Bicycle Weight Capacity

[joesstagerjob]

how can you tell a bicycle's weight capacity? i always wondered about this. i don't think i ever seen a bicycle weight capacity stated anywhere in my manual, the bike itself, or on any bicycle related paperwork. i used to weight almost 300# at one time & now i weight between 230#-240#. i have been riding the same bicycle all through that time--an old huffy 27" road bike & it held up well. for many years i never had any trouble with it until recently i started snapping spokes, but i attribute that to just old age. i had my front wheel re-built with a dyno-hub, & the rear wheel just replaced & had no more trouble like this & expect no more trouble with spokes for a long time. now i also have a mountain bike that i ride too on occasion with the old bike. i noticed you tend to get a weight capacity with vehicles like electric scooters they sell nowadays, & most of them are flimsy with weight capacities around 200# or less which makes me wonder about bikes.

 

[DancingLady]

If you can't find it in the manual, try asking a bike mechanic about your bike or a bike you are considering. There is a pretty big difference between 300lbs and 230, congrats on the weight loss. I don't think many adult men's bikes would not be able to handle 230. For a taller man that could be a healthy weight.

 

[shadowsupernature]

I think that's a great question......something I've always wanted to know too.

That was my first fear when I decided to buy a new bike last year....at over 300 Lbs too, I didn't want to embarass myself by getting a bike and then kill it by crushing it to death.

I would like to see some weight capacity numbers too....though I know it has to do with many factors, frame, wheels, etc.....

 

[blastguardgear]

i always assumed most bikes a very rugged & can handle a lot of weight since they never show a weight capacity. i always noticed these small electric scooters, & like vehicles always show a weight capacity, but i wonder if that has something to do with the range you get on the battery. obviously if they advertise a range of 15 miles per battery charge, that would probably be for a lighter person. a person who weight twice that would expect a much less range.

 

[tarverten]

Yeah....I think some bikes most definitely DO have a weight capacity....for example...I'm thinking of getting a road bike, but at 350 lbs, carbon-fiber isn't in my future. Aluminum ok? I just don't know.

 

[thepieeatingjay]

To avoid this issue I only ride steel framed bikes with no less
than 36 spoke wheels and they hold my 350+ **** just fine.

Basicly 36 or 40 spokes is required along with a good strudy
(hopefully steel) frame is the minumum I'd even attempt to ride
with.

 

[Totalarmordestine]

Here's a really overgeneralized rule of thumb: The more expensive the bike, the lower the weight capacity.

As prices go up, components and frames get lighter weight to go faster so they can't hold up to as much abuse.

There are huge exceptions to this rule. You can spend large wads of cash on custom steel frames designed for 300 pounders to tour the world with gear.

 

[niightwind]

That's a really good question - I've never even though about that. I'm definitely on the heavier side, probably somewhere in the 250-range last time I checked, and I've never had any trouble with my bike, which is just a standard road bike I believe. I've read that normal bikes nowadays are capable of holding up to 220-300lbs. If you're really worried about it you can probably do research on the specific bike model you had in mind online or ask someone who works at the store (but if assistants there are anything like the ones where I live they might not have a clue either). Probably the most important thing to worry about over weight capacity is how well the bike will work with your weight. Good luck!