Advice on wheels for high weight rider



BikeDemon

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Feb 1, 2012
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I am 6'4" and weigh 235lbs - I am into lifting, and am fairly lean (down from 275), so I don't anticipate losing much more than maybe another 10lbs. I am getting ready to buy a Cannondale CAAD10 with the SRAM Rival group, which comes equipped with Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels. The Fulcrum spec sheet says not to use these wheels if you weigh over 240lbs, and to be cautious if you are over 180. So naturally, I'm concerned whether I should upgrade to a 36 spoke wheel right off the bat. My questions are:

1. What is common etiquette on this sort of thing? Does the bike shop cut you a break if you don't take the stock wheels? Do I have to try to sell them myself?

2. Do I just replace the back wheel, or is it a better idea to get a matching set?

3. Does anyone have experience with the Fulcrums that is a larger rider? Should I even replace them? Sometimes the cautionary statements from the manufacturer are just there for them to cover their butts in case something happens...

4. Money is a concern, so I would prefer not having to build custom wheels. Can anyone recommend a decent heavy-duty wheelset for a reasonable price (somewhere in the $400.00 range?) Weight is not so much of an issue, since I am already heavy...

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated
 
Originally Posted by BikeDemon .

I am 6'4" and weigh 235lbs - I am into lifting, and am fairly lean (down from 275), so I don't anticipate losing much more than maybe another 10lbs. I am getting ready to buy a Cannondale CAAD10 with the SRAM Rival group, which comes equipped with Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels. The Fulcrum spec sheet says not to use these wheels if you weigh over 240lbs, and to be cautious if you are over 180. So naturally, I'm concerned whether I should upgrade to a 36 spoke wheel right off the bat. My questions are:

1. What is common etiquette on this sort of thing? Does the bike shop cut you a break if you don't take the stock wheels? Do I have to try to sell them myself?

2. Do I just replace the back wheel, or is it a better idea to get a matching set?

3. Does anyone have experience with the Fulcrums that is a larger rider? Should I even replace them? Sometimes the cautionary statements from the manufacturer are just there for them to cover their butts in case something happens...

4. Money is a concern, so I would prefer not having to build custom wheels. Can anyone recommend a decent heavy-duty wheelset for a reasonable price (somewhere in the $400.00 range?) Weight is not so much of an issue, since I am already heavy...

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated
The Fulcrum 7 is a low end wheel. If I were you to save money, and I am a tight wad, is to ride on the wheels you have instead of replacing them. As you ride more and more your weight will come off little by little; when you get really interested in improving your performance you can then buy lighter weight and more expensive wheels. Kinlin and IRD makes very strong lightweight aero wheels for not a whole lot of money, if you can afford it now and want a nice set of wheels without waiting then see this for price idea: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHIMANO-AERO-KINLIN-Wheelset-IRD-Cadence-Aero-700c-/230499189987?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35aad284e3#ht_1830wt_866 You can even upgrade the wheels to better spokes which will of course raise the price. But those wheels in my opinion are the best wheels you can find under $1200!! Even the lower costing wheelset they offer weighs only 1473 grams and will easily handle larger riders then you, so these wheels will last you a very long time.
 
Thanks for the reply - I think I will see how they go - I don't ride very rough, and I will probably ride less than 2k a season, so the stock wheels could last me a year or two.
 
Originally Posted by BikeDemon .

Thanks for the reply - I think I will see how they go - I don't ride very rough, and I will probably ride less than 2k a season, so the stock wheels could last me a year or two.

Heck yeah, if your only riding 2k a year then I wouldn't buy any new wheels, I would wait until one of two things happen; first, the wheels start having problems like spoke failure; second, you get really good at riding and want a higher performance wheel. Always remember, the biggest improvement in cycling performance, besides the engine, are the wheels and that includes tires and even tubes; then the crank, then the shoes...although personally I don't put much emphasis on shoes because you can find decent shoes on sale for below $50 thus to pay $300 for a pair of shoes just so you can lose 50 grams a pair is insane to me. Again, I'm a tightwad. It's kind of like spending $120 for one water bottle cage made of Carbon just so I can save 5 grams over a $18 cage...it makes no sense.

Not sure what tires you have, but lighter tires and tubes even on your current wheels "could" save you 100 grams per wheel more or less-that can make a big difference. You can find high quality tires on discount if you check the big internet bicycle parts retailers; you can find $60 range tires on sale for less then $30. Price Point has a sale going on right now though I think it ends today on the Vittoria Rubino Pro (a folding tire) that retails for $50 for $32; Michelin Pro Race 3 retailed for $71 now $30; both of these tires weigh in the very low 200 gram area and both got high reviews. Those two tires have good flat protection though not the best because they don't weigh much, the best flat protection tires like the Specialized Armadillo All Condition tire ride like a brick and weigh over twice as much...but you'll rarely see another flat. There's always sales on tires from various online sites you just have to keep looking, there's no reason to pay $70 for a tire, just make sure you read reviews before you buy so you don't get some tire that was poorly rated. Amazon is a good place to check on reviews and prices.

Also you can get ultralight tubes like the Specialized Turbo Ultralight tubes that weigh 68 grams.
 
I'm in your weight range and run a touring wheel on the back of both my bikes. Stock entry/mid level wheels on the front. That combination has resulted in zero issues for me, vs the stock wheel on the back popping spokes. One of them is a Shimano Deore/Mavic A319. Ordered it from wiggle. I'd rather pay a bit up front for a stronger rear wheel and not be dealing with the broken spoke. Did that already and isn't any fun.