of a Full carbon bike for quite a while. Dr. Morbius, feel free to jump in here anytime...

L

Lonnie Utah said:

My next question is why you think you NEED a full carbon bike if you are just starting? That's quite an investment. Most likely you won't be able to notice the benefits of a Full carbon bike for quite a while. Dr. Morbius, feel free to jump in here anytime...

L

Why not full carbon? I'm by no means a racer @ 6' 215lbs. I bought my first road bike last July. A Trek 5000. Full carbon nothing real fancy but it does the job. $1999. I set out to buy a Trek 2300. After my fitting the LBS owner set up several bikes to test ride. I really liked the ride of the characteristics of the full carbon 5000. After almost 2200 miles I have no regrets. Go to your LBS and test ride a few let your butt tell you what feels best to you.

steve26 said:

My first post!
Well I am looking into purchasing my first bike. I am 6'4" and 255lbs. My bodyfat would be somewhere in the teens...

Am I to heavy to buy a carbon bike? I am looking to buy a bike in the $1,500-$2,000 range.

Thanks.

Steve in
Minnesota

At 255 lbs, the Trek 5000 frame might be stiff enough and strong enough if you stay away from rough roads. But I'd suspect the OEM wheels and tires would go south on you quickly.

If you're planning on riding the bike a lot of miles, I'd look for a bike with a heavier frame and wheels, and wider tires than 23 mm. Suggest you ask your LBS for their recommendations. After all, saving a couple of lbs on your equipment isn't really going to get you anything you'll notice.

Lonnie Utah said:

My next question is why you think you NEED a full carbon bike if you are just starting? That's quite an investment. Most likely you won't be able to notice the benefits of a Full carbon bike for quite a while. Dr. Morbius, feel free to jump in here anytime...

L

Why do you care? Just answer the question instead of imposing your financial wisdom. I don't believe he asked if he could afford or buy carbon -- he simply asked the durability. Also, he didn't state he was a first time buyer either -- stick with the facts and stop being jealous of others ability to buy what they want.

To answer the question --
In all likelihood, the carbon bike will hold up just fine. As another poster stated, the wheels may or may not last; however, it really depends on how you ride -- watching for potholes, rocks, etc.

DaveB1234 said:

Why do you care? Just answer the question instead of imposing your financial wisdom. I don't believe he asked if he could afford or buy carbon -- he simply asked the durability. Also, he didn't state he was a first time buyer either -- stick with the facts and stop being jealous of others ability to buy what they want.

Well, not trying to jump into the "fray" here, but the original post DID say he was buying his FIRST bicycle. I think you're looking for bad motives in the response where none exist... If someone is buying their first bike and is completely new to riding, I don't think it's jealousy to ask their motivations for wanting to purchase a carbon fiber bike... Whether or not the person purchasing the bike can afford it, it seems a little extravagant (to me at least... a newbie as well), to spend thousands of $$ on a first bicycle that may or may not be used with any regularity. If the original poster really gets into the sport in the next year, and can afford it, sure upgrade to your heart's content. I don't know the poster or his motivations for wanting a CF bike... maybe it's the "Lance factor", and he saw the show on Discovery Channel last week about how great Lance's carbon fiber bike is... 😄

DaveB1234 said:

... Also, he didn't state he was a first time buyer either -- stick with the facts ...

Good idea. Stick with the facts. The OP most certainly DID state that he was a first time buyer. His second sentence is ... Well I am looking into purchasing my first bike.

Maybe in the Bizzaro World that means something else, but in this world it means he's looking into buying a first bike. Mind you, not a first ROAD bike, but a first bike.

Lonnie Utah said:

My question is where have you found a carbon bike for 1.5-2K?

L

There are some out there.

SuperGo's house brand - http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?LPROD_ID=25913&lsubcat_id=7618&lcat_id=7604&referpage=

Giant OCR Composite 2 & 3 - http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?range=195

Giant TRC Composite 3 - http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=11163

Specialized Roubaix Elite (almost) - http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9639

What would really help is if the OP stated that they were interested a road bike or an MTB. Hard to tell from their post and my crystal ball is out being buffed this week.

Wow, Did not know that this would start a controversy🙂

I have purchased bikes in the past...I meant my first GOOD road bike. Had a Trek a few years ago, but it was a piece of [censored]...

Running a marathon in October, and want to get into riding/racing after that...and also train 1 day a week on my non-running day.

I think I may look into the Felt line of bikes F55...

My apologies -- reading is fundamental and I missed that :-). But as it turns out, this isn’t his first bike.

But hey, you did a great job of answering the actual question.

People like you are the main reason I avoid posting in forums -- you act like you know what's best for everyone and instead of answering the question you interject a bunch of BS about how a new rider shouldn’t do this or that – please, keep your opinions to yourself.

Also, it really is none of your business how much a person spends for a bike, house, car, clothing, etc. So what if he wants to be like Lance. If people don't buy these bikes, companies may stop building them and then YOU won't be able to buy one.

If the other posters really wanted to help you they would tell you to go to many bike shops and test ride carbon fiber bikes and talk to the sales person about longevity, durability, and warranty. Also, you may want to investigate other frame materials. Most importantly, look for a bike that fits you and is comfortable to ride. You can have the most exotic and expensive bike in the world, but if it doesn't fit, you probably won't ride it.

DaveB1234 said:

People like you are the main reason I avoid posting in forums -- you act like you know what's best for everyone and instead of answering the question you interject a bunch of BS about how a new rider shouldn’t do this or that – please, keep your opinions to yourself.

If you can't handle other people's opinions, perhaps you should avoid forums? Your rant doesn't exactly do much other than exascerbate the situation. 🙄

His post was on topic, and you are resorting to taking it personally because you happen to not like his opinion. What's that saying about relating opinions to a certain part of the anatomy?

Back on topic, my opinion is that 255 lb is not a problem for a full carbon frame. 🙂

-a

steve26, I weigh around 230lbs, and would consider a couple of the carbon frames out there strong enough for me to ride, but not many. My problem with carbon is that any little scratch or ding can be very detrimental to the frame, and in the price range you are looking in that can hurt a bit if you end up having to replace it. Also, consider that every bicycle frame of any material has an effective lifespan--at some point the frame will become un-useable. With riders of a heavier weight, this point is reached sooner in almost all cases. So, I guess my point is this: if you are purchasing the frame and looking at it as a 5-10 year investment then carbon is probably not the best choice. If you are fully aware of carbons limitations in terms of care and lifespan, and that is not a problem, then carbon can be perfect for you.

Now, onto frames that would be suitable for a heavier rider. I guess my only advice in this area, since I don't and haven't ridden carbon frames, would be to avoid compact frames if you can. The reason for this is that in many cases they require a lot of seatpost sticking out to fit a rider properly. If you use a carbon seatpost, and have a lot of post sticking out, this could cause a problem in the future, possibly rather quickly depending on your riding style. If you do go the compact frame route, I would suggest a Thomson seapost or something aluminum with thicker walls that may provide greater strenght. As larger riders though, even some aluminum and steel parts won't last that long for us.

Best thing to do would be to talk to your LBS and reps from different companies and see if they see any problem with larger riders on their frames. I'd be inclined to check out Trek, and other makers that offer lifetime warranties. Hope this helps.

steve26 said:

My first post!
Well I am looking into purchasing my first bike. I am 6'4" and 255lbs. My bodyfat would be somewhere in the teens...

Am I to heavy to buy a carbon bike? I am looking to buy a bike in the $1,500-$2,000 range.

Thanks.

Steve in
Minnesota

In reality it depends less on weight than wattage, but a carbon bike is no more likely to fail than any other and depending on which one probably less likely.

Magnus Backstedt weighs around 200 lbs but has all his frames specially built for him, and none of them get used (or last in many cases) more than a year. It would be interesting to see what your running times are. If you have a good engine I would lean toward custom (carbon, if you are set on carbon) so you get something that will be up to the task and really fit you properly.

HoWheels said:

If you can't handle other people's opinions, perhaps you should avoid forums? Your rant doesn't exactly do much other than exascerbate the situation. 🙄

His post was on topic, and you are resorting to taking it personally because you happen to not like his opinion. What's that saying about relating opinions to a certain part of the anatomy?

Back on topic, my opinion is that 255 lb is not a problem for a full carbon frame. 🙂

-a

Point taken

DaveB1234 said:

Point taken

I'm a big guy as well, and I have never ridden carbon, however my steel frame has carbon seatstays, seatpost and full carbon fork. The carbon stays make the bike feel really sweet. The next time I buy a bike (which will be followed by my divorce if I don't hold out at least a few more years) I will look at all-carbon frames first. Carbon's pretty tough stuff and it has a very nice feel. I wouldn't worry about your weight, but I may avoid carbon rims or carbon rails on a saddle.

DaveB1234 said:

My apologies -- reading is fundamental and I missed that :-).

Forgiven. Welcome to Cycling Forums.

Quoted post said:

But as it turns out, this isn’t his first bike.

But no one knew that.

Quoted post said:

But hey, you did a great job of answering the actual question.

People like you are the main reason I avoid posting in forums -- you act like you know what's best for everyone and instead of answering the question you interject a bunch of BS about how a new rider shouldn’t do this or that – please, keep your opinions to yourself.

Also, it really is none of your business how much a person spends for a bike, house, car, clothing, etc. So what if he wants to be like Lance. If people don't buy these bikes, companies may stop building them and then YOU won't be able to buy one.

If that was directed at me, I provided some links to a few bikes with carbon fiber frames within the original budget. I don't know if any of those bikes will hold up to his weight. That's a question to be answered by the manufacturer or the LBS.

If that was directed at Lonnie Utah, he was just suggesting that full CF is kind of expensive for a starter bike for someone new to cycling, which is a valid sentiment - one I happen to share with LU.

People who are just starting out in cycling - whether it be the "Lance Factor" or because their knees are shot and they can't run anymore or whatever - are often better off buying a starter bike because what they thought was important will change over time. It's not uncommon for somebody to have buyer's remorse 6 - 12 months after a 1st bike purchase. $1500 - $2000 is pretty expensive for a garage ornament if they opt not to stick with it or don't enjoy riding the bike for some reason.

Quoted post said:

If the other posters really wanted to help you they would tell you to go to many bike shops and test ride carbon fiber bikes and talk to the sales person about longevity, durability, and warranty. Also, you may want to investigate other frame materials. Most importantly, look for a bike that fits you and is comfortable to ride. You can have the most exotic and expensive bike in the world, but if it doesn't fit, you probably won't ride it.

DHK did state that the OP should go to the LBS and test ride as many of us do. I don't know how helpful it is for all responses to state the same thing. And even if they did, that wouldn't answer the OP's original question of whether or not he's too heavy for a CF bike.

Check out the recent "Best Road Bike under $1500" and "What if I increased the budget to $2000" threads in this forum. In fact DHK got a very terse reply from 50MPH for suggesting that he go test ride some bikes. 50MPH's reply was "I dont need someone to merely tell me to go to my lbs, that's not helpful advice for me." That was pretty rude on 50MPH's part if you ask me. DHK is one of the more helpful forum members here and has gotten me out of a bind on several occassions. He offered sound advice and got chewed out for it. Not cool!

Unfortunately - and this isn't really anyone's fault - the OP didn't provide enough information for anyone to provide any decent guidelines for what kind of bike to recommend. Cryptic comminication is an all too often pitfall of this and other forums.

It now sounds as though the OP has already changed his mind about CF and is looking at a Felt F55. As you can see it's only been a few days and he's already changed his mind. Buyer's remorse obligitory 6 - 12 month waiting period not necessary. Perhaps the responses have swayed him away from a CF frame at his weight. Who knows?

Doctor Morbius said:

Forgiven. Welcome to Cycling Forums.

But no one knew that.

If that was directed at me, I provided some links to a few bikes with carbon fiber frames within the original budget. I don't know if any of those bikes will hold up to his weight. That's a question to be answered by the manufacturer or the LBS.

If that was directed at Lonnie Utah, he was just suggesting that full CF is kind of expensive for a starter bike for someone new to cycling, which is a valid sentiment - one I happen to share with LU.

People who are just starting out in cycling - whether it be the "Lance Factor" or because their knees are shot and they can't run anymore or whatever - are often better off buying a starter bike because what they thought was important will change over time. It's not uncommon for somebody to have buyer's remorse 6 - 12 months after a 1st bike purchase. $1500 - $2000 is pretty expensive for a garage ornament if they opt not to stick with it or don't enjoy riding the bike for some reason.

DHK did state that the OP should go to the LBS and test ride as many of us do. I don't know how helpful it is for all responses to state the same thing. And even if they did, that wouldn't answer the OP's original question of whether or not he's too heavy for a CF bike.

Check out the recent "Best Road Bike under $1500" and "What if I increased the budget to $2000" threads in this forum. In fact DHK got a very terse reply from 50MPH for suggesting that he go test ride some bikes. 50MPH's reply was "I dont need someone to merely tell me to go to my lbs, that's not helpful advice for me." That was pretty rude on 50MPH's part if you ask me. DHK is one of the more helpful forum members here and has gotten me out of a bind on several occassions. He offered sound advice and got chewed out for it. Not cool!

Unfortunately - and this isn't really anyone's fault - the OP didn't provide enough information for anyone to provide any decent guidelines for what kind of bike to recommend. Cryptic comminication is an all too often pitfall of this and other forums.

It now sounds as though the OP has already changed his mind about CF and is looking at a Felt F55. As you can see it's only been a few days and he's already changed his mind. Buyer's remorse obligitory 6 - 12 month waiting period not necessary. Perhaps the responses have swayed him away from a CF frame at his weight. Who knows?

Hey, thanks for the acknowlegment Doc. One of the facts of life here is that you'll never know how some stranger takes a response. Even the ones I think are non-controversial, like "shop and compare before you buy", can backfire.

Believe the key for any 255 lb rider is to avoid the ultra-light stuff, whether it's in CF, AL, or steel. Get a frame heavy enough, and go for sturdy 32 spoke wheels with at least 25-28 mm tires would be my only recommendation.

The basic question really doesn't have an answer until we know where and how the OP plans to ride. Even in Manhattan, there's a big difference between tooling around Central Park or the West Side bikepath on the weekend vs hammering it out in traffic, and jumping those wonderful cross-street intersection dips at 25 mph. For that kind of duty, I'd want something pretty heavy, with tough tires and rims.

Thanks to everyone for replying, it is a great forum!

I will go to my LBS and test ride some bikes. In my original post when I asked about carbon bikes that was just my own ignorance not realizing that I do not need a carbon bike....

Yes, some of my interest in cycling is the 'lance factor' but I have been training for my 1st marathon for several months now. I was a division 1 athlete 10 years ago and was around 210 lbs at 6'4''. I have over the last few years let myself go and thus the 255lbs....a few months ago I was 280lbs.

My plan is to get down to 220lbs. I really find running boring, so I want to get into cycling.

The cycling I would do would be to get into shape...i would not be riding to 'look at the flowers' but to really push myself hard....Potentially someday racing...though i would never have the natural gifts to be a great racer, I would like to compete in some shape or form.

Especially about the wheel width and spokes.

I am thinking I am going to spend around $1,500 on the bike.
What kind of costs should I be thinking of for accessories?
helmet, clothing, pedals, shoes, computer bike, etc, etc?

Thanks again everyone for the advice. It is very much appreciated.

p.s. Someone asked about my running times and I will be running the marathon around 4hrs10min to 4hrs 30 min.

I