76.5" tall, 34" inseam, and 245lbs man - What road bike do I need?

[Crawfinski]

Hello everyone,

I want a road cycle on which to exercise. I will stick to smooth, paved surfaces. As you can tell from the subject title I'm a large man and need a bike that is sturdy enough to hold me; sturdy frame, sturdy tires, etc. Between riding and running I plan to drop down to around 220lbs, but in the mean time i'm a big one

Several years ago I had a mountain bike. I was still a large guy and the tires could hold up to my weight. I'm looking for advice and recommendations. I'm out of the loop on what brands, frames, materials, etc. are good. I'm not looking for "the best", but I'm looking for "the best options" given my goals.

I'm willing to spend upwards to a $1000 on the bike I need, but if I can find the right bike for less than that, even better.

Thanks in advance for your help. It is well appreciated.

 

[oldbobcat]

Mainly, a bike that fits you. There are lots of good bikes available for around $1000. The ones from the major companies (Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Felt, Giant, Scott, etc.) are all pretty comparably equipped, so the exercise is finding one that tickles your fancy, feels good when you ride it, and is offered by a dealer you can work with. At 76.5" your main problem will be finding a bike that's large enough, probably in 61-64 cm. Then, when you ride it you're going to be hard on wheels for a while, so I suggest slightly fatter tires, say 25-28mm.

If you want to know my favorite in this range, it would be a Scott Speedster S30 in XXL.

 

[Steve_A]

Crawfinski, If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you read the several threads here started by SierraSlim. You situation is not that different than hers, and several of us have posted a lot of information to help her in selecting a new bike. Cheers, Steve

 

[SierraSlim]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Hi, Crawfinski, and welcome![/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]You're almost exactly the size of my big brother in Texas; makes me homesick. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]I cracked UP when I saw that Steve had recommended you read the threads I've started, because I was going to recommend exactly the same thing, lol. I'm tall (for a woman) and overweight (in your range, but working on it with cycling), and have been asking questions here about what bike I need to continue my health quest. The information -- and support!! -- I have received has been INVALUABLE. You will not find a nicer bunch of guys anywhere to help you with your decision. [/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]I'm not knowledgeable enough to suggest any bikes. But I can tell you from personal experience that you couldn't find a way to lose weight that is as much fun, energizing, and non-joint-hurting as biking! I just started biking in July and have lost 30 pounds (ME, the one who has never been able to lose weight in her LIFE!!). These past 2 weeks I've been on a forced layoff due to surgery, and have missed my biking more than I would have dreamed possible, six months ago. [/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Good luck with your own weight loss, and good luck with your bike search. I hope you find a great one.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Sierra[/COLOR]

 

[i12ride]

I weigh 215 so first thing I did for my road bike was up the tire size from 700x23 to 700x25, went with Bontrager hardcase tires with triple puncture resistance & normal tubes. Sacrifices weight for heartiness. Have had good luck so far on flats(knocks on wood) 2nd thing IMO would be to make sure the wheelset is up to the challenge as well. The wheelset on the bike I bought never left the shop, traded them and the tires for small rebate towards the wheelset/tires that actually did leave the shop with the bike. They cost half as much as the whole bike did to begin with but was well worth it to me. My 1200 bike left the shop at about 2000. Overspending a bit up front can put off some lost time, money & frustration later on.

 

[SierraSlim]

[COLOR= #0000ff]i12ride, my brain is swirling, lol.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]I do believe that you get what you pay for... my problem is remembering the specifics what I should PAY for, lol. I may have to just tell the bike shop guy that I need upgraded, made-for-fat-chicks wheels and tires. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif [/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]And CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss. Only other people who have been (or are) fat know what a struggle it is. I feel like I have just begun to find my way out of the fat forest with biking, and am so lucky to have found it. Stories like yours just encourage me even more.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Thanks![/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Sierra[/COLOR]